Jordan VanekNov 9, 2023
Vanek ranks the NFL's top 24 wide receivers at the 2023 midseason, with Tyreek Hill first, and adds that Ja'Marr Chase will eventually become the league's best receiver and that Tee Higgins is one of the best No. 2 receivers in football.
Published in writing · The 33rd TeamRead the original
What Jordan Vanek said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromChase is close to surpassing Jefferson and will eventually be the best wide receiver in the NFL.
- Where it was published
- The 33rd Team
- The piece
- 2023 NFL Midseason Top 24 Wide Receiver Rankings | The 33rd Team
- The original
- The copy as archived Apr 24, 2024 · the live page
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidNov 9, 2023
- GradedAug 5, 2026
- 1Tee Higgins to be 2nd on the depth chart“He is one of the best No. 2 receivers in football.”
- 2DeVonta Smith to be 2nd on the depth chart“DeVonta Smith is the second-best receiver on his team but could be a No. 1 option elsewhere.”
- 3Top Player Lists“This article attempts to account for all those factors when ranking the league's top 24 wide receivers. NFL's Top 24 Wide Receivers”
- 4Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards“Chase is close to surpassing Jefferson and will eventually be the best wide receiver in the NFL.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins to be 2nd on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | No. 3 | 91.67 | 91.67 | 0 | |
| DeVonta Smith to be 2nd on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | No. 2 | 100 | 91.67 | +12.5 | |
| “This article attempts to account for all those factors when…”3 | Top Player Lists | — | 63.17 | 50 | +19.76 | |
| Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards4 | Positional Finishes | Finished #12 | 8.33 | 66.67 | −87.5 | |
| 4 calls · 2 hits · 1 close call · 1 miss · all settled | 65.8 | 75 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive4 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls, 1 positional finish and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 4 have settled, averaging 65.8 out of 100, against 75 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against what happened
Their call against what actually happened.
1Depth Chart CallsTee HigginsCincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins to be 2nd on the depth chart
What happenedNo. 3called No. 2 · by receptions91.67Hit · naive 91.6791.67this call−91.67a naive guess=0better than naive×1.5difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CIN
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Tee Higgins
- season:
- 2023
- accuracy:
- 91.67
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- WR
- naive slot:
- 2
- actual slot:
- 3
- difficulty:
- 1.5
- measured by:
- receptions
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 2
- weeks left when called:
- 9
2Depth Chart CallsDeVonta SmithPhiladelphia Eagles
DeVonta Smith to be 2nd on the depth chart
What happenedNo. 2called No. 2 · by receptions100Hit · naive 91.67100this call−91.67a naive guess=8.33better than naive×1.5difficulty=+12.5skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- PHI
- skill:
- 12.5
- player:
- DeVonta Smith
- season:
- 2023
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- WR
- naive slot:
- 1
- actual slot:
- 2
- difficulty:
- 1.5
- measured by:
- receptions
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 2
- weeks left when called:
- 9
“This article attempts to account for all those factors when ranking the league's top 24 wide receivers. NFL's Top 24 Wide Receivers”
VerdictClose63.17Close · naive 5063.17this call−50a naive guess=13.17better than naive×1.5difficulty=+19.76skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- naive:
- a coin-flip ordering scores 50
- skill:
- 19.76
- placed:
- 24
- season:
- 2023
- players:
- 24
- accuracy:
- 63.17
- baseline:
- 50
- by position:
- WR 24: 63.17
- difficulty:
- 1.5
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- could not place:
- 0
- weeks left when called:
- 9
4Positional FinishesJa'Marr ChaseCincinnati Bengals
Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards
What happenedFinished #12called #1 · by receiving yards8.33Miss · naive 66.678.33this call−66.67a naive guess=−58.34worse than naive×1.5difficulty=−87.5skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- −87.5
- player:
- Ja'Marr Chase
- season:
- 2023
- zero credit this far off:
- 12
- accuracy:
- 8.33
- baseline:
- 66.67
- position:
- WR
- ranked by:
- receiving yards
- difficulty:
- 1.5
- the naive guess:
- where he finished last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- naive finish:
- 16
- actual finish:
- 12
- weeks left when called:
- 9
- predicted finish:
- 1
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 4 settled calls, each counted once
65.8naive 75
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Garrett Podell · Game Outcome Picks · Philadelphia Eagles · Miss 0
Podell predicts the Eagles, behind new starting quarterback Joe Milton III, snap their six-game losing streak by upsetting the first-place Giants in Week 9.Derek Brown · Game Outcome Picks · Cincinnati Bengals · Hit 100
Brown picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the Packers to win outright in New England and the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night. They were bullish on Jonah Coleman's rest-of-season value, expected Jonathan Taylor to play for the Colts, floated a Breece Hall trade, and did not expect DJ Reed to play in Week 9.Eric Mangini · Game Outcome Picks · Cincinnati Bengals · Hit 100
Mangini picked New England to beat Green Bay by more than a field goal, flagged Tampa Bay as their upset alert over Chicago, expects Kansas City to handle the Jets, took Buffalo over Minnesota, backed Cincinnati over Atlanta in Madrid, and updated their Super Bowl to Rams–Bengals.Rich Eisen · Game Outcome Picks · Cincinnati Bengals · Hit 100
Previewing the Bengals-Falcons game in Madrid, Eisen expects Cincinnati to fall behind by two scores before Joe Burrow brings them back to win.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.