A couple weeks ago I covered my top 10 keeper RB's, an endeavor that was made more difficult by the sensational rookie crop that I also detailed. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of this year's rookie receivers. Nevertheless, it was no small task to wade through the best of the best in a league loaded with amazingly athletic and gifted ball catchers.

The exercise, difficult as it was, also led me to conclude that the shift we saw last season to fantasy championships being won by premier ground games is not going away. Of the 10 best keeper receives I've highlighted below, half are at least 28 years old and only three are younger than 25. In fact, among the last three NFL draft classes, just one name makes my cut and I can only see three other names possibly crashing the part next year – DeVante Parker, Corey Davis and, spoiler alert, someone else that just missed this year's top 10.

Just like I did with the tailbacks, when splitting hairs between the best keepers I look at skill traits first and foremost, recent production, team circumstances and, lastly, a player's age at the start of the season. I then consider them within a three-year window that I hope to own that player. So without further ado, here are the receivers to draft or hang on to for keeper leagues.

1. Odell Beckham, NYG (5-11, 198 ; age 24)
   - Beckham is a football virtuoso. A freak. A baller. He embodies the too-casually-used word "playmaker" better than any wide receiver in the league and perhaps any single player period. Supremely athletic and fluid, Beckham makes the spectacular plays look easy, and now for at least a couple years he'll have a future Hall of Famer to suit up as the Robin to his Batman, making it even tougher for defenses to hone in on him and limit his otherworldly talents.
2. Mike Evans, TB (6-5, 231 ; age 24)
   - As the old saying goes, "you can't coach size." And Evans has size in spades. He's not as technically sound as him, nor does he possess as consistent of hands, but Evans is the closest thing in the league today to a Megatron impersonator. Those who label Evans as a "volume" receiver because he "required" a league-leading 175 targets last year to top 1,300 yards and hit 12 scores forget that he also turned in 12 scores as a rookie on only 124 targets with the ho-hum duo of Mike Glennon and Josh McCown throwing him the ball. Turning 24 years old just before the season kicks off, Evans is only going to keep growing with the Pro Bowl caliber Jameis Winston, and like Beckham, the arrival of a slew of "Robins" is about to free him up to prove he's much closer to a Transformer character than a guy getting more chances than everyone else.
3. Antonio Brown, PIT (5-10, 185 ; age 29)
   - What really needs to be said about Brown? With an insane 481 catches, 6,315 yards and 46 touchdowns in the last four years, Brown is carrying the torch Steve Smith lit to redefine how we view smaller receivers. There's simply no way to completely stop his talent, and with a loaded offense and future Hall of Fame quarterback to take pressure off him, don't count on that changing anytime soon. The only reason he's not one or two on this list is because said quarterback could retire sooner than expected.
4. Julio Jones, ATL (6-3, 220 ; age 28)
   - If Jones scored touchdowns, he'd top this list. Despite snagging 323 passes for 4,873 yards over the last three seasons, Jones has managed just 20 scores in that span (45 games). Or put differently, only one more than Allen Hurns in the last three years. And Hurns even played three fewer games. New offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian insists they'll use Jones more in the red zone, but until the superhuman athlete extends his whopping production to points on actual NFL scoreboards, his fantasy ceiling will remain slightly limited.
5. Jordy Nelson, GB (6-3, 217 ; age 32)
   - In his last three full seasons with Aaron Rodgers (2011, 2014, 2016), Nelson has piled up a stupid 4,039 yards and 42 touchdowns. Heck, even when Rodgers missed half of 2013 Nelson finished with a hearty 85/1,314/8 line. At age 32 he still gets behind defenses, is slippery in the red zone and remains one of the three best boundary receivers in football. Moreover, aside from a season lost to an ACL, he's been very durable. Translation: there are few safer bets to accumulate 3,500 yards and 30 scores over the next three years.
6. Dez Bryant, DAL (6-2, 220 ; age 28)
   - Bryant's first three games with Offensive Rookie of the Year Dak Prescott under center netted him 11 catches, 150 yards, one touchdown and a hairline fracture in his right knee. After a three-game respite he fought through the knee pain to regain his old form, snagging 48 passes for 778 yards and nine scores over what amounted to 10 games (including playoffs). He posted at least 70 yards in eight of those contests. In other words, Bryant absolutely does not miss Tony Romo. His 10 scores in basically 13 games with a rookie starter and with most of them coming after a knee injury might just be the most impressive accomplishment of his career. Still just 28 years old, Bryant remains a physical terror for opposing cornerbacks and as fiery a competitor as there is at the position. He'll continue to benefit greatly from a superb ground game, tremendous pass blocking and a poised quarterback, and this touchdown monster will continue to light up the scoreboard with the best of them.
7. Michael Thomas, NO (6-3, 212 ; age 24)
   - Thomas had a historic rookie season in which he posted a line of 92/1,137/9 on just 121 targets while Brandin Cooks led the team in receiving yards. Cooks is now in New England. The ONLY concern regarding Thomas' floor over the next three seasons is that Drew Brees will play them at 38, 39 and 40 years of age. However, since Brees has AVERAGED 5,140 yards and 38 touchdowns over the last SIX seasons, it's tough to sweat that too much. So to add things up, working in Thomas' favor are: a prototypical frame, superglue hands, a huge target volume and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who will be the most prolific quarterback in history when all is said and done. Working against him: umm…
8. A.J. Green, CIN (6-4, 210 ; age 29)
   - Green is one of those ol' reliables that just keeps churning out top-notch numbers. And he remains on this list not only because some young guns haven't been good enough to unseat him, but also because Green is as difficult a matchup for any corner as there is in this league. He can kill DB's deep with long-striding speed, pedal down effortlessly to separate on intermediate routes and he's brutal in the red zone with his lanky, Stretch Armstrong frame and Stickum hands. Like a few of the other vets on this list, he only stands to benefit from the addition of reinforcements. Like seriously, how do you keep a safety over the top on both Green and his new running mate, John Ross, the fastest man in football? It's just not fair.
9. Alshon Jeffery, PHI (6-3, 218 ; age 27)
   - Jeffery is a bona fide stud and so is his new quarterback, Carson Wentz. After slogging his way through the last two seasons of Jay Cutler's career that included guest appearances by Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley and even Jimmy Clausen, the unshakeable Wentz will be a sight for sore eyes to the sure-handed Jeffery. And likewise, those vice-grip mitts belonging to Wentz' new best friend should bring tears of joy to the second-year pro who watched roughly 733 passes go through his receivers' fingers last season (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration but you get the drift). After some injuries, a PED misstep and the debacle that was da Bears, Jeffery is primed to reprise the stellar play that saw him rack up 174 catches, 2,554 yards and 17 touchdown grabs between 2013 and 2014. And his reward will be a hefty new contract in Philly.
10. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (6-1, 215 ; age 25)
    - An amazing boundary receiver, Hopkins routinely hauls in sideline catches that are two parts ballerina, one part acrobat. He's excelled with mediocre quarterback play and limited surrounding weapons in the past, but as displayed last year, even his immensely deep bag of tricks cannot overcome Tim Tebow-esque shot-putting. However, given his ability to separate from coverage with an aggressive and nuanced style of route running and his elite ball skills to enlarge his catch radius and win in 50/50 situations, Hopkins has the complete tool belt to regain his place among the upper echelon of receivers now that Deshaun Watson is in town. Whatever you may think of the rookie as a passer, he's still a tremendous upgrade from Brock Osweiler. Count on the Clemson alums to become fast friends on the field as they build a winning formula for the Houston offense.

Toughest to keep off the list:

• Davante Adams, GB
• Amari Cooper, OAK
• Allen Robinson, JAC
• Terrelle Pryor, WAS
• Brandin Cooks, NE

For any comments, mockery or questions, tweet at me: @Hoover_L_A