NFL Kickoff is just two days away, meaning it is prime Fantasy Football season. With most thousands of drafts scheduled to take place over the next two days, make sure you stay up-to-date with my latest rankings for each position, by becoming a member of The Sports Branch. Continuing with my rankings for the 2022 season; here are my Wide Receiver rankings for Point-Per-Reception (PPR) leagues.
1. Justin Jefferson (MIN, 7)
2. Cooper Kupp (LAR, 7)
Kupp had arguably the most dominant season from a receiver of all time in 2021, as he led the league in: receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, achieving a rare feat by winning the triple crown. Kupp finished the season with a whopping four-hundred and thirty-nine and a half total points in PPR leagues. Nearly one hundred more points than the number two receiver, DaVante Adams. Kupp is likely to see a regression in his numbers, due to the fact that repeating his historic feat from 2021 would be extremely difficult. Nonetheless, Kupp is a top three receiver at minimum this year and should continue to see a large target share (31% in 2021) as Matthew Stafford’s favorite target.
3. Ja’Marr Chase (CIN, 10)
4. Davante Adams (LV, 6)
Adams was traded to the Raiders this offseason and reunited with his Quarterback from college, Derek Carr. Adams will still be one of the top receivers this year, but his draft position will take a hit due to his change from Aaron Rodgers at QB. Adams is unlikely to have a target share similar to his time in Green Bay, as the Raiders possess arguably the best set of receiving threats Adams has played with. Hunter Renfrow (WR10 last year) and Darren Waller will both have a significant impact in Adams’ numbers. However, Adams has finished with over one thousand receiving yards and ten touchdowns in three of the last four seasons, proving he’ll still be a dominant receiver. Adams is simply too talented to be ranked outside of the top four, and should be the first wide receiver taken after Jefferson, Kupp, and Chase.
5. Stefon Diggs (BUF, 7)
6. Ceedee Lamb (DAL, 9)
7. Tyreek Hill (MIA, 11)
8. Mike Evans (TB, 11)
9. Keenan Allen (LAC, 8)
10. Michael Pittman Jr. (IND, 14)
Pittman finished as the WR17 last year with Carson Wentz as his QB. The Colts traded for former MVP Matt Ryan this offseason, a massive upgrade for the Colts offense. Pittman is expected to have a huge season as the clear top receiver for the Colts. Pittman has already clearly been Matt Ryan’s favorite target during their short time together during the preseason, and throughout training camp. The third year receiver should see a career high target share, as Indianapolis currently has 2019 second round pick, Parris Campbell, and rookie Alec Pierce as the other starting receivers on the depth chart.
11. A.J. Brown (PHI, 7)
12. Tee Higgins (CIN, 10)
13. DJ Moore (CAR, 13)
14. Mike Williams (LAC, 8)
15. Deebo Samuel (SF, 9)
16. Diontae Johnson (PIT, 9)
17. Courtland Sutton (DEN, 9)
Sutton has been hindered repetitively by injuries and lackluster Quarterback play. But, is now two years removed from an ACL injury and playing with an elite Quarterback, Russell Wilson. Although, the criticism of the third year wideout and his current spot in most rankings is worthy. Sutton has yet to break away from a competitive receiver room in Denver that also suffers from the Broncos run-heavy tendency. However, it was also noted that Sutton was Russell Wilson’s favorite receiver during camp. His teammate, Jerry Jeudy, shares similar potential for a breakout year; he’s a great investment as well if the price for Sutton feels too steep.
18. Terry McLaurin (WSH, 14)
19. Jaylen Waddle (MIA, 11)
20. Brandin Cooks (HOU, 6)
21. DK Metcalf (SEA, 11)
22. Allen Robinson II (LAR, 7)
23. Marquise Brown (ARI, 13)
With Pro-Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games of the season, Marquise Brown should be the go-to-guy for the Cardinals. Brown set new career highs in both receptions and yards in 2021 for the Ravens, and will be looking to continue to build on last season’s momentum. The expectations for Hollywood Brown could be arguably the highest of his career after being traded to Arizona in the offseason to reunite with college teammate, Kyler Murray. Murray and Brown were one of the most explosive duos in college football while playing for the Sooners, hopefully they can bring that same production to the NFL. Brown’s numbers will likely take a hit once Hopkins returns, but even then should still be a great flex option or potentially a quality WR2 for fantasy teams.
24. Rashod Bateman (BAL, 10)
25. Darnell Mooney (CHI, 15)
26. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET, 6)
27. Michael Thomas (NO, 14)
28. Chris Godwin (TB, 11)
29. Jerry Jeudy (DEN, 9)
30. Gabriel Davis (BUF, 7)
Davis has yet to have a real role in the Bills offense to this point in his career. But after a four touchdown performance along with over two-hundred yards in the AFC Divisional game, Davis showed his big-play potential. Buffalo saw receivers Cole Beasely and Emmanuel Sanders depart from the team this offseason. Which has opened the door for Gabriel Davis to become the clear number two option for Josh Allen. Buffalo is likely to have one of the top scoring offenses in the league this season, making the majority of their offensive threats worth investing in. With Buffalo yet to bring in any other receivers, I’m all in on Gabriel Davis this year and believe he has league-winning potential.
31. JuJu Smith-Schuster (KC, 8)
32. Amari Cooper (CLE, 9)
33. Elijah Moore (NYJ, 10)
34. DeVonta Smith (PHI, 7)
35. Adam Thielen (MIN, 7)
36. Allen Lazard (GB, 14)
With Davante Adams leaving Green Bay, that vacates just under one-hundred and seventy targets, over fifteen hundred yards, and eleven touchdowns. Allen Lazard is likely to be the number one wideout for the Packers based on the depth chart, and based on the fact that Rodgers has consistently stated it. Lazard finished 2021 with just over five hundred receiving yards and eight touchdowns, finishing as the WR47 in PPR leagues. However, Lazard was the WR8 over the last five weeks of 2021, hauling in five of his eight touchdowns and nearly three hundred yards (Andrew Erickson, FantasyPros), ending his season with momentum for 2022.
37. Hunter Renfrow (LV, 6)
38. Drake London (ATL, 14)
39. Tyler Lockett (SEA, 11)
40. Brandon Aiyuk (SF, 9)
41. Christian Kirk (JAX, 14)
Kirk set multiple new career highs in 2021 for the Cardinals, as the injury to DeAndre Hopkins elevated Kirk to a larger role. After signing a market altering deal with the Jaguars, he could now be set for a career-altering year, finally in an offense where he’s the top receiver. Kirk made a lot of noise in camp and has received consistent praise from new Quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Kirk finished as the WR26 in 2021, his highest in his career by far. With Kirk being a focal point of Jacksonville’s offense, he could be the biggest sleeper in fantasy this year.
42. DeAndre Hopkins (ARI, 13)
43. Robert Woods (TEN, 6)
44. Kadarius Toney (NYG, 9)
45. Chase Claypool (PIT, 9)
46. Chris Olave (NO, 14)
47. Garrett Wilson (NYJ, 10)
48. Jakobi Meyers (NE, 10)
49. Treylon Burks (TEN, 6)
50. Tyler Boyd (CIN, 10)
*All stats were received from ESPN Stats & Info. Department and FantasyPros.com