The Fantasy Footballers’ WR Rankings Pt. 2 for 2022
On Monday’s show, the Fantasy Footballers wrapped up their top-20 wide receiver rankings.
Be sure to catch up on their top-10 WR rankings from Friday and dive even deeper on each player in the Ultimate Draft Kit.
Wide Receivers 11-20
11. Tyreek Hill, MIA
ADP 2.07/WR7
Andy 10 | Jason 11 | Mike 15
Tyreek Hill is a great wide receiver, but there are concerns. First, he’s 28 years old, and speed has always been his greatest weapon. He will slow down at some point. Second, Jaylen Waddle–who some might call a young Tyreek Hill–has already established himself as a receiver who demands targets. Third, wide receivers score 21% fewer points on average in their first year on a new team. Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins have switched teams in recent history with great success, but Tua Tagovailoa is not Josh Allen or Deshaun Watson. Or Patrick Mahomes, for that matter. Tua attempted 10 fewer passes per game than Mahomes; it’s a number that is expected to go up with the arrival of Hill, but it won’t approach the Mahomes level in quantity or quality. Tyreek Hill has finished as a WR1 in four of the last five seasons (he finished as the WR30 in 2019 due to injury), but his week-to-week consistency slid in 2021, as he finished outside the top 24 ten times. Even with these concerns, Andy has Tyreek Hill ranked in his top 10 list and would feel comfortable with Hill as his WR1. On the flip side, Jason and Mike prefer to look elsewhere in the second round due to the question marks surrounding Hill.
12. Tee Higgins, CIN
ADP: 3.09/WR12
Andy 14 | Jason 9 | Mike 16
Tee Higgins is a hot name in drafts this season, and for good reason. He’s young, talented, and attached to a great quarterback. While Ja’Marr Chase‘s game-breaking plays stole the headlines, Higgins edged out Chase with a slightly higher target share in 2021. After a forgettable start to 2021, Higgins was the WR11 from Week 9 on. Can Joe Burrow support two top-12 wide receivers? On average, one team every season puts out two WR1s, so it’s attainable. However, Andy cautions that with an ADP in the third round, Tee Higgins is being drafted at the tippy top of his range of outcomes.
13. Courtland Sutton, DEN
ADP: 5.04/WR20
Andy 15 | Jason 14 | Mike 10
Everyone had Sutton’ to say about the consensus No. 13 receiver Courtland Sutton. Mike contends that Sutton showed the ability to be a true WR1 in 2019, going for 1,100 yards and 6 TDs with Joe Flacco as his quarterback. Enter Russell Wilson, and Sutton is poised to have a career year. Since 2015, Wilson has supported at least one top-15 receiver every season, and he should be a lock to toss 30+ touchdowns. Mr. Unlimited’s arrival in Denver is the closest thing we have to when Matthew Stafford went to the Rams in 2021. And we all know what happened there. Andy, Mike, and Jason all project Sutton to be the WR1 over Jerry Jeudy. The season-ending injury to Footballers’ favorite Tim Patrick should open up targets even more for Sutton, as the 85 targets vacated by the big-bodied “Fireball Jones” should go directly to the 6’4″, 216 lb Courtland Sutton. At his current ADP in the 5th round, Sutton presents one of the best values in the draft.
14. D.J. Moore, CAR
ADP 4.11/WR17
Andy 11 | Jason 13 | Mike 17
The good: D.J. Moore has 1,100+ yards in three consecutive seasons. The bad: Moore has scored only four touchdowns in three consecutive seasons. The ugly: Poor quarterback play in Carolina has capped the ceiling for Moore each year, including this year’s most non-battle “battle” between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Mayfield is an upgrade under center, but he’s not a touchdown machine. Mayfield is coming off a 2021 season where he threw 17 touchdowns in 14 games. There’s a path for Moore to finally, truly breakout, but the touchdowns are going to have to come. Jason reminds us that while Moore has finished as a top-20 receiver the past three seasons, his week-to-week consistency may continue to frustrate fantasy managers. Christian McCaffrey‘s return from injury should provide more red zone opportunities, but the question marks around the rest of the Panthers’ offense and coaching staff limit Moore’s upside in 2022.
Grant Halverson/Getty Images
15. Keenan Allen, LAC
ADP 3.07/WR11
Andy 17 | Jason 17 | Mike 12
Keenan Allen just keeps getting it done. He’s averaged 102 receptions, 1100 yards, and six touchdowns over the last five seasons. In a Justin Herbert-led offense, there’s always upside for more touchdowns, but Allen’s role around the line of scrimmage and in possession is pretty well established at this point in his career. It’s not a flashy pick, but Allen is one of the safest picks you could make at wide receiver if you want guaranteed production.
16. Brandin Cooks, HOU
ADP 6.02/WR26
Andy 16 | Jason 18 | Mike 13
Speaking of wide receivers who know how to get it done, Brandin Cooks is a model of consistency and durability. Except for an injury-plagued 2019, Cooks has been a top-24 receiver since his sophomore season. Moreover, he has done it with different quarterbacks, offensive schemes, and coaching systems. Fresh off a contract extension, Cooks is the undisputed number one receiver in Houston and is poised to…well, cook. There are positive signs around second-year signal caller “General” Davis Mills, but garbage time should provide ample opportunities regardless. As the WR26 off the board, Cooks is being drafted below his floor, making him an absolute steal.
17. A.J. Brown, PHI
ADP 3.02/WR10
Andy 19 | Jason 15 | Mike 14
Can A.J. Brown be awesome for your fantasy team now that he’s in Philadelphia? Brown is an awesome talent and is the clear No. 1 for the Eagles. The struggle for Brown has been his consistency in fantasy finishes. Brown has finished outside the top-36 in 42% of his games; however, he’s also finished weeks as a top-5 receiver nine times in three years. Brown will win weeks for fantasy managers, but a lower passing volume in Philly and Jalen Hurts‘ proficiency around the goal line could have fantasy managers weathering some down weeks. You want to have some volatile players on your roster for the boom weeks, but it’s difficult to draft Brown at or near his ceiling in the third round.
18. Marquise Brown, ARI
ADP 5.10/WR23
Andy 18 | Jason 16 | Mike 19
Hollywoooooood is headed to a reunion in Phoenix! Marquise Brown was the WR5 through Week 9 in 2021 and earned 145 targets. On the flip side, Marquise Brown was the WR58 from Week 10 on. Now he joins a high-octane Cardinals offense led by his college teammate Kyler Murray. DeAndre Hopkins is 30 years old and is suspended for the first six games, making Brown the de facto No. 1 in Phoenix. The talent and upside are there, with Andy, Mike, and Jason all ranking Brown ahead of his current ADP. As the future of the Cardinals receiving group, Brown is set up to crush his ADP and push for a top-12 finish if he can establish an early rapport with Murray.
19. Jaylen Waddle, MIA
ADP 4.09/WR16
Andy 21| Jason 19 | Mike 20
In his 2021 rookie season, Jaylen Waddle broke the record for rookie receptions that Justin Jefferson (ever heard of him?) set the year before. Then Miami traded for Tyreek Hill. Much like Tee Higgins with Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle could take a backseat in his second year to Hill. Until Tua Tagovailoa proves he’s a quarterback who can support two top-level wide receivers, the presence of Hill caps Waddle’s upside. And vice versa.
20. Allen Robinson II, LAR
ADP: 5.11/ WR24
Andy 12 | Jason 27 | Mike 26
When it comes to Allen Robinson, you have to erase 2021 from your mind. The Rams aggressively pursued and signed Robinson to a 3-year, $46,500,000 contract, so Sean McVay clearly doesn’t think A-Rob is washed. He should be a top target in an elite offense. Before the season that shall not be named, Robinson never failed to see less than 20% of his team’s target share. Cooper Kupp is a very large elephant in the room, but we know the Rams’ offense can support elite production from more than one receiver. Robert Woods was the WR11 in 2021 before suffering an ACL tear, so Robinson should have plenty of opportunities to feast as the No. 2 option for Matthew Stafford. Training camp reports should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s hard to ignore the early reports of Allen Robinson back to his dominant ways. If Sean McVay is right, then Robinson will be a major value at his current ADP.
Wrap up
Rounding out the top 24 for the Fantasy Footballers are Diontae Johnson, Darnell Mooney, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jerry Jeudy. Want to dig deeper? Consistency scores, target breakdowns, draft values, and more are all available in the 2022 Ultimate Draft Kit+.