Van Jefferson had a breakout campaign last season, posting 50 receptions (89 targets) for 802 yards and six touchdowns. The former fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft stepped up for a Los Angeles' offense that lost veteran wide receiver Robert Woods to a season-ending knee injury. Jefferson battled through his own set of injuries (knee, shoulder) last season, but he still managed to play in all 17 regular season games and four postseason games. However, he's undergone two knee procedures this offseason, which undoubtedly has some fantasy owners wondering if Jefferson is a potential breakout sleeper or merely an injury-prone bust.
Below, we'll take a look at Jefferson's fantasy outlook and where he stands in ADP.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet
Van Jefferson Injury Update: How long will Rams' WR be out?
UPDATE (9/3): Rams coach Sean McVay said on Sept. 3 that Jefferson is "making good progress" in his recovery from knee surgery. L.A. is still non-committal about whether Jefferson will play in Week 1, but even if he misses that game, it's unlikely he's out much longer.
UPDATE (9/6): Jefferson is not practicing at the start of Week 1 and seems unlikely to suit up against the Bills. He still figures to be back relatively early in the season and provide good draft value given his low ADP.
The 26-year-old wide receiver's knee surgery during the first week of August went "great," according to beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue. She also added "it's realistic to believe" that Jefferson can return by the regular season opener on Sept. 8. As we know, the Rams will not rush Jefferson back to the field until he's fully ready to go. Los Angeles has two good wide receivers in Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson, who can hold down the fort until Jefferson returns. We also have to factor in TE Tyler Higbee, who quietly had a nice 2021 season with 61 receptions (85 targets) for 560 yards and five touchdowns.
However, when Jefferson is ready to go, he'll be the Rams' vertical deep threat this season. Last season, we saw the young wide receiver thrive in that role with a 16.0 yards per catch. Jefferson had 12 big plays of 20-plus yards, six big plays of 30-plus yards, and four big plays of 50-plus yards. The only three other receivers ahead of Jefferson in big plays of 50-plus yards were Deebo Samuel, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tyler Lockett. If he can regain his form from last season, Jefferson will be a solid, though inconsistent, WR3/flex option.
2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Van Jefferson fantasy ranking and ADP
Heading into this season, SN Fantasy has Jefferson ranked No. 61 among WRs in standard and PPR formats. The 26-year-old wide receiver became one of Matthew Stafford's favorite targets last year, and that was despite the late-season addition of Odell Beckham Jr.
Last season, Jefferson was surprisingly second on the Rams in targets with 89. He did not have a single 100-yard receiving game in 2021, but he had seven games with 50-plus receiving yards. Jefferson was the ultimate boom-or-bust candidate, especially in standard leagues with most of his points coming off touchdowns. The 6-1, 200-pound pass-catcher also produced six games with double-digit fantasy points in standard leagues. When it comes to PPR leagues, he had eight games with 10 or more fantasy points and produced eight games with five or more targets.
FantasyPros has Jefferson's ADP at No. 192 overall and WR76, which sounds about right with his injury and the addition of Allen Robinson. The other wide receivers projected around Jefferson is Corey Davis (WR75), Nico Collins (WR77), and Marvin Jones Jr. (WR78). When he's healthy and ready to play, Jefferson should be able to outperform all of these wide receivers. He plays in a high-scoring offense that will throw the ball around the yard, and he should get around 80-plus targets this season.
2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Van Jefferson's fantasy outlook 2022
Jefferson can be one of the best deep threats in the league at his size. He can play inside and outside, which makes the Rams that much more tougher to defend. Jefferson ranked 41st among WRs with 89 targets and played 80.3 of offensive snaps last season, according to Draft Sharks. Additionally, he ranked 11th in the league with a 14.0-yard average depth of target, and his 16 targets of 20-plus yards ranked 36th among WRs.
2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
Robinson will likely take up a considerable amount of the targets left by Woods and Beckham Jr. (117), but that shouldn't stop Jefferson from being used as a weapon inside the Rams' offense. Jefferson averaged 11.7 air yards per reception, which led all Rams' wide receivers last season. Along with his ability to stretch the field, Jefferson was surprisingly a solid threat inside the red zone with 15 targets. Kupp led the entire league with 37 red-zone targets and Woods had another 16. Robinson will certainly get most of the those, but an uptick for Jefferson can't be ruled out.
2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
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The hope is that Jefferson's knee injuries are behind him, and he will have a clean bill of health this season. According to Draft Sharks' exclusive Injury Predictor tool, Jefferson is a "low risk" player when it comes to chances of injury during the season. While it would be nice to see him playing in the regular season opener against the Bills, Jefferson still has to get back into the rhythm of practice after missing most of training camp. Without him, the Rams will likely look toward the tight end spot to fill in his production. However, when he comes back, you should not have any issues placing him into your lineup as a flex. If he's available late in your draft, Jefferson is worth taking a flier on.
