Wide receiver continues to be the deepest position in the fantasy football universe in 2022. Today’s pass-heavy league allows a seemingly endless array of wideouts emerge as consistent fantasy producers, and these potential sleepers can be found in every tier of your rankings. While the top pass-catchers are off the board in the early rounds, a championship-caliber fantasy roster is one that invests mid-to-late round draft capital in receivers with breakout capability.
In the most explosive offenses, two or three wide receivers from the same team are capable of having high finishes, like Keenan Allen and Mike Williams last year (both top 15 in standard and PPR formats). While they likely aren’t going to be nearly as potent as they were last season, another example of two wideouts producing on the same team occurred in Seattle. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf finished within the top 20 in both standard and PPR formats. Expect similar outputs from a few wide receiver duos and trios this season.
2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Unfortunately, injuries happen, and while you never want to bank on players getting hurt, one injury to a key pass-catcher opens the door for another to command a higher target share and possibly even turn into the de facto No. 1 option. While not every offense is the most exciting (or even watchable), multiple wide receivers still have to line up and run routes on passing downs, leading to fantasy-worthy production on even the worst passing teams (Falcons, Bears).
2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex
Rookies tend to get discounted, and taking a flier on a newly acquired pass-catcher can pay dividends as the season progresses. If you don’t follow the college game closely and are unsure of some rookies who can make an impact in year one, our list highlights several first-year players who may become difference makers. Remember, with sleepers, especially rookies, don't hit the panic button if things don’t immediately work out. The wide receiver position is one of the toughest position groups in all of football to get acclimated to at the pro level, so don’t jump ship if a rookie doesn’t put up great fantasy numbers to begin the season.
2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
Take Elijah Moore’s rookie year as a prime example. Moore started slowly in his first five games at the pro level and didn’t record a five-catch output until Week 8. However, from Weeks 8-to-13, Moore hauled in a total of 34 receptions for 459 yards and five scores. He eventually got put on IR with a season-ending quadriceps injury, but nonetheless, he proved to be a capable fantasy wideout with starting upside during his big stretch. Moore’s ADP entering last season was 137.1 in half-PPR formats, per Sleeper, and there are several rookie wides who profile similarly to him in 2022.
2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs
Because fantasy leagues come in all sizes with a wide variety of formats (standard, PPR, bonus points for 100 yards and long touchdowns, etc.), we try to give you a variety with our sleeper picks below. Some are receivers we simply feel are undervalued; others are guys who won't be on your draft radar at all in even a 10-team league but definitely could get drafted in a 14-teamer. Get ahead of your leaguemates by finding some diamonds in the rough.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 fantasy cheat sheet
Fantasy WR Sleepers 2022: Potential wide receiver breakouts
Joshua Palmer, Chargers. Palmer scored a touchdown in all three games he started last season, and in Los Angeles’ pass-heavy offense, he’s cementing a role to be the Chargers' No. 3 wideout. The 2021 third-round pick’s outlook is a projection of his talent coupled with the Chargers' pass-first scheme. Albeit a small sample size, the 6-1, 210-pound Palmer sported a 100-percent contested catch rate on eight targets, as his ability to out physical cornerbacks is similar to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. With Palmer’s ADP closer to 200 than 150, he’s worthy of a late-round selection in deeper leagues.
2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall
Rashod Bateman, Ravens. Bateman’s another second-year wideout who figures to see a good chunk of the Ravens’ target share come his way. With Marquise Brown out of the fold, Bateman is pegged as Baltimore’s go-to option out wide. Most of his 2021 production should be taken with a grain of salt given it was his first season and he missed the first five weeks recovering from a groin strain suffered during training camp. Bateman showed off his elite ball skills in his rookie campaign, posting the fifth-best contested catch rate at 63.6 percent. Even in Baltimore’s run-heavy offense, Bateman’s a must-draft at his current seventh/eighth-round ADP in 12-team leagues.
2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Elijah Moore, Jets. As we previously mentioned, when Moore was fully healthy, he was a high upside WR2, especially in PPR formats. Moore’s stretch of six games from Week 8 to Week 13 resulted in the fourth-highest fantasy output for wide receivers in PPR formats (113.4 points). Moore figures to build off an impressive rookie campaign with more familiarity running routes alongside fellow sophomore Zach Wilson. Moore’s 47.8-percent route win rate (ninth in NFL) should also infuse confidence into drafting the second-year wideout during the early-middle and middle rounds. He’ll have to compete with first-round pick Garrett Wilson for targets, but that might actually help Moore see softer coverages.
2022 FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake drafts | Auctions | Dynasty | Best ball | IDP
Skyy Moore, Chiefs. Moore and the rest of the Chiefs’ wide receiver room are all boom-or-bust candidates in 2022, with a higher boom capacity given Patrick Mahomes is their QB. Moore is the WR we’re going with as his a relatively unknown commodity in the fantasy world. Kansas City leads the league in available targets, as 53 percent of last year’s looks have been vacated following the losses of Tyreek Hill, Byron Pringle, and Demarcus Robinson. Kansas City’s still the team to beat in the AFC West, and their potent offense will lead to fantasy production for a few of their pass-catchers. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Moore are better suited for PPR production, while Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Mecole Hardman have higher ceilings in standard leagues. At least one will vastly outperform his draft position, so pick your poison. The 5-10, 195-pound Moore seems the most likely after Kansas City used a second-round pick on him.
Rondale Moore, Cardinals. Moore’s looking to build on a respectable rookie season that saw him catch 54 balls for 435 yards with one TD (plus another 76 yards on the ground). With DeAndre Hopkins suspended the first six games and Christian Kirk now in Jacksonville, Moore’s likely to see a good amount of targets. Even in a crowded WR room a season ago, he saw a 26.2-percent target rate, so the addition of Hollywood Brown isn’t concerning. When he’s running routes, Kyler Murray is looking his way. Moore’s much more valuable in PPR leagues than he is in standard formats, as his average depth of target was just 3.3 yards (98th in NFL), and he isn’t much of a threat in the red zone (eight targets in 2021) yet, but he’s a big play waiting to happen and can be used in a variety of ways.
Jauan Jennings, 49ers. Jennings is pegged as a Week 1 starter and San Francisco’s No. 3 wideout. Despite logging just 32.5 percent of snaps and hauling in 24 receptions for 282 yards and five touchdowns a season ago, Jennings’ usage will increase in 2022. His chemistry with Trey Lance could lead to an inconsistent-but-solid season, making him a low-risk, high-reward pick given his current, non-existent ADP. Jennings showed his ability to play on the big stage with his most efficient game coming in the 49ers' 27-24 come-from-behind win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams in Week 17. He corralled six passes for 94 yards and two scores, with one of his touchdowns coming by way of Deebo Samuel on a designed RB pass. At 6-3, 212 pounds, Jennings can be a real problem in the red zone.
Gabriel Davis, Bills. Davis was among our sleeper wideouts last season, and despite putting up nearly identical numbers to his rookie campaign in 2020, the third-year pro looks poised for a reliable fantasy season catching passes from MVP frontrunner Josh Allen. Davis had to compete with Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley for targets a season ago, but with both players no longer suiting up for the Bills, 2022 looks like Davis’ time to shine. While Davis’ best game of his career didn’t factor into his 2021 fantasy output (eight catches, 201 yards, four TDs against the Chiefs in the playoffs) what’s not to be excited about for a player who ranked eighth in aDOT (13.4 yards) nestled in Buffalo’s pass-centric offense?
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers. Aiyuk had a disappointing start to what was supposed to be a breakout 2021, amassing just nine catches for 96 yards and one score over his first six games. His last 11 weeks were much better, as he totaled 47 catches for 730 yards and four TDs. That output ranked him as 16th overall wideout in PPR points and 13th in non-PPR formats, per Draftsharks. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle still command the lion’s share of the targets, but Aiyuk’s dynamic playmaking ability should not be overlooked. Aiyuk’s 9.7 yards per target (11th in NFL) and 19.6-percent juke rate (seventh in NFL) point to a bounce-back season from the third-year product out of Arizona State.
Jahan Dotson, Commanders. While having Carson Wentz throwing can limit your fantasy ceiling, Dotson’s floor appears to be fairly stable in his rookie season. Washington utilized the first-round pick on the Penn State talent, and it’s looking like he’ll be a Week 1 starter in the slot. The 5-11, 184-pound speedster has elusive run-after-catch ability and also racked up 13 yards per reception in his final year at Penn State. He’s currently being picked in the late rounds and might end up as one of those players that wins you your fantasy league.
Jakobi Meyers, Patriots. Meyers’ lackluster touchdown production could be looked at as a cause for concern in standard-scoring formats, but he’s likely to put forth a higher TD output in 2022. Despite hauling in just one TD a season ago, Meyers saw 14 red-zone targets come his way (32nd among WRs). In total, Meyers saw 126 total targets (20th in NFL), commanding a 24.4-percent target share (20th in NFL) in the Patriots' offense. The addition of DeVante Parker could eat into Meyers’ targets, but on the flip side, it will help decrease his ADP. Meyers' continuity with Mac Jones could give him the upper hand in the early weeks, setting him up as either a major draft steal or, at the very least, a sell-high trade candidate in the middle weeks of the season.
Jalen Tolbert, Cowboys. With Michael Gallup (left knee) unlikely to see the field for the first few weeks of the season and James Washington suffering a right foot injury, Tolbert’s expected to compete for a Week 1 starting spot in Dallas’ highly-efficient offense. Tolbert’s likely to assume the Cedrick Wilson role of last year – one that saw Wilson lead the league in catchable target rate (91.8-percent) and score six touchdowns (20th in NFL). The 6-3, 190-pound product out of South Alabama has all the tools, as shown by Dallas’ willingness to shell out a third-round selection on a guy who played in the Sun Belt.
Bryan Edwards, Falcons. Yes, perennial sleeper Bryan Edwards is back on this list. The Falcons WR room is arguably the weakest overall position group in the league, but Marcus Mariota is going to have to throw the ball to someone other than Kyle Pitts. Edwards’ 6-3 frame and 14.6 aDOT (fifth in NFL) could lead to a respectable fantasy output for the third-year pass-catcher. As an added bonus, he has continuity with Mariota, as both guys suited up for the Silver and Black in Las Vegas a season ago. Take a flier on Edwards to outperform his current ADP.
Romeo Doubs, Packers. Not many know about Doubs, Green Bay’s fourth-round selection in this year’s draft out of Nevada. The 6-2, 204-pound speedster has a real shot to emerge as another one of those “no-name” wideouts Aaron Rodgers loves to target. Doubs will likely enter the season as a second-stringer, but given the war of attrition a 17-game NFL slate has on teams, Doubs is an injury or two away from logging a respectable snap percentage in his first season. Doubs might be a year away from becoming a reliable fantasy producer, but he’s still worthy of consideration in deeper leagues.
Parris Campbell, Colts. Campbell’s yet to show the fantasy football world what he’s capable of, as the fourth-year wideout has never had a season with more than 175 receiving yards. The Matt Ryan era figures to lead to increased productivity out of Campbell, as there are rumblings surfacing that he could be Indianapolis’ No. 2 wideout come Week 1. Even if Campbell wins the job out of camp, he’ll still be competing with 2022 second-round pick Alec Pierce (Cincinnati) for the duration of the season. Considering Campbell is likely going undrafted in most leagues, he could become a worthy streaming option and cheap DFS play and someone you should keep your eyes on.
Velus Jones Jr., Bears. Similar to Edwards, Jones Jr. is amidst a wide receiver room full of auxiliary pieces in Chicago. Outside of Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet, it’s relatively unknown what pass-catchers Justin Fields will rely on over the course of 17-games. Jones Jr. is a solid bet to get some run on passing downs as the third-round pick is a versatile playmaker who can make life easier for Fields. Jones’ 4.31 40-yard dash can’t be overlooked, and a team in need of some juice could lean on the Tennessee product to help bring some excitement to Soldier Field this fall.
