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2022 Fantasy WR Rankings: 11 – 20

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By Chip Bayless  (click Howie for more Chip)

 

 

 

11) Tee Higgins

Purely due to injuries and his supporting cast, Tee Higgins might be the most under-appreciated receiver on this list.

Like Chase, he has the speed to burn defenders and the leaping ability to rip 50/50 balls away. Burrow also shows remarkable trust throwing it up to Higgins in one-on-one situations even if the defender(s) are draped on his back:

Regardless of Higgins missing three games and competing with Boyd and Chase, he still finished as the 24th-best receiver in fantasy football, broke 1,000 yards, and compiled the following receiver ranks:

  • 8th in yards per game
  • 18th in yards per catch
  • 17th in yards
  • Tied for 8th in receiving TDs

Here’s another intriguing stat line that helps Higgins’ stock: when all three Cincinnati wideouts were active last season, Higgins handled 140 targets (23% share), compared to 144 (24%) for Chase.

So for everyone reaching for Chase, keep in mind Higgins only gets 1% fewer targets in most situations which is a negligible difference.

Higgins also saw at least three targets every game, had 60+ yards in 64% of his games, broke the 100-yard mark four times, and had five or more catches in 57% of his games.

 

 

12) Mike Evans

Mike Evans has quietly amassed one of the best careers of any 2010s WR with all of his consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, and its easy to see why Brady so readily trusts the massive target that is Mike Evans.

Here are some receiver rankings Evans quietly amassed as well:

  • 9th in fantasy points
  • 2nd in TDs to only Kupp
  • 1st in routes run (616)
  • 19th in YPG

While its obvious Evans has size, his ability to throw defenders away and create yards after the catch is an underrated and key part of his game.

Evans may not possess the breakaway speed of some the other wideouts on this list, but he easily makes up for that with his insane catch radius, consistent hands, savviness, and route-running – all of which are prized characteristics for any Brady favorite.



While not the most exciting pick of your fantasy draft, Evans is one of the most consistent fantasy players maybe of all time in terms of his durability and production.

He’s missed only seven games over his nine-year career and has never finished lower than 23rd among receivers in fantasy points.

Unless Evans or Brady sustain significant injuries in 2022, Evans will be a top-20 receiver without question.

 

 

13) Mike Williams

Many might question Williams being higher than Waddle here given Williams’ decline in production as the season wore on.

But keep in mind Williams scored higher than Waddle last year in terms of fantasy points, and now Waddle also has Tyreek Hill to compete with for targets.

Williams has all the tools one could ask for in a receiver. He has the size and strength to dominate small DBs, the leaping ability to snatch balls away from defenders in traffic, and the acceleration and agility to toast even the most athletic of defenders of all shapes and sizes.

Williams is a fun player to watch, and it showed up on the stat sheet with some impressive notches among WRs including:

  • 12th in fantasy points
  • 11th in receiving yards
  • 14th in targets
  • Tied for 7th in TDs
  • 11th in yards per catch

Williams also plays in a dynamic offense that throws the ball around nonstop, so he sees plenty of opportunities and relatively consistent production.

At least four balls were thrown Williams way in every game he played including four weeks where he saw double-digit targets. Furthermore, he had 60 yards or more in 56% of his games (which included four 100-yard games), and at least five catches in 50% of his games.

As one of Herbert’s top two targets, Williams should have another promising season.

 

14) Diontae Johnson

Despite undergoing a QB change, the Steelers main offense figures to stay the same in terms of heavy dose of receiver sets and plentiful passes. Diontae Johnson should be the primary beneficiary of Juju’s departure too, so he should see a heaping number of balls thrown his way.

Diontae is a route-running maven and a speed demon, a perfect combination for this aggressive Steelers offense. He almost looks like an early-career Santonio Holmes with his startling body control and awareness:

In addition to cracking the top-10 receivers in overall fantasy points, he also achieved the following stats among WRs:

  • 5th in catches
  • 3rd in targets
  • 9th in yards
  • 8th in touchdowns

To say Diontae is a target machine is an understatement, and if he receives the target share he did last season he’ll be in the top-10 WRs again rather than #13.

Johnson had double digit targets in a whopping 75% of his games, had six receptions or more in 63% of games, and had over 50 yards in 81% of games.

Johnson runs routes and receives targets like he’s Stefon Diggs, and if the Steelers passing game can come together then Johnson will be a top-10 WR in 2022 like he was in 2021.

 

 

15) Jaylen Waddle

Even though it feels like Tua throws footballs about as well as Rex Grossman and Nate Peterman’s spawn every time I watch a Dolphins game, Waddle is a target/reception machine and should see his share of fantasy production barring injury.

Occupying a role similar to Jarvis Landry’s early Miami days, Waddle sees plenty of screens and short passes that award him ample opportunity to use his speed and change of direction skills to create plays out of nothing.

Waddle also shows phenomenal burst off the line of scrimmage and can run with the fastest of NFL corners, and has strong hands and shows the capability to hold onto passes in the midst of traffic.

In just his first year in the league, Waddle finished 13th in receiver fantasy points and notched the following marks among receivers:

  • 7th in catches
  • 11th in targets
  • 10th in catch rate

Waddle also had at least four targets in every game, had double-digit targets in 44% of his games, and had over 50 yards in 63% of weeks.

Tua undoubtedly limits Waddle’s ceiling as evidenced by his lack of touchdowns and yards in comparison to his catches and targets.

 

 

16) A.J. Brown

A.J Brown comes in here just one slot above Pittman simply because he has a little more upside than Pittman since the Colts are clearly committed to Jonathan Taylor and running the ball.



Brown didn’t have many notable rankings among wideouts last season due to all the time he missed (four weeks), but when he does suit up he’s as dominant as any WR in the NFL, almost a lock for 20 fantasy points each week.

Brown is a physical, dominating presence on the outside and his change of direction and explosion are startling for a hulking athlete his size.

Gone from the Titans run-heavy scheme and now in the Philadelphia’s pass-happy offense that usually finds itself throwing out of necessity due to the score, Brown’s fantasy production should theoretically trend upwards especially considering the fact that DeVonta Smith is a legitimate threat opposite him.

In the games Brown did play last season, he still had at least six targets in 77% of his games, finished 32nd among WRs in fantasy points, and had 90 or more yards in 31% of the weeks he suited up.

Brown has never finished lower than seventh in yards per target, RAC, and yards per route run since he was drafted, so you have to figure he’ll find a way to fit in in Philadelphia.

 

 

17) Michael Pittman Jr.

Hindered by bad QB play, Matt Ryan is a more talented thrower than average fan might give him credit for despite his age. Plus, Wentz was a sack waiting to happen every time he dropped back and you’ve gotta figure the Colts offense can only improve from here as far as passing.

Pittman is impressive when it comes to snaring 50/50 balls as his penchant for finding passes at their highest catchable point is elite, often surprising the defender covering him.

Pittman was able to compile some impressive statistics in terms of receivers in 2021 despite Wentz’ sack fetish including:

  • 15th in catches
  • 14th in targets
  • 16th in yards
  • 17th in fantasy points

Pittman also had six grabs or more in 53% of his weeks in addition to 60 or more yards in 59% them.

Ryan is more of a quick read/release quarterback which will help Pittman compared to Wentz’ “wait till you see the whites of their eyes” pocket-style when it comes to scoring fantasy points in 2022.

 

18) Marquise Brown

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown finished as fantasy’s 22nd-highest scoring WR despite Mark Andrews clearly being the favorite in terms of Lamar Jackson’s looks and play design.

Brown will play in a completely different, more aggressive, pass-heavier offense this season.

With Hopkins suspended, it would be shocking if Brown wasn’t at the very least a top-20 lock during the first six weeks of 2022.

Brown has an uncanny awareness for defenders, allowing him to make instant adjustments before or after the catch to give him breakaway opportunities.

There’s no question Brown is one of the fastest receivers in the NFL, and in the Cardinals offense with Kyler Murray’s cannon of an arm Brown’s speed should finally be showcased each Sunday he takes the field.

Last season Brown had at least three catches in all his games, five or more catches in 69% of games, and had over 50 yards in 56% of his games.

After ranking 12th in catches and 9th in targets last year, Brown’s volume will hopefully translate into more production in Arizona’s high-flying offense.

 

19) D.J. Moore

A similar argument to D.K. Metcalf, D.J. Moore is simply so explosive, talented, phenomenal after the catch, and has underrated leaping ability and toughness, all of which warrant a high target share.

In the face of all the quarterback problems in Carolina, Moore still managed to place top-20 among all wideouts in fantasy points in addition to:

  • 11th in catches
  • 6th in targets
  • 10th in yards
  • 5th in total receiving yards since 2019

Last season Moore also had double-digit targets in an eye-popping 59% of weeks, five or more catches in 71% of them, and had over 70 yards in 53% of the weeks he played.



Moore has overcome some below average QB play to finish top 10 in receiving yards each of the past three years, so the eruptive, physical wideout should remain productive regardless of who starts for the Panthers in Week 1.

 

20) D.K. Metcalf

D.K. Metcalf has a Calvin Johnson-like build that will force Seattle coaches to scheme him into the game regardless of their QB situation. After all, he did receiver at least four targets in every game he played in 2021.

Even though Metcalf was outside the top 20 in terms of receiving yards, targets, and receptions he still placed top-15 in terms of fantasy points among receivers. He’s a dominant end zone threat to say the least, resulting in the 4th most receiving TDs (12) in 2021.

Metcalf has been top five in end zone targets each year he’s been in the NFL too. Still at just 24 years-old, he still has room to grow as a receiver if you can believe that.

Moreover, Metcalf’s youth means fresh legs and healthy games, lowering the risk of drafting him (Metcalf didn’t miss a game in 2021).

With Lockett still on the team, Metcalf can’t be doubled either. Unless the Seahawks really go fully bottom up as far as passing goes, Metcalf should be fine.

Metcalf’s combination of his intimidating size, incredible catch radius, and ability to easily beat press coverage is a sight to see for any football fan. Regardless of production, Metcalf is a fun player to watch and is easy to root for to his generational talent.

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