Ellis' Top 50 Wide Receiver Rankings - PPR Fantasy Football Analysis

May 11, 2022

Ellis Johnson shares his top 50 wide receivers for the 2022 fantasy football season and provides outlooks for his top 24.

With the 2022 NFL draft completed, it feels like the preparation for the 2022 season can officially begin. What better place to start than the Wide Receiver position, where big names have been moving around the league and teams treating money like Oprah Winfrey gives out cars.

Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Amari Cooper, and A.J. Brown have all found new teams and completely shaken up the fantasy landscape. Often receivers who switch teams do not produce for fantasy; however, with the caliber of these players, surely there will be an exception. After all, we can hold on to hope since recently  Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins have maintained fantasy value despite switching teams.

Regardless of these faces in new places, we have the emergence of young stars across the league. How will Ja'Marr Chase or the emergence of Michael Pittman Jr. stack up against these fantasy stalwarts? It's never too early to start ranking, and here are my full PPR early wide receiver rankings.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings (PPR)

May 2022 Update

1. Cooper Kupp (WR, LAR): I always try to avoid predicting players to repeat a #1 finish in fantasy, as historically it just doesn’t happen. However, there is no reason Kupp should be anywhere lower than #1. I think any of my top-five WRs could dethrone him, but I would be disrespecting his incredible 2021 campaign to predict otherwise.
2. Justin Jefferson (WR, MIN): Jefferson is unbelievable. Last season, his WR4 finish seemed to go relatively under the radar, finishing with over 1600 yards and double-digit touchdowns. Adam Thielen and Irv Smith Jr. should be back and healthy; however, neither pose much of a threat to Jefferson’s target share.
3. Ja'Marr Chase (WR, CIN): If this wasn’t full PPR, Chase would be my WR2 overall. However, I think Jefferson’s target share will put him ahead. Either way, Chase is electric and would be my pick of this top five to dethrone Kupp. Although he may not be as consistent as Jefferson, he could easily top 15 touchdowns as the main weapon (and best friend) for Joe Burrow.
4. Davante Adams (WR, LV): Not many players could go from Aaron Rodgers to Derek Carr and still find themselves among fantasy royalty. Of course, when you’re arguably the best receiver in the game, the quarterback impact is less powerful. Adams has been a monster for three years now and has proved that it was not just the Rodgers show in Green Bay. Adams made sure he was playing with his best friend Carr and should receive enormous volume and red zone looks to keep him in the top-five. Unfortunately, with Carr maxing out at 30 passing touchdowns, the days of Adams atop the position may be over.
5. CeeDee Lamb (WR, DAL): I don’t think Lamb will ever be a “sleeper” but he certainly fits “post-hype” this season. Everyone (including myself) got too excited the last offseason, placing him way above his WR19 end-of-season ranking. However, now that Cooper is gone and Michael Gallup is coming off a torn ACL, it’s full steam ahead for Lamb. As always Dallas will be one of the more potent offenses in the league, paving the way for double-digit touchdowns and a high target volume.
6. Deebo Samuel (WR, SF): Can we just say he is a 49er and move on with this drama? Probably the most dynamic player in the league needs to get paid and needs to stay a Niner to continue his elite fantasy production. Regardless if it’s Trey Lance under center or Jimmy Garoppolo, this entire offense will run through their Wide Back. I’m confident he’ll have another great season; however, as long as the running backs stay healthy, he may not have the same ceiling as last year.
7. Mike Evans (WR, TB): Every single year, Evans is elite. Being the first player to top 1000 yards in each of his first eight seasons, Tom Brady declared Evans to be a Hall of Famer already. With Chris Godwin recovering from a torn ACL, this will be the Evans and Brady show to start the season. He has back-to-back 13+ touchdown seasons that will continue to make him a WR1 for fantasy.
8. Keenan Allen (WR, LAC): From one underrated receiver to another, Allen is elite. Last season, Allen was sixth in the league in receptions and finished as the WR11. In fact, Allen has been a top-12 fantasy WR each of the last five seasons. That’s remarkable. He is already a bonafide WR1, but If Allen can find his way to double-digit touchdowns, he could be a top-five WR. With Herbert under center, that could easily happen.
9. Stefon Diggs (WR, BUF): Diggs might have had one of the quietest WR7 seasons in 2021. If you rostered him, it did not feel like he was the WR1 you drafted him to be. With only two games over 100 yards and only one multi-touchdown game, Diggs failed to bring the week-winning upside of other top WRs. Thankfully, with Josh Allen under center, the upside will always be there. I expect Diggs to bounce back and regain some of the upside that comes from playing on one of the league's best offenses.
10. Diontae Johnson (WR, PIT): It’s near impossible to predict what this offense will look like in Week 1. However, Johnson’s target share should be locked and loaded regardless of who is under center. If it’s Mitch Trubisky, Johnson should be safe as we have seen him hyper-target Allen Robinson in Chicago. If it’s Kenny Pickett, we know most rookies like the safety blanket of short-yardage receivers who are always open. I don’t see much upside for Johnson, but in a full PPR, he is rock solid. 
11. Jaylen Waddle (WR, MIA): If it wasn’t for the record-breaking rookie seasons of Chase and Jefferson, the dynasty community would be losing their mind over Jaylen Waddle and his WR13 finish in 2021. Even with the addition of Tyreek Hill, I think Waddle will out-target Hill and be the focal point of this offense. In the words of his QB, get ready for Waddle to "YAC the heck out of teams".
12. A.J. Brown (WR, PHI): I was devastated after this trade. The Eagles were bottom of the league in passing yards, passing attempts, and passing touchdowns in 2021. As a result, the new Philadelphia Eagle fell six spots in my rankings; however, I’ve come to terms with his new landing spot. Neither the Titans nor the Eagles are pass-heavy, and we have seen Brown utilize his efficiency to consistently produce for fantasy. I think this will continue in his new home and potentially see an increase in targets as the undisputed alpha on this team. My largest concern is Jalen Hurts’ abysmal 16 passing touchdowns last season. For Brown to remain a WR1, he’ll need Hurts to at least crack 20+. 
13. Courtland Sutton (WR, DEN): You read this correctly, I have Sutton sliding into my top-13 WRs this season. Despite Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick, I think Russell Wilson will quickly find Sutton to be his next D.K. Metcalf. Not only are both players 6’4”, but they both thrive in contested catch situations. I am sure Jeudy and Patrick will have their own big games (much like Lockett), but Sutton is the one with the potential to be a top fantasy player in 2022. 
14. D.J. Moore (WR, CAR): One of these years Moore has to break out… right? Year after year, Moore has proven to be one of the best young players in the NFL but lacks the QB to make it happen. If Sam Darnold remains the starter, we at least know the volume will be there for Moore, as last season he had the sixth most targets in the league. However, unlike last year, there might be some optimism at the QB position. The team drafted Matt Corral in the third round this year, who had a very solid college career. Corral could very well take the job from Darnold and potentially answer the tantalizing question of what D.J. Moore’s potential is.
15. Michael Pittman Jr. (WR, IND): The breakout finally happened for Pittman last season. The Colts have been desperately looking for a WR to take over from the veteran T.Y. Hilton, and Pittman seems to be that guy. The WR17 from 2021 remains practically alone on the WR depth chart. Now with the presumed upgrade of Matt Ryan under center, Pittman will be the focal point of this team's passing attack.
16. Tyreek Hill (WR, MIA): Miami paid a large price and sacrificed their 2022 draft to bring in the cheetah. Despite the price tag, I see Waddle leading the team in targets and receptions, ultimately outproducing Hill in full PPR. Plus, there are questions about Tua’s deep throw ability and what this offense will look like. Hill has the ability to return to the top-10 at the position, but there are too many questions for my liking.
17. Tee Higgins (WR, CIN): Arguably the best WR1-2 combination finishes with Higgins. Chase is electric and can make the big play, however, Higgins would be the top guy on the majority of current NFL depth charts. He has been great ever since the Bengals drafted him in the second round in 2020. His 6’4” 215lbs frame allows him to thrive in contested catch situations and could easily take advantage of playing across from Chase. This offense should produce two top-20 receivers, and if the NFL can stop Chase in the red zone, Burrow won’t hesitate to turn Higgins’ way raising his ceiling.
18. Michael Thomas (WR, NOS): There is nothing I can say to convince you that Thomas is still elite. That’s the inherent risk of making this pick. Thankfully, he remains the undisputed WR1 on the team even with Chris Olave joining the mix. The real question with Thomas is what we think of Jamies Winston and their new head coach. Vintage Winston was nowhere to be found last season, as he failed to crack 300 yards in a game and only threw three interceptions in eight games. Unless they unleash Winston and completely change from last year, this conservative play will limit Thomas’ ceiling and make him a volume-based WR2. 
19. Robert Woods (WR, TEN): There are four guarantees in life; death, taxes, Ochocinco will always be open, and Borreal Bobby will be underrated in fantasy leagues. I am shocked how little people have discussed the impact Brown leaving will have on Woods. Last season, Woods was the WR12 through the first nine weeks of the season. Although Treylon Burks is a great prospect, I don’t expect an immediate impact, leaving Woods to be Tannehill’s guy. Don’t sleep (again) on the perennial WR2 this year.
20. Brandin Cooks (WR, HOU): Cooks producing for fantasy might make it the five guarantees in life. I have him ranked right where he finished last year despite being on a Texans team that appears to be turning a corner. With their new defensive-minded head coach and Davis Mills under center, Cooks is unlikely to be a fantasy star but could be an incredible value if you can select him as your WR3 or late-round WR2.
21. Terry McLaurin (WR, WAS): 1000+ yards and four-plus touchdowns, you might as well hand these stats to McLaurin, because that is what he does. The ultra-talented WR is another player brought down by the team around them. Thankfully, this season, he finally has a starter from Week 1 that should be there all season. Unfortunately, that QB is Carson Wentz. The good news is that we just saw Wentz carry Pittman to a WR17 finish in 2021. WR17 sounds right about where Terry could finish, and unless he scores a career-high in touchdowns, that might be his ceiling as well. McLaurin, Cooks, and Woods round out the veteran receivers that I love as a consistent WR2 in 2022.
22. Amari Cooper (WR, CLE): Cooper’s ranking is directly linked to what will happen to Deshaun Watson. If Watson were to play the entire season, not only would it be a disgusting statement by the league, but it would also make Cooper a WR1 for fantasy. On the other hand, if the league decides that they will not tolerate sexual misconduct, Cooper could have Jacoby Brissett or Baker Mayfield for the entire season, making him a WR3. I’ll let you make the call on this one. 
23. D.K. Metcalf (WR, SEA): Is it bad that I think this might be too high for Metcalf? I know, he is an athletic monster and is assumed to be an elite player for fantasy. However, I think his true fantasy production is often overshadowed by his monster games. In 2020 and 2021, respectively, from Weeks 10 on, he was the WR23 and WR21. So with Russell Wilson, Metcalf wasn't a top-20 WR half the time over the last two years. Now he has Drew Lock. I won’t spend time disrespecting Lock, but I’ll tell you the numbers of his receivers. In his last four starts in 2021, Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy failed to crack double-digit fantasy points with Lock under center. Who knows what will happen with Lockett and Metcalf, but I’m not optimistic for 2022 and won’t be rostering him in any of my leagues.
24. Rashod Bateman (WR, BAL): Touted to be one of the more talented receivers of the 2021 class, Bateman gets his shot in 2022. With an injury-plagued 2021 season, Bateman failed to statistically impress; however, if you watched him, you know he has what it takes to produce in the NFL. Although he has a very different skillset from Hollywood Brown, Lamar Jackson supported Brown as a top-10 fantasy WR for the first eight weeks of the season. With Brown now a Cardinal, the targets and opportunities will be there for Bateman to play a big role. Defenses should focus on Mark Andrews as the top option, which will leave Bateman primed for solid volume and fantasy production for 2022.
25. Chris Godwin (WR, TB)
26. Jerry Jeudy (WR, DEN)
27. Michael Gallup (WR, DAL)
28. Drake London (WR, ATL)
29. Mike Williams (WR, LAC)
30. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR, KC)
31. Darnell Mooney (WR, CHI)
32. Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, DET)
33. JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, KC)
34. Marquise Brown (WR, ARI)
35. Tyler Lockett (WR, SEA)
36. Brandon Aiyuk (WR, SF)
37. Adam Thielen (WR, MIN)
38. DeAndre Hopkins (WR, ARI)
39. Allen Robinson (WR, LAR)
40. Chase Claypool (WR, PIT)
41. A.J. Green (WR, ARI)
42. Chris Olave (WR, NO)
43. Gabriel Davis (WR, BUF)
44. Christian Kirk (WR, JAX)
45. Kenny Golladay (WR, NYG)
46. Tim Patrick (WR, DEN)
47. Treylon Burks (WR, TEN)
48. Christian Watson (WR, GB)
49. Allen Lazard (WR, GB)
50. Skyy Moore (WR, KC)

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