X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Competitive NFL Receiving Corps to Avoid in 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts

amon-ra st. brown fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Justin looks at fantasy football wide receivers and tight ends you may want to avoid for the 2022 NFL season. Hi overvalued players for fantasy football drafts.

There is fantasy value on every NFL team. I can't name a single team where I would fade the whole team no matter what.

But there are teams that are trickier than others to figure out. Maybe it's because there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Maybe it's because those cooks aren't very good at cooking. Maybe it's because the executive chef (the head coach in this metaphor) of the restaurant (team) is really bad at delegating responsibilities and ignores half of his sous chefs for some reason.

Anyway, today we're going to talk about some receiving corps to avoid this year. For the most part, I mean receiving corps where there's maybe one guy who is a step ahead of the others, and then after that, it's such a mess that you don't know where to look. A good example of this is the first team we'll look at: the Lions. Amon-Ra St. Brown is good. After that...IDK!

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Detroit Lions Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

Amon-Ra St. Brown is the best receiver on this Lions team. At some point, a healthy Jameson Williams will push him for that role and Detroit will be all the better for it.

But with Williams expected to miss much of his rookie season, the Lions will have to make do with St. Brown plus a host of other guys.

D.J. Chark will have the first shot at the No. 2 role, but Chark's per-game numbers have slipped each of the last two seasons. In four NFL campaigns, Chark has had one good season and one "ehh, it's fine" season.

Beyond Chark, there are some solid depth pieces like Quintez Cephus, Josh Reynolds, and last season's No. 2 receiver, Kalif Raymond. Lot of mouths to feed, which will lead to only St. Brown having consistent fantasy value.

 

Buffalo Bills Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

Yeah, lots of people are all in on Gabriel Davis this year. But I think that beyond Stefon Diggs, there are three solid receivers fighting for snaps on this team, which is going to sap the value from the non-Diggs guys.

Last year, Stefon Diggs had full control of this receiving unit, with 164 targets, 25% of the team's total targets.

Cole Beasley was second with 112 targets, then Emmanuel Sanders had 72. Gabriel Davis saw 63 targets. Isaiah McKenzie 26.

Beasley and Sanders are gone, but the team signed Jamison Crowder, who'll compete with Davis and McKenzie for snaps. Someone here will emerge in the Beasley role, but that role only accounted for 693 yards last year. Someone can be the other outside receiver across from Diggs, but that role accounted for 626 yards.

The non-Diggs guys are going to cannibalize each other's value again this season.

 

New England Patriots Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

For most of these teams, there's one clear top guy and then question marks. For the Patriots, there are two guys who might be the No. 1 guy, then some talent behind them that will also be fighting for snaps.

The problem for the Patriots is usage patterns. Jakobi Meyers led the team with 126 targets last year, but despite ranking 20th among all receivers in targets, he had just 13 targets in the red zone, with two touchdowns. Mac Jones looked other directions in the place on the field where receivers can earn more fantasy points.

The team signed DeVante Parker this offseason, who spent the last seven seasons with the Dolphins and has two seasons with over 100 targets. He'll pilfer some of those chances away from Meyers, which really will just leave both players with fewer targets than you'd need to feel comfortable with them in fantasy.

Then there's Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, and second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, who'll all also be part of the equation. And that's not to mention that the Pats have historically liked to target tight end and running back. Per FantasyPros, the Patriots targeted wide receiver at the eighth-lowest rate last year.

 

Baltimore Ravens Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

We know the Ravens like to run. We also know the Ravens like to throw to tight end Mark Andrews. The team targeted tight end 172 times last year, the second-most in the league behind the Dolphins.

Because the team didn't target running backs much, there were still 337 targets available last year for the wide receivers, with 146 of those going to Marquise Brown. So, 43.3% of the WR targets went to one player.

That player is gone, but Rashod Bateman should step up in his absence to take on this role as the primary wideout. And that leaves limited opportunities for the rest of this receiving corps. Devin Duvernay, James Proche II, and Tylan Wallace should all rotate in and out of the lineup, making it tough to find receiver value here beyond Bateman.

 

Chicago Bears Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

The Bears probably should have devoted this offseason to getting some real weapons for Justin Fields.

Instead, he enters 2022 with Darnell Mooney as his top target, which is theoretically okay...if there was a receiver who was close to Mooney's talent on the roster to pair with him.

But the Bears receiving corps right now looks like this: Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, N'Keal Harry, Dante Pettis, Tajae Sharpe, and rookie Velus Jones Jr.

That's a lot of guys whose NFL careers have largely been disappointing and who come to Chicago after failed tenures elsewhere. Guys like Pettis and Sharpe probably won't make the final roster, but enough of these veteran retreads will that it will cloud the playing time picture for Jones, who probably is the second-most talented receiver on this team.

 

Atlanta Falcons Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

With Calvin Ridley suspended and Russell Gage now in Tampa Bay, the Falcons have a lot of holes in their receiving corps.

Thankfully for the team, Drake London was on the board when the team made its first-round draft pick, as they're going to wind up asking a lot of London.

But beyond London, there's not much to like here. Tight end Kyle Pitts and "running back" Cordarrelle Patterson will eat up a lot of targets, leaving a questionable crew fighting for leftovers. Can you trust Bryan Edwards or Olamide Zaccheaus in fantasy? Are they really better than the backups like Auden Tate and Damiere Byrd?

 

Dallas Cowboys* Receivers - Fantasy Outlooks

There's an asterisk here because at some point this season, the Cowboys receiving corps will settle in with CeeDee Lamb as the main guy and Michael Gallup as the clear No. 2.

But that won't be until Gallup returns from his ACL tear. We don't know exactly when that will be, so for at least the first few weeks of the season, you'll want to avoid wide receivers on this team who aren't Lamb.

It looks like Jalen Tolbert should start the season as the No. 2 receiver, but he's a third-round rookie. Will he be effective from the jump?

And if he isn't, is there really a world where we trust Noah Brown or Simi Fehoko in fantasy?

I don't think so.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Place Uchenna Nwosu on PUP List
Taylor Decker

Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker Placed on PUP List
Tyrion Davis-Price

Titans Waive Tyrion Davis-Price
Tre Harris

Chargers Relying on Tre Harris to Be Starting X Receiver
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Micah Parsons

Will Become Highest-Paid Non-QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Vying for RB2 Role
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Lamar Jackson

to be Even Better in 2025?
Tre Harris

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Justin Herbert

Off to Good Start at Training Camp
Jameson Williams

Earning Rave Reviews from Lions Coaches
Christian Mahogany

Expected to Start for Lions
Zach Allen

an Extension Candidate in Denver?
Zaire Franklin

May Miss Start of Training Camp
Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard Returning to Portland
Mason Taylor

to Play "Crucial" Role in Jets' Offense
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
T.J. Watt

Once Again Becomes Highest-Paid Non-QB
RJ Harvey

Reaches Agreement on Four-Year Rookie Contract
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Believe Rashee Rice Will Receive Two- to Four-Game Suspension
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF