X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

Profiling the 2022 Rookie Wide Receiver Class for Fantasy Football

Treylon Burks - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

We continue to dive into the NFL Rookie class of 2022 to determine their fantasy football value. Today we look at the rookie wide receivers, and you can also read about the RB rookie class and TE rookie class.

Regardless of your team standing, the rookie draft is a critical part of a dynasty draft. These are the young players that can lead a rebuild, while they can also potentially be finishing pieces or trade assets. In redraft leagues, knowing which rookies to target is very important. Imagine if you could foresee the impact Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jaylen Waddle would make in their rookie seasons.

In dynasty, wide receivers are generally the most coveted players. If you draft them in rookie drafts, you'll not only potentially be getting someone who may make an impact immediately, but also a potential long-term piece that rebuilding clubs can cater to. Today, we'll be taking an early look at the wide receivers position, with a top-five ranking, as well as an overall view of the class. To help with this, I will be using my own prospect grading/projection spreadsheet, which takes a look at a player's college production, athleticism, and expected draft capital to try to project how many points they'll score at the next level, based on historical research.

Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2023. Exclusive access to our Premium articles, 15 lineup tools, new Team Sync platform, Lineup Optimizer, Premium DFS tools and cheat sheets, and much more! Sign Up Now!

 

Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas

  • Projected PPG: 15.87

It's safe to say that the race for this year's #1 receiver spot has been up in the air; there seems to not be a consensus #1 option. In my eyes, though, I see it a little differently.

Treylon Burks is truly one of a kind. The irony that he happened to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks is magnificent; he plays just like a mighty hog. In his junior season, he averaged an absurd 9.3 yards after catch/reception, utilizing a physical play style to his advantage.

Simply put, Burks' production has been absolutely marvelous. Let's take a look at what he was able to accomplish over his final two seasons in college:

  • 2021: 91 PFF Receiving Grade, 3.57 Yards/Route Run, 16.9 Yards/Reception
  • 2020: 88.9 PFF Receiving Grade, 3.07 Yards/Route Run, 16.4 Yards/Reception

Need production after the catch? Burks can do that. Need a big play down the field? Burks can do that. Need a reliable intermediate target? Burks can do that too. He's truly a special receiver, and the production backs it up. You don't post a 45.9% dominator rating (92nd percentile) and a 31.3% target share (93rd percentile) by accident.

There are some concerns about Burks' limited route tree, but we need to acknowledge what Arkansas was trying to do- get the ball in the hands of their best player. Whether it was behind the line of scrimmage, on a slant, or down the field, almost every passing concept was geared towards him. That's precisely the top of dominance you want to see at the college level.

Burks didn't shine at the combine like many thought he would, nor did he have the most complete route tree in college. At the same time, this is a player that was utterly dominant in college, demonstrating the ability to be an incredibly versatile player that can be targeted at all dimensions of the field. I'm not usually the biggest fan of comparisons, but it's hard not to see the comparisons between him and Titans' star receiver A.J. Brown from a size, physicality, and play style standpoint. He may not be the first receiver off the board in the NFL Draft, but he should be the first one off the board in fantasy drafts and potentially the top overall pick in dynasty rookie drafts.

 

Garrett Wilson, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

  • Projected PPG: 12.44

As you'll see throughout this piece, the Ohio State Buckeyes have built quite the receiving corps. If all goes well, they'll have THREE of their receivers from the 2020 season drafted in the first round, while they have more future first-round talent in their system as well. Simply put, it's clear they've become a pipeline for producing NFL-ready wide receivers.

The top of this year's list would be Garrett Wilson. When it comes to being a complete route-runner and separator, it's going to be awfully hard to find someone who matches what Wilson brings to the table:

Wilson was able to eclipse three yards per route run in each of the past two seasons, along with PFF receiving grades of 84.5 and 82.9, respectively. Meanwhile, he also demonstrated to produce in a variety of ways. In 2020, he was in the slot 73.7% of the time, and ran more of a vertical route tree. In 2021, though, he was only in the slot 17.1% of the time, saw his average depth of target dropped by almost two yards, and remain almost as productive. Whether it's as a vertical slot weapon or someone who can win on the outside, Wilson certainly can fit any NFL passing scheme.

See, he may not stand out in any particular area, but Wilson does not appears to have a weakness. He was much better when it came to producing after the catch (6 YAC/REC) this season, while he maintained strong production despite being in a competitive receiving group. It should be noted his 4.38 40-yard dash time did come with him weighing 183 pounds; his speed score is actually worse than Treylon Burks, who was seen as having a disappointing combine. That being said, it is clear he has the speed to take the top off of defenses.

If I had to guess, Wilson will be the first receiver taken off the board. Between his pedigree, skills, solid all-around production, and athleticism, it's easy to see why. Personally, I see the #2-#5 players on this list as an interchangeable tier, as I think Burks has a step up on the rest. That being said, the team that gets Wilson should get a very complete, polished receiver ready to make an impact immediately. Now, it's up to the football gods to pair him with a quarterback that can take advantage of his separation skills!

 

Jameson Williams, Wide Receiver, Alabama

  • Projected PPG: 12.24

How talented was Ohio State's receiving corps in 2019 and 2020? They had no need for one of college football's best receivers last season. If that doesn't show how dominant they've been at the position, I don't know what does!

Of course, I am talking about Jameson Williams, who, as I stated, was absurdly productive last season. Over the first two years of his career, he was a complementary vertical threat for Ohio State, running only 229 routes with 25 targets in that span. For the sake of his career, it made sense for him to transfer, and he ended up in a great spot in Alabama.

I mean, there aren't much better places to go than arguably the most successful college football program with a Heisman Trophy winner throwing him the ball. Finally, the breakout for Williams could take place. Overall, he earned an 85.1 PFF receiving grade, while posting 3.12 yards/route run. Furthermore, his production after the catch (9.3 YAC/REC) was at the same level as Burks, while he was as explosive as it gets with 20 yards/reception. Truly, he's as electric as it gets.

However, those numbers don't tell the whole story for Williams. As you'd expect for someone with a new team and starting for the first time, it took some time for Williams to get into a groove. From Week 10 to the National Championship game, though, he was as unstoppable as it gets:

  • 88.7 PFF Receiving Grade, 4.27 Yards/Route Run, 21.2 Yards/Reception

Remember, this is during a stretch where Alabama had to deal with the likes of Georgia, Cincinnati, and an overall tougher schedule than you may expect. Against Georgia in the SEC Championship, he hauled in nine passes for 175 yards, while he also was performing extremely well (4.06 yards/route run) against them in the National Championship before going down with an ACL injury, which we'll certainly get to. Against the toughest competition, he certainly passed the test.

Whatever team gets Williams is going to be getting a very exciting playmaker to work with. On passes behind the line of scrimmage, he was able to thrive after the catch. Where he shined, though, was working down the field. Just look how strong his numbers were when working 10+ yards down the field:

  • Medium (10-19 yards): 99.9 PFF Receiving Grade, 16.24 Yards/Route Run
  • Deep (20+ Yards): 97.8 PFF Receiving Grade, 20.97 Yards/Route Run

Those are absurd numbers. Could you imagine the production he could do as the third weapon for the Chargers? How about in Buffalo or Kansas City? The amount of teams that could desperately use someone who can threaten defenses with the explosiveness he has certainly can't be counted with two hands.

Of course, the caveat with Williams is that he is coming off of a torn ACL, while he also didn't perform until his junior year. With a longer track record of production and better health, he'd rate out even better in terms of my projection for him. Assuming he's fully healthy upon coming back, the ceiling is through the roof, though you may get less production in his rookie year. In dynasty, I'd recommend buying the dip associated with the injury, though there's more pause to be given in standard redraft leagues. Either way, there's no denying the talent; he's as dynamic as it gets!

 

Drake London, Wide Receiver, USC

  • Projected PPG: 11.96

As much as it would be nice if we could use a standard, calculated approach to evaluating each college prospect, each prospect has his own story.

Drake London definitely has a different path to the NFL than your average wide receiver prospect. During the first two years of his career, he played basketball along with football, which may explain his limited production during that span. However, by his junior season, he was strictly playing football. As we hoped for, the breakout performance came.

In 2021, London averaged 3.52 yards/route run and earned a 91.8 PFF receiving grade. Furthermore, he transitioned from playing strictly in the slot to mainly out wide (86.2%), and became the team's clear focal point with 119 targets in just eight games. Unfortunately, he then missed the final four weeks of the season after fracturing his right ankle, but we had seen what we needed to see.

Unlike a lot of the other receivers in this draft class, London isn't a big-play threat. His career 13.4 yards/reception ranked in just the 33rd percentile, while he was mainly targeted behind the line of scrimmage (23.5%) or between 0-9 yards (41.2%) this past season. Overall, he's been able to create yardage after the catch (5.5 YAC/REC), though, for the most part, he's settled in as a reliable chain-mover.

For fantasy purposes, this could mean London accumulates a lot of targets, which is nice from a PPR standpoint. At the same time, since he doesn't create big plays, he's going to need those targets. We did not see him run at the combine due to his injury, but there are some questions about his overall speed and separation ability. He specialized a lot with contested catches in college, but that's not necessarily something that translates to the NFL level. Hopefully, USC was just limiting him, and we can see him flourish at the NFL level.

There are definite questions with London. Why didn't he produce at all during his first two years? Can he create big plays? Hence, why he's behind the top-three receivers on this list. At the same time, there is at least some reason for his limited early college production, and he was playing at an extremely high level before his injury. I hate to give him a comparison to someone from the same school, but there are a lot of similarities between him and Michael Pittman Jr. He's young for the class, which will be on his side, and should be highly drafted. Hopefully, the landing spot gives him a chance to showcase his full potential!

 

Chris Olave, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

  • Projected PPG: 11.91

That's right; we aren't done with Ohio State yet. See what I mean now? How many teams would Chris Olave be the #1 alpha receiver for?  Yet, at Ohio State, he was their #3 option in the passing game! That is astonishing!

After an elite season in which he averaged 3.33 yards/route run, the expectation was that Olave would declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, where he'd likely be a first-round pick. Surprisingly, though, he decided to "run it back" for one more season. It was certainly a risk considering he'd have a new quarterback and was coming off of a productive season, but it was one he was willing to take.

In a way, that risk did not pay off. His yards/route run regressed to just 2.29, while he earned his worst PFF receiving grade over his three-year run as a starter (79.9) as well. That being said, his draft stock hasn't slipped much, and, when you study the body of work, it's easy to see why.

Prior to this season, Olave had earned PFF receiving grades of 84.8 and 86.6, respectively, while he had eclipsed three yards/route run in each of those two seasons. With a career 15.5 average depth of target, he's certainly a deep threat, and has performed extremely well when working 20+ yards down the field. It's likely that any team that drafts him employs him to stretch the field at the next level.

There are some nits to pick with Olave's profile, though. For starters, there was the "down year" this season compared to his previous norms, which bring his overall numbers down. Then, there is his complete lack of production after the catch (3.7 YAC/REC), which concerns me. Even as a vertical threat, where you should be catching the ball in stride, he didn't create big plays as much as you'd expect, and relied on his separation skills and air yards for the total amount of his yards gained. For that reason, I'd call him pretty quarterback-dependent, which I wouldn't say for the top three players on this list.

Altogether, Olave is a very interesting prospect. Here's hoping he can improve his production after the catch at the next level, though he still profiles quite well given his production and success as a deep threat. In my opinion, there are more limitations that should keep him out of the top three, yet there is definitely a lot to like as well, and here's hoping that he can land in the right situation!

 

Rookie Wide Receivers Overview

Outside of these top-five players, there are more players to be interested in, as it's a relatively deep class. Christian Watson, with an elite combine performance and big-play ability, is an interesting name to watch. He's more of a "boom-or-bust" pick coming from North Dakota State (there's limited data on him), but the tools are there if he lands in the right offense.

Meanwhile, George Pickens had an elite freshman season (88 PFF receiving grade) at Georgia, though a torn ACL took away almost his entire junior year. After testing better than expected at the combine, he's starting to get first-round buzz, and should only continue to rise throughout this process.

With five wide receivers that are almost a lock to go into the first round, this is a pretty strong class, as we're starting to become accustomed to at this position. It's very interesting to see how little of a consensus there is on the top of this class, as it mainly comes down to evaluation strategy. Personally, Treylon Burks' dominance in college should put him in a tier of his own, though it's easy to see why others may prefer other options. That's the fun of this all!

If your team, whether in real life or in dynasty, needs a receiver, you're in luck! Meanwhile, we could see another year where rookie receivers make an impact right off the bat, which certainly will catch the eyes of those in redraft leagues. Really, I just can't wait until we get to watch these players at the NFL level!



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!




Win Big With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Fantasy Football Analysis




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
Fantasy Updates
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

Jason Robertson8 mins ago

Sets New Stars Scoring Record
Adam Fox17 mins ago

Continues Hot Spell With A Goal
Casey Mittelstadt27 mins ago

Hands Out Two Assists
Steven Kwan2 hours ago

Plates Five In Win Over Seattle
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Not Concerned About Contract Situation
Jeff Skinner9 hours ago

Scores Game-Winning Goal In Overtime
Devon Levi10 hours ago

Earns Victory In NHL Debut
A.J. Puk12 hours ago

Picks Up Save For Marlins Friday
Rhys Hoskins12 hours ago

Undergoes Successful Knee Surgery
Nick Solak12 hours ago

Mariners Acquire Nick Solak From Reds
Justin Verlander12 hours ago

Does Some Throwing On Friday
Justin Verlander12 hours ago

Does Some Light Throwing
Luis Urías12 hours ago

Luis Urias Reportedly Heading To Injured List
Joey Wiemer12 hours ago

Reportedly Will Be Called Up
Anthony Rendon13 hours ago

Being Investigated By MLB
Willson Contreras13 hours ago

Receives Good News On Friday
Seattle Seahawks14 hours ago

Ryan Neal Becomes Free Agent
Pharaoh Brown14 hours ago

Joins Colts
Darrynton Evans14 hours ago

To Meet With Colts
Laquon Treadwell14 hours ago

Working Out For Cowboys
Zach Collins15 hours ago

Out Against Golden State
De'Andre Hunter15 hours ago

Out With A Knee Injury On Friday
Oscar Gonzalez15 hours ago

Starting On Friday
Obi Toppin15 hours ago

Will Start Against The Cavs
Jarrett Allen15 hours ago

Downgraded To Out On Friday
Nelson Cruz15 hours ago

Batting Cleanup On Friday
Mike Moustakas15 hours ago

Remains Out Again
Michael Brantley15 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice
Andrew Vaughn15 hours ago

Sitting On Friday
Gavin Sheets17 hours ago

Oscar Colas Starting On Friday
Paul Sewald17 hours ago

Picks Up Win On Opening Day
Garrett Whitlock18 hours ago

Making Rehab Start Friday
Josh Rojas18 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff Against Dodgers
Corey Julks18 hours ago

Making MLB Debut Against White Sox
Bryan Reynolds18 hours ago

Opt-Out Clause The Sticking Point For Bryan Reynolds Extension
Portland Trail Blazers18 hours ago

LaMarcus Aldridge Officially Retires From The NBA
Jamal Murray18 hours ago

Considered Questionable Against Phoenix
Nikola Jokic18 hours ago

Could Miss His Second Consecutive Game
Kenyon Martin18 hours ago

Jr. Uncertain To Play Against Detroit
Tobias Harris18 hours ago

Could Miss Friday's Game Against Toronto
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander18 hours ago

Upgraded To Questionable On Friday
Al Horford18 hours ago

Uncertain To Suit Up On Friday
Jaylen Brown18 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable With Lower-Back Pain
Jayson Tatum19 hours ago

Listed As Questionable Against Utah
Kelly Olynyk19 hours ago

Is Available Against Boston On Friday
De'Andre Hunter19 hours ago

Downgraded To Out On Friday
Trayveon Williams21 hours ago

Bengals Have High Hopes For Trayveon Williams
Joe Burrow21 hours ago

Bengals Begin Extension Discussions With Joe Burrow
Mac Jones21 hours ago

Bill Belichick Still Non-Committal On Mac Jones
Sammy Blais23 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Six Games
Cam Talbot23 hours ago

Makes A Winning Return
Matthew Beniers23 hours ago

Logs Two Points Against Anaheim
Stuart Skinner23 hours ago

Grabs A 43-Save Shutout
Tristan Jarry23 hours ago

Records His Second Shutout
Matthew Tkachuk23 hours ago

Rolls To Four Points Versus Montreal
T.J. Oshie23 hours ago

Exits With An Upper-Body Injury
Mikey Anderson23 hours ago

Injured On First Shift Thursday
CJ McCollum24 hours ago

Drops 23 Points In Easy Win Over Denver
Jamal Murray24 hours ago

Salvages Solid Performance In Loss
Brandon Ingram1 day ago

Secures A Triple-Double Against Denver
Jaylen Brown1 day ago

Collects Another 30-Point Game
Jayson Tatum1 day ago

Drops 40 Points In Blowout Win
Naz Reid1 day ago

Set To Miss Significant Amount Of Time
Linus Ullmark1 day ago

Allows One Goal In Overtime Victory
David Pastrnak1 day ago

Scores Game-Winning Goal
Baltimore Ravens2 days ago

Ravens Have Been Active In Receiver Market
Baker Mayfield2 days ago

Kyle Trask To Compete In Training Camp
Courtland Sutton2 days ago

Broncos Could Still Trade Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton
DeAndre Hopkins2 days ago

To Stay With Cardinals?
Odell Beckham Jr.2 days ago

Jets The Most Likely Landing Spot For Odell Beckham Jr.
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Panthers Not Settled On One QB For No. 1 Pick
Lamar Jackson2 days ago

Not Seeking Fully Guaranteed Deal
Nathan Peterman2 days ago

Re-Signs With Bears
Ryan Lindgren2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Against New Jersey
Seth Jones2 days ago

Expects To Play Thursday
David Savard2 days ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Kirby Dach2 days ago

Set To Miss At Least One Week
Adam Boqvist2 days ago

Not Expected To Play Thursday
Matt Grzelcyk2 days ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Dre Miller2 days ago

Kendre Miller Ahead Of Schedule
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Bills Re-Sign Jordan Phillips
Las Vegas Raiders2 days ago

Alex Bars Returns To Raiders On One-Year Deal
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Johnathan Hankins Re-Signs With Cowboys
NFL2 days ago

Wanya Morris Getting Close To 100%
Brendon Todd3 days ago

Has Success At TPC San Antonio
Ben Martin3 days ago

Has Value At TPC San Antonio
Nick Taylor3 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At Valero
Taylor Pendrith3 days ago

A Sleeper Option At TPC San Antonio
Chris Kirk3 days ago

A Good Option At The Valero Texas Open
Matt Kuchar3 days ago

Loves Playing TPC San Antonio
Will Gordon3 days ago

Offers A Wild-Card Option At Valero
Cam Davis3 days ago

Can Keep His Current Form At TPC San Antonio
Mark Hubbard4 days ago

A Low-Risk Value Option At Valero
Tyler Duncan4 days ago

Start Tyler Duncan At TPC San Antonio
Emiliano Grillo4 days ago

Not Recommended At Valero
Patrick Rodgers4 days ago

Don't Give Patrick Rodgers A Shot At Valero
Adam Schenk4 days ago

Wants To Keep Momentum Rolling At Valero
Ryan Moore4 days ago

Cannot Get Past The Cut Lately
Stephan Jaeger4 days ago

Could Warm Things Up At Valero
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

A Possible Contender At Valero
Taylor Montgomery4 days ago

Attempting To Find Weekend Consistency
Corey Conners4 days ago

Trying To Recreate A Little Magic
Thomas Detry4 days ago

Continues To Impress In Rookie Season
Aaron Rai4 days ago

Brings Positive Momentum To Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia4 days ago

Looks To Stay Hot In Texas
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Impressive At COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Finds His Footing At COTA
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Continues To Shine On Road Courses
NASCAR5 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Seventh
Austin Cindric5 days ago

Has A Solid Day
Marlon Vera5 days ago

Has Four-Fight Winning Streak Snapped
Cory Sandhagen5 days ago

Dominates Striking Department
Yana Santos5 days ago

Dominated In Decision Loss
Holly Holm5 days ago

Dominates In Co-Main Event
Austin Lingo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss
Nate Landwehr5 days ago

Shines With Second-Round Submission Win
Andrea Lee5 days ago

Suffers Defeat In Close Matchup Saturday
Maycee Barber5 days ago

Takes Close Matchup On Saturday
Chidi Njokuani5 days ago

Takes Close Loss In Split-Decision Showing
Albert Duraev5 days ago

Holds Off Opponent In Tight Split Decision
William Byron5 days ago

Rounds Out Top Five At COTA
Ross Chastain5 days ago

Caught Up To Fourth At COTA On Sunday
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Brings Home Third Place Finish At COTA
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Scrambles Up To Second At Austin
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Dominates And Wins At COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF