WR Forecasts

Justin Jefferson Fantasy Outlook: A Young Star Continues To Rise In The North

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson had a remarkable rookie season in 2020. After 88 receptions, 1,400 yards, and seven touchdowns, the pressure was one for him to improve. And improve, he did. While playing in all 17 games, Jefferson had 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was the main target for quarterback Kirk Cousins and was able to keep the offense afloat during weeks when Adam Thielen missed games due to injury. Coming into year three, but under a new head coach, it will be essential for him to keep things going. It is good to know his new head coach Kevin O'Connell was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Cooper Kupp last season. So, there is the potential for an even better season in 2022 than he ever had in 2021. Although Dalvin Cook is there and Thielen is now healthy, Jefferson has taken over as the main cog of the offense in Minnesota. When the team needs a big play, they know where to get it. Jefferson. Finding a place to select him in fantasy drafts will be difficult. If you have an early first-round pick, this is too early to select him. On the other hand, he will likely not get back to you in the second round. If you want him, you will need to grab him there. This said, he is not worth more than the elite running backs. Wide receivers are more readily available. Your best bet of getting Jefferson is to have a late pick in the first. You can grab a running back and then get Jefferson early in the second. Or even reverse the order and select Jefferson in the first. While Kupp and Davante Adams are the number one and two wide receivers to be drafted, Jefferson should be in a fight with the likes of Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs for the next man up. You cannot go wrong with either one of these players. But with the offense surrounding him and the potential of Jefferson under a new head coach, he could and possibly should be your choice as the number three receiver in fantasy drafts.

Ja'Marr Chase 2022 Outlook: Second-Year Stud Set For Encore

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase met all expectations and then some in his 2021 rookie season after being the No. 5 overall pick in the draft. Chase finished with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns while also setting the single-game rookie receiving record with 266 yards in Week 17. Chase is primed to build upon his debut season success in 2022 on a Bengals offense that is set to explode this upcoming year. Cincinnati invested significant resources into fixing an offensive line that struggled in 2021, bringing in La'el Collins, Ted Karras, and Alex Cappa to protect star quarterback Joe Burrow. An improved offensive line will allow the Bengals to play faster on offense and give Burrow more time to find his pass catchers down the field. Chase is being selected towards the end of the first round in fantasy drafts and is worth a look even earlier than that if fantasy managers want to build around star pass-catchers in 2022.

Cooper Kupp Fantasy Outlook: An MVP Follow Up

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was outstanding last season. Kupp had 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns across 17 games. He was named AP Offensive Player of the Year and was the Super Bowl MVP for the Rams. It was a season almost unheard of by wide receiver standards. So how does he follow it up? Robert Woods is now in Tennessee with the Titans, and Odell Beckham Jr. is likely heading to another team in free agency. The Los Angeles Rams brought in Allen Robinson, and he will make an excellent replacement for Woods and Beckham. But Kupp will still be staffing the slot for the offense. The connection Kupp has already formed with Matthew Stafford has become something of amazement. All NFL teams would love to have a quarterback and wide receiver duo who love each other as much as these two. This connection will not be broken by adding even more weapons into the mix. Allen Robinson has been a number one alpha receiver for his entire career. In this offense, Robinson knows what his role is. To be a dominant number two in a good offense. This means Kupp and his place are secure. The No. 1 fantasy wide receiver in 2021 has a great chance to repeat the feat in 2022. Kupp's career year in 2021 might not be reached, but the 2022 stats could get close to the same. And in all fairness, he has done it once. So why not again? Kupp is the WR 1 for fantasy in 2022. This is deserved and expected. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will again be a top-three player at the position. Kupp is well worth a first-round pick in fantasy drafts.

Tyreek Hill 2022 Outlook: Speedy Receiver Unlikely To Produce As He Did In Kansas City

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was one of many star wideouts to be traded to a different team during the offseason. The Dolphins were happy to snatch Hill up and reward him with a three-year, $75 million dollar extension. The stud wide receiver turned in yet another exceptional fantasy performance in 2021, catching 111 passes for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. That being said, Hill will see a significant quarterback downgrade in going from one of the best signal-callers in the league in Patrick Mahomes to the unproven Tua Tagovailoa. Fantasy managers used to selecting Hill as their No. 1 receiver in leagues would be wise to temper expectations for Hill and treat him more as a low-end WR2 in fantasy drafts this season. Hill is being taken as a mid-second-round pick but drafters would be better served to hold off at that price and let someone else draft him.

A.J. Brown 2022 NFL Player Outlook: No Change in Value for the Stud WR Changing Offenses

Former Tennessee Titans' star wide receiver A.J. Brown was recently traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 18th and 101st overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Immediately following this move, the Eagles and Brown agreed on a 4-year, $100 million contract, including $57 million guaranteed. Clearly, the team plans to use Brown heavily, and he will immediately become the team's number one receiving threat, ahead of both WR DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert. These moves also indicate that the Eagles want to return to a more balanced offense after being very run-heavy in the back-end of the last season. Through his first seven games of 2021, Eagles' QB Jalen Hurts attempted 34.6 pass attempts per game. Then, in his final eight games, this number dropped to just 23.8 att/g. This change in their offensive plan came just one week after the team traded TE Zach Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals. The team seemed forced into this run-heavy approach due to their lack of offensive firepower behind their talented tight-end Goedert and standout rookie receiver Smith. Now, the Eagles have 100 million reasons to shift back to the balanced approach we saw towards the beginning of the 2021 season. While it would've been great to see him traded to a pass-heavy offense, we all saw how A.J. Brown flourished in Tennessee's balanced scheme (30.1 pass attempts/game) alongside WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith, finishing the 2020 season as the WR5 in PPG. In 2021, Brown was the WR15 in PPG while Derrick Henry was still playing, but he dropped to WR24 after Henry's injury. I have no doubts that Brown's talent will translate perfectly to the Eagles' offensive plans, and he should finish as a top-15 WR by the end of the year. However, A.J. Brown's current ADP of WR9 might be a little too close to his ceiling for me to pull the trigger at that price.