2022 WR fantasy football rankings: Where do Cooper Kupp, Michael Pittman Jr., and Mike Williams rank?

Thanks to an offseason that saw more movement than ever before, fantasy football wide receiver rankings look a bit different in 2022. As elite pass catchers exchanged jerseys, depth charts saw massive shifts, re-establishing new powerhouse offenses with dynamic duos on the perimeter. Let’s take a look at where PFN fantasy analysts Tommy Garrett and Jason Katz have the top 80 WRs in their 2022 fantasy football rankings.

2022 WR fantasy football rankings

With many WR situations around the league changing, our first redraft rankings for 2022 are a sharp contrast to years prior. Where does Ja’Marr Chase rank entering his second season, and how far has DeAndre Hopkins fallen after his struggles last year and suspension? Additionally, where do the rookie WRs sit, with Drake London, Treylon Burks, and Garrett Wilson all in intriguing situations in their first year?

On the most recent episode of PFN’s Premier Fantasy Football Podcast, we broke down why we ranked these guys where we did and what to expect from them in 2022.

The list and writeups for the players below are correct as of July 12, 2022.

1) Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

In a surprise to no one, Cooper Kupp comes in at No. 1 in our consensus wide receiver rankings. Coming off a historic 2021 which saw Kupp record the elusive “Triple Crown,” Kupp is as sure of a bet as it gets at receiver. Seeing 191 targets from Matthew Stafford, Kupp pulled in 145 receptions for a whopping 1,947 yards with 16 touchdowns.

While it would be likely unrealistic for us to expect a direct 1:1 comparison in 2022, even 85% of what we saw last year would have Kupp sitting pretty on top of the fantasy world once again.

2) Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

For us, there is a clear tier 1 amongst WRs. Kupp leads the way, followed by Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. I would not argue with anyone who wants to go Chase over Jefferson. With that said, the consistency of Jefferson just edges Chase out.

After smashing Randy Moss’ rookie records with 88 receptions, 1,400 yards, and seven TDs, Jefferson followed it up with 108 receptions on 167 targets for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021. His 3,032 yards are the most in NFL history for a player through their first two years in the league. Posting a WR6 finish and 17.1 PPR points per game in Year 1, Jefferson proved it was no fluke by putting up 19.4 ppg and ranking as the WR4 in 2021.

With 82% of his games finishing as a WR2 or better and in an offense that will be more passing-friendly, Jefferson could even rival Kupp for the top overall spot in 2022.

3) Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

It took little time for the Bengals offense to prove they made the correct draft choice by selecting Ja’Marr Chase at No. 5 overall in 2021. As a rookie, the LSU chemistry shined through as he and Joe Burrow were in sync from the get-go.

Hauling in 81 of 121 targets (23.7% target share), Chase was fourth with 1,455 yards and was third in scores with 13. The rookie from LSU was ninth among receivers with 1,617 air yards, accounting for 37.06% of the team’s total (10th-highest rate league-wide). Chase was sometimes more boom-or-bust, with 41% of his games inside the top 24. With that said, he had just three outings in the single digits. He comes in at No. 3 in our 2022 fantasy football WR rankings and in a coin flip with Jefferson.

4) Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

Stefon Diggs represents a mini-tier, where he is just below the tier one group but is ahead of the rest. At No. 5 in our WR fantasy football rankings, the top target of the Bills is one of the busiest players in the league.

Playing in 17 games, Diggs hauled in 103 of 163 targets for 1,225 yards and 10 TDs to finish as the WR7 in fantasy (10th in PPR/game at 16.8). He was tenth amongst WRs in team target share at 27% and was 12th in intended air yards (35.4%).

Heading into Year 3 with the Bills, there is no reason to believe Diggs trails off. Since joining the Bills, Diggs averaged 18.6 PPR/game in his 33 active games from 2020 to 2021. Over that same time, he finished as a WR1 (top 12) in 27% of his contests and inside the top 24 (WR2+) in 53%. He is as locked-in as it gets for a top-5 finish in 2022.

5) Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

No matter how many times I write this, it will never stop feeling weird. Yet Davante Adams is a Las Vegas Raider and what used to be a sure bet comes into 2022 with a few questions.

What can not be questioned, however, is his talent. Adams is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Consistency is the name of his game. Since 2018, Adams has averaged 21.9 PPR/game (57 active games) while finishing as a WR1 in 51% of his games and as a WR2 (top 20) in 76%. There will be an adjustment period as he finds his chemistry with Carr. Yet it’s hard to see Adams’ production significantly dropping in 2022.

Carr has thrown for 4,000+ yards in each of the last four seasons, including a career-best 4,804 in 2021, despite all the team’s turmoil. While Adams’ chances of finishing as the WR1 are reduced, he still should have no issue finishing well inside the top 10 in 2022.

6) CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

The sky is the limit for CeeDee Lamb in 2022, and his No. 6 ranking is a reflection of how bullish we are on the third-year player from Oklahoma. With Amari Cooper in Cleveland and Michael Gallup still recovering from a late-season torn ACL, Lamb has 150 target upside in 2022. This would be a substantial increase from his previous two seasons of 111 and 120.

Serving as the uncontested No. 1, Lamb has already posted back-to-back WR2 finishes (No. 24 and No 19). That hype is baked into his inflated ADP, but the breakout is coming in 2022, and fantasy managers will wish they had him on their roster as a second-round pick.

7) Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mr. Concistency could have a career season in 2022. With Chris Godwin nursing a torn ACL back to health and Rob Gronkowski retiring (again), Mike Evans looks to be as close to a sure bet as it gets.

With eight-straight 1,000-yard seasons, Evans could close in on pre-Tom Brady volume numbers, similar to 2018, where he saw 138 targets. In his two seasons with Brady, Evans has finished as the WR11 and WR12 despite seeing less than 115 targets a season. How has he done that? By scoring touchdowns, posting 13 and 14 scores that last two seasons. Add in the volume of a typical No. 1 target in the NFL’s quickest tempo offense, and Evans is the perfect balance of weekly floor and ceiling in fantasy.

8) Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

The No. 6 ranked receiver for Katz, new Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill comes in at No. 8 in our overall 2022 fantasy wide receiver rankings. The demise of Hill’s upside has been overblown. While he might not have the same top-3 upside as he has with Patrick Mahomes, writing off Hill’s talent would be somewhat foolish.

What makes Hill special is his explosiveness, not only vertically but horizontally. After all, you stretch the field horizontally just as much as you do vertically. Tua Tagovailoa is better than being credited for, but he has to prove it. His sense of timing and accuracy are the best assets of his game. It will mesh with Hill and even his deep ball, despite how a few poorly framed videos might suggest, is more than sufficient for this to be a fruitful pairing. In a new offense under Mike McDaniel, Hill will have success in 2022, just perhaps not to the same otherwordly level as in years past.

9) Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

The WR3 a year ago, Deebo Samuel carries a few questions despite his top-10 ranking for fantasy in 2022. For one, who is the QB? It seems inevitable the keys are handed over to Trey Lance. But when is that happening? Plus, those checkdowns to Samuel and extended plays could turn into rushes for Lance rather than passes from Jimmy Garoppolo.

The other question is about his usage. Samuel and his camp have been vocal about his desire to be used as a more traditional receiver. He certainly has the skills to make this work. After all, Samuel is coming off a 1,400-yard season in 2021. However, his record-setting eight touchdowns and 365 rushing yards helped to make Samuel the breakout he was a year ago. The talent is there for Samuel to be ranked no less than tenth for fantasy, but his ceiling comes from his usage in both aspects of the game.

10) Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

While Mike Williams will certainly have his games where he is the wide receiver to start, Keenan Allen’s role is going nowhere anytime soon. Set the baseline at 90-1,000-8 and work your way up from there, as this is generally his average.

He is a volume player, recording 135+ targets and 6+ touchdowns in five straight years. Four of those seasons came with 100 or more receptions and at least 1,100 receiving yards. In those campaigns, Allen has recorded 26% of the team targets and 47% of the WR targets. He has finished as the WR14 or better every year since 2017. Posting 16.9 PPR points/game, Allen’s 54% WR2+ weekly average is one of the highest in the NFL. He is as close to a surefire WR1 as you can find in fantasy football for 2022.

11) Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

It is rare for a team to support multiple top-12 fantasy wide receivers. But the Bengals certainly can pull this off. With all eyes on Chase, Tee Higgins is finally receiving the support from the fantasy community he deserves as either a high-end WR2 or low-end WR1, as is the case here.

On a per-game basis, Higgins has nearly identical numbers to a player already mentioned. In 32 career games, Lamb has averaged 7.2 targets, 4.78 receptions, 63.6 yards, 0.34 TDs, and 14.2 PPR points per game. On the other hand, Higgins (30 games) averages 7.26 targets, 4.7 receptions, 66.6 yards, 0.4 TDs, and 13.9 PPR points per contest. Generally, WR1s in fantasy need to be the WR1 on their own offense. Yet the skill of Higgins plus the situation in Cincy allow for multiple receivers to have week-winning fantasy upside.

12) Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

While Katz and myself might differ on some things, we agree wholeheartedly on this. Michael Pittman is a breakout receiver in 2022. Everything is there for it to happen.

In 2021, Pittman was No. 3 in the NFL in route participation at 96%, trailing only Kupp and Chase. He is constantly on the field. He is also a target hog, ranking eighth in the NFL in target share last season (24%). Once established as the top guy, that vaulted to 31% from Weeks 13 through 18. Pittman was one of just 11 wide receivers with at least 25% and 30% of their team’s respective targets and air yards. There is also a lack of competition for targets. Pittman is starting alongside rookie Alec Pierce and oft-injured Parris Campbell.

He also saw a QB upgrade, going from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan. How good is Ryan for fantasy? Based on his previous No. 1 targets – Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Calvin Ridley – I’d say he’s a good fit. Pittman is already coming off a top-24 season with 1,082 yards on 129 targets. If this hits the 150 range, which is well within reason, this WR12 placement in our 2022 WR fantasy rankings, which is already above the consensus, might feel low when the dust settles.

Full 2022 WR fantasy football rankings

The fantasy rankings in the table below are updated daily.