One of the best wide receivers in the NFL and fantasy football, Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs projects to be an early pick once again as his 2022 fantasy outlook rivals the top players in the game. With the NFL season and fantasy drafts closing in, what is Diggs’ fantasy outlook in 2022, and could he prove to be a value at his current ADP in fantasy football drafts?
Stefon Diggs’ fantasy outlook for 2022
After posting 127 receptions, 1,535 yards, and 8 touchdowns in his first season with the Bills, 2021 was a slight regression for Diggs. However, his “regression” would be a career year for most receivers. He is just that good.
Playing in 17 games, Diggs still 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). Not too shabby for a “down” year. Diggs was No. 10 amongst WRs in team target share at 27% and was 12th in intended air yards (35.4%). However, given the vertical nature of this offense, his 35.4% was still 1,841 air yards, the second-most in the NFL.
Since joining the Bills, Diggs has found nothing but success, averaging 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 game and inside the top 24 (WR2+) in 53%.
With more and more leagues using PPR as their default, high-volume receivers are necessary. Few give the weekly fantasy upside as Diggs. It’s also worth mentioning the changes which took place this offseason around the NFL amongst the top QB/WR duos. Tyreek Hill is in Miami, and Davante Adams is now a Raider.
Aside from Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford, Allen and Diggs are likely the No. 2 duo in the NFL. Chemistry can’t be bought; it is earned. Diggs and Allen have it, while other elite WRs are hoping to get on the same page. Diggs is a top-four wide receiver in fantasy for 2022, along with Kupp, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase.
How the Bills’ depth chart impacts Stefon Diggs’ fantasy projection for the season
The Bills somehow got better this offseason. I don’t know how the NFL allowed this to happen, but it did. Not only did they add EDGE Von Miller to what was arguably the best defense in the league, but they also paired the No. 23 pick in CB Kaiir Elam with Tre’Davious White. Add in a top-two safety unit, a fantastic LB room, and a defensive line who can get after the QB, and it’s no surprise the Bills are Super Bowl favorites.
It’s the same story on offense. If anything, they should be better in 2022 personnel-wise. While Cole Beasley and his three-straight years of 106+ targets are gone, the Bills are spoiled for riches. In the offseason, I called Jamison Crowder one of the sneaky great signings of free agency. Yet despite having the inside track to the starting position, all signs point to the flashy Isaiah McKenzie stealing the role. While I don’t feel either hits the 100-target mark and lowers each other’s upside, McKenzie (WR56) is the WR I am targeting of the two and has flex upside for 2022.
If all else fails or an injury takes place, one of my favorite slot WRs in the 2022 NFL Draft, Khalil Shakir out of Boise State, is ready to step in and bring an explosive element. Gabriel Davis seemed to be everyone’s favorite breakout, given how he ended the 2021 season and projects to be the No. 2 option as a low-end WR2 for fantasy.
Buffalo also added the best pass-catching back of the class in UGA’s James Cook with the No. 63 pick and will rotate with Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Cook will be the passing down and two-minute option.
Diggs remains the unquestioned No. 1 target for Buffalo
However, Diggs’ place is secure despite what appears to be a crowded receiver room. He is Allen’s top target, and nothing is changing that. After recording 28% of the overall targets and 38% of the WR targets the last two seasons, it’s difficult to project Diggs with anything less than 150 targets barring injury.
Behind Him, it will be crowded as they battle for targets. But Diggs’ role is solidified. I am all in on Diggs and the Bills in general for the 2022 season. Bills Mafia is just too much fun not to jump on this team.
Diggs’ ADP for 2022
Given the success Diggs has seen since joining the Bills, it should be no surprise to see he is an early pick in 2022. At the moment, Diggs is the WR5 with an ADP of 12, placing him on the back-end of the first to the early part of the second round in most drafts.
In my personal rankings, I have Diggs ahead of Davante Adams as my WR4, but they are going back-to-back in ADP for now. Diggs is on my radar whenever I am at the end of the draft. If I plan to start WR/RB, I have a common start: Diggs plus D’Andre Swift or Alvin Kamara. If it is a full-PPR league and I opt to test the RB depth and play a riskier game, I stick with Diggs but add CeeDee Lamb for a one-two punch that will be hard to beat.
I am all in on the Bills for 2022. No matter how much I try to rein back my optimism in my rankings and projections, everything still screams that I want as much exposure to this offense as I can possibly get. If you believe the Bills are the legitimate Super Bowl favorites many of us believe they are, then Diggs should be a priority in 2022 for fantasy. When the floor is 100/1,200/8, it’s going to be hard to say no.