2022 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings & Tiers — McFarland

• Isaiah McKenzie is the Bills’ starting slot receiver, catapulting him into Tier 5C

• Jahan Dotson is locked into the No. 2 role in Washington, pushing him into Tier 5A

• George Pickens is dominating training camp headlines and is a starting receiver for the Steelers, earning him Tier 4C status

• Treylon Burks is in the dog house in Tennessee and slips multiple spots but is still in the Tier 4 conversation

• Click here for the rest of PFF's fantasy rankings

Ranking players by position is integral to fantasy football preparation, but grouping them into tiers is crucial to identifying the value you might be leaving on the draft board.

For example, if you're on the clock and looking at several wide receivers in the same tier, it could make sense to wait until the next round — someone equally as worthy will probably be available with your next pick.

Tiers can also help group players with similar expectations based on upside and floor. Most importantly, we don't want to pay more than the next drafter for a similar player.

There are seven primary criteria used to create wide receiver tiers:

• Target pedigree: Recent adjusted target shares and targets per route run
• Performance peripherals: Yards per route run, deep targets (20-plus yards), yards after the catch and explosive target rate (15-plus-yard receptions)
• Offense quality: Projected team wins (winning teams typically score more and passing YPA correlates strongly to wins)
• Passing volume: Projected team pass attempts per game (excludes overtime)
• Quarterback quality: Team QB1 ADP (combined with passing volume to offset quarterbacks with a higher ADP due to rushing ability)
• Target competition: Number of teammates with a significant ADP (wide receivers with a top-36 ADP plus tight ends with a top-12 ADP)
• Player average draft position (ADP): Positional rank based on FFPC best ball slim data from Fantasy Mojo

The first two criteria focus on the player’s ability to generate and create production from targets, while the following four data points analyze the team environment. ADP is a final check against the current market sentiment that helps us extract maximum value from our selections.

The ultimate options are receivers who demand targets at all levels of the field and make plays after the catch on winning pass-heavy teams. After that, every tier is some variation of strengths vs. weaknesses in the profile.

For example, a talented receiver on a run-balanced offense with a high projected win total and low target competition is better than the same situation with multiple teammates challenging for opportunities. On the other hand, two talented receivers can co-exist in a quality pass-happy attack.

Overall, the receiver pool has far more questions in 2022 versus ADP.

The first table is a quick view of the complete tiers and rankings, and a more detailed heat map is included below as we break down each tier.

Last Updated: August 25, 2022

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Tier 1 Wide Receivers

TIER 1A – TALENT AND OPPORTUNITY AND A QUARTERBACK, OH MY!

Justin Jefferson will be only 23 years old and already has WR7 and WR4 finishes to his credit, averaging 16.9 and 19.5 points per game, respectively. Only Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas posted better point-per-game totals in their first two seasons since 2011. He is one of only four receivers who ran at least 250 routes to eclipse the 2.50 YPRR (Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams and A.J. Brown) mark against man and zone coverages. Jefferson’s profile checks every box and is currently going in the early first round.

Kupp set career highs in target share (31%) and YPRR (3.11) by dominating man and zone coverage. His connection with Matthew Stafford is undeniable, and while his 2.6% touchdowns per route will likely regress (the three-year average for a WR1 is 1.6%), the Rams’ schedule is loaded with shootout matchups. Kupp was the WR4 in points per game in 2019 and has eclipsed the 2.00 YPRR barrier every season except for one. There were underpinnings to a great season before 2021.

Ja’Marr Chase posted the second-most points per game (18.0) for a rookie behind another LSU Tiger — Odell Beckham Jr. (24.8 over 12 games). His target share isn’t as high as Kupp and Jefferson, but he doesn’t have to, thanks to his explosive play rate. No other receiver brings a more potent combination of downfield prowess and ability to generate yards after the catch (YAC) to the table than the second-year receiver. Tee Higgins will challenge for targets, but the Cincinnati Bengals have an ascending offense projected for a good season behind a top-six ADP quarterback in Joe Burrow.

TIER 1B – MOST LIKELY TO CATAPULT INTO TIER 1A