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As the countdown to the NFL season continues, fans across the world are excited for the return of fantasy football. We all spend way too much time throughout the week debating on who to put into our line-ups come Sunday. While star receivers such as Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson are hard-to-come-by commodities, some star receivers go under the radar every year.
These stars seem to have come out of nowhere to dominate fantasy football, such as Terry McLaurin, who in 2019 would have gone undrafted in many leagues before going for 919 yards and seven touchdowns during his rookie year. Here are five potential sleepers at the wide receiver position for 2022.
#5 – Drake London
The Atlanta Falcons took Drake London with the eighth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the lanky wide-man has the potential to be a fantasy stud right from the beginning. London will almost certainly be WR1 for Atlanta following Calvin Ridley’s suspension and the loss of Russell Gage in free agency. According to fantasypros.com, London’s ADP (Average Draft Position) is #41 of all wide receivers.
But we can see him surpassing this, as the Falcons will be in a lot of shootouts, and probably blowouts in 2022, meaning they’ll be throwing the football a lot. Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder will be sure to throw up a jump-ball or two to the 6'5" London.
#4 – Elijah Moore
When healthy in 2021, New York Jets receiver Elijah Moore was an excellent fantasy option, and there’s no reason he can’t top his efforts in 2022. Moore has been joined in the Jets’ receiver room by rookie Garrett Wilson, who, alongside Corey Davis, will attract plenty of attention, meaning one of the three will likely be open. Moore was more impressive than Davis in 2021. Because Wilson has a new system to learn, we’re backing Moore to be an excellent option this year.
Moore was WR2 the last time he managed to play six straight games, averaging 16.1 fantasy points per game. He’s an excellent option, especially for PPR leagues.
#3 – Jerry Jeudy
While many NFL fans already know all about Jerry Jeudy, you could argue he’s still a fantasy sleeper going into the 2022 season. With future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson now at quarterback for the Denver Broncos, Jeudy’s game should reach a new level in 2021.
The upgrade from Drew Lock to Wilson can’t be understated, but even with mediocre QB play, Jeudy led the NFL in average yards of separation. However, he was only targeted 5.6 times per game and missed a significant amount of time due to injury as he only managed 467 yards in five starts in 2021. Jeudy’s teammate Tim Patrick has already gone down with a devastating season-ending injury, which only spells good news for Jeudy owners in 2022.
#2 – Jakobi Meyers
During Mac Jones’ rookie campaign with the New England Patriots, he instantly connected with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who caught 83 passes for 866 yards and two touchdowns in 2021. This meant Meyers ended the year as WR41. Twenty-twenty-two looks to be another fruitful campaign for the former undrafted free agent.
According to fantasypros.com, Meyers is currently being drafted as WR52, but there’s no reason he couldn’t end 2022 as a top 20 wideout. Meyers led New England in targets, receptions and yards in 2021. If he can keep up the same rapport with Jones, he will easily be one of the most slept-on wideouts in the NFL.
#1 – Rashod Bateman
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is arguably the most slept-on pass catcher going into 2022. The Ravens traded WR1 Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason, leaving Bateman as the undisputed starter for the year. Brown had a target share of 23% in the Ravens offense, which leaves the door open for Bateman to become Lamar Jackson’s new favorite target.
Currently with an ADP of #35 according to fantasypros.com, there’s no reason Bateman can’t end the year as a top 15 fantasy wide receiver.
