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Dynasty Must-Have Wide Receivers (2022 Fantasy Football)

Dynasty Must-Have Wide Receivers (2022 Fantasy Football)

With the conclusion of the NFL Scouting Combine, we look ahead to the draft. Rookie fever is in full swing, and dynasty football managers everywhere are looking to acquire more picks. When they zig, I zag. From now all the way through the draft is a good time to offload some of these picks and turn them into tangible assets. Go get the guys you want. This article will dive into some of my must-have wide receivers going into the 2022 season.

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Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)

I’ve been beating the Higgins drum since long before the 2021 season. Building on his solid rookie campaign, Higgins recorded 74 catches for 1,091 yards and six scores last year. This was done on 110 targets through 14 games. His price only increased since the start of the season. However, he is still worth getting onto your rosters.

I realize plenty of people were wary due to the arrival of young phenom Ja’Marr Chase. And after an incredible first year for Chase, some fantasy managers are even more hesitant to invest in Higgins. Let me put those worries to rest and lay out some of the numbers.

Chase played in three more games than Higgins but only had seven more receptions on 18 additional targets. The ball distribution was pretty even among the two. In fact, Higgins had a slight edge, with a 23.57% target share. It looks to be a 1A and 1B situation in Cincinnati rather than a clear-cut second-fiddle role for Higgins.

Additionally, using a minimum of 100 receptions as a threshold, Higgins ranked 19th in air yards. This resulted in a 33.86% air yard share, which put him ahead of guys like Jaylen Waddle, CeeDee Lamb, and Keenan Allen.  Couple this with a 59.06% WOPR, and you are looking at a dominant fantasy asset.

Assets I would trade away:

Elijah Moore (WR – NYJ)

Moore has been the talk of the fantasy community this offseason. With Moore primed for a year two breakout, I am doing whatever it takes to get him on my rosters. I see the 34th overall pick of the 2021 draft as a star in the making.

Playing in only 11 games, Moore was still able to put up decent rookie numbers. Logging 43 receptions for 538 yards and five touchdowns on 77 targets, he caught the attention of many fantasy managers. He also added five rushes for 54 yards and a score. Moore got off to a slow start and was even inactive in Week 4. However, from Week 7 through Week 13, things started to click before he missed the remainder of the season.

During that stretch of games, Moore ranked third in PPR fantasy points behind only Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson. On a per-game basis, he ranked ninth, with an average of 17.7 fantasy points. That seven-game hot streak had him averaging more points per game than Mike Evans, Jaylen Waddle, and Tyreek Hill.

Now, entering year two with some experience under his belt and presumably a clean bill of health, Moore will look to build rapport with second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. At just 22 years old, Moore not only has the ability to be a foundational dynasty asset for years to come, but he can make a major splash in the upcoming season.

Assets I would trade away:

Marquise Brown (WR – BAL)

In his third season, Brown established career highs in targets, yards, and receptions. Brown was the ninth most targeted receiver in the league last season, drawing more targets than stud WRs Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf, and Ja’Marr Chase. He turned his 146 targets into 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns.

Possessing a stellar 26.13% target share, his aDOT was 11.25. Using a minimum of 100 receptions, he ranked 11th and 14th in these two metrics, respectively. Brown is someone I believe is still being undervalued. Whether it’s the idea that the Ravens are a run-first team, or that Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman are going to eat away at his production, Brown is not getting the love he deserves.

Even with Andrews having a career year, Brown was able to command targets and produce. With a bigger target share than Andrews and a comparable air yard share, Brown was still a top-two option on the team.

Brown was able to finish the season as a back-end WR2. This was done despite the fact that quarterback Lamar Jackson missed four games to finish the season. From Week 1 through Week 14, with Brown and Jackson playing 12 games together, Brown ranked 14th in fantasy scoring among receivers on a per-game basis, averaging 16.1 fantasy points per game. From Week 15 through Week 18, when Jackson was not playing, Brown averaged just 8.3 points per game — a major decline in production. With a healthy Jackson, Brown is a solid candidate to outproduce his perceived value.

Assets I would trade away:

All three of these wide receivers have become or are quickly becoming valuable dynasty assets. They are young, possess the skills, and have the numbers to support their path to major fantasy relevance. Get ahead of the curve and get these players on your rosters before their prices skyrocket even more.

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