The 2022 NFL Draft is almost here, and that means dynasty startup and rookie drafts will begin soon, if they haven’t already! We’re going to have you covered with our 2022 Dynasty Rookie Draft Kit. As part of that offering, we’ll have updated rankings throughout and following the 2022 NFL Draft. Here’s an early look at our consensus dynasty rookie wide receiver rankings. You can find our full consensus dynasty rookie rankings here.
| PLAYER NAME | SCHOOL |
| Malik Willis | Liberty |
| Kenny Pickett | Pittsburgh |
| Matt Corral | Ole Miss |
| Desmond Ridder | Cincinnati |
| Sam Howell | UNC |
| Carson Strong | Nevada |
| Bailey Zappe | Western Kentucky |
| Skylar Thompson | Kansas State |
| Jack Coan | Notre Dame |
Malik Willis (Liberty)
The Liberty signal-caller did wonders to his draft stock after an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. His 91.7 PFF passing grade throughout the Senior Bowl practices was the highest of the week.
Willis averaged almost 100 rushing yards per game over the last two seasons, putting him in elite company with some of college football’s best rushers. His ability to add value with his legs will grant him extra time to develop as a passer at the NFL level.
Combining his mobility with a strong downfield arm – fourth in PFF passing grade on throws of 20-plus air yards – is a recipe for fantasy football success.
Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh)
Every college season, a quarterback emerges from the woodwork into the top-quarterback prospect conversation. Joe Burrow and Zach Wilson were that QB riser in the past two drafts, and this season it’s Kenny Pickett. The Pittsburgh Panther threw more touchdowns (42) than the previous three seasons combined as the entrenched starter (38).
Pickett finished third in PFF passing grade from a clean pocket (94.3) and first in his class in adjusted completion percentage (79%). His overall experience and breakout season make him the most NFL-ready quarterback in this class, but he is far from flawless.
His extremely small hand size -8 1/2 inches, 1st percentile – does raise some concern, as betting on outliers tends to generate sub-optimal results over time.
Also, Pickett doesn’t offer the same type of rushing other QBs in this class offer. He tends to go slowly through progressions and hold the ball too long, as evidenced by a 3.19-second average time to throw – the second-slowest in the draft class (Malik Willis, 3.33)
Matt Corral (Ole Miss)
Matt Corral rallied the Rebels to a 10-2 record while finishing third in the SEC in passing yards (3,343) and 11th in the nation in PFF passing grade from a clean pocket (91.6).
He also rushed for nearly 750 yards and 11 scores. It’s that exact dual-threat ability fantasy football dynasty managers should be looking to invest in for years down the line.
Check out our top-60 dynasty rookie superflex rankings here
Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati)
Desmond Ridder made a strong push around NFL circles during his senior season, leading Cincinnati all the way to the College Football Playoff against Alabama. PFF’s seventh-highest-graded 2022 draft-eligible quarterback then turned heads at the 2022 Senior Bowl, showcasing accuracy and polish.
Ridder also offers juice with his legs, having rushed for over 2,700 yards during his four-year career (58 per game). His athleticism was at the forefront of his testing at the NFL combine.
The Bearcats quarterback ran a 4.52 40-yard dash (96th percentile), jumped a 36? vertical (92nd percentile), and 127? broad jump (98th percentile).
From speed to predictive passing metrics working in his favor – 97th percentile passer on early downs per PFF (91.0) – the Cincinnati product possesses all the ingredients to become a fantasy-friendly quarterback at the next level.
Considering I have a cluster of rookie QBs in this range, Ridder will be most drafted one in rookie drafts because he costs the least.
Sam Howell (UNC)
Sam Howell earned the starting quarterback job at North Carolina as a 19-year old true freshman and never looked back. He finished fourth in the FBS with 38 touchdown passes in his first season, cementing himself on the NFL radar.
He followed up an impressive introduction with an even more dominant performance as a passer in 2020, finishing as the nation’s sixth-highest-graded quarterback (92.3) and fourth-best deep passer (98.0) in an offense littered with future NFL talent.
Unsurprisingly, Howell took a bit of a step back in his final season without the likes of Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome at his disposal. The UNC product finished as PFF’s 37th-graded passer (80.3) – 15th among his 2022 draft class.
To make up for a lack of passing efficiency, Howell turned up the dial on his rushing production. After posting just 600 yards on the ground through two seasons, Howell rushed for 1,106 yards as PFF’s second-highest-graded rusher (91.0) in 2021.
If the first read wasn’t there, Howell was looking to create yards with his legs. This presents problems for the real-life NFL but shouldn’t be considered negatively for fantasy.
Howell’s escapability lends itself to rushing success at the NFL level if he doesn’t have a lot of talent around him. Conversely, his first two years of college show he will take full advantage when he does have weapons around him.
It’s hard to label Howell as a “situation-proof” quarterback – a rookie quarterback’s team context plays an integral part in their growth – but it’s hard to overlook his versatility as far as how he can rack up fantasy points in the years to come based on which team selects him.
Carson Strong (Nevada)
The Nevada Wolfpack put a lot on Carson Strong‘s plate in 2021, as the redshirt junior attempted 523 passes after never having cracked 400 in the two years prior. Still, Strong did not falter, finishing with a career-high 89.9 PFF passing grade and 36 passing touchdowns. The Wolfpack QB also ranked fourth in PFF passing grade from a clean pocket (93.2).
Strong is your typical strong-armed pocket passer who can make all throws on the field, but he’s a statue in the pocket – his 8.3 rushing yards per game is by far the lowest mark in a quarterback class filled with guys who can create value with their legs.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.