10 Wide Receivers You’ll Regret Drafting (2022 Fantasy Football)

Beware these 10 receivers! While there is ample talent on this list, don’t let these names fool you. From new teams to new quarterbacks to overcrowded receiving corps, you’re better off looking elsewhere in your drafts.

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10. Treylon Burks (WR – TEN): WR45 and 103 overall

Treylon Burks’ ADP isn’t out of line for now. But it’s going to rise with news of his conditioning issues improving. Negative offseason rookie news doesn’t mean there won’t be a breakout year. But I just don’t see it happening with Burks. Conditioning issues aside, I don’t think he immediately steps into a WR1 role. Burks may take some time to adjust to the NFL more similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown than Ja’Marr Chase — which ultimately means you’ll have to hold onto him through some struggles before that breakout comes. I’d prefer to avoid him and go with more game-ready rookie receivers being drafted after him.

9. Russell Gage (WR – TB): WR43 and 104 overall

The Tampa Bay receivers are going to be a hot topic over the next several weeks. With Chris Godwin recovering from his ACL injury, Rob Gronkowski retiring and Mike Evans as the only man left standing, Russell Gage has been a hot commodity in the offseason. But things have gotten very muddled over the past week. Godwin seems to be recovering quicker than expected and the Bucs signed Julio Jones. And while Jones may not be the player he once was and may not be someone we need to target in fantasy drafts, his presence does put a damper on opportunities for Gage. He’ll still be a usable asset with Brady at quarterback, but it will be more inconsistent than we want to see from someone at his current ADP.

8. Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA): WR37 and 89 overall

Tyler Lockett is a boom or bust player that may seem like a huge steal at WR37 for someone who has finished within the top 20 at the position for four years in a row. But that was under Russell Wilson. And now Lockett is stuck with Geno Smith or Drew Lock. Lockett averaged just 11 fantasy points per game in PPR with Smith last season. And true to his boom/bust nature, the range of points scored was as low as three and as high as 26. You’ll just never feel comfortable starting Lockett. He’s someone I’m just going to avoid drafting.

7. Michael Thomas (WR – NO): WR32 and 72 overall

Michael Thomas started off training camp on the PUP list and quickly came off. And while that’s a good sign that they’re just being cautious with him, I’m still skeptical of what we’ll actually see on the field. There’s no denying Michael Thomas at his best is a guaranteed WR1. But Thomas is far removed from his prior success — way back in 2019. I think expectations are higher than the reality of what we’ll see on the field. Thomas’ ADP would have to drop for me to feel comfortable drafting him and I have a bad feeling it’s only going to rise as we move forward with training camp.

6. Jerry Jeudy (WR – DEN): WR27 and 63 overall

The Denver wide receiver corps is one of the greatest mysteries of 2022. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy are very talented and both capable of being the team’s WR1. And it’s hard to gauge who truly has the upside based on last season because the Broncos’ quarterback play and offensive scheme will look vastly different this year. But my bet is on Courtland Sutton. He’s the receiver we’ve seen put together a fully successful season and have stretches with high production. Jeudy is being draft not even a full round behind Sutton. I’d prefer him at a lower ADP and will pass on him.

5. Amari Cooper (WR – CLE): WR24 and 58 overall

News of Deshaun Watson’s suspension is finally available. And while a six-game suspension might have encouraged you on the upside for Amari Cooper, there’s still reason to be concerned. The NFL can still appeal and try to lengthen the suspension. Cooper’s value is 100% dependent on the length of the suspension. Cooper is still someone I would avoid until there’s a final decision and you can assess the games he will be stuck with Jacoby Brissett.

4. Marquise Brown (WR – ARI): WR21 and 54 overall

Marquise Brown was someone who I thought would be a fantastic value target earlier in the offseason. But as we get closer to the season, his ADP continues to rise and I just can’t justify the pick. DeAndre Hopkins will return and we have to remember he is returning from suspension, not injury. He’ll jump right back into action as the Cardinals WR1, leaving Brown with a capped ceiling. Through the first seven games of 2021 when Hopkins was healthy, the Cardinals’ then-WR2 Christian Kirk averaged 13.7 points per game. That’s not the type of production I want from a guy I’m drafting as a top 20 receiver.

3. Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA): WR15 and 40 overall

Jaylen Waddle’s rookie season was overshadowed by Ja’Marr Chase. Let’s put some respect on the man that had a 1000-yard, six-touchdown season coming off a significant injury in his final year at Alabama. It pains me to put Waddle on this list because I had such high hopes for him in his second year. But Miami went all in to get Tyreek Hill and significantly damaged Waddle’s upside. While I do think we’ll still see high-performance games from Waddle, they might be more inconsistent than we’d like to see from a top-15 receiver. We’re asking a lot of Tua Tagovailoa to support both Waddle and Hill and we don’t have a ton of evidence that he can do so.

2. A.J. Brown (WR – PHI): WR11 and 28 overall

A.J. Brown is coming off a season with under 900 yards, five touchdowns and 13.9 fantasy points per game. And with a healthy season, he can re-establish himself in Philadelphia as the top-10 receiver we know he’s more than capable of being. But capability and reality are two very different things. We’re asking for Jalen Hurts to make a leap as a passer and the Philadelphia offense to fully commit to more pass volume. This could be the year where Brown finally breaks out with a high-end WR1 performance, or this could just be another underwhelming year for a guy you’re drafting as your first receiver off the board.

1. Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA): WR7 and 18 overall

I hesitated to have both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle sitting in the top three of my receivers to avoid list… but the crux of the issue here is they cannot both be top 15 receivers. I don’t buy it as a possibility. The Dolphins certainly want to increase pass volume but just how much are they really going to increase? Something has to give. And because it’s a very unique situation, we can’t truly predict which one of them will suffer the most. On one side you have one of the most decorated receivers over the past six years… a guaranteed WR1. But new teams don’t always bode well for veterans. On the other side, you have a second-year receiver coming off a fantastic rookie season where he took over as the team’s WR1. On top of that, he has established chemistry from college with Tua Tagovailoa. We could see Tua favor his brand new shiny toy in Tyreek Hill or we could see him lean on the proven trust he has in Jaylen Waddle. It’s a situation I’d just rather avoid as a whole.

NFL Treylon Burks Amon-Ra St. Brown Ja’Marr Chase Russell Gage Chris Godwin Mike Evans Julio Jones Tyler Lockett Russell Wilson Geno Smith Drew Lock Michael Thomas Jerry Jeudy Courtland Sutton Amari Cooper Deshaun Watson’s Jacoby Brissett Marquise Brown DeAndre Hopkins Christian Kirk Jaylen Waddle Tyreek Hill Tua Tagovailoa A.J. Brown Jalen Hurts