The 2022 wide receiver free agent class has a variety of different assets. The franchise tag deadline saw Mike Williams sign a three-year, 60-million-dollar contract, while Chris Godwin and Davante Adams were tagged. These moves shrink the higher-end options of the free-agent class, but there are still plenty of options.
Allen Robinson
Allen Robinson had the worst performance of his career in 2021, outside of his injury-shortened 2017 season. This could not have come at a more inopportune time, as Robinson was playing on a franchise tag and will enter free agency with suppressed market value. Robinson’s draft position in dynasty drafts this offseason has been outside the top 40 wide receivers. Robinson is the type of player who could benefit from a one-year deal with a contender to rehabilitate his NFL value. Almost any quarterback Robinson teams up with will be the best one of his career. His downward turn presents a pure upside bet in dynasty drafts.
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Christian Kirk has been a pure ancillary receiver in his time with the Cardinals. Kirk’s career-high in targets was 108 in 2019, while 2021 was his career-high in receptions (77) and receiving yards (982). Kirk’s salary has been projected north of 10 million dollars per year which would likely cause a rise in dynasty market value. However, he is unlikely to be a difference-maker in fantasy leagues if he does not get 120 targets per season.
Odell Beckham
Odell Beckham Jr should have rehabilitated his stock during his Super Bowl-winning tenure with the Rams in 2021, but his torn ACL in the Super Bowl stunted his progress. In Beckham’s eight games with the Rams, he actually saw more targets (48) than his six games in Cleveland (34) but had fewer receiving yards per game in LA (38.1) than Cleveland (38.7). Likewise, Beckham’s yards per target dropped from 6.8 in Cleveland in 2021 to 6.4 with the Rams. The main difference between Beckham’s performance was his five touchdowns with the Rams. A situational role with the Rams may be the best bet, but his ceiling appears limited entering his year 30 season.
Michael Gallup, like Beckham, enters free agency coming off a season-ending injury. Gallup played ahead of CeeDee Lamb in the Dallas offense the past two seasons, while underperforming Lamb on a per route basis. Gallup is in the WR50 range of startup drafts this offseason, and with Amari Cooper being sent to Cleveland, Gallup could return to a valuable role in the Dallas offense.
JuJu Smith-Schuster reportedly turned down more lucrative offers to return to Pittsburgh in 2021 on a one-year deal before his season was drastically limited with a Week 5 shoulder injury that required surgery. Smith-Schuster returned in the playoffs, so there is the confidence he is healthy heading into free agency. Smith-Schuster is available in the WR40 range in drafts during the past month and has a history of high-level fantasy production, so he could contribute in the WR2-3 range at a much later cost depending on the size of the role in the next offense.
Will Fuller
Will Fuller’s tenure in Miami was injury-shortened. The term injury-shortened is a frequent refrain in Fuller’s career. Fuller has electric upside and ranks in the top 20 percent of wide receivers in fantasy points per route run since 2008, but his injury history is a major concern. Fuller is priced outside the top 50 wide receivers, making him a virtually riskless bet. Missing in that range of the position is not costly, but hitting from the range, especially with the ceiling Fuller has, can really move the needle on a fantasy season. While Fuller may be a week-to-week bet, with the constant fear of an injury aggravation, his explosive ability when he is on the field will continue to get him chances in the NFL.
A.J. Green rebounded in 2021, with his best yards per target (9.2) since 2016 (9.6). Green also had the second-highest yards per reception (15.7) of his career. Green’s days as a 130+ target receiver are likely over as he enters his 34-year-old season, but he is still a capable secondary option and could find himself with a good quarterback as he chases a ring. Green is in the WR3-4 range of production at a cost outside the top 50 at the position.
Cordarrelle Patterson could fit either here or at running back. Patterson was finally optimized in his age-30 season and was a difference-making option before he was slowed down by an ankle injury in the second half of the season. Given his track record, signing anywhere but in Atlanta would create questions about his role.
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