2022 Free Agent Rankings: Wide Receivers

There are some big-name wide receivers that will enter the 2022 offseason as free agents and the potential fantasy fall-out can be huge when these pass-catchers start signing.

Here are our 2022 free-agent rankings for the wide receiver position. Also, make sure you check out the quarterback and running back rankings.

Davante Adams – All eyes on Green Bay as both members of the league’s top QB/WR duo are set to potentially depart. There were rumbling that the Packers could place the franchise tag on Adams but with the club currently projected to be over $40 million over the 2022 salary cap, that seems unlikely. If Aaron Rodgers were to return, that would probably improve Green Bay’s chances of hanging onto Adams but the early lean is Adams will join a new team and should have no shortage of suitors.

Chris Godwin – A torn ACL will hurt Godwin’s chances of landing a big-money deal early on since he won’t be able to work out for teams. The best-case fantasy scenario would be for QB Tom Brady to return for one more Super Bowl run and for Godwin to re-sign with the Bucs, perhaps to a 0ne-year deal.

Mike Williams – The franchise tag, which would be over $19 million for one year, will be in play for the Chargers if they are unable to come to terms on a multi-year deal with Williams. LA has plenty of cap space to afford to splurge on Williams, who is coming off of his finest NFL campaign. There is probably a 75% chance that Williams will be back with the Chargers in 2022 but he could attract offers as another franchise’s No. 1 wideout should LA choose to spend elsewhere.

Odell Beckham Jr. – OBJ salvaged some of his sagging value by reclaiming his nose for the endzone after joining the Rams, who have an excellent quarterback in Matthew Stafford. 30 in November, Beckham still has some years of his prime remaining and should command $6-7 million annually in a 2-3 year deal as a veteran WR1/2.

JuJu Smith-Schuster – The wheels fell off for Smith-Schuster and the Steelers’ passing game in 2021. Smith-Schuster missed nearly the entire season with a shoulder injury and QB Ben Roethlisberger looked washed. JuJu signed a one-year deal to remain in Pittsburgh in 2021 and didn’t make himself much money in a lost season. A reunion with the Steelers is certainly an option if the club can land a dependable veteran signal-caller, but Smith Schuster’s slot/perimeter flexibility and age will make him an attractive target for any team shopping for dependable pass catchers.

Allen Robinson – The narrative that Robinson has never played with a good quarterback is mostly true. For A-Rob to ever reclaim WR2 status, he’ll need to prioritize doing just that- signing with a team that has a credible signal-caller. Still just 28 when the 2022 season starts, Robinson will draw plenty of interest on the open market, hopefully from a team that can get him the ball and help resurrect his once-promising career.

Christian Kirk – Expected to be no better than fourth on Arizona’s depth chart to open the season, Kirk instead put together his finest campaign just in time to cash in this offseason. With aging A.J. Green also set to test free agency, a reunion with the Cardinals would be ideal for fantasy purposes if Arizona can squeeze him in. Expect Kirk to command somewhere north of $10 million annually over 3-4 years.

Michael Gallup – Gallup missed the first half of the season then tore his ACL in Week 17. The timing of that injury will be problematic towards attracting long-term offers with a new team that won’t be able to work Gallup out. There is a lot of upside there, but he’ll need a lot of luck to be ready for Week 1.

D.J. Chark – Nothing went right for the Jaguars in 2021, but fortunately for Chark, he should have the opportunity to escape from that dreary situation. Chark’s season was cut short by a broken ankle but he should be good to go by the offseason. Just 25 with a 1000-yard season on his resume, Chark can be a solid fantasy WR2/3 with improved quarterback play- which should be easy to find.

Russell Gage – Gage stepped up and became Atlanta’s top wideout after Calvin Ridley stepped away from the team. Over the last three seasons, Gage developed into a dependable option out of the slot and will be better off remaining in a secondary role.

Will Fuller – Injuries once again derailed another season for Fuller, only this time there was no displays of big plays or potential WR1 upside. Fuller’s dud one-year deal in Miami could lead to another 1-year ‘prove it’ deal in a new locale. Now six full seasons into his career, Fuller had yet to top 53 catches or 880 yards in any one campaign.

Jamison Crowder – The rebuilding Jets will likely move on from Crowder, which will put another veteran slot receiver on the open market. Even though he missed five games, Crowder still let New York in receptions in 2021 and topped 50 grabs in 6-of-7 seasons in New York. Depending on where he lands, Crowder should still be a dependable source of targets and a solid late-round fantasy value.

Cedrick Wilson – Wilson began to emerge in place of fellow free agent Michael Gallup. With Gallup expected to depart, Wilson has the chance to be an intriguing late-round fantasy draft target if he were to re-sign with the Cowboys and take over the WR3 full time.

Braxton Berrios – Another slot receiver for the Jets, Berrios parlayed some late-season expanded playing time into some positive highlights that could earn him a decent contract. There have been talks of Berrios re-signing with the Jets. which would be a very solid fit as a reliable underneath option for Zach Wilson.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling – The Packers are looking at major turnover in their offense, with Valdes-Scantling, Davante Adams, and Equanimeous St. Brown all unrestricted free agents and Allen Lazard a restricted free agent. MVS was mainly employed as a situational deep threat in Green Bay and will have a hard time finding a better situation on the open market.

Sammy Watkins – It’s been four full seasons since Watkins has been a reliable fantasy option and his one-year stint in Baltimore was a bust. Although he’s still just 28 (29 when 2022 begins) Watkins is unlikely to secure a longterm deal and will instead have to sign another short-term deal if he wants to get his career back on track.

T.Y. Hilton – Hilton’s days of terrorizing opponents as a consistent downfield weapon are likely in the past and he’ll transition into a situational deep threat. A return to Indy isn’t out of the question, but Hilton might have difficulty landing a starting gig on the open market.

Tre’Quan Smith – The immediate future looks rather bleak in New Orleans, who has the worst salary cap situation in the league and will be ushering in a new head coach. Smith never could emerge as anything more than a rotational option with Drew Brees, so he’s not likely to suddenly break out on a new team.

Josh Reynolds – After being released by the Rams, Reynolds had a solid-enough stint with the Lions to draw some interest as a WR3/4 on the open market.

Byron Pringle – Pringle’s increase in snaps and targets in December and January raises hopes that he can still become a decent fantasy WR4/5 option but his best bet would be to remain in Kansas City.

Other Options

Isaiah McKenzie, DeSean Jackson, Dede Westbrook, DeMarcus Robinson, Dante Pettis, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant,  Mike Thomas, Ray-Ray McCloud, Cam Sims, Noah Brown, Danny Amendola, Tajae Sharpe, Chris Conley, Marquise Goodwin, Mack Hollins, Damiere Byrd, Mohamed Sanu, Laquon Treadwell

Maui Madness Playoff Pick’Em — ($25 or a 5 pack for $100)

Maui Madness is still accepting entries up until Conference Championship Weekend as the contest takes your highest two weekly scores to determine the winner.

While most fantasy football leagues have already concluded, that does not mean the fun is over. In fact, the best is yet to come for one skilled fantasy player!

That person who can build the best fantasy lineup for the playoffs will win the grand prize of

A Trip for Four to Maui!

The Grand Prize includes:

• Resort Accommodations for 6 nights in Maui’s Five-Star Kaanapali Alii Resort (2BR-2BA)
• Airfare for Four anywhere in the continental U.S. (up to $1000 for each person roundtrip airfare* 
• Grand Prize package worth an estimated $10,000! 

*certain date restrictions may apply

1 ENTRY = $25

5-PACK = $100 (that’s a $25 savings!)

Truly an amazing chance to have an unforgettable vacation simply for being the best of the best-ball drafters, but plenty of football fanatics will walk away from the FFWC Maui Madness with other prizes.

• 2nd Place – Online Championship entry (valued at $349)
• 3rd Place- $150 in FFWC game credits
• 4th Place- $100 in FFWC game credits
• 5th-10th Places- $50 in FFWC game credits
• 11th-20th Places- $25 in FFWC game credits
• 21st-50th Places- $15 in FFWC game credits

Here’s how it works: 

It’s a simple NFL pick ’em contest with no salary cap that runs during the NFL playoffs. Create an 8-man lineup of players whose teams are still alive in the NFL postseason (1 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR, 1 TE, 2 FLEX (RB,WR,TE), 1 team kicker, and 1 defense/special team.

• No more than THREE skill-position players (QB,RB,WR,TE) can come from the same NFL team.
• This is a best-ball format. Your team stays the same, with no waivers or roster moves.
• There are FOUR rounds of scoring, including the Wild-Card, Division, Conference Championships, and Super Bowl.
• The teams available are:
  • AFC – 1 seed – Tennessee Titans, 2 seed – Kansas City Chiefs, 3 seed – Buffalo Bills, 4 seed – Cincinnati Bengals, 5 seed – Las Vegas Raiders, 6 seed – New England Patriots, 7 seed – Pittsburgh Steelers
  • NFC – 1 seed – Green Bay Packers, 2 seed – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3 seed – Dallas Cowboys, 4 seed – Los Angeles Rams, 5 seed – Arizona Cardinals, 6 seed – San Francisco 49ers, 7 seed – Philadelphia Eagles

Each week, your team accumulates points based on how many of your players are still in lineups from all four rounds. However, only your Two highest-scoring weekly lineups count towards the final and the winner goes to Maui. This means you can enter new teams up until the Conference Championship, which really adds to the overall strategy and fun of Maui Madness!

Full Rules and Scoring can be found here.

There would be no better way to wrap up the 2021 fantasy football season than proving that you’re truly the best of the best and winning a life-changing trip to Maui. And all you’ve got to do is show your skills by drafting the highest-scoring lineup and watch your scores accumulate throughout the NFL playoffs.

And don’t forget the sunscreen…

Enter Maui Madness