Whether you are taking part in a start-up draft or revamping your roster for next season, there is plenty of work to do in dynasty fantasy football. Finding value and getting ahead of the market is the key to success in this format, and this list should help you do just that. These four wide receivers all have an ADP below 100, yet each have the potential to be impact players for your team in 2022 and beyond. Here are four wide receivers to buy low ahead of the 2022 season.
Scoring is PPR and ADP data is sourced from Sleeper unless stated otherwise.
Allen Robinson – Los Angeles Rams
ADP: 108 (WR44)
2021 WR rank: #81
Ahead of the 2021 season you’d have been paying a king’s ransom to trade for Robinson. He finished as WR7 and WR9 in 2019 and 2020 respectively and things looked to get even better with a highly touted rookie in Justin Fields taking charge at quarterback. To say last season was a disappointment would be a massive understatement. Matt Nagy gave him a reduced role, with Robinson’s targets dropping from 151 in 2020 to just 66 in 2021.
This isn’t great, but at least Robinson benefits from a new environment in 2022. He has made the move to L.A., serving as their WR2 behind Cooper Kupp. Whilst the presence of Kupp (who commanded an absurd 189 targets in 2021) might deter some from investing in Robinson, that would be a mistake. For starters he will be getting an upgrade at quarterback in Matthew Stafford. He will also be stepping into an offense with a history of sustaining multiple productive fantasy receivers. Prior to his injury-plagued 2021 campaign, Robert Woods had two top 15 finishes alongside Cooper Kupp. Robinson might not match that, but he’s still a high end WR2 and you don’t find many of those at his current ADP.
Rondale Moore – Arizona Cardinals
ADP: 147 (WR56)
2021 WR rank: #67
Moore’s rookie season was certainly an odd one. After plenty of speculation about his role, he featured almost entirely as a gadget option in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. He finished the season with 64 targets, but logged an ADOT of just 1.2 yards and just 8.1 yards per reception. For context, this ranked 89th and 88th respectively amongst receivers with 50+ targets in 2021. This naturally limited Moore’s effectiveness from a fantasy perspective too and he finished way down at WR67.
Given all of the above, you might be wondering why you should invest in Moore this offseason. The reason is the changes ahead of him on the depth chart. With Christian Kirk now in Jacksonville and DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games of the season, Moore looks set to feature as the WR2 behind Marquise Brown in 2022. With the way that offense works, that should also mean more targets and more traditional work as a receiver. This is the recipe for fantasy success and should see Moore outperform his WR67 rookie numbers.
Joshua Palmer – Los Angeles Chargers
ADP: 201 (WR79)
2021 WR rank: #75
I was a big fan of Palmer’s potential when he was coming out last season. It is safe to say that his impact as a rookie was fairly limited, but there is certainly reason for hope. He took on an increased role for the Chargers down the stretch, catching 18 passes for 185 yards and three scores in his final five outings. In that period he actually finished as the WR33 in fantasy scoring, averaging a respectable 10.9 points per game. Things were looking up for Palmer in 2022, until the re-signing of Mike Williams kept him firmly as the WR3 on the Chargers’ roster.
Cue a knock on his fantasy value, to the point where his ADP is now outside the top 200. Whilst the situation might not immediately seem promising, there are reasons for hope if you dig a little deeper. Keenan Allen is already 30 years old and his time as a leading receiver is surely limited. Mike Williams has returned, but he’s a potential cap casualty after this season, with him and Allen carrying a combined cap hit of $39.7m in 2023. Palmer is also the clear WR3 on the roster and would be the beneficiary if either Allen or Williams missed time this season with injury. Whilst Palmer might not bring immediate fantasy success like others on this list could, he has the potential to be a solid long term asset for your dynasty roster.
Velus Jones – Chicago Bears
ADP: 215 (WR84)
2021 WR rank: N/A
The Bears’ selection of Velus Jones in the third round of the 2022 Draft certainly raised some eyebrows. Widely regarded as a day three prospect who would primarily offer value on special teams, this felt like a case of over-investment. Whilst this might be the case from a talent perspective, it doesn’t mean that Jones should be ignored in fantasy football. The Bears liked him enough to invest substantial draft capital in him, and that speaks to the role they see him having in their offense.
Then there’s the rest of the situation in Chicago. The Bears might just have the weakest wide receiver room in the NFL, with Darnell Mooney being their only real starter of note. After that there are a smattering of depth pieces who are little more than complementary options. Jones should therefore see some volume simply by virtue of the lack of quality around him. The Bears are also likely to be trailing a fair bit this season, necessitating a pass-heavy approach. For a player you can get this cheaply, he offers potentially big rewards.
