Don’t Eat The Cheese: 2022 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Busts
Two down, two to go. After hitting the quarterbacks and running backs, it’s time to move to the wide receivers. The position as a whole is exploding so this feels like the toughest position to even project with the amount of talent entering the league. Of course, the goal here is to cross off these players from your draft day list in order to win a championship. Let’s not waste any time and get right to the Don’t Eat The Cheese list.
AJ Brown (Eagles)
If you want AJ Brown, you’re going to have to pick him inside the top ten wide receivers. It’s hard for me to see how that type of production exists.
How many attempts will Jalen Hurts have per game? Hurts was 21st in the NFL a year ago in attempts and started every game. How many fantasy weapons do you think this guy can actually support?
DeVonta Smith feels like the much better value. This isn’t a dig at Brown. This is about rankings. Currently, there are about 40 receivers ranked ahead of Smith in fantasy. I would not be shocked if Smith outscored Brown. Could easily be a 1A – 1B situation. Smith is darn good.
Dallas Goedert is going to get his touches too. Hurts has built trust with his tight end.
Don’t ask yourself if Brown is talented. Ask yourself is this the right offense he can be a top ten fantasy wide receiver in? The answer to that question should be a resounding no.
Tee Higgins (Bengals)
I like Tee Higgins a lot. He’s going to be a very good player and it was disrespectful to even hint he was in the Mike Williams range. Higgins was a big reason why Cincinnati was even in the Super Bowl. If you ask me a year from now, I’ll have a different answer for you on Higgins and will probably be on the love list.
I just think we jumped the gun here. You have to take Higgins in the WR10-15 range if you want him which is a little rich for my taste. Ja’Marr Chase has established himself as the clear cut WR1. Tyler Boyd still exists. You would have to think if Cincinnati actually turns into a real contender, they won’t be in as many shootouts and can control the clock with a lead. That’s going to hurt Higgins more than anybody.
Michael Pittman (Colts)
I really don’t get the Michael Pittman thing. Again, you have to take this guy in the top 10-15 WR’s if you truly want him. I’m not doing that. He’s not a good football player. Go watch the clip on Antoine Winfield punking him and come back to me.
Matt Ryan can still be accurate but he’s not hitting those deep shots Pittman got last year. The only thing that saves him is the fact that he’s the only target. You’re only going to win here if Pittman has an outlier high touchdown rate. Could happen, there’s just no way I’m banking on that.
Courtland Sutton (Broncos)
If I’m going to take the dart throw on a Broncos wide receiver, it’s the hope that Jerry Jeudy takes the leap. I know what Courtland Sutton is. He can absolutely play but I also think he could get lost in the shuffle. KJ Hamler is healthy. Tim Patrick still exists. There are two tight ends on the roster that need targets.
Furthermore, I think Denver might actually be really good. They have a real defense and a stud running back to lean on. This is why Russell Wilson left Seattle, right? So he could play TEAM football. Not air the thing out 50 times a game, right? Sutton might be a reliable fantasy starter but I fail to see the high upside that could make him a league winner.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)
Hey, nice rookie year. He still plays for Detroit and has now been usurped by Jameson Williams as the lead dog in town. Do I really need to go further? Do you like watching Jared Goff? Why torture yourself? Let someone else play with the Lions’ fire.
Treylon Burks (Titans)
Burks feels like a popular choice to be fantasy relevant given the fact that he essentially replaces AJ Brown on the Titans roster. Few things here:
Burks is going to take some time to develop. Far from a finished product. The reports on Burks in training camp have been… not good.
If I’m getting my hands on a Titans pass catcher, it’s Robert Woods. He’s the perfect possession guy to move the chains and will likely become a trusted target for Ryan Tannehill quickly. It’s hard to see how rookie Burks outshines veteran Woods. The shiny new toy needs time so be patient and take Burks when his stock is down a year from now.
