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With training camp around the corner, there are key questions to monitor at the wide receiver position. These questions may impact both season-long and dynasty leagues. Here are 14 questions to monitor at the wide receiver position.
Can Gabriel Davis capitalize?
Emmanuel Sanders remains unsigned, and the Bills cut Cole Beasley after the 2021 season. The team added Jamison Crowder on nearly a minimum deal and drafted Khalil Shakir on the third day of the NFL but did not otherwise do anything to block Gabriel Davis from taking the WR2 role in the offense. Can the playoff sensation turn his volume into a fantasy impact role? There is no one to stop him but himself.
Is Elijah Moore’s rookie season counterfeit?
Elijah Moore had a solid season and checked metric boxes putting him on the right track for future success. The team then selected Garrett Wilson in the first round of the NFL Draft, creating more competition at the wide receiver position. Can Moore sustain his role or does the selection of Wilson counterfeit his dynasty stock?
How do Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle co-exist?
Miami’s trade for Tyreek Hill clouds the development of rookie sensation Jaylen Waddle. Can Tua Tagovailoa support two top 12 wide receivers? If not, who wins out in the competition for the WR1 role in Miami?
What is Amari Cooper’s volume?
Cleveland ran one of the more run-centric and slower offenses in 2021. How does that change with the addition of Amari Cooper and Deshaun Watson? The situation is clouded by the Deshaun Watson suspension uncertainty which may create value in Cooper if 130 targets are possible.
Does JaMarr Chase regress?
JaMarr Chase lived off big plays and long touchdowns in his breakout season in 2021, but only managed the 18th-most targets per game among wide receivers. Chase has the skill to be a major factor at the wide receiver position for years but is likely to regress on a per-target basis. Will his volume increase to make up the difference is a major question at the wide receiver position?
Does Rashod Bateman step forward?
Rashod Bateman enters his second season with a golden opportunity. Can he capitalize? Bateman struggled as a rookie in key metrics and that struggle is largely being overlooked after Marquise Brown was traded and opened a WR1 role in the offense. Bateman will need to take a major step forward in efficiency to capitalize.
Who is Patrick Mahomes II’s WR1?
The loss of Tyreek Hill creates a major hole in the Kansas City offense. To fill the hole, the Chiefs drafted Skyy Moore and signed both JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency. Will the Hill role be split between the three or will one step forward into the void as Patrick Mahomes II’ go-to receiver on the other side of Travis Kelce?
How does Davante Adams integrate into the Las Vegas offense?
The Raiders made major changes to the offense in 2022, including hiring Josh McDaniels as head coach and trading for Davante Adams. The Raiders also extended Hunter Renfrow. There are a lot of moving factors in the Las Vegas offense that affect the fantasy production of Adams and Darren Waller. Adams was second in the league in targets in 2021 (169), and his volume is a major watch as he transitions to the Las Vegas offense.
Who benefits from Russell Wilson’s addition in Denver?
Russell Wilson’s addition to the Denver offense will almost certainly improve the offense. The question is who benefits? The offensive production should be bigger, and without Noah Fant, there should be a bigger opportunity for others. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick are the leading contenders, with Sutton’s work in the deep passing game a particularly good fit with Wilson.
How much does Philadelphia throw?
Jalen Hurts dropped back to pass 41 times per game in the first seven weeks of the season, but Philadelphia changed course and had Hurts only drop back 27.9 times per game in the next eight games before he sat out week 18. Which offense will Philadelphia run? The first half of the season volume could support the costs of A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, while the second half of the season volume could leave many disappointed.
CeeDee Lamb as a WR1?
CeeDee Lamb is a top 5 dynasty wide receiver and will need to take the reigns of the offense with Amari Cooper traded to Cleveland and Michael Gallup returning from a torn ACL. Lamb has averaged 7.2 targets per game in the first two seasons of his career, which would rank 23rd in the league in 2021. Whether Lamb develops as a perimeter wide receiver and expands his target share without the added competition will have major dynasty ramifications.
Who is Aaron Rodgers’s WR1?
There is a Davante Adams-sized, 169-target hole in the Green Bay offense, headed into the 2022 season. The Packers added Sammy Watkins and drafted Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, who will join Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb to try and fill the role in the offense. Will a wide receiver emerge as an 8-target per-game player in the offense? It is unlikely but the player would be a difference-maker in fantasy football.
How do Metcalf and Lockett survive without Wilson?
After the Russell Wilson trade to Denver, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett find themselves with a major question at quarterback. Both have been top 15 options the past two seasons and could beat their dynasty cost with competent quarterback play.
Which 2019 draft picks sign contract extensions?
DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, Diontae Johnson, and Deebo Samuel, are all entering the final seasons of their rookie contracts. They rank first, second, fourth, and fifth respectively in the 2019 class in receiving yards. The third, sixth, and eighth-best performers to date, A.J. Brown, Marquise Brown, and Noah Fant have all been traded during the offseason. Of the top seven wide receivers, only A.J. Brown and Renfrow have been extended. The remainder of the offseason is a time to watch potential trades and contract extensions for this wide receiver class.
