Who is the best WR sleeper?
By: Jake Rajala
The fantasy football landscape is heating up as Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season approaches. With that said, I’m going to discuss the underrated wide receiver position and untwine seven fantasy WR sleepers heading into the 2022 season.
KJ Hamler
As widely enunciated, the Denver Broncos WR Tim Patrick is out for the season with an ACL injury. I certainly foresee KJ Hamler stepping up to the plate at the Broncos WR3 spot. PFF predicts that Hamler will be an “elite deep threat” with Russell Wilson in the upcoming season. Hamler ousted 381 receiving yards and 3 TDs in his rookie campaign, but he suffered a season-ending ACL injury after a Week 3 victory in 2021. He is being drafted as the WR99, but he should absolutely keep climbing the ladder.
Isaiah McKenzie
The Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie is looking to shine in the Cole Beasley-less WR room. Per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, McKenzie is the strong favorite to be the Bills top slot WR to start the 2022 season. Matt Warren of Buffalo Rumblings noted that McKenzie is the biggest standout of the first half of the Bills training camp. McKenzie notched a career-high five receiving TDs in 2020.
Tyler Boyd
The Cincinnati Bengals WR3 Tyler Boyd may be in the shadow of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but he still has a seat with the loaded Cincinnati Bengals offense. Boyd has recorded 800+ yds in each of the past four seasons. Furthermore, he has ousted 90+ targets in each of the prior four seasons. He is being drafted as WR51, but his experience and role with an improved Joe Burrow via improved pass protection should allow him to shine in 2022.
Sammy Watkins
Christian Watson may have sky-high potential, but let’s not forget about the explosive Sammy Watkins. He has certainly shined in training camp, to say the least. Per Packers.com, Watkins stated, “I feel like I have stacked good days on top of good days, but at the same time, I’m not there. I can’t get complacent. I’ve still got to be humble, I’ve still got to understand that I’m not there mentally.” Watkins might be a bit of a deep sleeper, but I expect him to really defy expectations with Aaron Rodgers.
Quez Watkins
The Philadelphia Eagles may have brought in the shiny, gifted WR A.J. Brown to pair with the stud wideout DeVonta Smith. However, let’s not forget that the Eagles have an up-and-coming WR in Quez Watkins. He recorded 647 yards in 2021 (including a miraculous 91-yard TD reception). He has repeatedly flashed as a superb deep-threat WR this summer.
