Cooper Kupp This is the culmination of a historic campaign. He has set single-season record with his 439.5 PPR Fantasy Points and 294.5 Non-PPR Fantasy Points in 2021. He set a new record by scoring 20+ fantasy PPR fantasy points 14 times and reached the 30-point plateau six more times. Kupp had an enormous impact on the outcome of the Los Angeles RamsSuper Bowl Champion: 45 catches on 64 targets for 625 yard and seven touchdowns in four playoff matches.
It’s no surprise, then, that Kupp is fantasy football’s most beloved player. 1 wide receiver entering 2022. This valuation makes sense, as nothing has significantly changed in his situation.
Allow me to interrupt your first-round planning. I see both a realistic possibility that Kupp will not just fail to finish 2022’s fantasy’s W1, but also that he could be unable to Should not be the first wide receiver chosen.
The fantasy football’s three biggest wide receivers
Kupp is the clear top-tier wide receiver position in 2022. Justin Jefferson Ja’Marr Chase. Kupp’s achievements, as well as those of Jefferson and Chase, easily earned him a spot in this group. 4 (330.4) and 5 (304.6) in WR PPR fantasy points last season, respectively. 4 (330.4) and No. 5 (304.6) in WR PR fantasy points last season, respectively, are 23- and 22-years old and are the No. In pass-friendly offenses, the No. 1 target is the receiver.
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Tristan H. Cockcroft explains how Justin Jefferson is worth your time in the first round fantasy drafts. He has position-leading potential.
Jefferson, however, stands out as the candidate to replace Kupp in 2022. Through his first 33 NFL matches, Jefferson scored more points than any wide receiver. Odell Beckham Jr. Randy Moss, since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. The second half of the last season saw Jefferson almost surpassing the top in fantasy points for PPR. Here’s an example of how Jefferson and Kupp did in fantasy during Weeks 10-18.
Kupp: 8 G, 204.1 PPR FPTS (1st), 89 targets, 31.7% target share
Jefferson: 9 G. 99 targets, 34.4% target.
This is the type of usage that can fuel an 800-point, 17-game fantasy football campaign. Jefferson has traits that allow him to have one of the most statistically significant ceilings of wide receivers. He was the second-ranked NFL player with 2,082 yards of air and the second with 16 end zone targets. These numbers highlight his abilities to be both a big play receiver and to pace the position in touchdowns.
Chase, on the other hand, just finished a season in that he had 304.6 fantasy points more than any rookie wide receiver. Chase’s 17.9 points per week was sixth highest among all receivers who have played at least 10 games. Joe Burrow, his quarterback, showed remarkable chemistry with him and he broke out in the end of the season with a masterpiece at 55.6 points per week in Week 17. He also had 25 catches for 368 yards on 35 targets in four playoff games.
Like Jefferson, Chase is big-play like Jefferson. His 9.0 yards per catch rate during the second half of the season was the third highest among qualified wide receivers. He also tied for fifth with his 13 endzone targets. Although it may seem impossible to imagine Chase leaping to the top of wide receiver’s leaderboard, Jefferson’s impressive jump last year in his sophomore season shows that it is possible.
Kupp’s chances of repeat success
Kupp’s history of injuries is one of the strongest arguments against Kupp returning as fantasy’s Wr1. Kupp missed eight games in 2018, due to a torn ACL in his left knee. In 2020, he missed one regular-season match while on the COVID-19 and another in the playoffs because he had a knee injury. Kupp missed 14 out of 70 games between regular season and postseason during his four years in NFL.
Kupp, a 29-year-old veteran with more experience, has a slightly higher chance of missing more time than Chase or Jefferson, who have both yet to miss an NFL match.
Kupp could also be disadvantaged by simple regression to the mean. Kupp was only the 18th wide receiver, with an average of at least 22.5 fantasy PPR points per game and playing in at most 10 games during the previous year. Ten of the 17 previous players saw their points totals drop by at least 80 in the next season. Terrell Owens (2000-01) and Jerry Rice (1994-95) were the only exceptions. Odell Beckham Jr. (2014-15), Antonio Brown (2014-16). Davante Adams 2020-21 managed a 300 point campaign in their follow up seasons. Adams only had a 17 game season.
These names offer hope that Kupp will reach the 300-point plateau in 2022. But is 400 possible? In the following year, the group’s per-game average declined by 5.0 fantasy points per match. This rate would make Kupp’s final 2022 total of 353.3. We have him projected for a position-best 310.8 point, so we expect some regression.
The Rams also added talent to his team. Allen Robinson II To a solid group receivers that are already included Van Jefferson Ends that are tight Tyler Higbee. Robinson may have disappointed in 2021. However, he has three seasons with 150+ targets and 250+ fantasy PPR points (2015 to 2019 and 2020) and QB Matthew Stafford Another veteran wideout. Robinson’s rebound could cause Kupp to lose a significant portion of his league-leading total of 192 targets. This was 22 more than any other player in the league.
The bottom line is that no one of the three large wide receivers should ever be considered the “the” receiver. It is wrong Pick, even if you are a first rounder. But the catch is that all three are valid and high-floor selections. They have the best chance of any wide receiver in fantasy points to pace the position.
Kupp is my No. As most people, Kupp is my No. 1 wide receiver in 2022. The odds favor his candidacy after a great season with the league’s most pass-friendly defense. However, if Kupp goes the pick before I in the first round — and I am not excited at any of these running backs on board — I wouldn’t hesitate to vote for Jefferson or Chase.
Let’s face it, these receivers rank fifth, sixth, eighth, and eighth respectively. A part of me is almost tempted by his upside to pick Jefferson first out of this group.