Top 5 Breakout Fantasy Wide Receivers
We have already gone over the Top 5 breakouts for running backs and now it’s time for the receivers! There is always a lot of depth when it comes to the WR’s. It’s usually the position I wait on after grabbing 1 of the top 15 players. There was a lot of movement in the Quarterback world this offseason with veterans changing teams such as Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield, and Carson Wentz. This will have an impact on lots of WR’s this season as you can tell by a couple of my breakouts below. Without further ado, let’s dive into my Top 5 Breakout Wide Receivers for this 2022 season:
1) Allen Lazard
I could just say that he is the #1 receiver for Aaron Rodgers and leave it at that, but I will go into more detail. The loss of Davante Adams is huge obviously and now Rodgers will need one of his young WR’s step up. Who better than Lazard? He has the size and speed to become a #1 wide receiver. To go along with that, he showed out in his only game without Davante Adams last season catching 6 passes for 146 yards and 1 touchdown. Oh by the way, that was against pro-bowler Marshon Lattimore so it wasn’t like it was easy competition. Valdes-Scantling only had 1 catch that game in case you were wondering. I know it’s only a 1 game sample, but most Packers fans will tell you that Lazard is the most talented WR, and he knows this is his big chance to shine. The jury is out if he will become another in the line of great WR’s that have played with Rodgers, but hard to imagine him not putting up solid numbers due to the shear volume he will receive in this offense. At his ADP, this could be one of the steals of the draft.
2) Courtland Sutton
This will be the 1st season where Sutton gets to play with a Pro-bowl caliber quarterback. Last year, he was only 1 year removed from his ACL and MCL injuries. Not all players can get back to top shape after those injuries. To go along with that, he didn’t have great quarterbacks throwing to him to say the least. With Russell Wilson back there now, he could take over the role similar to what DK Metcalf was for Wilson. Sutton is a big-bodied WR that can catch those fades and back shoulder balls that Russ likes to throw. With injuries hopefully in the rear view mirror, this could finally be the year where it all comes together for the young, talented receiver.
3) Chris Olave
It’s always hard to trust a rookie, especially at Wide Receiver, but Olave is as NFL ready as I’ve seen in a while. He showed this at Ohio State last year and that’s why the Saints traded up to get him with the 11th pick. He will enter the NFL as one of the best route runners already. He has a knack of creating separation, especially when it’s 1 on 1 coverage. I know this from watching him play the last couple years (Yes, I’m a Buckeyes fan). Obviously the NFL is a big jump and it may take time to adjust, but he possessing the intelligence, technique, and route running abilities puts him a step ahead of most rookie Wide Receivers. He also wont get all of the attention from defenses since they will be getting Michael Thomas back at WR and Kamara looks like he may avoid a suspension... at least for this season. I think he is a good value later in the draft if you are waiting on WR.
4) Michael Pittman Jr
Pittman is near the top of my list of players I am expecting big things from this season. He is a big, physical receiver who has proven he can win those 1 on 1 balls when given the chance. Pittman ran a route on 96% of his offense’s drop backs, which was 3rd in the league! This tells me that the Colts see him as their top dog and it isn’t even close. The big difference is that he now has a QB who has a history of peppering his #1 WR with lots of targets (Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley). I am not saying Pittman will be as good as Julio this season, but he has a great opportunity to be a Top 10 WR when it’s all said and done.
5) Mike Williams
Williams may be on this breakout list for a lot of fantasy experts every year. Last season, he started out blazing hot as he was a Top 3 WR thru the 1st 5 weeks. He ended up finishing as the 23rd best WR due to only being able to score 5 touchdowns. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the chances either. It just happened to be an unlucky TD season. I see him getting closer to at least 8 or 9 TD’s this season. This guy is physical and has as much talent as most WR’s in this league. He is in a loaded offense in Los Angeles so the scoring opportunites should be there for him. I love being able to get him later than his teammate Keenan Alen, as I can see them finishing pretty close to each other when it’s all said and done.