Ellis Johnsons' Wide Receivers #41-50: Half PPR Draft Rankings

Last season my wide receiver draft rankings finished 15th in the FantasyPros accuracy contest. To create these rankings, I have projected each player's stat lines. In this article, I share my receivers #41-50, with a detailed analysis of each player. 

My projections are created based on the number of passing yards, completions, and touchdowns that I believe each team will get. Using previous year's data and the current betting lines for players' individual yards and touchdowns, I collected the data and made my projections

If you're looking for analysis on deep receivers, you've come to the right place! Here is the link to all of my rankings and projections for each position. I hope you enjoy the list!

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Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings #41-50

41. (NR) D.J. Chark (WR, DET): I feel like I've been holding a flower and playing Loves Me or Not Chark's whole NFL career. Out of college, I was intrigued by his big play ability which did not come through in his rookie season. That's when he broke onto the scene in his second year. Just when things were looking better for the young WR, he tore his ACL. Now he is a Lion on a one-year prove-it deal.

Thankfully, all the camp buzz has been that he has looked like his old self and created a great connection with Jared Goff, especially in the red zone. Although Chark and St. Brown can coexist, the real question is the health of first-round rookie Jameson Williams. Still not recovered from his torn ACL, Williams may not see the field until midseason. Plus, after missing reps all offseason, it is hard to see a world where he immediately has an impact. Instead, I think Chark is being overlooked and should have this role all year, making him a sneaky draft selection with the ability to slide into the top 30 at the position.

42. (46) Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR, KC): Yes, I have MVS ahead of JuJu Smith-Schuster... way ahead of him. To be honest, I've been optimistic about MVS ever since he signed a substantial deal with the Chiefs. I'll break down my thought on Juju later in this series of articles. Spoiler alert, I think MVS should be the leading WR on this team. I'm taking all the upside people were handing Juju and applying it to MVS. He is one of my favorite best ball picks and should be a great pick at his ADP of WR45. Plus, his 6'4" 206lbs frame with 4.32 speed is a match made in heaven with Patrick Mahomes. He's another sneaky upside pick late in drafts for 2022 and potentially for years to come.

43. (22) Amari Cooper (WR, CLE): Cooper’s ranking is directly linked to what happened to Deshaun Watson. Watson will be suspended for the first 11 weeks of the season and fined five million dollars. That's less than half a game per sexual misconduct lawsuit. Disgusting. That means nice guy Jacoby Brissett will be under center for the start of the season. Brissett is a very serviceable NFL QB and should manage to support Cooper as a WR3-4 for fantasy. However, once Watson is back, Cooper could become a top-12 option. It’s all about if you think Brissett can keep this offense afloat. If you think he can, then Cooper might be worth the pick for the potential he is a top-12 option when Watson returns. It also comes down to if you are willing to roster a piece directly linked to Watson. It's a very personal selection so I’ll let you make your own call on this one.

44. Jahan Dotson (WR, WAS): Finally people are starting to look Dotson's way. Much like what I said about Palmer above, Dotson has done everything right so far. All reports out of camp describe him being dynamic as ever and the clear second receiving option behind Terry McLaurin. Dotson fits the mould of a young receiver you can draft late and see what his involvement is to start the season. If it's not what you were hoping, you can cut him and move on with your team.

45. (33) JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, KC)

This might be surprising, but I am terrified of his knee issue that has limited his preseason and camp play. I do not have him projected to play the full season which also doesn't help his rank. I also think there are a lot of red flags here after he signed a relatively cheap one-year deal, and now has knee soreness once again. The lack of interest in the young "star" WR from other teams in free agency, and the short contract makes me think that other teams were worried about his knee. As a result, I'm also very worried and would avoid him at his draft value right now.

46. Jacobi Meyers (WR, NEP): I don't think people realize how solid Meyers has been now for multiple years. Most of this has to do with him scoring his first career touchdown finally last year, but he has been a PPR machine for a while now. This year he once again finds himself in the middle of a crowded receiving room. However, I have confidence he'll be the guy between the 20s with DeVante Parker and Hunter Henry dominating the red zone work. This limits his upside but is a steady floor play where he is being drafted.

47. George Pickens (WR, PIT): Rookie sensation George Pickens has shown why some thought he should be a first-round pick in this year's draft. Instead, he was scooped up in the second in classic Steelers fashion. In fact, he has outperformed former Steelers rookie sensation, Chase Claypool, all offseason. Pickens has the talent and draft capital to be a good receiver in this league for a long time. Plus, he has a ferocious attitude on the field which makes him fun to watch. I'm projecting Mitch Trubisky to start for the Steelers, and we've seen him hyper-target larger receivers such as Allen Robinson. At 6'3" Pickens could become his go-to guy down the field, and find himself having a very nice rookie season. The hype is real, and there's reason to be excited for the potential Pickens brings to this team.

48. Zay Jones (WR, JAX): Does anyone remember that Zay Jones was a second-round pick by Buffalo in 2017? This one won't be sexy, but I think Jones could work his way to fantasy relevance. After the team broke the bank to bring in him, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram, this is a whole new Jaguars team. Although Kirk is the undisputed one on the team, I think Jones will receive more volume than veteran Marvin Jones Jr. and should easily be ahead of Engram in target share. As a result, you shouldn't need to draft him in your leagues, but if he is heavily involved in Week 1, then I'd grab him everywhere in case the volume continues.

49. Joshua Palmer (WR, LAC): Brampton, Ontario's own has done nothing but be great his entire NFL career. Well, great relative to his opportunity. From looking solid in his first off-season to catching the game-tying touchdown in the must-win final game last season, Palmer has quietly done everything right. This offseason he finally gained the respect of the public by posting very solid pre-season numbers. Unless Keenan Allen or Mike Williams go down, he might be hard to rely on this year, but he's a fantastic dynasty target right now.

50. (42) Chris Olave (WR, NO): I think Olave could be the best receiver in this class. I loved him coming out of college and I think he lands in the perfect situation to succeed in the future. Unfortunately, the situation right now is crowded with veterans Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry eating up the majority of targets. Thankfully, both players are getting older which gives Olave a path to greatness in the future. It's never bad drafting the upside of a rookie in your drafts, but I think it'll be hard for him to break out this year.

Stay tuned for my next article, where I discuss WRs #51-60!

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