Blue Rated Wideouts Week 5 2022

The volatile scoring nature of the wide receiver position may cause more start-sit headaches for fantasy managers than any other position, but when things go well wide receivers can post point totals capable of winning fantasy games. How does one know which wide receivers are capable of posting those game-winning point totals? My player grading system (a full version of which can be found at TheFootballScientist.com) aims to identify these players via an overall/upside/downside approach. A player's overall grade measures his likely performance, the downside the grade indicates how a player is apt to fare if things go poorly for him that week, and the upside grade measures the scoring ceiling of a player if things go well in a given contest. This grading system also uses five color-coded categories: blue (indicating someone who can post elite point totals), green (a strong starter), yellow (a solid backup or a potential starter in bye weeks or deep leagues), orange (a desperation play), and red (someone who should not be started). This means fantasy managers who are looking for big scoring potential at wide receiver should aim for someone who has a blue-rated upside grade (which is 90-100 in my system). This weekly article series will identify all the blue-rated upside wideouts in a given week and then provide details on a few of the unexpected candidates on this board. It will also detail the strength of the matchup each of these receivers is facing via a matchup points total of 1-100, with 100 being most favorable. Week 5 wide receivers with blue-rated upside

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas

Lamb is probably going to face Jalen Ramsey in coverage, but he has a much better chance than expected of holding up well in that matchup, as Ramsey has allowed a 63.6 percent completion rate and 8.0 yards per target this season (per Pro Football Reference). Those are not Ramsey-like numbers, and it suggests that Lamb can post a larger than expected point total in this game.

Courtland Sutton, Denver

The Indianapolis secondary has seen its share of issues this season, as one of its top cornerbacks and both of its starting safeties have green ratings in my coverage grading system. This indicates that these players have metrics that should lead to better than typical production from a player. It's why Sutton has 80 matchup points, and it could lead to his best point total of the 2022 season on Thursday night.

Terry McLaurin, Washington

The Titans have seen their share of trouble in stopping passing attacks this year, as starting cornerback Kristian Fulton is a green-rated cornerback and Tennessee has some of the worst deep pass coverage metrics in the league. The Commanders are desperate to get their aerial attack back in gear, and this is just the kind of matchup that should allow them to do so.

Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

Every fantasy manager who has ever had Williams on a roster knows that he is the definition of a boom or bust player. Since the Browns are having their share of trouble on deep passes, none of their cornerbacks are red rated (meaning someone to avoid in fantasy), and this game has a chance of being a shootout, it looks like just the kind of matchup that can land Williams in the boom category.