Blue Rated Wideouts Week 2 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.

Week 2 wide receivers with blue-rated upside

Gabe Davis, Buffalo

The Titans had four defenders allow 10+ yards per target against a mediocre Giants passing game in Week 1 (per Pro Football Reference). One of those defenders was cornerback Kristian Fulton, who allowed four completions on four targets for 84 yards and a touchdown. Fulton will likely end up in coverage on Davis on multiple occasions in this contest and after last week's struggles that suggests Davis can rack up a 20+ point game in PPR leagues in this matchup.

Terry McLaurin, Washington

Detroit may have the worst secondary in the league, which suggests that McLaurin's 76 matchup points (1-100 scale, with 100 being most favorable) might be even more favorable than that number indicates. Washington also let Carson Wentz throw passes on three of its four red zone plays against Jacksonville last week, which suggests McLaurin has some potential upside on those throws as well.

Jaylen Waddle, Miami

The Ravens had the most talented secondary in the league coming into this year, but that group has already lost Kyle Fuller, likely won't have Brandon Stephens, and is dealing with injury issues with Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. With Tyreek Hill being the primary coverage target for Baltimore's defense, Waddle should get plenty of favorable looks and thus has a very good chance of posting blue-rated caliber numbers in this contest.

Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, Denver

The Seattle crowd really threw off the Denver offense last week and it was part of why Sutton and Jeudy tallied only three combined targets in the first half of that game. They both ended up solid fantasy point totals considering the low early usage, but the Broncos came into this season wanting to let Russ cook and will be doing so early and often in this matchup. Combine that with the Broncos 81 matchup points against the Houston secondary and it means Sutton and Jeudy both belong in fantasy lineups this week.