Blue Rated Wideouts Week 3 2022

By KC Joyner
KC Joyner

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 3 wide receivers with blue-rated upside

Player Team Opponent Upside PPR
Cooper Kupp LRM Arizona Cardinals 100
Justin Jefferson MIN Detroit Lions 100
Stefon Diggs BUF Miami Dolphins 100
Davante Adams LAV Tennessee Titans 100
A.J. Brown PHI Washington Commanders 100
Tyreek Hill MIA Buffalo Bills 100
Ja'Marr Chase CIN New York Jets 99
Amon-Ra St. Brown DET Minnesota Vikings 95.5
Marquise Brown ARI Los Angeles Rams 95.2
Courtland Sutton DEN San Francisco 49ers 93
Mike Williams LCH Jacksonville Jaguars 92.3
Michael Pittman Jr. IND Kansas City Chiefs 92
Curtis Samuel WSH Philadelphia Eagles 91.6
Michael Thomas NO Carolina Panthers 91.3
Gabe Davis BUF Miami Dolphins 90.9
Christian Kirk JACK Los Angeles Chargers 90.4
Keenan Allen LCH Jacksonville Jaguars 90.2
Terry McLaurin WSH Philadelphia Eagles 90.2
CeeDee Lamb DAL New York Giants 90.2

Christian Kirk, Jacksonville

The Chargers have seven players in their secondary who have allowed a double-digit pace in yards per completion and two players who have given up a double-digit total in yards per target (per Pro Football Reference). Kirk has posted consecutive games with six receptions and found the end zone twice against the Colts in Week 2, so he should be able to post impact numbers against this struggling Los Angeles secondary that may also be without J.C. Jackson, who missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Terry McLaurin, Washington

 

 

Curtis Samuel, Washington

The Lions have allowed the eighth highest fantasy point volume to wide receivers so far this year, but that doesn't really do justice to just how target-friendly this secondary is, as Detroit ranks dead last in my Week 3 pass defense matchup points system. Samuel has already vaulted to must-start status with 42.1 PPR points in the first two games, but this matchup should also allow McLaurin, who tallied a solid combined 26 PPR points in Weeks 1-2, to hit the 20-point mark in many scenarios.

 

 

Marquise Brown, Arizona

The Los Angeles defense has a ton of talent, but that talent hasn't done much to slow down wide receivers so far this year, as the Rams rank 31st in WR fantasy points allowed and completions and are tied for last in wide receiver receiving touchdowns allowed. Brown was brought to serve as a workhorse and has done that to a large extent with 17 targets in Weeks 1-2, but this game could allow him to show why he earned the nickname Hollywood in the first place.