Blue Rated Wideouts Week 7 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 7 wide receivers with blue-rated upside

 

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco

The Chiefs defense has allowed more attempts, completions, and passing touchdowns than any team in the league this year, which is part of why Samuel gets the very rare benefit of a perfect 100 matchup point total. San Francisco's ground game also had its share of problems last week, so the 49ers could end up having to air it out. Add it together and it means Samuel could be in line for his best point total of the 2022 season.

Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis

The Titans defense is tied for last in YPA and adjusted YPA this season, per Pro Football Reference. The Colts also have realized that they need to rely on their aerial attack more than usual, as their run blocking just isn't holding up at all this year. Combine that with Jonathan Taylor's injury issues and Pittman should have another dominant point total this week.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit

Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs is a fantastic ball hawk, but he also has terrible coverage metrics, as he has allowed 23 completions in 37 targets for 352 yards and two touchdowns this year. That's a 62.2 percent completion rate, 15.3 yards per completion, and 9.5 yards per target. Those are not anomalous numbers, so look for Detroit to target this matchup whenever it comes up in this game.

DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona

Nuk is returning following his six-game suspension, and it couldn't come at a better time for his fantasy managers. Hopkins will get the No. 1 WR role back since Marquise Brown is injured and the Saints won't have star cornerback Marshon Lattimore for this one. That should get Hopkins out to a fantastic start, so be sure to start him if you have him.