Wide receivers in the NFL play a crucial role in the passing game of their respective teams. These skilled athletes are responsible for catching passes from the quarterback and advancing the ball down the field. With speed, agility, and precise route-running, wide receivers create opportunities for their team to score points and gain yardage.
Wide receivers showcase their talents on a grand stage, making thrilling plays that keep fans engaged and invested in the game. Skilled wide receivers can transform their team’s offense and contribute to its overall success. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the underrated wide receivers in the NFL that you need to watch out for in the upcoming season.
NFL’s Underrated Wide Receivers Ranked
7. Chris Olave
Chris Olave’s rookie season with the New Orleans Saints was outstanding, accumulating 72 receptions, 1,042 yards, and four touchdowns in the space of 15 matches. He was also one of the top 30 in yards per target, receptions per match, and yards per game. Nevertheless, these figures do not properly demonstrate how reliable and efficient Olave was during the campaign.
It’s essential not to ignore the reality that Olave achieved all this despite the subpar QB partnership of Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston. He will now be lined up with four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr, which could elevate his output even more. If Michael Thomas is unable to return to his Pro Bowl status—his last 1000-yard season was in 2019—Olave could become the focal point of the Saints’ offense.
Although the 23-year-old is highly appraised in fantasy circles, he is still not receiving the recognition he deserves. Should Carr be the quarterback upgrade that the Saints anticipate, Olave’s fantasy ranking could reach as high as the top 10 wide receivers.
6. Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper, a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, is viewed as one of the top 20 fantasy wide receivers. However, we may not be adequately acknowledging his dependability. Even though his most recent Pro Bowl appearance was in 2019, Cooper has gained over 1,100 receiving yards in three out of the last four years.
Cooper was successful in his Cleveland debut last year, despite having journeyman Jacoby Brissett as quarterback for much of the season. In the final six games, Cooper had the advantage of having Deshaun Watson at the helm, who hadn’t seen first-team action since 2020. Despite being ranked 12th in total receiving yards, Cooper tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (9) and 19th in yards per game (68.2) in 2022.
He is the top receiver for Cleveland and if Watson gets back to the level he was at in the Pro Bowl, he could be a significant contributor in fantasy, potentially even being a top-5. The news about Watson in the early offseason is looking good. After having a complete off-season to bond, Watson and Cooper could potentially create an excellent rapport this year.
5. Terry McLaurin
Though Cooper often goes under-appreciated, the same could be said for Washington Commander’s wideout Terry McLaurin. He has been performing at an impressive level since he joined the league in 2019 and deservedly earned a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts in 2022. McLaurin’s rookie season saw him amass 58 receptions for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns. Since then, he has gained more than 75 catches and 1,000 yards in every season, despite not having the advantage of an exceptional quarterback.
Washington had three quarterbacks at the helm in the form of Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, and rookie Sam Howell last year, yet that did not stop Terry McLaurin from accumulating 1,191 yards and five touchdowns from 77 receptions. He was 10th in terms of wide receivers, 16th for yards per game, and in sixth place for yards per target, outshining Justin Jefferson.
It will be Howell’s responsibility to lead the offense this year. Eric Bieniemy, who spent five years with the Kansas City Chiefs successful passing attack, will be giving him a hand. What Howell is able to do in his initial year as Washington’s starter will be a deciding factor, but Bieniemy should be able to widen the offense, which could lead to McLaurin having an even better performance.
4. George Pickens
George Pickens, the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, is certainly ascending. His fantasy ranking is an impressive one for someone in their second year of playing, although it still appears to be too low for him.
In his debut season, the Georgia product collected a total of 52 receptions for 802 yards and four touchdowns, which gave him an average of 9.5 yards per target – good enough to earn him the 13th spot in the league rankings. Despite competing with a rookie QB in Kenny Pickett and being in an offensively limited Matt Canada system, he still managed to achieve such impressive stats.
If Pickett is able to make a big improvement in his second year, it stands to reason that Pickens would be set for a breakout season. It would be shocking if Pickens didn’t reach 1,000 yards, and it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to see him amongst the top 10 fantasy players and wide receivers.
3. Kalif Raymond
Kalif Raymond may never be a star in the fantasy realm, given the amount of talent that will soon be present in the Detroit Lions offense. With Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jameson Williams following the latter’s six-game suspension for a gambling infringement.
Even though Raymond is not a main target in Detroit, he is still being overlooked as one of the outstanding wide receivers. Despite only appearing in 49% of the Lions’ offensive plays last year, he had the second-highest receiving yards with 616, and the third-highest receptions with 47.
Raymond has achieved great success due to his effectiveness. He was the 12th overall highest in terms of yards per target (9.6) and he topped the list of Pro Football Focus’ separation metric, as reported by Judah Fortgang from PFF. Despite a crowded receiving unit in Detroit, Raymond’s potential for success in a larger capacity cannot be denied. His name must be included in any list of underrated wide receivers.
2. Richie James
Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs showed that they could win the Super Bowl without having an exceptional wide receiver. Although they swapped Tyreek Hill for JuJu Smith-Schuster in the 2022 offseason, Smith-Schuster’s numbers (78 receptions, 933 yards, 3 touchdowns) couldn’t match Hill’s.
Kansas City may have a new hero on their roster after losing Smith-Schuster in free agency and signing Richie James away from the New York Giants. James’s signing may be one of the most underrated moves of the offseason.
Although James didn’t create much of a stir when the Chiefs selected him in 2018’s seventh round, they held him in high regard coming out of college. His output in 2022 was impressive and he achieved 57 receptions, 569 yards, and 4 TDs while the Giants’ pass attempts were in the bottom 25th percentile. Per yards per target, he was a top 50 player (8.1) and was given an impressive 119.6 passer rating when targeted.
1. Darius Slayton
The New York Giants have primarily used a ground-oriented attack instead of placing the onus on quarterback Daniel Jones to throw the ball. Consequently, Darius Slayton’s output has been restricted and is still underrated among NFL wide receivers in terms of fantasy football value.
Slayton has not gained the recognition he deserves among the best wide receivers in the NFL. Moreover, the Giants’ signing of Darren Waller and Jalen Hyatt in the offseason is likely to leave him overlooked. Despite the lack of consistency in the Giants’ passing offense, he has totaled more than 700 yards in three of his four seasons and had a QB rating of 96.0 or better twice.
Brian Slayton has a huge amount of potential which could be tapped into if his 6’1″, 190 lbs stature and 4.39 speed were taken advantage of. To do this, Jones needs to expand his game and that could be a possibility this season. With the Giants’ offense being opened up by Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka, there is a real chance that Slayton will be able to show off his talents.
