The wide receiver room for the Kansas City Chiefs will look a little different in 2022 with Tyreek Hill being traded to the Miami Dolphins. Patrick Mahomes proved to have tons of success targeting Hill and Travis Kelce in previous seasons; however, he'll need a new No. 1 wideout to build a rapport with.
Could JuJu Smith-Schuster be the new No. 1 wide receiver for the Chiefs? And is he worth drafting in fantasy football at his current ADP?
Let's take a look.
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JuJu Smith-Schuster's 2022 Fantasy Football Value
Before inking a deal with the Chiefs, Smith-Schuster spent five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith-Schuster's best years in fantasy football came in 2018 when he finished as WR9 in fantasy points per game (15.1) and 2020 when he concluded the year as WR27 in fantasy points per game (11.6).
It was a shoulder ailment that limited Smith-Schuster to five games in 2021, but the USC product appears to be fully healthy for the 2022 campaign. While Smith-Schuster was hindered by an aging Ben Roethlisberger in his final years with the Steelers (evidenced by his 8.6 yards per reception in 2020), he'll get to play with an aggressive, strong-armed quarterback in Mahomes this season.
Even though Smith-Schuster isn't the speedy wideout that Hill is, he's still more than capable of excelling on deeper routes.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling has played with a premier quarterback in Aaron Rodgers before, so it shouldn't be expected for him to step up as a No. 1. Meanwhile, Skyy Moore is a rookie wide receiver, making Smith-Schuster the most likely candidate to lead the Chiefs in targets alongside Kelce.
Should JuJu Smith-Schuster Be on Your Radar For 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts?
At the moment, Smith-Schuster holds an ADP of 64.88 (WR29), according to the RotoBaller's FFPC ADP reports. Smith-Schuster is being taken around other wideouts like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Darnell Mooney, Chris Godwin, and Amari Cooper.
Entering the 2022 season, Smith-Schuster is only 25-years-old, and he'll be getting a massive upgrade at the quarterback position from Roethlisberger to Mahomes. On top of that, he'll be joining a Chiefs squad that threw the ball the second-most times per game (39.9) in 2021, giving him plenty of opportunities to show he's the new No. 1 wide receiver in Kansas City.
Being able to get the top wideout on the Chiefs — aside from Kelce — in the fifth round of 12-team drafts seems ideal.
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