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Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone wants to draft high-upside fliers that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to take risks on a variety of different players, including prospects, forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even skilled players with potential playing time concerns.
It's essential to have at least a handful of sleeper targets at each position heading into your fantasy football drafts, no matter the format. Here are some late-round wide receivers for you to consider drafting this season.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific NFL players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2022 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all 300+ of our 2022 player outlooks, along with many other premium articles and tools available exclusively in our 2022 Draft Kit.
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Skyy Moore, Chiefs, Fantasy Football Outlook
Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore of Western Michigan immediately piqued the interest of fantasy managers when we came off the board as the No. 54 overall pick to be paired with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The problem for Moore is simply his expected opportunity.
With the Chiefs adding free-agent wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster to complement tight end Travis Kelce, Moore could struggle to see the field consistently, especially early in the year. He could be very relevant down the stretch in 2022, potentially impacting the fantasy playoffs, but he is more of a late-round play who could end up being a valuable mid-season waiver acquisition.
Since the draft concluded at the end of April, ADP data shows him being taken at pick No. 114 overall as the WR48. It ranks him as the fifth rookie wide receiver behind Treylon Burks in Tennessee (WR38), Drake London in Atlanta (WR40), Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets (WR45), and Chris Olave in New Orleans (WR47).
It also places him as the second-highest drafted wide receiver on the Chiefs, behind only Smith-Schuster (WR30). This is fair value considering these other receivers have less restricted paths to targets.
Romeo Doubs, Packers, Fantasy Football Outlook
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Packers used multiple draft selections on the wide receiver position, headlined by second-round pick Christian Watson.
However, Doubs has stolen the show during the Packers training camp. The former Nevada star has made several impressive catches during practice, repeatedly beating starting cornerbacks in one-on-one drills. Doubs has also earned praise from Aaron Rodgers.
After trading away Davante Adams and losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, the Packers have 224 open targets from last year's team. While Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, and Randall Cobb are listed as the starters on the team's website, Doubs has the potential to earn a starting role before Week 1.
Between his impressive play during training camp and a potential pathway to a starting role, Doubs is a potential steal at his ADP as the WR59 and is currently 61st among all wide receivers in the latest Rotoballer rankings.
Mecole Hardman, Chiefs, Fantasy Football Outlook
What has gone under the radar throughout Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman's three-year NFL career is how available he's always been, having yet to miss a single game. Of course, the 24-year-old has been deployed on a limited-use basis, but even then, he's racked up 186 targets catching 126 of them (67.7%) through those three seasons.
Although the touchdowns have gone down from six to four to two last season, the yardage has gone up from 538 to 560, and lastly, a career-high 693 receiving yards last season. What is ahead of Hardman entering 2022, though? One clear positive for the former 2019 second-round pick is the departure of WR1 Tyreek Hill to Miami. One negative is Travis Kelce still being a top-15 offensive player in the NFL easily.
Another positive is catching passes by legendary QB Patrick Mahomes. Another negative that might be the most impactful in Hardman's fantasy upside: the competition for targets will be fierce in Kansas City next year. The Chiefs added all of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and rookie Skyy Moore to the receiving unit sending Hardman to a fuzzy WR2/WR3 role down the pecking order at the very least.
That means he won't have many opportunities to rack up points, although he's made the most of similar situations/offenses in the past, so that shouldn't be a cause for concern. There will be a clear ceiling on Hardman next season, but the fourth-year man shouldn't drop from his WR3/FLEX upside in PPR formats with Mahomes at the help tossing him the rock.
Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants, Fantasy Football Outlook
New York Giants rookie wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson is one of the most intriguing rookie wide receivers from this year's draft. The 21-year-old was utilized as both a wide receiver and running back in two seasons with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, showing off his versatility.
Then he transferred to his home state of Kentucky to be a Wildcat, where he displayed elite speed, separation, and catching ability despite standing at just five-foot-eight. The Giants selected him in the second round to join head coach Brian Daboll's new offense. Daboll's goal is to find a way to implement Robinson's versatility into his strategy. This season, he could see playing time in the slot or getting carries in the backfield.
Last season Giants' starting wide receivers missed a combined 21 games, so chances are Robinson will have plenty of opportunities this season to show his worth and get more playing time. If last year's fourth-string receiver Darius Slayton struggles in camp, Robinson may easily slide into the number four slot.
That being said, he's still not worth a late-round pick regardless of his encouraging potential. Worth keeping an eye on, though, as the season progresses. Lots still to learn about the Giant's offense in 2022.
Julio Jones, Buccaneers, Fantasy Football Outlook
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signed free agent wide receiver Julio Jones to bolster their receiving core. The former Alabama product struggled with injuries last year, limiting him to only 10 games played, which will be the primary concern entering 2022.
This also makes it difficult to evaluate his 2021 production because he frequently played at less than 100% after Week 3, when his first injury occurred. The 33-year-old did have a throwback performance in Week 2, finishing with six receptions for 128 yards. While this level of production is unlikely to occur weekly throughout a season, the future Hall-of-Famer could capitalize on his opportunity out of the gate.
With the departure of Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski creating 151 vacated targets, plus health concerns for Chris Godwin, there will be plenty of opportunity for a hot start. The training camp reports have been positive, and Tom Brady's respect will earn him some looks. Jones is currently ranked 120th in Rotoballer's rankings with an ADP of 228.
However, that will most certainly skyrocket now that he has landed with the Buccaneers. Assuming his ADP remains around 180 or lower, he will be a worthy pick that could produce in fantasy immediately.
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