Proceed with Caution 2022: Wide Receivers

For those wondering how I did last season, I'll explain here. For those who don't care, I remind you that this is titled "Proceed with Caution" because I'm not telling you to avoid drafting them outright, I'm merely suggesting you don't throw all your eggs into their baskets. I'd consider my pick successful if they finished below the top 10 for QB, TE, K and D, and below the top 20 for RB and WR. Last year I went 2 for 3 (Kenny Golladay and Will Fuller).

Diontae Johnson (Pittsburgh): Johnson had a 169 targets last season and Ben Roethlisberger's arm was the reason why. I don't believe he's going to fall off the face of the earth now that Big Ben is gone, but I'd also suggest not going into your draft expecting him to get back to the 100+ receptions and 1100+ yards he had in 2021.

Deebo Samuel (San Francisco): If I'm going to get one wrong this is likely it, but just remember, I'm doing this for you. The primary reason Samuel wanted out of San Fran this offseason was because he wanted to go to a team that wouldn't use him as a RB. Last year he ran for 365 yards and 8 touchdowns. In most fantasy leagues that's 84.5 points. He still had a terrific season through the air (77 receptions, 1405 yards, and 6 touchdowns), but that 84.5 points would make an impact. Take those points away last season and he drops from WR2 to WR8. Add in the uncertainty that comes with Trey Lance (who, for the record, I am a big fan of) and there's a good chance Samuel falls out of the top ten, so I'd advise against using one of your first three picks on him.

Tyreek Hill (Miami): This one should be obvious, but in case people forgot, Patrick Mahomes will not be throwing Hill the ball this year. As a matter of fact, Hill will not have a big armed Quarterback throwing to him at all this year, that's going to impact his production. He's talented enough to still produce, but in my opinion the risk outweighs the potential reward if you decide to still use a high pick on him.