A player hasn’t led the NFL in receiving yards in back-to-back seasons since Calvin Johnson dominated the NFL in the early 2010s. Megatron is now enshrined in Canton, and Cooper Kupp would love to join him. However, it will be very difficult for Kupp to lead the NFL in receiving yards for a second straight season. The Los Angeles Rams have a plethora of talented receivers for Matthew Stafford to target, and they want to run the ball more in order to wear down opposing front sevens.
2022 NFL Receiving Yards Leader Odds
Justin Jefferson +800
Cooper Kupp +800
Travis Kelce +1000
Ja’Marr Chase +1000
Davante Adams +1200
Tyreek Hill +1400
Deebo Samuel +1600
Stefon Diggs +1600
CeeDee Lamb +1800
All Other Players +2000 or More
Cooper Kupp was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. Kupp had an amazing year, leading the league with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns. It was the second-most productive season by a receiver in league history, but Kupp isn’t likely to post sensational numbers again. In his previous four seasons, Kupp never had more than 95 receptions, 1,200 yards, or 10 touchdowns. He has also battled the injury bug, and the 2021 campaign was the only time that Kupp started every game during the regular season in his career.
The best bet to lead the NFL in receiving in 2022 is Justin Jefferson. The third-year player out of LSU was the second leading receiver in the NFL last season with 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jefferson has been one of the best young receivers in the league for the last two seasons, and he has already established himself as an elite target for Kirk Cousins. Minnesota will likely have to throw the ball a lot once more as this defense is marginal, and Jefferson will definitely be one of the league’s top receivers if both he and Cousins can stay healthy.
A tight end has not led the NFL in receiving yards since Hall of Famer Raymond Berry was Johnny Unitas’ favorite target with the Baltimore Colts in the late 1950s. The role of tight ends has grown dramatically in offenses over the last decade, but it’s still hard to imagine Travis Kelce leading the league in receiving yards. Kelce has probably done enough to lock up his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his best season came in 2020 when he had 105 receptions for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kansas City’s standout tight end is on the wrong side of 30, so durability is an issue too.
Ja’Marr Chase will likely be a trendy pick to lead the league in receiving after the Cincinnati Bengals made it to the Super Bowl last year. Chase and Joe Burrow were one of the most devastating duos in the league, but it’s hard to have too much faith in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Cincinnati was very fortunate last season, and this offensive line needs to improve, or else Burrow will get hurt. The Bengals allowed 55 sacks during the regular season in 2021, and they were even worse in the playoffs.
An intriguing pick is Davante Adams at 12-1. Adams has been one of the NFL’s best receivers for the last few years, and he was a First Team All-Pro for each of his last two years with the Green Bay Packers. Derek Carr will likely have to air it out in a division with superb signal callers and passing attacks, and former Fresno State teammate Adams is expected to see a lot of targets even with Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller on the team.
It's best to avoid Tyreek Hill at 14-1 to lead the NFL in receiving yards. Hill proved he was one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has never had more than 1,500 receiving yards in a season. Miami gave up a lot to acquire Hill from Kansas City, yet Tua Tagovailoa is not the answer under center, and Jaylen Waddle might see more targets as the possession receiver.
2022 NFL Receiving Yards Leader Pick: Justin Jefferson
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