The Best Fantasy Landing Spots for 7 Free Agent WRs
Okay, I will say it. This year does not have the strongest wide receivers free agency class (or receivers in general). That being said, there are plenty of WR2 that are available, but if you are looking for that stud WR1, this is not your destination.
However, as we all know, a change of scenery can greatly improve productivity. So, if a free agent wide receiver lands in a good spot with a team that utilizes his skills…well, who knows what can happen.
So here is hoping. Let’s start with the macro stats and filter to the wide receivers.
2022 Teams That Passed the Ball the Most
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers averaged 45.4 pass attempts per game/ different O.C. and quarterback in 2023
2 L.A. Chargers averaged 41.9 passing attempts per game
3 Minnesota Vikings averaged 39.6 passing attempts per game
4 Arizona Cardinals averaged 39.1 passing attempts per game/ new H.C. and O.C./ quarterback may be sidelined beginning of the season injury
5 Kansas City Chiefs averaged 37.9 passing attempts per game/ different O.C.
2022 Teams That Passed the Ball the Least Amount
32 Chicago Bears averaged 22.2 pass attempts per game
31 Atlanta Falcons averaged 24.4 pass attempts per game
30 Tennessee Titans averaged 26.8 pass attempts per game/ different O.C.
29 Carolina Panthers averaged 26.9 pass attempts per game/ new H.C. new O.C.
28 Baltimore Ravens averaged 28.7 pass attempts per game / different O.C.
2023 Wide Receiver Free Agents
Embed from Getty ImagesJakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
| Games | Fantasy Finish | Targets | Target Share | Team Avg Passing Attempts | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Rec T.D. |
| 14 | WR29 | 95 | 22% | 31.8 | 67 | 803 | 6 |
Myers’s production was slowed by an effective offense led by two defensive coaches making offensive calls (what could go wrong?).
New offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien has returned.
Fantasy Landing Spot: The New England Patriots with Meyers remaining quarterback Mac Jones’ favorite target. Meyers has led the Patriots’ wide receivers in the last three years. The offense last season was 22nd in points per game (18.2) and 32 in red zone touchdown percentage (42.2%. It has to get better, right?
With Myers running 70% of his routes from the slot last season and 64% for his career, Myers is someone to target in your PPR fantasy leagues.
Darius Slayton, New York Giants
| Games | Fantasy Finish | Targets | Target Share | Team Avg Passing Attempts | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
| 15 | WR52 | 71 | 16.8% | 30.6 | 46 | 724 | 2 |
Slayton had a Jekyll and Hyde type of season. His first five games were fantasy irrelevant, except for Week 5 against Green Bay when he collected 13.9 fantasy points (the three weeks prior, he had 0, 0, and 2.1 fantasy points, respectively).
But in Weeks 5-17, he was the main deep threat in the Giants’ offense, with a 37% air-yard share and a 20% target share. The pessimist will point out that even then, he was only WR31 with 8.8 fantasy points per game, but there were seven games where he averaged double figures.
His huge red mark is that he also had a team-leading six drops during the regular season, and that, unfortunately, is not an outlier.
But back again to the glass half full, this isn’t the strongest free agent wide receiver class, and plenty of teams need a wide receiver who can stretch the field. Slayton has a 15.7 yards per reception average.
Fantasy Landing Spot: The Baltimore Ravens could use the services of Slayton. For the 2022 season, the WR1 in Baltimore was Rashod Bateman (who ended up on I.R.). Bateman played in six games and was targeted 28 times for 15 receptions, 285 yards, and two touchdowns.
Devin Duvernay would be considered the WR2 in this offense. He played 14 games with 49 targets, 37 receptions, three touchdowns, and 407 receiving yards.
If the Ravens can field a decent quarterback, Slayton could become fantasy relevant in standard fantasy leagues.
JuJu Smith Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs
| Games | Fantasy Finish | Targets | Target Share | Team Avg Pass Attempts/G | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
| 16 | WR27 | 101 | 17.4% | 37.9 (5th ) | 78 | 933 | 3 |
Smith-Schuster bet on himself in the 2022 campaign and won. His 933 receiving yards were the second-most in his career and the most of any wide receiver on the Chiefs (the next-best wide receiver was Marquez Valdes-Scantling with 687).
Smith-Schuster is dependable. In the past three seasons, he has had six regular season drops on 247 targets for a drop percentage of 4.11%.
Smith-Schuster has shown that he can be a productive and capable WR2 (in Pittsburgh, with Antonio Brown serving as WR1, Schuster had 111 receptions with 1462 receiving yards), and although he has professed a desire to stay in Kansas City
for fantasy purposes, we hope he goes further south.
Fantasy Landing Spot: Dallas Cowboys, the Cowboys need a Robin to Cee Dee Lamb’s Batman.
The Cowboys attempted an average of 32.9 passes per game. Lamb was on the receiving end of a 28.7% target share with the 15th most routes run versus man coverage (272).
In Dallas functioning as WR2, with Dax Prescott passing the ball on average 32.9 times a day, Smith-Schuster would be an addition in PPR fantasy leagues.
Alan Lazard, Green Bay Packers
| Games | Fantasy Finish | Targets | Target Share | Team Passing Attempts/G | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
| 15 | WR35 | 100 | 21.1% | 33.1 | 60 | 788 | 6 |
Lazard has gone from an undrafted free agent in 2018 signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, later signed off the Jaguars practice squad by the Green Bay Packers to this. Today Spotrac has Lazard’s market value at $12.5 million a year.
Last season Lazard’s 788 receiving yards last season led the Packers’ receivers; in his last two seasons, he was responsible for 14 touchdowns.
But where Lazard also excels in his run blocking. Lazard is one of the league’s premier wide receivers and run blockers.
That skill allows him more time on the offense, last season he was on the field for 89% of the offensive snaps.
Fantasy Landing Spot: Baltimore Ravens, all suggestions for the Ravens come with the caveat, of course, that Lamar Jackson plays under the center with the Ravens.
The Ravens are known as a run-first team. Last season they averaged 31.2 rushing attempts per game. But don’t get twisted. Jackson can and will pass the ball with success. Since 2019 he has a 4.9%-big time throw rate (top-16) and a 93.3 passing grade on throws of 10 yards or more.
Lazard in Baltimore would be a win for the team and PPR fantasy leagues.
D.J. Chark, Detroit Lions
| Games Fantasy Finish Targets Target Share Team Passing Attempts/G Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving Touchdowns 11 WR75 52 13.8% 34.6 30 502 3 |
Chark only played in three of the Lions’ first nine games because of an ankle injury. In his three games, he had seven receptions, 98 yards, and a touchdown. It didn’t help his fantasy football year-ending standings.
However, from Weeks 13-17, Chark averaged 20.8 yards per catch and had 90-plus receiving yards in three of the final six games.
When healthy, Chark is a legitimate deep-field threat. For his career, his 33 receptions on passes of 15 yards or more downfield ranks 14th among wide receivers. His 11 career touchdown receptions on passes thrown 15 yards or more downfield are tied for eighth among wide receivers.
And this season, he led the team in total deep targets (15) while having a reception of 20 yards or more and a run of 10 yards or more on nine of his 52 touches. Chark also led the Lions with air yards share at 30%
Fantasy Landing Spot: Minnesota Vikings, with Adam Thielen starting to slow and KJ Osborn on the last year of his contract, Chark could be that downfield threat that not only up his fantasy value (particularly in standard leagues) but also keeps teams honest against his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson (increasing his value also).
Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts
| Games | Fantasy Finish | Targets | Target Share | Teams Passing Attempts/G | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
| 17 | WR48 | 92 | 15.9% | 35.5 | 63 | 623 | 3 |
In the 2022 season, Campbell overcame the injury bugs that had plagued his first three seasons. He was on the field for 980 offensive snaps, the second most for the Colts’ skilled players, and he finished with a career-high in receptions (63) and receiving yards (623).
He caught 74.1% of his targets with only three drops. The legitimate question is, was Campbell’s ceiling stifled by the Colts’ quarterback trio of Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, and Nick Foles? And can Campbell stay on the field for two consecutive seasons?
Fantasy Landing Spot: Indianapolis Colts with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce on the outside, Campbell has a secure spot in the middle.
Of course, this depends on who will be under center for the Colts. But with a legitimate quarterback, consider Campbell in your PPR fantasy drafts.
Embed from Getty ImagesMecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
| Games | Fantasy Finish | Targets | Target Share | Team Passing Attempts/G | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
| 8 | WR79 | 34 | 11.0% | 37.9 | 25 | 297 | 4 |
Hardman only played in eight games because of injury. His core muscle injury required off-season surgery.
When healthy, Hardman’s speed makes him a threat. He scored in half of the eight games he played this season. Even though he only had an 11% target share, he averaged more points per game than fellow free agent Smith-Schuster.
Fantasy Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers if Hardman is healthy to start next season. The Panthers Frank Reich is a good option to get the most from Hardman’s speed and have him shake loose of the “gadget player” narrative he got in Kansas City.
Still, Hardman’s fantasy value in standard and redraft is a wait-and-see proposition.
