The start of the 2022 NFL season is rapidly approaching and it is primed to be an exciting season for many players. With fantasy football draft season rapidly approaching, many fantasy owners are prepping themselves for what can be a difficult draft decision, with so many great players set to piece together your team. The following pits two first-round wide receivers up against each other in a head-to-head average draft position (ADP) value battle. So, who should you pick in your fantasy football draft: Justin Jefferson or Cooper Kupp?
Justin Jefferson vs Cooper Kupp Fantasy Football ADP Value Battle
Justin Jefferson Fantasy ADP: 1.04
ADP Position Rank: 1
Overall Rank: 4
Last year, the Vikings offense was surprisingly great. They were led by their number one receiver, Justin Jefferson, who seemed to be on top chemistry with Kirk Cousins. It was an offense that benefitted from Cousins’ play, as Adam Thielen had a great season for himself with 10 touchdowns and unknown wideout K.J. Osborn posted solid wide receiver numbers in a year where he split time as the WR3 and WR4. Coming into 2022 fantasy football draft season, Jefferson has skyrocketed from a third-round pick last year to a first-round pick while Thielen has sunken to the depth rounds.
Coming off back-to-back 1,400+ yard seasons, the Justin Jefferson fantasy value is primed to make a giant leap into becoming a top-five receiver. After a solid rookie campaign where Jefferson had an impressive second half where he had over 10 targets in five of the last seven games, he was able to haul in two-thirds of his targets in what was a losing year for the Vikings. In his sophomore season, Jefferson had 10 of those games and scored 12+ points in each, and he had 11 games of 18+ points. According to the FlurrySports Boom/Bust Rankings, Jefferson was a “starter” in over 80% of this game last season.
Entering his third NFL season, the Justin Jefferson fantasy football value is viewed as a top-two WR. It really helps that you look at that offense and see two big options, including Dalvin Cook, while Thielen is aging and slowing down and Osborn is becoming an afterthought. Might Jefferson be worth that pick in what should be another explosive season?
Cooper Kupp Fantasy ADP: 1.06
ADP Position Rank: 2
Overall Rank: 6
Last year, we witnessed one of the greatest receiving seasons in NFL history from Cooper Kupp. He led the NFL in receptions, with 145, and receiving yards, with 1,947. What was most impressive was that it came almost out of nowhere, as Kupp only topped 1,000 receiving yards once in his first four seasons. It was the massive upgrade in QB that sparked the memorable season for Kupp, with the Rams upgrading from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford.
Kupp turned into the NFL’s best-kept secret last year. This year, the Cooper Kupp fantasy football ADP is showing that it’s a secret no more. He is being drafted sixth overall. Many are expecting him to repeat that effort. Kupp put up monstrous fantasy numbers, which included an average of 25.9 points per game, topping 20+ in all but three. That’s God-Tier numbers. While many are expecting regression, there is more that needs to be considered before using a high pick on Kupp.
Will there be a Super Bowl hangover, or will Stafford’s hurt elbow cause issues? Could the arrival of Allen Robinson, a guy who put up amazing numbers with Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubisky, take valuable targets away from Kupp? Regardless, the Cooper Kupp fantasy football ceiling is high once again.
Should I Draft Justin Jefferson or Cooper Kupp?
Both of these wide receivers are set to lead their receiving corps and both demand a first-round pick. Kupp is going slightly lower in drafts, but Jefferson is set to go nuclear this year, especially with a fading receiving corps and a team that could go and win a wide-open division. Something to consider is that the Rams have the hardest strength of schedule in the NFL and are going against some really good secondaries, starting with the Bills. How will Kupp be able to handle the increase in coverage and better corners? The Vikings, on the other hand, have an easier schedule.
You also have to consider who you trust more. A healthy QB or a QB that has been dealing with the same injury as he did last year, five months later. This is a passer that is tough as nails and will never sit out unless he is forced to by his training staff and coaches.
The obvious answer is to take the WR with the healthier QB. The better pick for fantasy football is Justin Jefferson. He is going to have a much higher target share with less receiving competition and a healthier QB. Jefferson is primed to be WR1.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.
