Fantasy Football 2022: PPR Rankings Cheatsheet and Expert Reaction

It's early August, which means there are tons of fantasy football rankings getting released. There's a lot of information to digest, especially as you're likely preparing for your league's draft and trying to develop the best possible strategy.

But the more research you're able to do now, the better results you're likely to see late in the 2022 season. Plenty has changed in the landscape of the NFL, so even if you fared well last year, it's important to go in with a fresh slate for the draft.

You can do that by analyzing numerous sets of rankings and taking notice of what the experts are saying.

With that in mind, here are the top-40 points-per-reception rankings heading into the preseason, followed by a roundup of recent expert analysis regarding several key players.

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

4. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

5. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

6. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

7. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

8. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

9. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

10. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

11. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

12. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

13. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

14. Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

16. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

17. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

18. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

19. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

21. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

22. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

23. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

24. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

25. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

26. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

27. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

28. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

29. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

30. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

31. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

32. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

33. Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

34. Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans

35. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

36. Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals

37. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

38. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

39. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

40. Allen Robinson II, WR, Los Angeles Rams

After winning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, Cooper Kupp has been projected by most to be the No. 1 fantasy wide receiver entering this season. But is it possible that the Rams playmaker won't be atop the ranking by the end of the campaign?

ESPN's Tristan Cockcroft believes another WR could overtake Kupp this year: Justin Jefferson:

"Jefferson stands out as the one who could unseat Kupp in 2022. He scored more points through his first 33 NFL games than any wide receiver outside of Odell Beckham Jr. and Randy Moss since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Jefferson also nearly topped the position in PPR fantasy points during the second half of last season."

It's not too bold of a prediction, considering the 23-year-old is also getting taken in the first round of fantasy drafts and is ranked among the top wide receivers. He's been terrific over his first two NFL seasons, including last year, when he had 108 catches for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games.

Maybe it's worth considering Jefferson over Kupp early in fantasy drafts. Either way, both are safe picks who will rack up a lot of points this season.

Many fantasy managers have been expecting big things from Javonte Williams in 2022. He impressed during his 2021 rookie season, and he should only get better now that he has a year of NFL experience.

However, the 22-year-old may have been poised for even bigger things had Melvin Gordon III not re-signed with the Denver Broncos. Now, the two will again be sharing carries out of the backfield, which could still limit Williams' production, as The Athletic's Jake Ciely noted.

"Williams would have been atop the breakout list, as a top-five finish was in the cards," he wrote. "As it stands, Williams will command a bit more of the work in 2022, but being a fringe RB1 isn’t as exciting … or breakout-ish."

Still, Williams should put up strong numbers. Last season, he rushed for 903 yards and had seven total touchdowns, getting better as the year went on.

If Gordon wasn't still in the picture, Williams may have merited first-round consideration. Now, he likely shouldn't be picked until the second.

CeeDee Lamb has emerged as a top playmaker over his first two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, but Michael Fabiano of Sports Illustrated believes the wide receiver may be about to take things to another level in 2022.

"The Cowboys dealt Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup is a question mark for the first month of the season," he wrote. "That should mean a ton of targets for Lamb, who has a chance to break Michael Irvin’s franchise record of 111 catches in a single season (set back in 1995)."

Fabiano raises good points. Cooper is now with the Cleveland Browns, while Gallup is coming off a torn ACL. That makes Lamb the clear-cut top receiving option for quarterback Dak Prescott to open the season.

In his first two years, Lamb recorded 74 and 79 catches, respectively, so a jump to 100-plus receptions would be a huge step. But considering how talented the 23-year-old is, it's not unreasonable to think that may happen.