We have finally made it to week 1 of the NFL season.
This is the best time of the year as every team still has Super Bowl aspirations.
Also, some of the top wide receivers in the league are ready to take that next step into stardom.
With many of these guys vaulting into WR1 roles and having plenty of vacated targets on their team.
Without further ado, here are three wide receivers primed for breakout seasons.
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys decided to trade Amari Cooper and let Cedrick Wilson walk in free agency.
Leaving them with a limited wide receiver room.
But, they were fully confident in the breakout of CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb was the Cowboys’ first-round pick in the 2020 draft, and he has done nothing but produce since being in Dallas.
In two seasons, Lamb has 153 receptions for 2,037 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The breakout seems too obvious this year.
Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb for the touchdown against the Broncos defense. pic.twitter.com/PRWaWRCOnv
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) August 11, 2022
Prescott and Lamb already have the chemistry in place to put up big numbers together.
According to 4for4, the Cowboys have 205 vacated targets from last year, with 16 targets from inside the 10-yard line also gone.
With Lamb as the clear number one this season, we should see his targets and production skyrocket.
The 23-year-old received 120 targets last year, which was 21st in the NFL.
He should be top 10 in targets this season and that will improve his overall production.
Lamb is all set up for a monster season and his breakout is inevitable.
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Throughout Sutton’s time with the Denver Broncos, he has yet to have a great passer.
Sutton has been working with Case Keenum, Drew Lock, and Teddy Bridgewater through the first few years of his career.
Now, he gets one of the best QBs in the NFL in Russell Wilson.
The 26-year-old receiver showed what he can do in 2018.
He caught 72 passes for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns.
That should be the floor of his production with Wilson under center.
Wilson has always helped wide receivers achieve career years.
He did it with Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, and D.K. Metcalf in Seattle.
Now he will do the same with Sutton.
Entering his fifth season, the 6’4″ WR should have a chance for 10+ touchdowns receptions.
Wilson loves to throw the deep ball (5th in deep ball attempts in 2021), and Sutton will have the opportunity to produce giant numbers this season.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
The main thing any player needs to break out is opportunity.
That is something that will be paramount for Baltimore Ravens’ new WR1, Rashod Bateman, in 2022.
The 2021 first-round pick, vaulted into the WR1 role in Baltimore after the trade of Marquise Brown.
He and Mark Andrews are the only two targets Lamar Jackson has any chemistry with.
Baltimore is mostly a run-first offense but Jackson has shown the ability in the past to throw the ball at a high level.
The Ravens have 267 vacated targets heading into 2022 and Bateman should see a large majority head his way.
Rashod Bateman had 6+ targets in every single game as a rookie where he played at least 50% of the snaps & Lamar Jackson was at QB.
I hope you’re ready for the breakout.
— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) September 3, 2022
Bateman should also have some positive TD regression headed his way
In 67 targets last year, he caught only one touchdown.
At worst he should be in the 6-10 range in 2022.
The Ravens are going to need someone to catch the ball and Bateman is the next man up in that offense.
