George Pickens or Romeo Doubs: Who’s the better fantasy draft pick in 2022?

Abraham Smith

Every preseason, potential fantasy football sleepers appear out of nowhere, climb the ranks and join the draft day discussion. Two of those players in 2022 are rookie WRs George Pickens and Romeo Doubs. While neither has hype surrounding rookie wide receivers Chris Olave, Drake London, or Garrett Wilson, they were both prolific players in college and find themselves in situations where they can have breakout campaigns.

If you are looking for a lottery ticket in the mid/late mid rounds, who is the better choice, Pickens or Doubs? Let’s break it down.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 Fantasy Cheat Sheet

George Picken’s fantasy outlook, 2022 projection

Pickens was drafted by Pittsburgh with the 52nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the University of Georgia. After tearing his ACL in spring training last season, Pickens caught just five passes for 107 yards in five games with the Bulldogs, but in his previous two seasons (20 games) he caught 85 passes for 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Pickens is placed in some pretty deep and talented WR space, but even in the first year he has a chance to field solid fantasy numbers. He put his skills to the test in Week 1 preseason, catching three passes for 43 yards and scoring one hit, and as a result he’s the clear favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year (+600).

PPR RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex

While Pittsburgh’s QB situation is pretty shaky, Pickens has a shot at being a Week 1 starter, and with a 142 ADP per FantasyPros, he has real draft appeal. Picken’s ability to help as a run blocker boosts his chances of seeing the field in three-WR sets this fall, and at 6-3, 200 pounds, he could be a red-zone threat.

STANDARD RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex

It might be a stretch to see Pickens as the clear favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year title, but he certainly has the talent to win the season-ending award. He’s clearly a rookie WR to watch in the later rounds of the draft with the opportunity to develop into a weekly WR3/Flex game in lower leagues.

2022 FANTASY THRESHOLDS:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team

Romeo Doub’s fantasy outlook, projection 2022

Doubs was selected by the University of Nevada with the 132nd pick in this year’s draft. In his final season in Nevada, Doubs rushed for 1,109 yards on 80 receptions and 11 total TDs.

At 6-2,200 pounds, Doubs has good body control and is a solid after-the-catch receiver with the ability to make fantastic first-year impact. He’s received rave reviews in training camp so far and with the Packers having plenty of disc replacements following the departures of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Doubs could very quickly take the Packers WR depth chart in a hurry. However, veterans Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb are still in the way, not to mention second-round rookie Christian Watson.

RANKING 2022 & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs

Doubs’ role is undefined at the moment as we don’t know exactly how Green Bay will use him. However, we do know that Aaron Rodgers needs to develop a relationship with a new WR corps. Doubs is worthy of a roster as a bench-WR in lower leagues, but we’re not sure he’ll emerge as a weekly fantasy starter.

AUCTION VALUES 2022 (Standard & PPR):
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | In total

While Doubs is in the middle of a WR space that needs stability, Pickens is the superior overall talent who is likely to record more snaps during the season. Doubs has a more talented QB who throws passes at him, and while he may have the higher ceiling, he also has a lower floor. By the end of the season, Pickens will likely be the WR with more overall fantasy points.

The choice is… Pickens

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