Which Wide Receivers Fared the Best in Fantasy When Underdogs?

Last week, we took a look at which RBs performed best when favored and when playing as the underdog.

This week, we’re putting WRs under the microscope (check out the best WRs when favored here). Here’s the overall lay of the land:

As we saw with RBs, wideouts on the favored team score more fantasy PPG. And also like we saw with RBs, it’s not because of opportunity. The difference is in the TD rate.

Below are the WRs who performed best when playing as the underdog in 2021. Note that this is an imperfect project because it essentially excludes WRs who were always favored (like Mike Evans) or rarely favored (like Amon-Ra St. Brown).

We only included players who had at least three games as both favorites and underdogs (postseason included).

A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

A.J. Brown scored 20.5 PPG when the underdog last year, compared to only 10.4 when favored. This came in a fairly even split, too, as his Titans were favored in eight games and underdogs in six with Brown on the field.

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Ja’Marr Chase’s teammate, Tee Higgins, was one of the top WRs when favored. But it looks like when the Bengals were trailing and/or expected to lose, Chase was the one they really leaned on. Chase scored 21.8 PPG when the underdog (in 11 games) compared to 13.6 PPG when favored (10 games).

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp smashed no matter the circumstance, but boy or boy did he go bananas when playing as the underdog. Kupp went from 24.7 PPG as the favorite to 32.4 as the underdog. 

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

DeVonta Smith scored 13.2 PPG when playing as the underdog last year, but that number dipped all the way to 7.3 when favored. It’s interesting that both Brown (Smith’s new teammate in Philadelphia) and Smith both appear on this list. Load up on the Eagles passing offense when they are underdogs this year?

Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens

Rashod Bateman scored 11 PPG when an underdog at 7.4 when favored last year while playing as deep third fiddle to Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown. These numbers could be completely flipped on their heads in 2022 as Bateman takes over a new role.

Chase Claypool/Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Both Pittsburgh WRs popped when an underdog in 2022, as Diontae Johnson (18 underdog, 14.6 favorite) and Chase Claypool (11.9 underdog, 8.0 favored). Pittsburgh’s horizontal vertical attack last year simply produced more volume in underdog games. I’m actually surprised we haven’t seen more teammates on this list together.

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

CeeDee Lamb scored 16 PPG the underdog last year compared to 13.3 when favored. The Cowboys have an impressive over/under win total of 10.5 this year, but Lamb should see more volume in all games with Amari Cooper no longer in town and Michael Gallup questionable for the start of the season.