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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 03: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after a touchdown by Diontae Johnson #18 during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 03, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Stacy Revere / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster headlines three bold wide receiver predictions for the upcoming NFL season.

2022-23 NFL Bold Predictions

JuJu Smith-Schuster Leads NFL in Receiving Yards

It’s easy to forget the five-year veteran doesn’t turn 26 years old until midway through the upcoming season, and Smith-Schuster already has a campaign with 111 receptions and 1,426 receiving yards on his resume back in 2018. 

This year, he joins the prolific Kansas City Chiefs offense and will be catching passes from four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

It’s a sweet gig for the former Pittsburgh Steeler.

While Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce likely remains the No. 1 target for Mahomes, wide receiver Tyreek Hill's departure to the Miami Dolphins leaves an opportunity for Smith-Schuster to claim the top-receiver role.

https://twitter.com/aaronladd0/status/1536770171733528576

Hill turned 159 targets into 111 receptions and 1,239 yards last year, and though it will look a lot different, Smith-Schuster is positioned to earn a large percentage of those looks and post career-best numbers with the Chiefs this season. 

Smith-Schuster is listed at +5000 to pace the NFL in receiving yards this season at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR here.

Treylon Burks Falls Well Short of Expectations

It’s been a disappointing offseason for Burks. He’s failed to consistently stay on the field to develop chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and gain the necessary reps to prove he can be a go-to option in the passing attack.

The No. 1 wide receiver job was Burks’ to lose after the Tennessee Titans selected him 18th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft in April, but he’s in danger of falling behind veteran Robert Woods on the depth chart without a strong training camp, and third-year receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will also be involved.

Of course, pass protection was a glaring weakness for the Titans in 2021, whereas run blocking was a considerable strength. Running back Derrick Henry returning to the fold also allows Tennessee to return to its run-first offense. 

Burks opened the offseason with the highest receiving yardage prop at DraftKings Sportsbook among rookie wideouts, but now the book has taken the prop down entirely. 

Fantasy footballers will also want to take Burks a tier or two down their rankings.

Amari Cooper Cools in Cleveland

Even if everything works out in the quarterback room, Cooper might quickly wish he was able to stick with the Dallas Cowboys.

The 28-year-old wide receiver is a native of Miami, FL, and he’s admitted to his preference for playing in warmer weather. Unfortunately for Cooper, his Week 10 and Week 13 road matchups against the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans stand as the only warm-weather games for the Browns following the team’s Week 9 bye week.

Furthermore, even if quarterback Deshaun Watson is behind center, Cleveland isn’t guaranteed to shy too far from their run-heavy, defense-first philosophy in 2022.

Cooper is listed at just +3500 to lead the NFL in receiving yards at DraftKings, and he’s coming off a campaign in the much friendlier Dallas offense that consisted of just 865 receiving yards.

Bundle up, Coop.

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