2022 Fantasy Football Recap: Who Were the Studs and Duds?

January 10, 2023

Gladys Tyler recaps the 2022 fantasy football season as a whole, breaking down which players exceeded and disappointed compared to expectations.

The NFL 2022 fantasy football season has come to an end. It is good to look back before we look forward, find our strengths and weaknesses, and see what we did right and wrong—looking at the season from the draft to the fantasy football championship to find what strategies worked and who were our waiver wire studs.

The regular season's last two weeks proved complicated and insightful. We found that most of us can find a way to be humane when it counts. And it sheds light on those just interested in "click clickbait." In a world full of Bart Scott and Skip Bayless, BE Ryan Clark and Dan Orlovsky.

Remember, we are all #BillsMafia and # DamarHamlinStrong.

2022 Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Draft Ranking

Fantasy Pros' 2022 draft rankings for the first two-and-half rounds:

STANDARD LEAGUES 12-Round Snake Draft

PPR LEAGUES 12-Round Snake Draft

What The Standard League 2022 Draft Ranking Is Telling Us

For most standard leagues, zero running-back strategies weren't a thing. In the first round, all but three picks were running backs. How did that work out for you?

Per fantasypros.com, the first 12 top scorers in Weeks 1-17 in fantasy leagues were quarterbacks. Josh Jacobs was not drafted in the first two and a half rounds in standard leagues and was the first running back. Jacobs was 13^th overall with 270.3 total fantasy points and averaged 16.9 fantasy points per game.

Fantasy-friendly Austin Ekeler was the 14^th overall fantasy scorer (260.7 total fantasy points and averaging 16.3 per game), Christian McCaffrey was 15^th overall with 257.5 total fantasy points with a 16.1 average, and Derrick Henry was 16^th overall with 257.0 fantasy points and 17.1 average fantasy points per game. It should be noted that Henry also had one less game than the other three. Overall, the 14th-16th spots were held by running backs.

The other first-rounders finished their season ranked accordingly overall in fantasy points:

The consensus first-round pick, Jonathan Taylor, finished 118^th overall with 118.4 fantasy points and averaged 10.8 fantasy points per game. Taylor only played in 11 games this season.

Dalvin Cook finished 17 games with an average of 197.1 overall fantasy points and 12.3 fantasy points per game. That was good enough for 33^rd overall.

Joe Mixon played in 14 games this season. He finished 48^th overall with 167.9 fantasy points and averaged 12.0 fantasy points per game.

Najee Harris, the 45^th overall fantasy scorer, averaged 10.6 fantasy points per game and had 169.5 fantasy points in standard leagues.

Except for Week 16, Justin Jefferson played up to his first-round status, averaging 14.8 fantasy points per game, making him the 20^th overall fantasy scorer in 2022.

Nick Chubb was only one fantasy spot behind Jefferson (21^st), averaging 14.8 fantasy points per game with 236.2 overall fantasy points.

Copper Kupp was slowed by injury, playing in only nine games this season. Although he averaged 14 fantasy points per game, his nine games came early in the season.

For those who spent first-round capital on Alvin Kamara, he was the biggest bust for fantasy managers this season. In only 14 games, Kamara had 143.8 total fantasy points and averaged 10.3 fantasy points per game. Kamara finished 70th overall in fantasy scorers this season.

Ja'Marr Chase played in 12 games this season. He averaged 11.7 fantasy points per game and was the 78^th overall fantasy scorer.

What the PPR 2022 Draft Rankings Are Telling Us

While Patrick Mahomes still led in fantasy scoring in Weeks 1-17 (414.4 total fantasy points, averaging 25.9 per game), the movement of "pass-catching" running backs into the first round was a good strategy.

Both Ekeler and McCaffrey were top-10 fantasy scorers in PPR. Ekeler finished overall as the fourth-best fantasy scorer from Weeks 1-17, averaging 22.7 fantasy points per game. McCaffrey finished overall as the seventh-best fantasy scorer in PPR, averaging 21.2 fantasy points per game.

The draft day winner, however, was the manager who snagged Josh Jacobs in the third round (or later). Jacobs finished as the 10th-best overall fantasy scorer in the league, averaging 20.1 fantasy points per game.

Taylor, again, was the biggest fantasy disappointment. Between his injuries and the general ineptness of the Indianapolis Colts offense, Taylor was the 115^th fantasy scorer in PPR, averaging 13.3 fantasy points per game. (The Colts' offense averaged 16.1 points per game, 30^th in the league. The offense was 16^th in plays per game (13^th) and 29^th in yards per game, averaging 306.3).

Tyreek Hill was the best bargain for PPR managers. Hill was drafted, on average, in the second round. Surrounded by questions about the Dolphins' offense, Hill finished as the eighth overall fantasy scorer in PPR, averaging 21.1 fantasy points per game. (The Dolphins' offense averaged 24.1 points per game (10^th). They were 26^th in plays per game (59.1) and sixth in yards per game with 368.4).

Fantasy Football Leaders in the Playoffs- Standard Scoring

Getting to the playoffs is important. But once you get in the playoffs, you need your studs or those waiver wire pickups. So, who excelled in your first round of the playoffs?

Top-10 Fantasy Leaders Week 15

1. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has 36.7 fantasy points
2. Quarterback Josh Allen has 35.9 fantasy points
3. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has 34.4 fantasy points
4. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 32.7 fantasy points
5. Wide Receiver Zay Jones has 28.9 fantasy points
6. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has 27.8 fantasy points
7. Running Back Jerick McKinnon has 26.2 fantasy points
8. Quarterback Joe Burrow has 25.8 fantasy points
9. Quarterback Justin Fields has 23.6 fantasy points
10. Running Back Dalvin Cook has 23.0 fantasy points

Top-10 Fantasy Leaders Week 16

1. Running Back Cam Akers has 32.7 fantasy points
2. Quarterback Dak Prescott has 29.0 fantasy points
3. Quarterback Jared Goff has 25.7 fantasy points
4. Quarterback Joe Burrow has 25.5 fantasy points
5. Quarterback Josh Allen has 25.0 fantasy points
6. Quarterback Gardner Minshew has 24.7 fantasy points
7. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has 24.2 fantasy points
8. Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb has 24.0 fantasy points
9. Tight End George Kittle has 24.0 fantasy points
10. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 23.8 fantasy points

Top-10 Fantasy Leaders Week 17

Week 17, stained by tragedy, did not have points for players on either the Buffalo Bills or the Cincinnati Bengals.

1. Wide Receiver Mike Evans has 38.7 fantasy points
2. Quarterback Tom Brady has 37.7 fantasy points
3. Quarterback Daniel Jones has 36.2 fantasy points
4. Running Back Austin Ekeler has 28.1 fantasy points
5. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham has 28.0 fantasy points
6. Wide Receiver Davante Adams has 27.3 fantasy points
7. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 25.5 fantasy points
8. Running Back Christian McCaffrey has 25.3 fantasy points
9. Quarterback Russell Wilson has 24.6 fantasy points
10. Running Back D'Andre Swift has 23.7 fantasy points

Fantasy Football Leaders in the Playoffs-PPR Scoring

Top-10 Fantasy Leaders Week 15

1. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has 36.7 fantasy points
2. Quarterback Josh Allen has 35.9 fantasy points
3. Wide Receiver Zay Jones has 34.9 fantasy points
4. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has 34.4 fantasy points
5. Running Back Jerick McKinnon has 34.2 fantasy points
6. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 32.7 fantasy points
7. Wide Receiver KJ Osborn has 31.7 fantasy points
8. Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson has 30.3 fantasy points
9. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has 27.8 fantasy points
10. Wide Receiver A.J. Brown has 27.1 fantasy points

Top-10 Fantasy Leaders Week 16

1. Tight End T.J. Hockenson has 35.9 fantasy points
2. Running Back Cam Akers has 34.7 fantasy points
3. Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb has 34.0 fantasy points
4. Wide Receiver DeVonta Smith has 31.3 fantasy points
5. Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson has 31.3 fantasy points
6. Tight End Tyler Higbee has 30.4 fantasy points
7. Tight End George Kittle has 30.0 fantasy points
8. Quarterback Dak Prescott has 29.0 fantasy points
9. Running Back Saquon Barkley has 27.3 fantasy points
10. Wide Receiver Tee Higgins has 26.8 fantasy points

Top-10 Fantasy Leaders Week 17

1. Wide Receiver Mike Evans has 48.7 fantasy points
2. Quarterback Tom Brady has 37.7 fantasy points
3. Quarterback Daniel Jones has 36.2 fantasy points
4. Wide Receiver Davante Adams has 34.3 fantasy points
5. Running Back Austin Ekeler has 32.1 fantasy points
6. Running Back Christian McCaffrey has 31.3 fantasy points
7. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham has 28.0 fantasy points
8. Running Back D'Andre Swift has 27.7 fantasy points
9. Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk has 26.7 fantasy points
10. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 26.5 fantasy points

For the PPR league players, Week 16, the second round of the playoffs, was the week of the tight ends (a phrase not often uttered), with three of the top-10 fantasy scorers being tight ends, including number one Hockenson with 35.9 fantasy points scored.

The Waiver Wire Champs

Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs- 14% rostered Week 15, 72% rostered Week 17

Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams- 64% rostered, Week 15

Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars- 54% rostered, Week 15

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers- 4% rostered, Week 15, 37% rostered Week 17

Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia Eagles- 1% rostered Week 16

Jarrett Stidham, Las Vegas Raiders- 1% rostered Week 17

Strategy vs. Randomness

While it is always important to go into your fantasy draft with an idea of what you want to accomplish, we know that randomness is a part of fantasy football.

In 12-team leagues, the first quarterback, on average, went in the third round. That was Josh Allen, who generally went in the middle-to-late third round. Allen finished with the second-most fantasy points per game (389.6), averaging 24.4 fantasy points per game.

Mahomes was the leader in fantasy points this year (worrying about his efficiency without Hill was greatly exaggerated), scoring 413.4 total fantasy points (Weeks 1-17) and averaging 25.8 fantasy points per game. The fantasy managers who waited on Mahomes were once again rewarded.

Justin Herbert, who generally went as QB2, was a fantasy "disappointment." Sometimes in fantasy, "disappointment" is relative. Herbert finished with the 12th-most fantasy points (270.5), averaging 16.9 fantasy points per game.

So, do you have a strategy when you go into the draft, or is randomness your strategy?

Do you want to wait on quarterbacks? Or perhaps you are the zero-RB strategist? The top-five quarterbacks averaged 20.5 fantasy points or more per game. In PPR, the top-four running backs averaged 19.3, 20.1, 21.2, and 22.7 fantasy points per game. Standard leagues running backs were less proficient. The highest running back (Jacobs) averaged 16.9 fantasy points per game and the fifth-highest scoring running back in standard leagues was Nick Chubb, who averaged 14.8 fantasy points per game.

The tight end pool was once again top-heavy. Kelce finished with 306.5 total fantasy points (averaging 19.2), and T.J. Hockenson was second with 212.8 overall fantasy points, averaging 13.3 fantasy points per game.

Mark Andrews finished as TE3, but his 12.7 average fantasy points and 190.5 total fantasy points dropped from his totals last year, where he finished as TE1 with 17.8 average fantasy points per game and 284.6 total fantasy points.

Waiting on tight ends not named Kelce, Andrews, Kittle (finished as TE4), and now Hockenson is a sound strategy in both PPR and standard. The tight end position below the top-four is the definition of randomness.

Evan Engram not only finished as TE5 this season but remember that next season, WR Calvin Ridley joins the Jacksonville Jaguars, which could alter Engram's 17.2% target share and the 25.4 routes per game (sixth) that he ran this year.

Randomness vs. Strategy

You cannot predict injuries. New coaches, new teams, and the schedule will influence your draft strategy, even if the strategy is random.

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