RADIO
It is three months before I make my official and annual bold predictions for the upcoming fantasy football season, but there are a lot of subjects and topics I am starting to put a lot of stock in as my outlooks for the 2022 campaign begin to take shape.
I do change my mind on some items during the preseason. Player news in the weeks ahead will cause a shift in opinions and projections. We will learn much more about certain players and situations from published reports and preseason performances in training camps and some exhibition games.
For now, I wanted to share some of my earliest takes for the 2022 fantasy football season. Consider this an early preview of my firmest predictions to come in August. So here is “What I Believe” at this point well ahead of the upcoming fantasy season.
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Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Predictions
JuJu Smith-Schuster is going to be the clear No. 1 wide receiver for the Chiefs. Just two years ago he had 97 catches and nine TD catches in a much less friendly QB situation. He will be at least a fantasy WR2 this season. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman have already shown they cannot be relied upon when playing with top QBs, so I have no expectations that either will suddenly break out because Tyreek Hill departed.
Gabriel Davis will be a fantasy WR2 this year. He is a big-play artist who will be working in a big-play offense. This will be his clear breakthrough season.
In games he saw at least 5 targets last season, Gabriel Davis averaged 14.5 PPR points per game. pic.twitter.com/STk3pQm0sm
— Adam Pfeifer (@APfeifer24) May 25, 2022
Marquise Brown will not be more than a fantasy WR3. He will be overmatched as a No. 1 WR for the Cardinals when DeAndre Hopkins is out and will see his opportunities reduced when Hopkins returns. Brown never became the true No. 1 WR he needed to be in Baltimore, and he won’t get a major uptick in Arizona even though Kyler Murray is an upgrade as a passer. There will be some good outings but he is not going to suddenly become a standout.
CeeDee Lamb will stamp himself as a No. 1 fantasy wide receiver this season. Jalen Tolbert could emerge as one of the best rookie wide receivers. The Cowboys won’t win more than one playoff game though. There is not a more overrated and underachieving team in pro sports over the past 25 years. This is coming from someone who does not hate the team.
Cooper Kupp will be worthy of a top 3 fantasy pick. Even if his production regresses, Kupp's statistical floor is still better than the ceilings of most other wide receivers. He will be playing with the same quarterback in the same situation that produced a historic season, and there is no apparent reason to expect any sort of major numeric crash. There may be no safer earlier fantasy pick than Kupp.
Allen Lazard will emerge as a dependable and sometimes outstanding fantasy starter. The Packers have not made any significant moves to bring in anyone to truly challenge his status as one of the top WRs on the Green Bay depth chart. That must mean the front office and the coaching staff, and very possibly even the QB, believe in Lazard’s potential to operate as a prime target for Aaron Rodgers.
The last time Aaron Rodgers had Allen Lazard as his WR1: pic.twitter.com/VYqvwmC9Kx
— Nico (@elitetakes_) May 23, 2022
-One of my top fantasy football sleepers for the 2022 season is Donovan Peoples-Jones. He showed real signs of becoming a big-play threat last season and could function as a Cleveland version of Will Fuller for Deshaun Watson.
Fantasy Football Running Back Predictions
Those expecting sudden career years from Miles Sanders and Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be disappointed again. We have seen who they both are by this point. Sanders is unreliable, not durable, and is not a goal-line runner. Edwards-Helaire can provide some good outings here and there but will never benefit as hoped from playing in an explosive offense. Ronald Jones II will also get in the way of his production more than any other RB he has played with so far.
Zamir White will function as at least a quality flex play. This may be the last season with the Raiders for Josh Jacobs, and that can motivate him, but the new regime drafted White and he will be their guy moving forward. I expect a timeshare that will eventually lead to White being the Raiders’ starting RB in 2023.
James Cook will quickly become the best pass-catching specialist RB in fantasy football. He is a receiving demon who will be working in an unapologetic pass-first, pass-second offensive attack.
When Rashaad Penny is healthy, it will be hard to gauge who will have a better game between him and Kenneth Walker III in any given week. When Penny is available, he should be the No. 1 RB and Walker the 1A. Seattle could have the best RB duo in the NFL when both are available. If Penny misses any time, Walker can put up high-end fantasy RB2 numbers. He is the best pure runner from the 2022 NFL Draft class.
I do like Dameon Pierce as a dynasty play, but in the shorter term, I have a feeling Marlon Mack wants to prove he can still be a lead running back, and he could be a surprise value performer in 2021.
Fantasy Football Quarterback and Tight End Predictions
The Broncos are going to likely let Russell Wilson “cook” in his first year in Denver, but he has always been efficient and doesn’t need incredible volume to have a winning outing for his team. I don’t see him as a top-4 passer this season, but he is still going to be a very good fantasy starter. Courtland Sutton has top 15 fantasy WR promise this season, and the optimistic ceiling is even higher than that range.
The Eagles have given Jalen Hurts a top WR to work with in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith will continue to rise in his second season, and Dallas Goedert is an highly reliable pass-catcher. I am drafting Hurts as a top-5 fantasy QB this season because of the rushing production and his strong pass-catching crew.
Cole Kmet will be a fantasy TE1 this season and very possibly a top 7 or 8 statistical producer at the position. David Njoku is a sleeper type as he works with Deshaun Watson and Austin Hooper will be a viable TE starter as a regular target on key passing downs for Tennessee.
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