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Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Sleepers, Busts & Round-by-Round Advice (2022)

Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Sleepers, Busts & Round-by-Round Advice (2022)

The 2022 NFL season is approaching, so it’s time to prepare for your fantasy football draft. What better way to do that than to practice drafting with our free mock draft simulator! You can also combine rankings from your favorite experts into one consensus cheat sheet. Beyond our tools, we’ll also have you covered throughout the draft prep season with our content.

To help you dominate your fantasy football draft, we share our 2022 fantasy football rankings, advice, and cheat sheets.

This cheat sheet is a handy cliff notes version of our approach to 2022 fantasy football drafts. Our in-depth strategies for the early, middle, and later rounds can be found in our fantasy football draft kit.

And you can find cheat sheets from all of our analysts below.

Now’s the time to try your new secret weapon for your draft: Draft Intel! Draft Intel analyzes up to 5 years of drafts and breaks down all your league-mates’ draft tendencies. See who waits at quarterback, how people approach the early rounds, and tons more insights to get an edge in your draft. Best of all, it’s totally FREE! Check out your league’s Draft Intel today!

Fantasy Draft Cheat Sheets

Fantasy Football Redraft Draft Kit

Andrew Erickson’s Overall 2022 Fantasy Football Strategy

For a full breakdown of my perfect draft strategy, check out the critically acclaimed “Andrew Erickson’s Perfect 2022 Fantasy Football Draft Strategy: Round-By-Round” articles that precisely explain what to do round by round for the 2022 fantasy football season. It will be updated throughout the summer.

But for those looking for the quick SparkNotes version, here’s the rundown. Get your stud running backs early (1 or 2), save the early-to-middle Rounds (3-6) for drafting breakout WR candidates, and stay out of the middle to wait longer drafting a tight end. Be open to taking a Big 3 tier WR – Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Cooper Kupp – at the top of Round 1 in full PPR formats knowing there’s a solid crop of RBs that will fall to you at your next pick. Avoid the running backs in the “RB Dead Zone” and pricey target hog WRs that project to play in bad offenses. Stockpile your bench with upside running backs.

And as always, follow a late-round QB approach unless you can get Jalen Hurts in Round 6.

Andrew Erickson’s 2022 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

QB Sleepers:

Trey Lance (QB – SF), Justin Fields (QB – CHI), Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAC), Daniel Jones (QB – NYG), Jameis Winston (QB – NO)

QB Busts (in relation to where they’re being drafted):

Patrick Mahomes II (QB – KC), Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB), Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA)

RB Sleepers:

Devin Singletary (RB – BUF), Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE), Melvin Gordon (RB – DEN), Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE), Tyrion Davis-Price (RB – SF), Rachaad White (RB – TB), Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI), Rex Burkhead (RB – HOU), Sony Michel (RB – MIA), Chris Evans (RB- CIN)

RB Busts (in relation to where they’re being drafted):

Javonte Williams (RB – DEN), Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL), Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS), J.K. Dobbins (RB – BAL), Elijah Mitchell (RB – SF), Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA), Damien Harris (RB – NE)

WR Sleepers:

Joshua Palmer (WR – LAC), Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL), Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF), Kadarius Toney (WR – NYG), Russell Gage (WR – TB), Allen Lazard (WR – GB), Skyy Moore (WR – KC), Tim Patrick (WR – DEN), Jahan Dotson (WR – WAS), Jameson Williams (WR – DET)

WR Busts (in relation to where they’re being drafted):

Deebo Samuel (WR – SF), Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA), Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT), DK Metcalf (WR – SEA), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)Adam Thielen (WR – MIN), Robert Woods (WR – TEN), Michael Gallup (WR – DAL), D.J. Chark Jr. (WR – DET)

TE Sleepers:

Cole Kmet (TE – CHI), Irv Smith (TE – MIN), Albert Okwuegbunam (TE – DEN), David Njoku (TE – CLE), Gerald Everett (TE – LAC)

TE Busts (in relation to where they’re being drafted):

Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)

Early-Round Value Picks (Rounds 1-5):

Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN), Joe Mixon (RB – CIN), Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF), CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL), Leonard Fournette (RB – TB), D’Andre Swift (RB – DET), Aaron Jones (RB – GB), Mike Evans (WR – TB), A.J. Brown (WR – PHI), James Conner (RB – ARI), Michael Pittman (WR – IND), Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG), Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN), Marquise Brown (WR – ARI), Cam Akers (RB – LAR), Breece Hall (RB – NYJ), Mike Williams (WR – LAC), Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAC)

Mid-Round Value Picks (Rounds 6-10):

Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI), Tom Brady (QB – TB), Brandin Cooks (WR- HOU), Darnell Mooney (WR – CHI), Allen Robinson (WR-LAR), Gabriel Davis (WR – BUF), Dalton Schultz (TE -DAL), Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL), Elijah Moore (WR – NYJ), DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI), Devin Singletary (RB – BUF), Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE), Christian Kirk (WR – JAC), Melvin Gordon (RB – DEN), Rashaad Penny (RB – SEA), Trey Lance (QB – SF), James Cook (RB – BUF), Zach Ertz (TE – ARI), Russell Gage (WR – TB), Allen Lazard (WR – GB), Kadarius Toney (WR – NYG)

Late-Round Value Picks (Round 11 or later):

Rob Gronkowski (TE- TB), Cole Kmet (TE – CHI), Joshua Palmer (WR – LAC), Darrel Williams (RB – ARI), Gerald Everett (TE – LAC), Justin Fields (QB – CHI), Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAC), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR – KC), Kenny Golladay (WR – NYG), Tim Patrick (WR-DEN), Jarvis Landry (WR- NO), Jakobi Meyers (WR-NE), Kendrick Bourne (WR-NE), Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL), Van Jefferson (WR – LAR), Robert Tonyan (TE-GB), Gerald Everett (TE – LAC), Darrel Williams (RB – ARI), Jamison Crowder (WR-BUF), Sony Michel (RB – MIA), Austin Hooper (TE -TEN), K.J. Osborn (WR – MIN), Robbie Anderson (WR-CAR), Brevin Jordan (TE-HOU)

Deep-League Value Picks:

Rex Burkhead (RB – HOU), Chris Evans (RB- CIN), Derrick Gore (RB – KC), Abram Smith (RB – NO), Tyler Badie (RB – BAL), Justyn Ross (WR – KC), Parris Campbell (IND – WR), Kyle Philips (TEN – WR), Deonte Harty (NO – WR), Hayden Hurst (CIN – TE), Tyler Conklin (NYJ – TE), Mo Alie-Cox (TE – IND), Jonnu Smith (TE- NE)

Backup RBs to Target:

Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN), Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE), Melvin Gordon (RB – DEN), Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI), Sony Michel (RB – MIA), Darrel Williams (RB – ARI), Derrick Gore (RB – KC), D’Onta Foreman (RB – CAR), Chris Evans (RB- CIN)

Backup RBs to Avoid:

Tony Pollard (RB – DAL), Ronald Jones II (RB – KC), Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL), Michael Carter (RB – NYJ), James Robinson (RB – JAC), Raheem Mostert (RB – SF), Samaje Perine (RB – CIN)

Rookies to Target:

Breece Hall (RB – NYJ), Treylon Burks (WR – TEN), Skyy Moore (WR -KC), James Cook (RB – BUF), Jahan Dotson (WR – WAS), Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL), Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU), Isaiah Spiller (RB – LAC), Rachaad White (RB – TB), Tyrion Davis-Price (RB – SF), Hassan Haskins (RB – TEN)

Rookies to Avoid:

Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA), Christian Watson (WR – GB), Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL)

D/STs to Target:

San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins

D/STs to Avoid:

Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs

5-Word Draft Tip: Draft guys on good offenses.

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – which optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.

Andrew Erickson’s 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings

 

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FantasyPros Staff Consensus 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings

2022 Fantasy Football Rankings powered by FantasyPros

 

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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.

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