Here are players that have league-winning upside in 2022 fantasy football drafts.
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League Winners to Draft
The Lions RB is slated to be this year’s Austin Ekeler with the lion’s share of high-value touches
Swift only earned 26 red-zone touches last season — outside the top 30 — there’s room for his TDs to grow.
During 1st 7 weeks, he posted 22 RZ touches (53 pace over 17 games
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 31, 2022
Rhamondre Stevenson experienced a very successful rookie season that should not be overlooked. After fully escaping the Bill Belichick doghouse in Week 9, Stevenson earned top grades across the board.
He was PFF’s third-highest graded running back (84.2). Stevenson also ranked 13th in rushing yards and in yards per route run (1.41). For fantasy, the rookie running back was the RB25 in total points scored, eight spots behind his backfield teammate Harris.
There’s a high ceiling for Stevenson, especially if you ask former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. The ESPN analyst went as far as saying that Stevenson “…will be one of the better, if not one of the top three, running backs in the league based on what I saw with his strength, explosion and catch-and-run ability.”
Puts him into elite territory like other rookie RBs before him like Jonathan Taylor, Josh Jacobs, Nick Chubb and Alvin Kamara.
ALL finished top-8 in their second seasons.
The Patriots running back finished top-10 in yards per snap last season despite scoring just 5 TDs.
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 31, 2022
Rookie RB Rachaad White looks just like Leonard Fournette‘s backup at the moment. But there’s an outcome where he delivers massive upside should Lenny go down with an injury or revert back to Fat Lenny.
White has shades of David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell in his style of play, which clearly didn’t go unnoticed by the new senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bruce Arians.
The Arizona State product ranked first in his class in receiving yards, No. 1 in yards per route run (2.24) and second in receptions (43).
His 16% target share is absolutely bonkers for a running back at the college level, and it did wonders to generate his third-round draft capital.
The same sentiment can be made for White’s 31% dominator rating and 3.33 offensive yards per snap over the past two seasons. Both would have ranked in the top three in last year’s class.
His yards per snap and PFF receiving grade also both rank first among the class. White’s career receiving grade was superior to anybody from last year’s class as well.
After a strong showing at Senior Bowl week – PFF’s highest-graded rusher (74.9) – and at the NFL combine – and NFL Combine performance – 38-inch vertical jump (86th percentile), 125-inch broad jump (87th percentile) – White has league-winning potential if given the opportunity in the Buccaneers offense.
Mike Williams had the opportunity to take his talents elsewhere this offseason in free agency, but decided to stay in Los Angeles with quarterback Justin Herbert. Hard to argue with the choice to sign a three-year deal worth $60M attached to a young superstar quarterback, especially when that quarterback fueled a career-year.
He stormed out the gate in 2021 as the WR2 in fantasy through the first five weeks of the season, averaging 94.2 receiving yards and 1.2 receiving touchdowns per game.
Big Mike finished the season as the WR23 in fantasy points per game despite cooling off considerably in the later weeks in addition to leaving a boatload of touchdown production on the table.
He finished sixth in end-zone targets (16) but caught only five for touchdowns.
With positive TD regression on his side, Williams looks like a sneaky candidate to repeat his WR12 overall finish in the half-point scoring format.
Finished as the WR23 in fantasy points per game coming off career-highs in targets, catches and yards per route run…
Despite cooling off considerably in the later weeks.
Plus he left a boatload of touchdown production on the table.
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) September 1, 2022
Entering Year 3, it looked like Courtland Sutton was on the cusp of true elite fantasy WR1 production, but his 2020 season was lost due to a torn ACL in Week 2. It was unclear how productive Sutton would be returning from the devastating knee injury.
But to start the 2021 season, the Broncos wide receiver looked like his old self. He averaged 13.8 fantasy points per game (17th) and had a 27% target share in Weeks 2-7 during the regular season.
It wasn’t until Jerry Jeudy‘s return from injury that Sutton – and the rest of the Broncos pass catchers – became obsolete in a crowded, run-heavy offense led by a combination of Lock/Teddy Bridgewater. Nevertheless, Sutton finished the season as the fantasy WR46.
However, even in the anemic offense, Sutton still finished seventh in air yards (1,756), cemented in between Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, in 2021.
Sutton has a real chance to recapture his elite form another year removed from his ACL injury. It also helps substantially that he has received an ultra upgrade at the quarterback position with Denver’s trade for Russell Wilson.
Wilson has always been an elite downfield passer – he had the sixth-highest passer rating on throws of 20-plus air yards last season – which plays heavily into Sutton’s strengths as a vertical threat.
Sutton led the Broncos in red-zone targets in '21 and led all WRs in target rate inside the 10-yd line in '19.
Wilson has an affinity for attacking receivers in the red zone…
A Seattle WR has finished top-five in red-zone targets for three straight seasons.
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 31, 2022
It remains to be seen how the Giants new coaching staff is viewing Kadarius Toney heading into Year 2. They were rumored to trade the polarizing wide receiver before the NFL Draft, and the selection of Wan’Dale Robinson early in Round 2 wasn’t viewed as a massive vote of confidence for Toney to see an ultra-expanded role in Year 2.
However, what is clear with Toney is the talent. He flashed future target-magnet potential after commanding a 25% target rate per route run in 2021 – tied for 7th best in the NFL in 2021.
Toney’s volume opportunity combined with talent is there for him to absolutely smash…
Competing for targets with two rookies and a cooked Kenny Golladay.
Legitimate top-15 fantasy WR upside at a fraction of the cost.
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 31, 2022
Trey Lance only started 2 games as a rookie but flashed the rushing prowess that excited fantasy managers during last year’s draft season. The 49ers’ first-year signal-caller averaged 22.4 expected fantasy points (good for QB4 last season) and 60 rushing yards per game.
Lance averaged 54 rushing yards per game in his three games played with at least a 50% snap share and finished as a top-20 quarterback in all contests. The rushing mark was the highest ever by a rookie quarterback.
With a strong supporting cast around him, a bazooka for an arm and the QB1 role finally his own, Lance is set to light fantasy football ablaze. No.1 late-round quarterback to draft.
At just 21 years old, Kyle Pitts finished third among tight ends in receiving yards (1,018) through 17 weeks of the season and third in route participation (80%) through 18 weeks.
The rookie fell short of lofty preseason expectations, though, as he scored just one touchdown. Any other pass-catcher that compiled at least 1,000 receiving yards caught at least four touchdowns. And per PFF’s expected fantasy points model, the Falcons tight end should have scored 5.6 touchdowns.
With positive regression for Year 2 in his favor, draft the uber-talented Pitts aggressively everywhere in 2022.
As a rookie, Pitts finished third among tight ends in receiving yards (1,018, 60 per game)
3rd in expected fantasy points per game.
The rookie fell short of lofty preseason expectations, though, as he scored just one touchdown…https://t.co/vaCoNNPeKc
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 31, 2022
FantasyPros Staff Consensus 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings
