2022 fantasy football advice – Page 6

5 sleeper defensive teams to target in fantasy football drafts

These defensive units can help gamers on the cheap.

While most fantasy football owners wait until the last couple of rounds to select their defenses, some groups out there perhaps aren’t getting the level of respect they deserve. With that in mind, here are five defenses to consider utilizing a pick on after the marquee selections come off the board.

Fantasy Football: 5 QB-WR duos to consider stacking in 2022

Stacking QBs and WRs from the same team can help you double up on points in fantasy football.

If you start Joe Burrow in fantasy football, a 25-yard touchdown pass could net you 5.25 points. If you also start Ja’Marr Chase and he catches Burrow’s TD pass, that could add 9.5 points for a total of 14.75 points on one play.

It’s called stacking, adding a quarterback and wide receiver from the same team hoping to double up on points when they connect for a completion or — even better — a touchdown.

Here are five QB-WR duos to consider stacking in fantasy football this season.

Fantasy football: Where to draft Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney

Analyzing Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

Few players in the NFL are currently as clear-cut a No. 1 receiver in their respective offenses than Chicago Bears WR Darnell Mooney. His 142 receptions in his first 2 seasons are the most of any Bears receiver in their history — and that goes back more than a tick.

With WR Allen Robinson allowed to leave in free agency, the talent behind Mooney is thin and he will be asked to be the primary guy for young franchise QB Justin Fields.

Below, we look at Darnell Mooney‘s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Mooney’s 81 receptions last year were more than double Robinson’s and the rest of the wide receiver group is far more unproven and unpolished. His ability to run smooth routes and his speed before and after the catch make him an intriguing fantasy prospect because the Bears will be designing plays to get him the ball a lot and take advantage of single coverage.

Darnell Mooney’s ADP: 69.33

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Mooney is finding himself in the deeper end of the WR pool and aligned with the clear No. 2 guys in a potent pass offense and the No. 1 guys in offenses that have some unanswered questions at quarterback.

Mooney is the 30th ranked wide receiver according to ADP, which has him landing at the end of the 7th round in 10-player leagues, behind Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) at 66.65 and Marquise Brown (Arizona Cardinals) at 68.62 and ahead of 8th rounders Amari Cooper (Cleveland Browns) at 72.01 and Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos) at 72.16.

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Darnell Mooney’s 2021 stats

Games: 17

Receptions | targets: 81 | 140

Receiving yards: 1,055

Receiving touchdowns: 4

Where should you draft Mooney?

The Fields era begins in earnest with relatively bare cupboards at the wide receiver position. Unless someone else emerges as a legitimate complementary receiver, Mooney will see consistent bracket coverage that will try to take him away from the offense.

However, if he can build a rapport with Fields to do enough short, quick-hitting passes to set defenses up for the deep ball, he could surpass his numbers from last season, especially in terms of touchdowns.

While I wouldn’t put him ahead of Godwin, I would give strong consideration to putting him ahead of Hollywood Brown because Brown is a piece to the puzzle, not the entire puzzle.

Mooney has shown a lot in 2 seasons and if he does it again and breaks more records for the start of a career as Bears receivers as he did in his first two, 2022 could be the year that gets Mooney paid big money for a contract extension. That alone should be incentive enough to get the job done.

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Fantasy football: Where to draft Miami Dolphins RB Chase Edmonds

Analyzing Miami Dolphins RB Chase Edmonds’ 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

The career of Miami Dolphins RB Chase Edmonds has been one of the little brother with so much potential that never gets the opportunity to shine. He was viewed as a player with 3-down back potential because of his skill as a runner and receiver. Then came Kenyan Drake. Then came James Conner. Edmonds never got the full opportunity to be the primary back in the Arizona Cardinals offense and now he moves on as a free agent to Miami.

Below, we look at Chase Edmonds‘ 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Edmonds’ biggest drawback from a fantasy perspective is that he has never been a prolific scorer — he’s scored just 14 touchdowns in 57 games. However, moving on to Miami gives him a new lease on his career and he comes to the Dolphins as the RB1 on the depth chart.

Chase Edmonds’ ADP: 82.09

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Edmonds lands on the ADP scale is at RB30 — at the top of the RB4 charts for someone’s fantasy roster. He finds himself in similarly situated running backs that are seen as the top guy on their team, but not necessarily the top guy you want playing every week.

Edmonds’ ADP finds him a razor’s edge behind Dameon Pierce (Houston Texans) at 81.48, neck and neck with Cordarrelle Patterson (Atlanta Falcons) at 82.14 and ahead of Damien Harris (New England Patriots) at 87.03 and Miles Sanders (Philadelphia Eagles) at 89.66.

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Chase Edmonds’ 2021 stats

Games: 12

Carries | rushing yards: 116 | 592

Rushing touchdowns: 2

Receptions | receiving yards: 43 | 311

Receiving touchdowns: 0

Where should you draft Edmonds?

Much like Drake when he left Miami and went to Arizona, I get the feeling that Edmonds can blow up if finally given the chance to be a consistent lead back in an offense. Given Miami’s upward trajectory with the trade for wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins have the potential to be much more wide open, which plays to Edmonds’ strengths.

At a minimum, I would put him ahead of Pierce and Patterson in my rankings simply because his offense is more talented. However, if you get him as your 4th running back, you’ve got a player who could blossom quickly in his new surroundings and prove the Cardinals were wrong in their decision to keep Conner and let him walk.

I wouldn’t put too high a value on Edmonds because he had 4 years to make a statement and never did. Whether that was his fault or that of the organization, we’ll find out this year because he is likely to get every opportunity to be the primary back in the Dolphins’ offense — a spot that could pay off if the Hill acquisition brings the wide open aspect to Miami that is anticipated.

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Fantasy football: Where to draft Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith

Analyzing Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith begins his 2022 season as the official Week 1 starter. Smith beat out QB Drew Lock for the starting role, but few were surprised since Smith knows the offense after backing up Russell Wilson since 2020.

Smith, who hasn’t started Week 1 since 2014 when he was with the New York Jets, will lead a Seahawks team that most believe will win very few games. Tipico Sportsbook lists the Seahawks with odds of –200 to finish last in the NFC West.

Below, we look at Geno Smith’s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Geno Smith’s ADP: 169.82

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Smith’s ADP in redraft leagues puts him in the range of the 14th to 18th round, depending on the size of your league. His ADP puts him second to last among Seahawks, only ahead of Lock (178.01). Smith sits well below teammates TE Noah Fant (137.72), WR Tyler Lockett (95.91) and WR DK Metcalf (53.60).

Among quarterbacks, Smith’s ADP ranks 31th at the position, behind the Atlanta Falcons’ Marcus Mariota (160.46), the Jets’ Zach Wilson (163.14) and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup Kenny Pickett (168.82), and slightly ahead of the Steelers Mitchell Trubisky (178.92).

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Geno Smith’s 2021 stats

Games: 4

Passing yards: 702

Completions | attempts: 65 | 95

Passing touchdowns: 5

Interceptions: 1

Carries | rushing yards: 9 | 42

Rushing touchdowns: 1

Where should you draft Smith?

Seattle should be playing from behind this entire season so expect Smith to throw a ton. That’s the good spin.

The Seahawks under coach Pete Carroll are a run-first offense and that should be the case here until they fall well behind. Smith’s security as the starter is also quite unstable, Lock will get at least a couple of starts if Seattle solidifies its position in the back of the division.

You can safely AVOID Smith in your drafts. If he miraculously has a resurgence, you can pick him up on waivers.

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5 players to avoid in your fantasy football draft

Here’s who you should avoid in your fantasy football draft.

Preseason has wrapped up, and the 2022 NFL season is right around the corner, which means fantasy football draft season is in full swing.

Here’s a quick look at five players to avoid during your fantasy draft this year.

Fantasy football: Where to draft Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III

Analyzing Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has been a strong proponent of having multiple running backs in his system and, if the post-Marshawn Lynch era has shown us anything, it is that Carroll has very little loyalty to an incumbent starter. He tends to go with the hot hand regardless if it hurts someone’s feelings. In 2018, Carroll drafted Rashaad Penny in the 1st round of the draft, but that was the season that Chris Carson emerged as the starter.

When Carson suffered a career-ending neck injury last season, Penny, who had been a career bust until the 2nd half of the 2021 season, suddenly showed what he could do and earned a 1-year contract to remain in Seattle. Perhaps knowing that Carson was done, Seattle used the 41st pick in the 2022 draft to select Kenneth Walker III — a significant investment considering some of the higher rated quarterbacks in the Class of 2022 were still available.

Below, we look at Kenneth Walker‘s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

In the post-Russell Wilson era, the Seahawks are going to emphasize the run and Walker will be in the middle of all of it. Penny will likely get the 1st opportunity, but don’t sleep on Walker’s potential to step into the spotlight and shine on his own.

Kenneth Walker’s ADP: 104.29

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Walker’s ADP has him standing in front of a pair of players who are entering the season as the perceived No. 2 guy in their offenses and well behind Penny, who has an ADP at 80.36.

Walker is the 37th ranked running back, which lands him more than a round behind Rhamondre Stevenson (New England Patriots) and slightly ahead of Melvin Gordon (Denver Broncos) at 108.90 and James Cook (Buffalo Bills) at 111.18.

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Kenneth Walker’s 2021 stats

Games: 0

Carries | rushing yards: 0 | 0

Rushing touchdowns: 0

Receptions | receiving yards: 0 | 0

Receiving touchdowns: 0

Where should you draft Walker?

The Doak Walker Award winner at Michigan State last season, Walker was viewed by numerous scouts as the best running back in the 2022 draft. That shouldn’t be lost on those in fantasy circles.

Walker has the ideal lower-body strength you look for in a running back and his ability to slip tackles and gain extra yards will get noticed when the season starts.

As the offense moves on from Wilson and starts over, nobody is safe to hold their jobs if someone else can do better. The emphasis will be on running the ball more due to substandard quarterback depth and Walker has the chance to be one of the big late-round sleepers in fantasy drafts this year. He may have to work his way past Penny, but it wouldn’t be the 1st time that has happened in Seattle.

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Fantasy football: Where to draft New England Patriots WR DeVante Parker

Analyzing New England Patriots WR DeVante Parker’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

After spending 7 up and down seasons with the Miami Dolphins, wide receiver DeVante Parker moves on to division rival New England to start the next chapter in his career. He goes from a Dolphins team where he likely would have been the No. 3 receiver to a Patriots team where he will be expected to be Mac Jones‘ No. 1 target.

Below, we look at DeVante Parker‘s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Parker’s career has been marked by more disappointment that achievement. After being a 1st-round pick in the 2015 draft, Parker has only 1 season in which he played in every game, 1 year with more than 800 receiving yards and just 1 one season in which he caught more the 4 touchdown passes.

Those aren’t the kind of numbers that make you a savior coming into a new offense and a different organization.

DeVante Parker’s ADP: 115.86

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Parker is being proclaimed as the No. 1 receiver in the Patriots offense, but his ADP has him at No. 45 among wide receivers and the 1st New England wide receiver to be selected.

His ADP finds him behind rookie Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints) at 113.34, Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers) at 113.76 and slightly ahead of Kadarius Toney (New York Giants). For a No. 1 receiver in an offense, this is pretty late to still be available for drafting and he would be landing on a roster in a 10-player league as a WR5.

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DeVante Parker’s 2021 stats

Games: 10

Receptions | targets: 40 | 73

Receiving yards: 515

Receiving touchdowns: 2

Where should you draft Parker?

When you’re so far down on an ADP list that despite being projected as the wide receiver target on the Patriots depth chart and expected to be on the same page quickly with Jones early, the risk of taking Parker this late is minimal.

That being said, I would be much more confident grabbing Olave or Claypool as my WR5 before Parker becomes an option because, with the exception of 2019, Parker has been more of a detriment to a fantasy roster than a productive member. It should be noted that division teams rarely make trades with one another unless 1 team knows full well what their rival is getting in return.

I’ve never been a fan of Parker because he comes off like a player who likes the trappings of being an NFL player, but has never seemed to put in the effort needed to be great. A change of scenery isn’t likely to change that.

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Fantasy football: Where to draft Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Analyzing Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will take the field for a new organization for the 1st time in his career, having spent 5 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Behind the declining QB Ben Roethlisberger, Smith-Schuster struggled a season ago. An injury also left him seeing snaps in just 5 games, having played at least 12 in every other season.

Below, we look at JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s 2021 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Entering 2022, he is expected to take a big step and ideally will become a star and a top-10 or top-5 wide receiver in the league. The value should be there for the Chiefs’ No. 1 option.

JuJu Smith-Schuster’s ADP: 63.83

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Smith-Schuster has an ADP of 63.83 in redraft leagues, which puts him in the early 5th round of the fantasy draft. His ADP is lower than his teammates Travis Kelce (16.33) and QB Patrick Mahomes (29.88)

Among wide receivers, Smith-Schuster’s ADP puts him 26th at the position, behind the likes of Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints) and slightly ahead of Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills)

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JuJu Smith Schuster’s 2021 stats

Games: 5

Receptions | targets: 28 | 15

Receiving yards: 129

Receiving touchdowns: 0

Where should you draft Smith-Schuster?

Smith-Schuster’s fantasy value should get a massive boost this season as he’s in a pass-heavy offense with 1 of the league’s best QBs slinging the ball.

Smith-Schuster will still struggle to be the team’s primary deep threat, but he should serve as a solid option for Mahomes. Smith-Schuster topped 1,400 yards in 2018.

The ceiling is there, and while he’s struggled the last few seasons, the Steelers’ pass offense was clearly regressing behind Big Ben.

The competition in KC with Kelce will be real, but they’re going to need to fill the holes left by the WR Tyreek Hill trade. Smith-Schuster should have his best fantasy season since 2018.

The Chiefs had the 6th-highest passing play percentage last season. They should again be throwing it often. Smith-Schuster should see a high number of targets, and everything coming out of camp is that the chemistry is there as well.

Draft Smith-Schuster in the 5th round and you could even reach for him into the late 4th.

If the Chiefs’ offense stays elite, which should be less about Smith-Schuster and more about Mahomes, then he will be a great option and even better in PPR formats.

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Fantasy football: Where to draft Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth

Analyzing Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

After the top fantasy football tight ends are selected, the chore of landing a TE2 becomes a priority at some point late in the draft as rosters are filling out at all positions. It is in this area of the draft that players like 2nd-year Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth are being taken

Below, we look at Pat Freiermuth‘s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Freiermuth made an immediate impact as a red zone favorite for retired Steelers legend QB Ben Roethlisberger. The rookie tight end caught 60 passes and averaged 8.3 yards per reception, but 7 of his catches went for touchdowns. That’s what fantasy owners look for in the TE2 crop.

Pat Freiermuth’s ADP: 121.34

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Once everyone has a starting tight end on their rosters, the need to grab a TE2 doesn’t have a big sense of urgency, but it is a necessity for everyone in a TE-mandatory league. In the area where players like Freiermuth are going (the 11th to 14th rounds), tight ends are dropping at a rate of approximately 1 per round.

As an early 13th-round pick in 10-player drafts, Freiermuth checks in behind Dawson Knox (Buffalo Bills) at 100.99 and Mike Gesicki (Miami Dolphins) art 114.65 and in front of players like Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears) at 122.12 and Hunter Henry (New England Patriots) at 136.46.

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Pat Freiermuth’s 2021 stats

Games: 16

Receptions | targets: 60 | 79

Receiving yards: 497

Receiving touchdowns: 7

Where should you draft Freiermuth?

Freiermuth currently sits as the No. 12 tight end on draft boards and, as such is being selected to be a matchup play instead of a weekly starter. His 7 touchdowns were a sign that he is already adept at finding soft spots in defenses and catching the critical passes needed to help his offense.

Whether the regular quarterback for the Steelers turns out to be either Mitchell Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett, it shouldn’t impact Freiermuth’s production because a tight end is a new quarterback’s best friend. With Roethlisberger’s arm limitations in the final season of his career, Freiermuth was a safety valve target asked to move the chains. Considering a new look to the offense (and the loss of a slew of veteran receivers from last year), his chances to catch 70-80 passes look possible — ideal for a TE2 who may get pressed into service.