Tag: 2022 fantasy football tips

Fantasy football outlook: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals

We know Hopkins will be suspended six games, but what does that mean for his fantasy value?

Typically when an otherwise highly ranked player falls in fantasy football drafts, it happens for one of two reasons – he’s coming back from injury or starting the year on a suspension. In the case of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, it’s both.

In his first eight seasons, Hopkins only missed one game due to injury. Last season, he missed time with a hamstring strain and tore an MCL in Week 14 to end his season. Even so, in 10 games, he caught 42 passes for 572 yards and eight touchdowns. Those aren’t big numbers by Hopkins standards, but for just about anyone else, would be very good numbers despite injury.

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Hopkins, it can be argued, has already punched his ticket to the Hall of Fame. In his last six full seasons, he has caught more than 95 passes five times and has 1,165 or more receiving yards in six of the last seven seasons. Consistently big production has been his career calling card, which makes the fantasy decision on him so painful.

In the offseason, Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the NFL’s PED policy. While it gives his surgically repaired MCL additional (and perhaps even unnecessary) time to heal, the bottom line is that he is guaranteed to miss nearly half of the fantasy football regular season – six games under the PED suspension and another when the Cardinals have a bye week in Week 13.

The Cardinals have one of the most potent offenses in the league and added Marquise Brown, who topped 1,000 receiving yards last year for the Baltimore Ravens, so the team should be able to hold up offensively until Hopkins returns. The Cardinals proved what they could do last season, starting 7-0 and building momentum before losing seven of their last 11 games, including four of the final five games without Hopkins. His importance to the success of the team is clear, and he will be coming in with fresh legs following his suspension to join a team two months into the grind of a 17-game season.

Fantasy football takeaway

There are two basic schools of thought when it comes to Hopkins. The first is to rank or value him so low that you will never get him. The second is considering him as a high WR3 and deal with his absence like fantasy owners have to do all the time when a player is injured – make do with what you have and ride out the storm early while your entire roster is healthy and bye’s largely aren’t a factor.

The final decision on where (or if) to invest in Hopkins is predicated in making an investment in the early middle rounds to add depth to your receiver corps. Hopkins has WR1 value when healthy and on the field, so when you get to the WR3 tier, the longer he remains, the bigger value he brings.

Don’t draft Hopkins to be a bookend wide receiver, but if you have two locked and loaded don’t be afraid to roll the dice on a redemption story that could stack your lineup in the second half of the season, especially in PPR formats.

Fantasy football training camp roundup: July 29-Aug. 2

The most important fantasy football news updates from camp.

Too busy to sift through all of the news from NFL training camps? Here’s a spin around the league for a look at the most notable fantasy football news through Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Fantasy football spotlight: WR Deebo Samuel, 49ers

No longer disgruntled, what can be expected from Samuel in 2022?

The primary storyline regarding the fantasy football value of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was whether he would potentially hold out for a new contract or a trade – a $73 million extension over three years signed last weekend solved that problem.

With that out of the way, the question is whether Samuel will keep the same role he had in the second half of last season as both a receiver and a rusher or if the second half of 2021 was an injury-forced double duty.

Most people likely know the 2021 regular-season numbers that Samuel put up as a receiver – 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns – and as a rusher – 59 carries for 365 yards and eight touchdowns. What they may not realize or remember is that his rushing numbers came in half a season. In the first eight games, Samuel ran the ball just six times for 22 yards and one touchdown. In his final eight games, he had 53 carries for 343 yards and seven touchdowns. He followed that up with 27 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown in three postseason games.

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It was clear that the play calling philosophy changed at midseason due to injuries and once Samuel became a major component in the run offense, the 49ers became a completely different offense capable of hurting a defense in more ways.

In a league built on replication and thievery of ideas that work, many offenses are now looking for their own “Deebo type.” Samuel came out of nowhere last season to become a lethal dual threat. It may not seem like a lot of rushes, but it was how Kyle Shanahan and his staff kept increasing his workload in the running game that stands out – Samuel had five or more rushing attempts in each of his last eight regular-season games and averaged nine carries a game in the playoffs.

An incentive in the three-year extension addresses his dual role. If Samuel rushes for 380 or more yards in a season under the extension, he receives $650,000. If he scores three or more rushing touchdowns in a year, he gets $150,000.

There are legitimate concerns about the beating Samuel will take coming out of the backfield with an entire defense coming after him as opposed to taking on one or two defenders as an outside receiver. There is a reason why running backs have the shortest shelf life of any position in football – they take a pounding and their bodies give out. Samuel has yet to play a full NFL season without missing time due to injury, which has to be considered given his hybrid role and increased injury potential.

Fantasy football outlook

Samuel proved last season he could withstand the beating a runner takes on a weekly basis, and his usage out of the backfield only increased as his success grew. The concern is whether or not the 49ers will overuse him and expose Samuel to too many big hits. Other possible issues of note include how much more efficient he may need to be with Trey Lance stealing opportunities near the end zone, and also Lance’s inexperience potentially causing the entire passing game to take a step back.

For 2022, those factors shouldn’t deter anyone from selecting him. Samuel figures to remain a WR1 who can supply fantasy points in a variety of ways, but we likely saw a career year out of him in 2021.

7 handcuff running backs to target in fantasy football drafts

Seven of the top running back tandems to handcuff in fantasy football drafts.

It’s common for fantasy football players to “double down” on running backs in whom they’ve made a significant investment by adding the backup late in drafts or auctions. The term for this practice is called “handcuffing” – having two running backs from the same team on your roster.

The key to executing a proper handcuff is in direct relation to the investment made in the first of the two running backs. The player almost certainly needs to be an RB1. There are exceptions to the rule – the first back can be an RB2 in the event there is a belief that two backs will share playing time.

The rationale is pretty simple – if the top guy gets injured, the “handcuff guy” can step in and closely replicate the production.

These are the top seven handcuff players you should consider.

Fantasy football preview: RB D’Andre Swift, Lions

Year 3 will be crucial for the versatile Lion. Here’s what to expect.

There are some fantasy football owners who look to avoid players from teams expected to be really bad. Historically, when struggling franchises are discussed, it doesn’t take long for the Detroit Lions to be mentioned. The organization has been mired near the bottom of the league for the last four years – posting a dismal 17-48 record in that span – but one player who brings reason for excitement is dual-threat running back D’Andre Swift.

He has missed chunks of time in his first two seasons – three games in 2020 and four games in 2021 – but the numbers he has put up demand fantasy attention, because he has been a poor man’s Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara in his double role in Detroit’s offense. It’s not just his rushing that makes him valuable. It’s his ability to be a three-down back.

In 13 games as a rookie, Swift rushed 114 times for 521 yards, caught 46 passes for 357 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. In 13 games last season, he rushed 151 times for 617 yards, caught 62 passes for 452 yards and scored seven touchdowns. When he went down early in Week 12 – missing almost five full games – he was leading NFL running backs in receptions, which pile up points in PPR formats.

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Injuries have prevented him from being a legitimate RB1, but there are reasons to believe the risk is worth the reward for making a run to get Swift on your fantasy roster. After a brutal start to the season, Jared Goff improved down the stretch – throwing 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions in his final five games. Swift also saw his numbers limited because Detroit’s defense was so awful (29th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed) that the Lions offense had to abandon the run in the second half too often.

However, the clear strength of the team is one of the most dominant offensive lines in the game. The team has three first-round picks up front – left tackle Taylor Decker, right tackle Penei Sewell and center Frank Ragnow. Left guard Jonah Jackson made the Pro Bowl last season, and right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai has been impressive since coming to Detroit in free agency, moving from tackle to guard. This front five can dominate the trenches and consistently open holes for Swift – the team’s 4.4-yard rushing average last year was its highest since 1998, when Barry Sanders was tearing up the league.

Fantasy football outlook

Swift doesn’t have to look over his shoulder for threats to playing time. Jamaal Williams has been a career backup who is dependable and workmanlike, and Craig Reynolds shined when Swift went down last season but isn’t seen as a challenge to Swift’s spot. There may be a few matchups in which Williams shoulders more of the load than Swift on the ground, but the third-year pro is far more explosive than the former Green Bay Packer.

Most rankings have Swift coming off the board not only as an RB1 but as a top six or seven back. That may be a little aggressive, but all signs point to head coach Dan Campbell allowing Swift to be the face of the offense and letting the offensive line overpower defenders.

Swift is a legitimate RB1 candidate after a 15th-place PPR finish a year ago, but until he proves he can stay healthy for a full season and be a weekly fantasy stud, there will be enough fantasy owners who will devalue him. If he can stay on the field, 1,500 total yards, 80 receptions and double-digit touchdowns aren’t out of the question. The risk here is well worth the reward.

Fantasy football outlook: WR Treylon Burks, Titans

Here’s what to expect in fantasy action from the new Tennessee wideout.

Anyone familiar with the Tennessee Titans knows that the offense runs through Derrick Henry and the ground game first. Henry has been counted on for 20 or more carries a game almost every week the last three years, which reduces the number of offensive snaps in games because every rush takes 30-40 seconds off the game clock.

Yet, Tennessee had a fairly potent pass offense because Ryan Tannehill could count on A.J. Brown and Corey Davis to get the job done on the outside (with eight defenders in the box). Those days are over, since the Titans allowed Davis to leave via free agency in 2021, traded Brown before the 2022 draft, and cut Julio Jones this spring.

Tennessee used the pick received from Philadelphia for Brown (No. 18) to select Treylon Burks from Arkansas. A huge receiver (6-foot-3, 225 pounds), Burks was a downfield threat who caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. But what makes Burks, who has drawn physical comparisons to Brown, an intriguing fantasy talent is how he was used in the Razorbacks’ gimmick offense.

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He lined up everywhere on the field, including in the backfield. He finished his college career with 38 carries for 222 yards to go with his receiving production and wasn’t a speed receiver, like Percy Harvin, taking reverses. He was much more like San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, who took carries to the outside and between the tackles as well.

Despite some recent changes, the Titans have one of the more dominant offensive lines in the NFL and attack defenders in the run game, which plays into the idea of replication as the shadiest form of flattery.

Samuel is currently unique in the amount of time he spends running the ball for a pure wide receiver, especially near the goal line. The NFL is a copycat league, and if something works for one team others with similar styles quickly steal the idea to incorporate it into their own schemes. Burks fits that role with the Titans and their razor-thin receiver corps. He may be asked to wear multiple hats in Tennessee’s offense.

Burks missed most of OTAs with asthma-related conditioning issues, although he has returned to the field for training camp and looks every bit the part.

Fantasy football takeaway

In fantasy football, opportunity plays as big a role as anything and Burks is being allowed through the velvet rope past the line. The only veteran wide receiver is Robert Woods, and he’s coming off a significant knee injury. Third-year man Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the biggest name left from last year, and he caught only 38 passes. Trivia answers Dez Fitzpatrick, Racey McMath and Cody Hollister combined to play in 16 games last year, and they’re the second line of the depth chart.

Burks needs to be a savior.

When it comes to fantasy value, in a 12-player format, rank Burks at a very low-end WR3 and more likely a WR4 — simply because he is going to get so much defensive attention given there’s nobody else demanding double coverage. The road is paved for him to be the No. 1 guy, giving him a bit of sleeper appeal. The question is can a rookie a sketchy supporting cast handle that pressure right out of the gate?

Fantasy football reaction: Deshaun Watson suspended 6 games

Watson’s ban clears up his fantasy football worth.

Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots … Judge Sue Robinson has made her ruling, and those are the teams Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will not face in 2022 after a six-game suspension was handed down.

The NFL could file an appeal over the next three days, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. If not, this is quite possibly the best-case scenario for fantasy football purposes.

Watson’s remaining schedule includes a return to the field at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 and return home to face the Cincinnati Bengals prior to a Week 9 bye. The second half of his schedule is slightly easier than the six games he’ll miss, but that’s not to say it’s a walk in the park with matchups against Miami, Buffalo and Tampa from Weeks 10-12, respectively, including the first two on the road. He then has trips to Houston and Cincy, followed by consecutive home stands against Baltimore and New Orleans, ending with a pair of road games vs. Washington and Pittsburgh.

Fantasy football takeaway

Between a suspect receiving corps, an unproven tight end, and a difficult slate of matchups, Watson shouldn’t be drafted as more than a fringe starter. The talent level will keep him afloat with moderate matchups, but he’s not a slam dunk against the likes of Miami, Buffalo, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Secure a strong QB1 who can get you through the first six weeks and view Watson as a component of a strong roster build rather than the centerpiece. After all, you’re probably not going to make the postseason with a poor start during his absence.

Fantasy football preview: RB Cam Akers, Rams

After a lost year, how much stock should gamers put in to an Akers ascension?

There are players that those who fashion themselves fantasy football experts fawn over in an attempt to be ahead of the curve and proclaim the anointing of the “next big thing”. Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers has been the bane of those “smartest guy in the room” types. A second-round pick in 2020, Akers was projected to checker-jump Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson in short order. It didn’t happen.

Although Akers led the Rams in rushing attempts (145) as a rookie, it was a three-man show – Henderson had 138 carries and Brown had 101. What Sean McVay has always envisioned in his offense is one back to carry the workload with backups riding the pine. He wanted that player to be Akers, but it didn’t happen after going down early in Week 2 and missing the next three games. As is the journey of a rookie in the NFL, guys who have proved themselves get precedence if a newcomer can’t go, and veterans don’t give up their spot without a fight.

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After three months in part-time purgatory, at the end of the season, the Rams dedicated themselves to letting Akers be the main man. In the last four games he played in the regular season, he had 86 carries and built fantasy steam again. In L.A.’s two playoff games, he had 46 carries – the other Rams running backs combined had nine.

Heading into 2021 Akers was again being proclaimed as a RB1 messiah by the touts, capable of 1,500 yards and a dozen touchdowns.

That second endorsement crashed and burned when Akers suffered a torn Achilles shortly before training camp. It’s an injury typically has a timetable for return of one year for those who make it back. Akers came back to play briefly in Week 18 and had 67 carries in the Rams’ four-game Super Bowl run. Sony Michel was next with just 26 carries, and he’s no longer on the roster.

Despite spotty regular season production, when the Rams season has been on the line, Akers has been the only option used.

So here we go again. Third time’s the charm, right? Ideally, Akers will be the running back McVay envisioned two years ago and pile up carries with the league leaders. Henderson remains, which gives the Rams the security of having a consistent (albeit not spectacular) Plan B in place in the event Akers struggles, but the clear intention is that Akers will shoulder the running load when healthy, even though he isn’t much of a receiver.

Fantasy football outlook

There is where the rub lies. In two seasons (33 games), Akers has only played 14 of them and hasn’t moved the needle in the fantasy football realm. Many of those who took Akers in 2020 didn’t want him in 2021. Those who were burned last year don’t want him now. Yet, he has a high ranking without proving himself worthy of the distinction.

Due to system designs, opportunity arguably matters more at running back than any other position. The potential to be a go-to guy – the Rams will never have an RB-by-committee again if they can avoid it – makes Akers a mid-RB2 candidate. Eventually, the Akers takers will be the smartest owners in the room.

Fantasy football spotlight: WR Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins

What does Tyreek Hill’s arrival do for Waddle’s fantasy prospects?

There are some players who actually become better fantasy football producers when they are joined by a guy with greater talent. Cris Carter was an established star in Minnesota before Randy Moss arrived and had his most productive seasons playing second fiddle. The Miami Dolphins may have a similar situation with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who is coming off a record-setting rookie season but went from No. 1 to No. 2 on the Dolphins’ wide receiver depth chart.

The Dolphins will operate under a new regime with first-time head coach Mike McDaniel, who spent just one season as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers. McDaniel is viewed as an innovator in how he reshaped San Francisco’s offense by making Deebo Samuel a wide receiver-running back hybrid.

Miami made a huge splash in the offseason, making a blockbuster, future-impacting trade with Kansas City to acquire explosive Tyreek Hill. Waddle is fast, but Hill’s field speed is unmatched. In most situations, the arrival of somebody like Hill would be reason for sulking if you were the previous go-to guy. But in this situation, just the opposite is true.

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Waddle put his name in the NFL record books by catching 104 passes (breaking Anquan Boldin’s rookie record of 102) for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns. He did so with a pedestrian quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) and no other viable wide receiver options – DeVante Parker was second among wideouts with 40 receptions for 515 yards and two TDs. He was the entire show as Tua leaned on him heavily. Now, you have the trifecta of Hill, Waddle and tight end Mike Gesicki – as formidable a receiving trio as just about any team can boast.

Hill is the one with the spotlight on him. With that comes a shift in how defenses have to approach Miami’s offense. Defenses routinely rolled safeties over the top on Waddle, which is why, despite a record-setting season for receptions, he averaged less than 10 yards per reception and had just one 100-yard game. When Tagovailoa had to get rid of the ball, Waddle was his safety blanket. The arrival of Hill doesn’t change Waddle’s role. It just changes who is covering him.

Hill is a lethal deep threat and playing single press coverage is done at the peril of a defense. Hill commands safety help and, more times than not, coverage from an opponent’s top cornerback. That’s what Waddle was facing last year. He will see a lot more single coverage and going up against a team’s No. 2 corner in 2022.

Tagovailoa has a shorthand familiarity with Waddle and Gesicki. Hill is a home run hitter who brings a different dynamic and may open more big-play chances for his supporting players, but those plays take time to develop.

Fantasy football outlook

Waddle’s draft stock has taken a hit because Hill is a clear cut WR1. Even with a middle-of-the-road quarterback, Waddle should be a reception machine, giving him lower-end WR2 status in PPR formats. If you can get him as a WR3, that’s a gift. While Waddle may not catch 100 passes again, his receptions should be more impactful and game-breaking.

Fantasy football injury outlook: WR Michael Gallup, Cowboys

What is Gallup’s short- and long-term status for 2022 fantasy action?

Last season, it felt like the Dallas Cowboys almost had too many options for quarterback Dak Prescott, and the result was a team throwing for nearly 5,000 yards with only one player surpassing the 900-yard mark — that being wide receiver CeeDee Lamb with 1,102. A busy offseason has thinned the ranks, however, with Amari Cooper (68-865-8) being traded to the Cleveland Browns, and Cedrick Wilson Jr. (45-602-6) signing with the Miami Dolphins.

While their second- and third-most productive wideouts are gone, fourth-leading receiver Michael Gallup (knee) is coming off a torn ACL suffered on Jan. 2 of this year — he didn’t undergo surgery until February. Despite the injury, the Cowboys shelled out north of $60 million on a five-year deal, so they don’t seem to have any long-term concerns about Gallup’s ability to bounce back.

That being said, Gallup begins training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, and the expectation is that he’ll miss at least a couple of games to start the season. The Cowboys could also choose to be even more cautious with Gallup and keep him on the PUP to open the season. In years past, any player starting the year on the PUP had to miss at least six games, but a rule change allows players to return after only four, which makes it more attractive for situations like Gallup’s. He also could go on the short-term IR list for three games, but that counts against the allotment of eight uses a team is permitted.

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Whenever the Cowboys deem Gallup ready to return, he should immediately slide into the No. 2 receiver spot opposite Lamb. Granted, the team did sign James Washington from the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency and drafted Jalen Tolbert in the third round, but the former was mostly mediocre during his time in the Steel City while the latter is jumping from tiny South Alabama, so it could take a while for Tolbert to make that transition.

Prior to last season, Gallup was generally healthy, missing just two games combined over his first three years, and even though his production has dropped the past two seasons, he proved in 2019 that he could be a dangerous weapon, catching 66 passes for 1,107 yards and a half-dozen touchdowns — that accounted for a career-best 16.8 yards per reception. With Lamb and tight end Dalton Schultz (78-808-8) the only proven targets for Prescott, Gallup could be in for heavy utilization once he returns.

Fantasy football outlook

Despite sustaining the knee injury, Gallup doesn’t seem to be in danger of missing a lot of time; pencil him to be out of action for the first three or four weeks. He’ll step into a good situation upon his return, and the fact that he’s coming off an injury-filled, disappointing campaign could push him down draft boards. As your fourth or fifth wideout, Gallup is an intriguing choice.