Denver running back Melvin Gordon wasn’t a flashy pick last season, as owners were more optimistic about rookie Javonte Williams, but his Fantasy football ADP kept him near the top 30 names at his position. Gordon did just enough to be relevant, but missed one game and had 10 or fewer carries in seven others. Predicting Fantasy production can be frustrating, so finding players who will maximize their potential should be the foundation of your 2022 Fantasy football strategy and 2022 Fantasy football rankings.
Gordon is now in the final year of his contract in Denver, and owners must face the possibility that he may limit Williams’ production for another season. The Broncos could choose to run Gordon into the ground before sending him on his way, but there is still the possibility that Williams will take a big enough step forward to assume command of the backfield and be one of the 2022 Fantasy football sleepers. Before setting your 2022 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2022 Fantasy football cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was being dramatically undervalued. Taylor was being drafted behind running backs like Aaron Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and Austin Ekeler last season but the SportsLine projection model predicted that he’d outproduce all of those backs and be a fixture in your Fantasy football lineups. The result: Taylor led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns to finish as the overall RB1 in 2021.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, also identifying A.J. Brown as another sleeper in 2020 and players like Julio Jones and JuJu Smith-Schuster as Fantasy football busts last season. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections update multiple times daily, so you’re always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2022, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2022 Fantasy football sleepers
One of the 2022 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. Despite finishing as the No. 2 quarterback in Fantasy a season ago, Brady has been the 13th quarterback off the board in early 2022 Fantasy football ADP. While his numbers in 2021 were largely dependent upon volume and there is room for concern that his short-lived retirement could be a distraction, it’s safe to assume that he’ll be prolific once again.
Brady threw for a career-high 5,316 yards, while his 43 passing touchdowns were the second-most of his career. He needed a career-high 719 pass attempts, but still completed 67.5 percent of his throws. He’s surrounded by an elite corps and if Brady remains available somewhere between rounds eight and 10, the model sees plenty of potential for him to outperform his draft position. It ranks him as its No. 6 quarterback in its 2022 Fantasy football QB rankings. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2022 here.
Top 2022 Fantasy football breakouts
The model is also projecting Jaguars running back Travis Etienne as one of its top 2022 Fantasy football breakouts. The 2021 first-round selection missed his entire rookie year after he suffered a Lisfranc injury early in the preseason. He appears ready to make up for his lost season this year and was a full participant for nearly the entirety of the Jags’ OTA program.
Former head coach Urban Meyer envisioned Etienne as an all-purpose back when the team drafted him. Video released by the team and media has shown Etienne bursting in-and-out of cuts on passing routes and looking fluid in his movements. The team is banking on both James Robinson (Achilles) and Etienne to make full recoveries and contribute sooner rather than later, but Etienne has a much higher ceiling as a pass-catcher. That upside is why the model projects Etienne to have a better Fantasy season than others being drafted ahead of him like J.K. Dobbins, Miles Sanders and Elijah Mitchell. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2022 here.
Top 2022 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Patriots running back Damien Harris as one of its 2022 Fantasy football busts. Last season, he stepped up to lead New England’s rushing attack, but he missed two games, was hampered in several others, and returns this season to a backfield that features several other capable running backs. The rule of thumb with the Patriots backfield is that nothing is guaranteed when it comes to Bill Belichick’s game-planning, and Harris isn’t immune to that.
Even though he was able to finish 929 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, Harris only had seven games last season with more than 12 carries. Harris isn’t known as much of a pass-catcher, and the Patriots typically turn to other backs on third downs. With Rhamondre Stevenson and James White still lurking, Harris has limited upside, in addition to the injury concerns that go hand-in-hand with his running style. With so many red flags, the model prefers other running backs that are being drafted after him like Saquon Barkley, Cam Akers and J.K. Dobbins. See more Fantasy football busts 2022 here.
How to find proven 2022 Fantasy football football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising quarterback you aren’t even thinking about being taken in the middle rounds of 2022 Fantasy football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-five option ahead of superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. You can only see who it is, and the 2022 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2022 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade? And which QB shocks the NFL with a top-five performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2022 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Jonathan Taylor’s huge season, and find out.
