By the end of last season, running backs Darrell Henderson and Michael Carter finished among the top 30 at their position. Owners of both dealt with frustration throughout the year, as they saw their varied usage and injuries affect their production. No matter how strong your 2022 Fantasy football draft prep is, the only way to plan for injuries is to have another capable player ready. Where should Henderson, Carter, and every running back be in your 2022 Fantasy football rankings?
The New York Jets‘ backfield became murkier after the team drafted Iowa State running back Breece Hall, while Cam Akers is expected back at full strength for the Rams. Where will each player shake out among 2022 Fantasy football breakouts, sleepers, and busts? 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: Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown. He had been a target monster in the Ravens‘ offense last season and was Lamar Jackson’s favorite option outside of tight end Mark Andrews. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury loves explosive plays, and Brown has built his reputation in creating them.
Arizona’s receiver room is getting crowded, but veteran A.J. Green is aging, DeAndre Hopkins is coming off of an MCL tear and will be suspended six games, and Rondale Moore didn’t prove to be the weapon many thought he would be in his rookie season. Brown has had his own struggles with nagging injuries, but he played in 16 games for the Ravens last season and set a career-high for receiving yards before the catch with 620. In an offense that looks to pass often and play receivers into space, Brown has high upside, and the model predicts he’ll have a bigger year than others drafted ahead of him like Jerry Jeudy, Darnell Mooney, and Adam Thielen.
Top 2022 Fantasy football breakouts
The model is also projecting 49ers quarterback Trey Lance as one of its top 2022 Fantasy football breakouts. San Francisco hasn’t yet traded Garoppolo, but the franchise simply has too much invested in Lance to not hand the reins over at some point. His incredible upside makes him the sort of player that you’ll want on your Fantasy football roster in 2022.
Lance played in six games last season and averaged 8.5 yards per pass attempt with five touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for 168 yards and a score. And in his final start (of two) during Week 16 against the Texans, Lance threw for 249 yards and two scores while adding 31 yards rushing on eight carries. If Lance wins the starting role, he’ll be a significant part of San Francisco’s rushing attack and that will make him of value even if there are growing pains within the pocket. That’s a big reason why the model ranks him as its No. 15 quarterback for 2022.
Top 2022 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Patriots tight end Hunter Henry as one of its biggest 2022 Fantasy busts. Henry’s injury struggles were well-documented heading into his first year with the Patriots last season, but even though he played in all 17 games, he finished with his fewest receiving yards since missing all of 2018.
When New England signed Henry and fellow tight end Jonnu Smith ahead of last season, many were hoping the team would reproduce the production it had with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Instead, the pair combined for just under 900 yards and 22 percent of the team’s total targets. Henry managed to stay healthy last season, but is far from shaking his status as a fragile player. The model predicts that Henry will finish well behind others drafted after him like Dalton Schultz, Dallas Goedert, and Kyle Pitts.
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.
