Coach: Zac Taylor 6 PPG
QB: Kyler Murray 33 PPG
There are a wide variety of mobile quarterbacks electrifying the modern-day NFL. It’s becoming the norm, especially at the top of the fantasy football ranks for there to be a mobile component to a signal caller’s game. Growing up, there was no question Michael Vick was the most electric player in the NFL. Kyler Murray is the closest to Vick I’ve seen since his time in Atlanta. (Yes, Lamar and Mahomes are both incredible too.) Murray has dealt with a bit of some offseason drama with his precarious contract situation but is locked into a decent spot in Arizona for the foreseeable future. With his insane rushing upside, he has an overall QB1 ceiling. Through a full 17 games, he’ll run 100 times and eclipse 4,000 yards through the air. When he’s finally able to stay healthy without dealing with any nagging injuries, it’s very possible he’ll bring in an MVP. He’s a locked-in top 5 option.
RB/WR/TE: Elijah Mitchell 20 PPG, Tony Pollard 17 PPG, Miles Sanders 17 PPG, DeAndre Hopkins 17 PPG, Michael Pittman 17 PPG 6th men: Antonio Gibson 17 PPG, Darnell Mooney 15 PPG, , Amon-Ra St. Brown 15 PPG, Jaylen Waddle 15 PPG, Dameon Pierce 12 PPG, Treylon Burks 11 PPG, Zamir White 9 PPG, Damien Williams 9 PPG
You can hate on the 5th-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette all you want, but he balled out with a RB24 finish and was the RB12 in PPG. This includes the 0 burger he dropped injuring himself in week 14. Looking at the stats, he was one of the most efficient running backs when given touches, with a 2.5 yards after contact mark, ranking 5th in the NFL. He’s clearly the workhorse the 9ers were looking for at the position, but it’s very possible they look at lightening his workload. Trey Lance can certainly run the football at a much higher clip than Jimmy G. There wasn’t much to go on other than a week 17 game where both plays a full complement of snaps. Both Lance and Mitchell provided ample fantasy success. Obviously, there is some volatility here, but I’m slating Mitchell in as a top 32 RB/WR/TE until proven otherwise.
Tony Pollard surprised the fantasy world with a RB19 finish and for IFL purposes and a 265-point season. Not too shabby for a backup running back, who has been touted as a superior player than the incumbent starter Elliott for a couple of years. Pollard’s fantasy success was propped up by his 39 receptions and his 17 kick returns for 489 yards and 1 TD. Pollard is the type of player that makes you want to play in a league like the IFL because he receives his points in three different ways. If he can boost his touchdowns up from a measly three in 2021, we could be looking at a 300-point scorer. If Zeke were to ever miss time, he could be a league winner. For now, he’s a fantastic back-end starter with top 10 RB/WR/TE upside.
It was a wild year for Miles Sanders, who didn’t reach the endzone and missed a month’s worth of games. His grasp on the starting running back position is precarious at best, as there have been reports of Gainwell receiving 1st team love and head coach Nick Sirianni wearing a Kenneth Gainwell t-shirt. (Not sure how much you want to read into that, but it’s noteable.) With such a tragic 2021, we need to backtrack a bit and recognize that Sanders did not even score at all last year. So long as he remains the starter and that is certainly the most likely scenario at this point, he’s very much a fantasy option. There’s a wide range of outcomes and the floor is low, but Sanders is hanging onto that starting role for at least one more year.
DeAndre Hopkins is drama central. He probably learned it from the Texans truth be told, as that franchise appears to be toxic as fuck. DHop followed the Will Fuller path to success and was popped for PEDs in the offseason. Naturally, he denied any knowledge of his wrongdoing, but he’ll still miss the first six games of the regular season and most importantly the meat of our doubleheaders. DHop took a step back as a receiver last year and there’s a worry that his best years are behind him. At 30, it’s possible we never see a 1,500 yard, 10 TD season ever again. Still tethered to one of the elite QBs in the game, the moment he returns, he’ll be a startable asset. I’m curious to see how he fits into the target share once he returns. He’s been a target dominator since 2015, but that may take a dip if Rondale Moore, Hollywood Brown, or other offensive weapons take a step forward.
The 6’4” receiver out of USC has established himself as the #1 receiver in Indy. With the upgrade at QB, the expectation is for Pittman to take a step forward in production. There’s no question he’s the WR1 either as he ranked 16th in total targets in the NFL with 129. The biggest hope for progression as he only reeled in 5 of the total 17 red zone looks last year. He also only scored 5 TDs. In a run-heavy offense, Pittman may never be the centerpiece but will make for a fine 4/5 on a quality offense.
PK: Tyler Bass 8 PPG
PN: Pressley Harvin 10 PPG
DT: Larry Ogunjobi 14 PPG
Larry Ogunjobi’s success out of the football powerhouse Charlotte is Cinderella-esque. He proved he belonged in the league by balling out a bit in Cleveland before taking his talents to Cincinnati on his second contract. There he posted a career-high seven sacks and 49 total tackles, resulting in a DT7 finish. The Bengals elected to not resign him and he was going to join the Bears before a failed physical. He recently signed with the Steelers to form a competent interior tandem with Cameron Heyward. (An incredible solution to the Stefon Tuitt retirement.) This was arguably a best-case scenario landing spot for Larry, who will likely receive all the snaps he can handle, and Steelers interior players have a lengthy history of IDP success. I like him to repeat as a top 10 option.
DE: Marcus Davenport 14 PPG, Randy Gregory 14 PPG
What’s held back Marcus Davenport is health. It seems like every year it’s been some rando injury that keeps the former 1st round pick off the field. This offseason, he pulled a JPP and part of his pinky is no longer in service. He is also still recovering from shoulder surgery in the offseason, which is arguably the more serious ailment. When Davenport was healthy in 2021, he was a top 16 option, with a DE1 worthy 16 PPG production. That being said, he posted a fortunate 9 sacks on just 21 pressures, so expect those numbers to dip a bit come this season. There’s also how former 1st-round pick Peyton Turner meshes into the dline rotation. Bit of a projection, but give me Marcus as a mid-low DE2.
Randy Gregory’s career has been fraught with injury and suspension. When he’s been fully healthy, however, he’s been a competent option. Gregory missed 5 games in 2021 and was hitting around 60% of the snaps for the Cowboys. He was decent for the Boys, providing some boom weeks, but he was very reliant on his sack numbers. Now in Denver, his role is a bit in flux and may start out slow as he returns from offseason shoulder surgery. Signed to a 5-year deal through his age 34-season, Gregory cashed in to be a top 2 option. We’re in wait-and-see mode with him, but he profiles as a fringe top 32 option at EDGE.
LB: Roquan Smith 21 PPG, Jonas Griffith 16 PPG, Drue Tranquill 15 PPG, (Kyzir White 14 PPG)
It’s been a party in the Windy City the moment Roquan Smith stepped onto Solider Field. He’s been an incredible IDP asset and there’s zero reason to think it’ll be stopping anytime soon. Smith now finds himself in the friendly confides of Matt Eberflus’ Cover 2 scheme, which will keep Smith on the field 100% of the time. (Like there was really any doubt to begin with.) Smith has been a tackle monster, notching well over 120 tackles sans his shortened 2019 season. He deliverers 4-6 INTs and sacks a year, but he sadly has never punched a ball out for a forced fumble. Something to maybe keep an eye on is Smith’s run defense. It was absolutely horrendous in 2021 with PFF grading him out with a 30.0 grade. (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a grade so low.) If this turns into a trend, it may be wise to move off of him in the next 1-2 years. For now, he’s locked and loaded as a top 5 LBer.
Jonas Griffith vs Alex Singleton. That is one of the LBer competitions of training camp that will bear fruit for fantasy managers. If Griffith can display the consistency of play that he showed to end 2021, he’ll win the job and potentially become a long-term top 32 option. The 6’4” 260 lbs backer is being lauded for his development, now it’s just a matter of building on his success. A 9er castoff because they were too loaded at ILB to keep him before final cuts, he was traded to the Broncos for a late-round pick swap. In terms of opportunity in this role, it’ll likely be a nearly full-time position. New DC Ejiro Evero stated he will keep the scheme similar to 2021. All this being said, slide Griffith into your starting lineups, y’all. Breakout incoming. *Griffith dislocated his elbow, but is expected back for week 1. The Broncos also signed Schobert for depth, but I’m keeping Griffith as the starter through the season. Kyzir White is poised as a small downgrade for Nic should Jonas miss time or be replaced.
Drue Tranquill seems like he’s received a raw deal. The man was being hyped the fuck up as a starter for the Chargers until he broke his ankle in the first game of the season in 2020. Then Staley came to town and usually only has one startable backer for fantasy. Drue’s snap share fluctuated quite a bit as the season wore on. It was largely a three-man rotation with White, Tranquill and Murray. With White out the picture, there’s hope Drue’s snap share can increase, perhaps to even a near 100% role. He’s certainly in the sleeper tier for me. He could end up as a top 32 option in short order as former 1st round pick Kenneth Murray hasn’t shown any penchant to stay healthy or be any good at football. As it stands, Drue will lead this group in 2022, and could be very fantasy viable. But it’s a tumultuous grasp.
CB: Amani Oruwariye 11 PPG, Tyson Campbell 11 PPG
Amani Oruwariye’s came in pretty clutch for his fantasy owners averaging a solid 12.7 PPG on the back of 6 INTs. That is certain to not be replicated, but he provided 57 total tackles in 15 games. Slated to continue to be a full-time starter, he’s a quality option for fantasy owners to trot out there. He’ll likely be facing the X-receivers more often than not.
Tyson Campbell was an early 2nd round pick for the Jags last year and played mostly every snap he could handle as a full-time starter. He was an average corner, so it could have been worse. He’s a lengthy corner at 6’2” and had no problem racking up the tackles. He’ll certainly be startable moving forward and fingers crossed he can bump up his interceptions past 2.
S: Jamal Adams 18 PPG, Vonn Bell 15 PPG, Jaquan Brisker 15 PPG
Lord have mercy, just blitz this mother fucker. It was all but certain Jamal Adams was going to regress from his historical 9.5 sack season from 2020, but it would have been incredulous to think he would have had zero in 12 games! Even without the big plays, Adams still produced as a top 10 safety. We have to think the sacks will rebound a bit and the tackle numbers will stay sky high in this defense devoid of talent. Even in a down year, Adams returns as my overall S1 with his combination of a high tackle floor and upside for sacks, forced fumbles and interceptions. The Seahawks are going to want to get their money’s worth.
Contract year be dammed, Von Bell is ready to eat. The dude has been an IDP mainstay at the position for almost all of the IFL’s existence. He’s been creeping up the rankings the last couple of seasons, maxing out in 2020 as the S8. Last year’s S12 finish was nothing to scoff at and he’s missed only three games in 6 years due to injury. Bell has that bootylicious box role delux for the Bengals and nothing here suggests anything but a S1 season. Plug and play all year.
Jaquan Brisker landed in an excellent situation for IDP production. The easiest projection is to look at how Khari Willis performed in this defense and that makes Brisker a low-end S1. If Brisker can clone Willis’ role, he’ll be hitting 80 total tackles. Projecting Brisker’s big plays is a bit tougher, but he didn’t produce many outside of 1-2 INTs annually at Penn State. He could find himself as a tackle hog on a team that is devoid of defensive talent. If he has the goods, he could be a quality fantasy safety for a long time. Outside of Nick Cross in Indianapolis, he’ll probably score the highest of any rookie safety in 2022.
Off: Buffalo Bills 15 PPG
PPG: 324
W-L: 10-7
Nic’s gotten a fuckton of shit, but he has a very solid team. It’s easy to make fun of the bad luck he endures because of the breadth of quality starters. Over the last couple of years, Nic opted for quantity over quality strategy, similar to his pal Erik. He does not build his team around the Jonathan Taylor’s (or Najee Harris’) of the world. That’ll always keep him in the playoff conversation, but we’ll see if he can take a step forward this year after a wild card exit. It’s going to be a tougher road than normal in an uber-competitive NFC North.
