Coach: Sean McDermott 7 PPG
QB: Dak Prescott 31 PPG
Dak keeps floating under the radar as a potential elite option as a fantasy QB. Granted, his rushing ability needs to return after his debilitating dislocated ankle from 2020, but it’s very possible that can rebound with another year removed. If the Cowboys are to truly be competitive, Prescott is going to be the one to elevate this team. There have been flashes of greatness and it’s clear he can lead this team to a championship if the coaching staff wasn’t led by a lying buffoon. Dak’s 5,000 passing yard upside is in question with a receiving corps that is relaying on unproven weapons. CeeDee will be tasked with taking a major step forward, Michael Gallup is coming back from a torn ACL and Jalen Tolbert is a day 2 rookie from a rando Alabama school. Dak is a top 8 QB option and could enter elite territory again in the right climate.
RB/WR/TE: George Kittle 21 PPG, David Montgomery 20 PPG, Javonte Williams 19 PPG, Mike Evans 18 PPG, TJ Hockenson 18 PPG 6th men: Darren Waller 17 PPG, JK Dobbins 17 PPG, Clyde Edwards-Helaire 16 PPG, David Njoku 14 PPG
George Kittle is an absolute animal. Many people consider him the most complete tight end in the NFL. The last couple of years hasn’t been what you’d come to expect from him, as he’s missed significant time. 2019 was really his last great season, posting over 300 points despite again missing two games. Priority number one for the 28-year-old need to be his health. His fantasy owners would welcome 17 games of production. We also have yet to see what his chemistry will look like with incoming starter Trey Lance, who is a questionable talent at best. It’s very possible the offense skews even more run-heavy if the passing game struggles with Lance under center. That being said, that’s far from a guarantee and Kittle’s TD production should finally eclipse his pathetic career-high of 6 from 2021. He’s a fantastic top 32 option, with week winning upside of a ceiling of 50+.
David Montgomery hasn’t received critical acclaim at any point in his career, but I doubt his GMs will complain about his production when he’s been healthy. He’s been the belle of the 2019 running back ball, outshining Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders and Darrell Henderson. Monty appears to have quickly gained the favor of the new coaching staff and is expected to lead the running back room again. Khalil Herbert proved to be a quality starter in his own right, however, posting a higher yards before contact average than Monty, but clocking in a tad shy in the yards after contact. The Bears have undergone a coaching change, bringing in Packers’ acolyte Luke Getsy. If Getsy follows the LaFleur philosophy a timeshare is certainly in the cards. How much Herbert is involved is anyone’s guess, but I don’t think Monty will receive 75% of the snap share anymore. A slight regression is likely incoming.
It was shower cry central for Javonte Williams owners when Melvin Gordon resigned with the Broncos. Yes, Williams is talented, but that’s only part of the equation with elite running back assets. At least for now, Javonte just won’t have that opportunity to enter the elite tier of backs. That’s not to say he won’t be a quality asset at 19 PPG, as it’s clear the Broncos are going to utilize him for 200+ carries. Outside of the timeshare with Gordon, the most positive takeaway from JW was his 51 targets in the passing game. That points to a dual-threat running back that could have RB1 appeal should he ever be featured as such. For now, Williams is a solid #3 on a playoff team and progress a bit with additional opportunity. Fingers crossed he can be utilized in the red zone a over Melvin, who was the preferred inside the 20 weapon under the old coaching staff.
Future Hall of Famer Mike Evans is an ideal #5 starter for a championship caliber offense. Yes, he doesn’t necessarily have the upside of the elite wide receivers because of the offense he plays in, but he’s virtually guaranteed to provide around 1,000 yards and 8-12 TDs. The dude has been a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver every year of his 8-year career, so why would we expect any different in what will likely be Brady’s swan song? As you probably heard, Evans exceeded 1,000 receiving yards from 2014-2020, but just missed the mark by 54 yards in 2021. Don’t let that number fool you, as he still provided a quality season, which included a robust 12 TD number that kept fantasy owners content. He delivered on his 18 redzone targets with 7 TDs, but we’d like that number to go up. It’s a safe and simple projection for Evans. There isn’t any reason to reinvent the wheel. 18 PPG for 2022.
Coming out of Iowa, TJ Hockenson was regarded as one of the best TEs to come out of college in recent history. Now overshadowed by Kyle Pitts, Hock is a bit of an afterthought, but his GMs haven’t forgotten his TE6 finish in PPG. He is exactly what GMs look for when it comes to an elite TE for our league. The opportunity is there, ranking 5th in the NFL in targets per game with 7.0. Really the only thing holding Hock back from going supernova is actually scoring the football, which the Lions just seem to be complete shit at. In what should surprise no one, they ranked 25th in the NFL at 19.1 per game. That resulted in their OC Anthony Lynn moving onto the 9ers, while new OC Ben Johnson is expected to progress the offense forward. With their litany of weapons at their disposal, expect Hock’s target numbers to stay stagnant even with newcomer Jameson Williams in the fold.
PK: Dustin Hopkins 9 PPG
PN: Cam Johnston 11 PPG
DT: Dexter Lawrence 10 PPG
Nose tackle delux Dexter Lawrence isn’t exactly a big-time fantasy DT, but he’s been able to get the job done as a low-end top 16 option. In recent years, Lawrence has produced 50 total tackles and 2.5-4 sacks. Now under a new scheme, I have serious questions he will continue to be fantasy relevant. Wink Martindale is running the defense, bringing his scheme from Baltimore. Nose tackles have been useless for fantasy purposes in Baltimore and trusting Dexter to be anything outside of a bye-week filler is asking for trouble. I expect a Justin Madubuike-type season at 10 PPG.
DE: Chandler Jones 16 PPG, Maxx Crosby 15 PPG
Chandler Jones has been an IDP stud muffin delux for over a decade. The man has posted double-digit sacks six of his ten total years in the league. That being said, last year was a bit of a wild ride. Jones scored an incredible 71 points in week 1, and then only topped 17 points one more time all year. He just missed the double-digit sack mark by .5 and also missed two games. He finished 16th in pressures and with the position change to EDGE incoming, he’ll likely progress his PPG a notch or two. Jones is now 32, but he should still have a year or two left of relevancy. Start him with confidence opposite of Maxx Crosby as a championship contending EDGE2.
Maxx Crosby is one of those players that loves to pressure the quarterback, but can’t seem to clean up with sacks. Crosby was a middle-of-the-road DE2 last year, averaging 12.6 PPG. His top 10 pressure rate points to progression into the double-digit sack territory again. He’s not a high tackle guy, holding himself back from likely ever reaching elite heights. 15 PPG is nothing to sneeze at and will slide right into the Shaq Barrett territory once the sack numbers catch up again.
LB: Micah Parsons 19 PPG, Shaq Thompson 18 PPG, Myles Jack 15 PPG, Bobby Okereke 15 PPG
Alrighty, it’s time for some Micah Parsons action. We arguably witnessed one of the most special seasons from a rookie defensive player. Not necessarily from an IDP perspective, but because of the dual threat traits Parsons possesses as a MIKE backer and pass rusher. His alignment was game-to-game-specific. Sometimes, he would split time, but often, he would be tasked with playing in the box for the vast majority of the snaps or vice versa. This correlated, naturally, with Demarcus Lawrence missing time. Heading into 2022, DLaw will be back and full throttle, but there is no longer a Randy Gregory talent playing opposite him. There has been chatter about Parsons keeping up his sack pace from last year and would be shocked if his DLine snaps went away. He somehow ranked 4th in total pressures when the majority of his snaps came from a ILLB alignment. I’m really hesitant to just call it a day and regress Parsons down 4-5 PPG. That just feels foolish. If I had to guess, I don’t think his role is defined and could very well fluctuate week to week. What happens if Jabril Cox balls out in training camp? Or if Sam Williams is the second coming of Demarcus Lawrence? There are factors out of Parsons’ control that could dictate where to move this chess piece. For now, I’m predicting a slight regression, but he’s staying as a 300-point backer.
Sometimes like fine wine, linebackers get better with age. Or a change in opportunity. Or both! All is true with Shaq Thompson, who is the leader of this new-age Panthers defense. Long gone are Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly, who dominated opportunity early in his career. A former 1st-round pick, Thompson was high on potential, but low on results. That began to change, but it still took some time for him to develop. Last year saw his PPG increase to low-end LB1 heights, which is finally what GMs have been starving for. Now at 28, Thompson is still in his prime. He is a superb LB2 for a championship contending team.
The Myles Jack projection boils down to if I think he’s good. Alas, it does not appear so. I’m not sure he’s ever scored well by PFF’s standards and he was abysmal last year with a 37.7 overall grade. Jettisoned to Pittsburgh, which has been a wasteland for fantasy and real-life linebackers since Ryan Shazier. Jack’s fantasy potential could be 120 total tackles, but there is no guarantee he will be a full-time player. They didn’t use any linebacker 100% of the time, but both Bush and Schobert were near full-time players. Jack should slide right into Schobert’s old role, which should equate to over 100 tackles and if we’re lucky some big plays to boot. Fingers crossed he can be a top 32 option on opportunity alone.
There have been some concerns thrown around that Gus Bradley’s new scheme won’t produce two elite fantasy startable linebackers. Recently Tom Kislingbury released a particularly damming stat about linebackers under Bradley’s tutelage. In coach Bradley’s 13 years as DC or HC he’s overseen a 1,000-snap LB just four times – once in 2010, once in 2013 and twice in 2016. There was no concern brought onto Darius Leonard, but there is speculation Okereke’s playing time may be drawn back. Bobby produced at a 17 PPG clip playing a high volume of snaps, but it’s wise to probably expect a bit of a dip in production. That does not mean he’s chopped liver. Just expect a low-end LB2 versus a top 20 option.
CB: James Bradberry 11 PPG, N/A 9 PPG (Maybe Coby Bryant, but Artie Burns appears to be the starter)
James Bradberry was released from the Giants and joined their division rival Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles needed him too as they are known for their notorious sketchy secondary play. Bradberry isn’t my first choice as a fantasy corner but has delivered numerous quality IDP seasons when in Carolina. His play took a step forward in New York and his tackles subsequently declined. It’s all about the tackles here and if he can bump those back up over 50, his well above-average PDs could result in another top 16 season.
S: Jordan Poyer 16 PPG, Jordan Whitehead 15 PPG
It’s fucking clockwork for Jordan Poyer. I could copy/paste the last few years of blurbs about him and the same message would ring true. He’s a high tackle stud muffin delux who has S1 upside. Last year’s tackle numbers took a step back, but he still delivered an ample amount of big plays, including 5 INTs. Slide JP into your S1 slot and be content with your top 5 option. *After an elbow injury, Poyer is questionable for week 1. He’ll likely be back, but notable nonetheless.
Jordan Whitehead left the championship contending confides of Tampa Bay to chase a payday in East Rutherford. As a Buccaneer lover, I can verify the Jets are getting a gamer. While Whitfield was receiving the headlines in the secondary, Whitehead was the hard-hitting enforcer that terrified defenders across the middle of the field. He was a near full-time player with the Bucs last year, but will most certainly be tasked with 100% snap share after receiving a 2-year, $14.5 million contract. Whitehead could be a top 10 option if he can stay healthy. That’s a big if with his hard-hitting ways, but you’ll see him on highlight reels if the Jets are competitive.
Off: Arizona Cardinals 14 PPG
PPG: 327
W-L: 10-7
Brian’s rough start to 2021 saw him pack it in early, as he put an emphasis on building a juggernaut for 2022. This rendition of Dallas’ squad boasts some quality talent and depth on the offensive end, particularly at tight end. Waller, Hockenson and Kittle form the strongest trio of tight ends in the IFL and his running back room could also all outshine their projections if the cards fall the right way. There is some fine-tuning needed with this roster, but the important pieces are here for a championship run. There’s no question Brian knows what he’s doing and it’s not wise to sleep on this former NFC winner. He’ll likely be in the thick of it when the games start to really matter.
