There are difference-makers on defense here, too. Tristan H. Cockcroft: Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars Jan 26, 2022 Free agency and the draft are now on the minds of every NFL team except the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams the final four vying for the Lombardi Trophy. The Jaguars hope the addition of Travon Walker will have the same impact on Allen. Yes, the offense could be gross if Jacoby Brissett is the quarterback, but David Njoku can still ascend this season. "It's not a structural problem. No other player comes with as much fantasy nerve to draft than Saquon Barkley. -- Eric Moody, Coach Mike Tomlin has not had a losing season in 15 years with the Steelers. Every year, Garoppolo leads or is top-three in passing yards that come after the catch, meaning he makes quick, short throws and the receivers then get to work. 2 target for Josh Allen and the Bills from the start. -- Matt Bowen, This offseason, the Ravens improved their offensive line to further protect Jackson and solidify their running game. Brown and Antonio Brown. -- Mike Reiss, Injuries have limited him for stretches over his seven-year career, but he hasn't missed a practice in camp while developing a quick rapport with Jones. Pete Carroll raved about his improved pass-protection, describing him as a three-down back. When asked recently about the pecking order behind Lazard, Rodgers said: "There's definitely some guys that you feel really good about. In fantasy football and the NFL, year three is typically when we see players break out. Los Angeles starts with one of its toughest tests of the season on the same night it will unveil the Super Bowl LVI banner: Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers held onto quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but Shanahan will win Coach of the Year because of the development of his replacement, Trey Lance. Ultimately, if Hunt wants a big contract next offseason, either from the Browns or another team, he'll need to produce this season while staying relatively healthy. "There was a volume to the offense that can become overwhelming to a rookie, and he's not dealing with that, so he's able to go out and play fast," offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said about Palmer. He fell to a position where he could easily lead all rookies in touches. I am not talking about drafting the WR36 and they finish as the WR31. Hes the quintessential post-hype choice, but can we still project RB1 upside? touchdowns in 15 games and is one to watch in the years ahead as a potential breakout star . -- Holder, Fantasy breakout candidate: Mo Alie-Cox, TE, The Colts signed Alie-Cox to a three-year deal worth $18 million ($8.2 million guaranteed). Mike Clay: Allen Robinson II, Los Angeles Rams Which QB or TE has the best shot of having a breakout year in 2022 and why? 1 receiver after playing as the No. The Broncos not only brought in Russell Wilson to bolster the pass game; they also re-signed Melvin Gordon III. -- Getzenberg, Fantasy breakout candidate: WR Gabe Davis, With more anticipated volume in one of the league's top offenses, Davis has serious breakout potential as a No. Darrisaw looked comfortable and appears to be the least of the concerns along the Vikings' offensive line. Aaron Rodgers leads list of players on the fantasy football hot seat for 2023, Fantasy football season recap, key stats and look ahead to 2023, Fantasy football 2023 offensive depth charts, Fantasy football 2023 defensive depth charts, 2022 fantasy football draft kit: Rankings, cheat sheets, mock drafts, sleepers and analysis, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The season will be a success if Ryan Tannehill reverts back to the QB who was one of the league's best comeback players in 2019. Gabriel Davis (WR BUF) There are two big reasons for this. -- Archer, Fantasy breakout candidate: Tony Pollard, RB, The efficient Pollard enters his fourth campaign with a chance to push Elliott for a larger share of touches and perhaps his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Last year, Njoku was 11th in yards per route run, fifth in yards after the catch per reception and seventh in slot yards per route run (per PFF). The Lawrence breakout is coming; its just a matter of when. But Robinson has been one of the NFL's most talented receivers for nearly a decade, and now we finally get to see him with a top quarterback and offense that has done wonders for other veteran receivers. Let's get started with the Arizona Cardinals and go in alphabetical order: Jump to a team: Keith Lipscomb: Trevor Lawrence Another big season for Simmons should lead to a multiyear deal worth more than $100 million total. The Niners won't ask Trey Lance to be the focal point of a team with championship aspirations. Eric Moody: Chris Olave Stretch the seams, work the outside matchups and win in the red zone. When Jackson threw a career-worst 13 interceptions last season, he received lackluster protection from his blockers up front. And the best part? Bust: A player who is highly regarded and will underperform his ADP in 2022. -- Jamison Hensley, The most important comeback for Baltimore is Stanley, who was a first-team All-Pro left tackle in his last full season in 2019. In 2021, 95% of his rushing yards came after contact the highest mark in the NFL. He broke a finger again this summer, continuing a troubling injury trend. In fact, he has 24 TD catches over the past two seasons and is fully healthy heading into 2022. Many did foresee Hurts' (who finished sixth in fantasy. Even if Bakhtiari is able to get back on the field, is he still the All-Pro left tackle he had been before the injury? If it's Pitts, then yes. Yeah, you know all about quarterback Derek Carr's many options on offense, starting with new wide receiver Davante Adams, continuing with slot receiver Hunter Renfrow and moving through tight end Waller and running back Josh Jacobs. I like his chances to exceed draft value more than tight end Irv Smith Jr., who has been dealing with a thumb injury. 2022 Top 12 fantasy football rookies. 1 seed. Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros), Miles Sanders (RB PHI) At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Collins thrives in contested situations, dominating on the outside and in the red zone. Pierce's vision, along with his explosiveness to power through defenders, is eye-popping. Mac Jones led all rookie QBs in completion percentage (68%) against the fifth-most-difficult schedule against the pass. The first and most obvious is. But he also is in a crowded Cleveland backfield led by Pro Bowl rusher Nick Chubb. Dameon Pierce was not a favorite of mine entering the draft, but that quickly changed when he went to Houston. There will be few games this season in which the Bears won't be underdogs. Without one or both of them, however, the line is a major question. -- Bowen. Look for Penny and Walker to lead a rushing attack that posts over 2,500 yards. Tristan H. Cockcroft: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens -- Brady Henderson, The rookie is trying to make it back by Week 1 following a mid-August hernia procedure. However, Herbert helped produce one of the NFL's top offenses in 2021, and after significant shortcomings on defense, the Bolts invested significant resources on that side of the ball. -- Terrell, Fantasy breakout candidate: Chris Olave, WR, Temper expectations for all of the Saints' pass-catchers since Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Olave and Jarvis Landry will have to share the pie. -- Seifert, Most important discovery at camp: Christian Darrisaw, OT, The left tackle appears to have taken a big step since his rookie season, a huge development at such an important position. He had a strong preseason, and in this offense, everyone else has already broken out. They will need it in a division that includes Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Stefon Diggs. Those are the two quickest ways to rack up fantasy points in chunks. If there is a player that fits the idea of breakout, you cannot avoid the glaringly obvious choice of Jerry Jeudy of the Broncos. Olave is an especially good choice in dynasty formats. He's also a deft pass-catcher who connected with former college teammate and current Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence on 95 passes for 1,083 yards and seven receiving TDs from 2018 to 2020. Steven Pintado (The Fantasy Coaches), Saquon Barkley (RB NYG) -- Matt Bowen, It's a rebuilding season. Bears' Justin Fields discusses electric 2022 campaign, No. Hamler figures to break out to some degree in his third season. The success of the line hinges on Stanley, who was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 26. He has overhauled his staff to add more experience and strengthened the overall roster. No more excuses. Daniel Dopp: Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears New league weeks start every Thursday with TNF kickoff. The 2021 NFL Draft class looks poised to go down as an all-timer, and that's based solely on those who hit the ground running as rookies, namely Ja'Marr Chase and Micah Parsons, among others.There's still a good number of players who had ho-hum rookie seasons but look poised to be impact players in 2022. He looked as quick and smooth as he ever has this summer, and with left tackle Tyron Smith's injury, the Cowboys will lean on the run. I haven't bought in on this team under Rhule despite the addition of Mayfield and McCaffrey returning to the field. The 2022 NFL season kicks off Thursday night, . Chase Edmonds is going to be a big beneficiary of Hill and Waddle. In McDaniels' schemed pass game, Carr will be set up to attack open coverage voids and cut it loose on deep ball throws. Gardner-Johnson, there's no question about him starting outside Marshon Lattimore. After attending every training camp practice and watching every preseason game, here are last-minute tips for players you could select in your draft. Eric Karabell: Travis Etienne Jr. He did that playing in a limited role behind Emmanuel Sanders for much of the year. Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros), Gabriel Davis screams breakout season for the 2022 year. Joe Kaiser: Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears Another rocky season will spark speculation about finding a replacement in the QB-rich 2023 draft. Tannehill has 13 game-winning drives since joining the Titans in 2019, one behind Derek Carr for the most over that span, including the playoffs. The 6-2, 210-pound third-year receiver will now be one of the starters in the Bills' high passing offense. Projecting the futures of Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and other Vikings veterans. The defensive backs always looked like the best group on the roster, but a strong preseason from Darren Hall, slated to be the top backup at outside corner, and the emergence of Dee Alford, who can play inside or outside likely as a reserve, offers Atlanta more depth behind starters A.J. He has been explosive and fast and will be deployed on backfield releases, screens and flex from the formation to create favorable matchups. If Elliott lights it up, the Cowboys could look to rework his contract similarly to what they did with DeMarcus Lawrence this offseason. The starting five had only 21 game reps together in the preseason, and it didn't look good. Stephania Bell: Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers However, after the bye week in Week 6, Moore was on fire. -- Bowen. Which RB has the best shot of having a breakout year in 2022 and why? -- Keim. It signaled as much for guys like Zach Ertz and Dawson Knox, who scored fewer points than expected in 2020 before contributing in fantasy this past year. Marcas Grant and Michael F. Florio are back for a new edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast from the Fantasy Lounge! Neither is likely to happen at this point. With the pocket poise and mechanics to produce in coach Arthur Smith's offense, the rookie out of Cincinnati gets the nod much earlier than expected. His return, along with guard Elgton Jenkins coming back from a torn left ACL, could solidify the offensive line. Our panel comprises the following ESPN Fantasy writers and editors: Stephania. Hurst is out to show he can be a quality starter in the league and could be a key player for a Bengals team looking to field one of the best offenses in the NFL. Tristan H. Cockcroft: Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers Our NFL Nation reporters have you covered with intel and projections on all 32 teams ahead of kickoff. Unlike Hurts, who had a rookie head coach and unproven supporting cast, Lance will have one of the best play-callers in the league, along with a very talented cast around him. -- Bowen, A first-round pick from a year ago, Oweh was the Ravens' best defensive player in training camp, using his quickness to repeatedly get into the backfield. They do have home games against the Falcons, Giants and Jets, but overall, it's too tough of a schedule to envision seven-plus wins. Gainwell could be open underneath a lot as teams try to keep up with the Eagles' top weapons. -- Archer, Smith is out until at least early December because of surgery to reattach his left hamstring to his knee. -- Eric Karabell, The win total will be close, but the Broncos feel like a wild-card team. -- Liz Loza, Jacksonville had the worst record in the league last season with three wins. Jeudy is one of those wide receivers coming into 2022 worth chancing a reach for. The Saints have the ability to push the ball down the field with a healthy Jameis Winston at quarterback. When Lamar Jackson was the NFL MVP in 2019, he played behind one of the league's best offensive lines. -- Cronin, The Bears' top draft pick is in line to start at nickel corner in Week 1. -- Baby, The Bengals' third-year wide receiver will be up for a contract extension in 2023. 1. -- Legwold, Fantasy breakout candidate: KJ Hamler, WR, Hamler is a true downfield threat who is back to health after an ACL tear in his left knee. Most important discovery at camp: Saquon Barkley is back. -- Cimini, Fantasy breakout candidate: Elijah Moore, WR, Lots of intriguing candidates on the Jets with rookies Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Yes, Burrow is emerging as one of the league's top quarterbacks, but that has yet to translate to the high-end QB1 fantasy output that his ADP suggests. Penny's long injury history and the presumed plan to not overwork him means Walker should get plenty of touches once he's back. The season will be a success if the Bills win the Super Bowl. But after an impressive training camp, watch for Palmer to play an increased role and become more of a sought-after target by quarterback Justin Herbert. -- Barshop, Fantasy breakout candidate: Allen Robinson II, WR, Last season's plummet in Chicago was disturbing, and he just turned 29. Be prepared to jump a round or three to go get him. -- Alaina Getzenberg, The 2019 All-Pro corner is making his way back from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered on Thanksgiving. -- Gutierrez, Fantasy breakout candidate: Derek Carr, QB, Despite his previous reputation as a checkdown king, Carr recorded 142 deep-ball attempts over the past two seasons. Football is won in the trenches, and the Eagles' offensive and defensive lines are among the best in the league. Best of all, Penny showed that there are no long-lasting affects from his knee injury that sidelined him for so long. From our Start/Sit Assistant which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections to our Trade Analyzer which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent weve got you covered this fantasy football season. But he is also likely to lose passing snaps to Gainwell, who is a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. Bateman has an excellent chance to finish as a top-20 fantasy receiver and could potentially finish in WR1 range. That could mean massive volume on a team that is expected to trail often. By Tommy Garrett June 1, 2022 Jump Around This Article Click to show Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros), Rashod Bateman is ready to step into the full-time X receiver role in the Baltimore offense. -- Eric Moody, The Buccaneers are tied for the highest win total after going 13-4 last season. When he's rushing right, as he did in the second half of 2020, Young is a dynamic defensive playmaker, but one who needs to mature as a pass-rusher. If the offensive line can correct the array of mistakes on display in the preseason and give Najee Harris room to run -- along with protecting the quarterback -- the Steelers will do enough offensively to support a stacked defense. In his first year, he backed up Carson Wentz and took over the QB1 role to end the year. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques, Jones began training camp on the PUP list after offseason Achilles surgery and missed the entire preseason. Daniel Dopp: Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders General manager Howie Roseman went all-in this offseason, adding impact players on both sides of the ball. He and Davis Mills spent much of the summer working out together and further developing the chemistry that started to build last winter. Liz Loza: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers The season will be a success if the Rams win the Super Bowl. 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