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Drafting Rookies in 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts

Fantasy Football managers are drafting a number of rookies with high draft capital in 2022 drafts. There have been major hits in recent years with rookies such as Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. There has also been busts like N’Keal Harry and Jalen Reagor. This article will explore the top rookies being draft in 2022 and tell you which ones you should target and others to avoid for your fantasy football teams.

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Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC wide receiver Drake London with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the eighth overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Drake London, Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons- Average Best Ball Draft Position 68 (WR33)

Drake London is a curious case at his ADP in Fantasy Football drafts. There are lot of boxes he checks when evaluating the types of wide receivers we want on our teams. Atlanta has is very little target competition, he was hyper productive in college, 88-1,084-7 in only 8 games last year. London was also the first wide receiver drafted in the 2022. He has been given a full bill of health and is cleared to practice following the ankle surgery in October 2021. Despite these things, London still poses a lot of risk at his current ADP.

The most looming question for London is if his quarterback will be able to distribute the ball. The Falcons signed veteran Marcus Mariota and also drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round in this year’s draft. Mariota of course flamed out as the starter in Tennessee but did show impressive moments when he stepped in for relief of Derek Carr in 2021. The issue with Mariota has always been consistency. Ridder on the other hand may be considered pro-ready by some, but he has a long way to go to be a serviceable NFL quarterback that we can trust.

The Burden of being a Falcon

The Atlanta Falcons are also not expected to be very good this year. In 2021 the Falcons ranked 11th in pass attempts but we should expect that volume to scale way back. The running back position doesn’t pose a great threat. Cordarrelle Patterson impressed last year but he faded down the stretch. Rookie Tyler Allgeier was an excellent college running back but is the quintessential average NFL running back. Defenses will have no fear protecting against the run and will dare the Falcons to throw.

London had an impressive 19 contested catches in 2021 and 22 missed tackles forced. He is going to be tested in his rookie season to produce in very unfavorable circumstances. London’s talent cannot be denied but he is a risky bet to pay off his high draft cost. Fantasy Managers would be well advised to look at other players in his range including Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jalen Hurts at quarterback.

Breece Hall, Running Back New York Jets- ADP 48 (RB19)

Breece Hall is an electric all-purpose back who the Jets drafted as the first Running Back off the board in the 2022 NFL draft. Player comparisons based on his athletic profile and college production include impressive names such as Jonathan Taylor, Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson. It’s not surprising that Fantasy Football managers are gushing at the upside Hall presents.

Fantasy managers should be prepared for an up and down start with Breece Hall. The Jets have said they plan to use Hall and sophomore running back Michael Carter in a one-two punch tandem. The Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is also pro “running back by committee” and will surely want to utilize the productive Carter while Hall learns to become an NFL professional. Breece Hall is being drafted at a fair ADP but Fantasy Managers need to have the right expectations, especially early in the season. David Montgomery is being drafted in the same range as Hall and may be a safer bet for fantasy production early in the season.

Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver Tennessee Titans- ADP 76 (WR38)

Treylon Burks was compared by many to AJ Brown prior to being drafted by Brown’s former team, the Titans. Brown was a player who proved to be very efficient in the face of low volume and was still productive in fantasy despite being on a run-first team. Burks on the other hand won in college as a player coaches could be creative with and move around formations. They schemed to get the ball in his hands so he could use his athleticism in the open field as demonstrated by his astounding 9.3 yards after the catch per reception. The Titans have not demonstrated the offensive creativity we would like to see to play to Burks’ strengths which creates uncertainty to his fantasy production in 2022.

Offseason Woes

Burks has also been dealing with a challenging offseason. His conditioning has been questioned and he was dropping passes in practice. It came out that Burks has asthma which on its own is not an issue except he will also be unavailable for Titans minicamp. As a strong prospect, these reports feel similar to when Ja’Marr Chase was having issues catching the ball in his rookie off-season program. Burks missing time means he will miss valuable reps with his team and should not be ignored.

All of these factors make Burks risky and not someone we want to start in the first few weeks of the season until we have seen him produce. If he was being drafted in rounds 9+, it would not be a concern as a high-upside bench player. His round 7 ADP is a high cost when you can look elsewhere and get a high-end quarterback such as Russell Wilson or Tom Brady.

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Honorable Mentions

Ken Walker, Running Back Seattle Seahawks- Average Best Ball Draft Position 89 (RB29)

Ken Walker is an elite running back talent that landed on a horrible team in the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks run-first mentality might at first seem like a solid landing spot for Walker, but it could also be the death nail. They currently don’t have a competent starting NFL quarterback on their team. Thus defenses will not be shy to stack the box against Walker. The Seahawks are likely to be in catch-up mode in many games which doesn’t match Walker’s skillset as he didn’t show a strong ability to catch passes in college. Walker doesn’t come with a high price tag but being on a bad team will limit his touchdown upside. We can’t bank on fantasy points through the air which makes him a risky bet at ADP.

Skyy Moore, Wide Receiver Kansas City Chiefs- ADP 89 (WR43)

It was frustrating to see Skyy Moore passed up in the NFL draft by lesser wide receiver talents. This included players such as Tyquan Thornton, Alec Pierce and John Metchie. Like many things in life though, good things come to those who wait. Moore landed in the dream scenario playing along side Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs. The Chiefs of course traded away Tyreek Hill this offseason but brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Smith-Schuster is certain to have a role but Valdes-Scantling hasn’t proven himself to be more than a wide receiver that can stretch the field. Moore has the ability to play the X in an offense but can also play slot when called upon. Moore is a great value at his ADP and is someone to target in your fantasy drafts.

Chris Olave, Wide Receiver New Orleans Saints- ADP 99 (WR48)

Chris Olave is our favorite rookie wide receiver to target in our drafts. Olave is a crisp route runner who can quickly turn into a quarterback’s best friend. The Saints also signed Jarvis Landry this offseason who will be a great mentor for Olave. Michael Thomas is apparently still rehabbing his ankle and hasn’t played in snap since week 14 in 2020. Olave will walk into the season as a started with a defined role in week 1. He is practically free in drafts relative to his potential upside. Olave will be a PPR machine and a weekly flex option for Fantasy Managers in 2022.

Follow Shane on Twitter @theflexnetwork1

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