Fantasy Football Sleeper Candidates in 2022

This article will explore sleeper candidates in the 2022 fantasy football season. The wealth of information available to fantasy gamers typically means there are no longer true sleepers in a traditional sense. We define a sleeper as a player being drafted late who could greatly out perform their average draft position.

Jun 15, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (28) warms up during minicamp at the ADPRO Sports Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

James Cook- Underdog Average Draft Position 111 (Running Back 38)

James Cook is a rookie running back drafted in round two by the Buffalo Bills. Cook had a productive college career but does not profile as a workhorse back at 5’11”, 199 lbs. At Georgia, Cook shared the backfield with thumper Zamir White and was the lightning to White’s thunder.

The Bills drafted James Cook because they were in the market for a dynamic, third down back. Devin Singletary earned the starting role due to his sensational performance down the stretch of the season. From week 14 on, Singletary scored at least 14.9 fantasy points per game. In some games he was getting 5-9 red zone touches and up to 7 targets in the game. In weeks 17-19 he also scored two touchdowns per game.

Be Bold When Others Are Fearful

Our first reaction to Singletary’s late-season surge may be that this will be trouble for Cook’s production in 2022. Except that James Cook profiles as a better player than Singletary. The Bills paid round 2 draft capital (2.31) for Cook and they intend to use him. If they were simply looking for a pass catching back, there were cheaper targets they could have gone after in the draft such as Kyren Williams and Tyler Badie. Certainly, Singletary will earn the early season touches, but Cook should quickly prove to be the superior talent and win out the starting job.

The main question is if Cook will be fantasy relevant to start the season. The Bills quarterback Josh Allen is not known for checking the ball down to his running backs. Typically, he prefers to use his legs when the play breaks down. As Allen’s game evolves though, the wise option will be to save his body and use the running backs to extend the play. This should provide early season value for Cook as he makes a name for himself on third downs.

James Cook is a great player to target in your 2022 fantasy football drafts. He will start the season in a pass catching role but should evolve into a more complete back as the season goes on. Realistically we would be happy if Cook could secure a 50% share of the backfield earning high caloric touches through the passing game. If there is an injury to Singletary though, Cook could take off in 2022 and be a real difference maker on your fantasy football squad.

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Parris Campbell- Average Draft Position 175 (Wide Receiver 77)

Parris Campbell had a ton of potential when he was drafted in round 2 by the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. The electric Campbell earned his role on the Ohio State roster through his dynamism on special teams. He further showed off his speed at the combine with an impressive 4.31 40 yard dash at 6’0”, 205 LBS.

Campbell broke out at age of 18.1 (99^th percentile) and continued to developed throughout his college career. By his senior season he led the team in receiving with 90 receptions, 1,063 receiver yards and 12 touchdowns. This included out performing former teammate Terry McLaurin who has had a productive NFL career.

Campbell now enters his fourth year in the NFL having only played 15 games due to his injury struggles. He has showed moments of his former glory but none of his games have moved the needle in fantasy.

On to 2022

The addition of Matt Ryan will be a major improvement to this offense. Ryan has proven he can make multiple wide receivers fantasy relevant in a season. In OTA’s Campbell was working as the secondary receiver opposite Michael Pittman and he should get the first crack at playing with the first team offence. We expect Campbell’s primary role to be out of the slot though the coaching staff would be smart to move him around formations.

This will probably be Campbell’s last opportunity to show he can be an impactful NFL player. Campbell will be 25 when the season starts and will have a great opportunity to breakout if he can stay healthy in 2022.