In 2019, San Francisco tight end George Kittle had the most yards after the catch by a non-running back with 602, and although Jimmy Garoppolo was mainly a streaming Fantasy option that season, he finished with career-highs in every major passing category. The following year, Kittle only played eight games and Garoppolo played just six, but neither he nor his replacement, Nick Mullens, averaged more than 13 Fantasy points per game. Yards after the catch can be a stat that will help you make tough calls when setting your 2022 Fantasy football rankings.
Deebo Samuel finished 2020 as the 49ers‘ leader in YAC, but was still more than 200 yards shy of Kittle’s 2019 total. Watching out for players who could end the year among the 2022 Fantasy football busts is crucial to success. So as you begin your 2022 Fantasy football draft prep, be sure to check out the 2022 Fantasy football cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, SportsLine’s model accurately predicted that Titans wide receiver Julio Jones was being dramatically overvalued. He was being drafted around in the fifth round on average, but SportsLine predicted he wasn’t even close to being one of the top 20 wide receivers. Jones wound up turning in an incredibly disappointing stat line, catching 31 passes for 434 yards and one touchdown.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, also identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020 and JuJu Smith-Schuster as Fantasy football bust last season. It also nailed Jonathan Taylor’s big season and was all over Jaylen Waddle to outperform his Fantasy football ADP. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections update multiple times daily, so you’re always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2022, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2022 Fantasy football busts
One of the 2022 Fantasy football busts the model is predicting: Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Over the course of his six-year NFL career, Elliott has never produced fewer than 1,252 scrimmage yards or eight total touchdowns in a season. That consistency is a big reason why he’s coming off the board in the middle of the third round on average according to the 2022 Fantasy football ADP.
However, Elliott has only averaged 4.1 yards per carry and 6.3 yards per reception over the last two seasons after averaging 4.6 yards per tote and 8.6 yards per catch his first four seasons. Elliott’s 4.5 yards per touch ranked 35th among NFL running backs in 2021, while his 2.5 percent breakaway run rate (runs of 15 yards or more) was 45th. With Tony Pollard eating into his touches over the last two years, the model predicts he finishes outside the top 30 running backs in 2022.
Another bust that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2022 have identified: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Fantasy players considering Burrow must not only be concerned about a potential hangover in 2022 after losing the Super Bowl, but also regression from some of Cincinnati’s biggest playmakers. Rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase finished third in the NFL in yards after catch with 651 for the season, and much of that had to do with his eight broken tackles.
This year, Chase isn’t taking anyone by surprise, and Cincinnati’s opponents had an entire offseason to figure out ways to bottle him up. Burrow was sacked more than any other quarterback in the league (51 in 2021), prompting the team to make wholesale changes to its offensive line with the expectation of getting more out of the rushing attack as well. With better offensive balance in 2022 and likely regression in unexpected explosive plays, the model predicts that Burrow will finish outside of the top 12 Fantasy quarterbacks this year.
How to find proven 2022 Fantasy football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely low on a running back coming off the board in the third or fourth round on average of 2022 Fantasy football drafts. The model ranks him outside its top 24 running backs for 2022 and expects him to see major regression after a breakout season in 2021. You can only see who it is, and the 2022 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2022 Fantasy Football breakouts should you be targeting? And which RB will fail to live up to expectations in 2022? Visit SportsLine now to get 2022 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that told you to avoid Julio Jones in 2021, and find out.
