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The 2022 Vikings Backfield Breakdown is part of an offseason series in which I take a deep dive into one NFL team’s backfield and examine the respective rushing performances of the players in it.

Marquise Brown and Kenny Golladay fooled about every fantasy football manager in 2021. For the sake of being honest with ourselves and trying to improve our process, we’re taking a look at these two receivers – one stud and one dud – to determine what went wrong.

The tight end spot is one of the more polarizing and less predictable positions in fantasy football. Some fantasy players target elite TEs and make them the centerpiece of the draft plan. Others use the early or late rule- either taking a top-three tight end or waiting for whatever arbitrary number they choose to follow for their contingency plan (such as TE18 or below). Some punt the position and draft a late option.

Najee checks all of the boxes in order to qualify as a contender for the RB1 crown. First, his 91st-percentile speed score (110.2) qualifies him as having an elite trait. Secondly, Najee has proven to be dominant in both the NFL and in college. Last season, Najee posted a dominator rating of 30.1-percent, which ranked him No. 5 in the NFL amongst running backs. Thirdly, Najee has multiple paths to fantasy points- both in the rushing and receiving game.

Only the New York Jets ran the ball fewer times than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did last season. Tampa finished almost 70 rushing attempts below league-average. The year prior, they had the fourth-fewest attempts in the league. They smartly took advantage of the arm of Tom Brady in his two seasons with the team.

Everyone wants the new, flashy thing. It could be a car or a gaming console. It could also be young, rising NFL player looking to make a name for themselves for their fantasy teams. Sometimes, old reliable can get the job done, and that’s the case with these five players.

Bateman began his rookie year injured and hardly played with Lamar Jackson, leading to 515 receiving yards and 8.6 (No. 53) Fantasy Points Per Game in 12 games. Now, he will be the No. 2 receiving option behind Mark Andrews heading into the season. Bateman was used as a possession receiver, constantly gaining first downs, and boasting a 63.6-percent (No. 5 among qualifying receivers) Contested Catch Rate. His 82nd-percentile arm length will continue to help him be a consistent target for Jackson on the outside. Now the Ravens’ WR1, expect Bateman to see an increase from a 15.8-percent (No. 61) Target Share to a Target Share in the 20s, and his red zone opportunities will come with that volume.

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve had a disappointing season from one of your fantasy players that you either drafted early or paid handsomely for in a trade. For me, after not being able to get my hands on Christian McCaffrey for three years I finally received the 1.01 in one of my redraft leagues in 2020. Of course, once I finally got him, he battled injuries all year and only played in three games. An example from last year would be Robert Tonyan who was drafted as TE8 on average. He only played in eight games, and only two of those were double-digit performances. In no particular order, here are five tight ends to avoid as they have some valid red flags that may lead to disappointment in 2022.

Stefon Diggs has had back-to-back seasons of 160+ targets and 100+ catches. Back-to-back seasons with 1,225+ yards and 8+ touchdowns. His quarterback is Josh Allen and he plays in one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the NFL. The lack of target competition in Buffalo, combined with his role in the Bills’ offense will result in Stefon Diggs being this year’s No. 1 fantasy receiver.

If you’re reading this I’m sure you’ve had a disappointing season from one of your fantasy players that you either drafted early or paid handsomely for in a trade. For me, after not being able to get my hands on Christian McCaffrey for three years I finally received the 1.01 in one of my redraft leagues in 2020. Of course, once I finally got him he battled injuries all year and only played in 3 games. Another example would be Trey Lance in 2021 who was drafted over Jimmy Garoppolo in most leagues and expected to at least start at some point.