NFL

It’s officially March Madness, NFL Style! On March 14th, we saw a two-day window open where teams could contact players. And we instantly saw fireworks with monumental contracts firing off left and right. We wanted to take a closer look at the free agency acquisitions that affect fantasy football the most, and what they mean for your best ball, redraft, and dynasty teams in the future! So without further adieu, here is the 2022 Fantasy Football Free Agency Impact Guide.

The Miami Dolphins broke the ice on the running back market, signing Chase Edmonds. Schematically, it has all the look of a smash selection. And even if they sign or draft another RB, his 13.8-percent (No. 8 among qualified running backs) Target Share proves he’s among the premier pass catching backs in the NFL. Edmonds remains a great RB to target in fantasy drafts.

Devin Singletary played the best football of his career down the stretch and into the playoffs as Buffalo made their run to the AFC title game. But this offseason, they attempted to sign J.D. McKissic. They did add Duke Johnson. But as it stands, Singletary is the primary back in one of the NFL’s better offenses. The Bills have been linked to the draft’s top RB, Breece Hall, with their No. 25 overall pick. This would crush Singletary’s value. The Bills also have picks No. 56 and No. 89, but those two could be less threatening, with Hall and Kenneth Walker most likely off the board.

Rashaad Penny, a former first-round draft pick, played the best football of his injury-plagued career to finish last season. He’s now in a great spot to see a ton of volume in 2022. The offense could struggle. A LOT. But Penny will see all the carries he can handle, especially with Chris Carson’s injury concerns. If he survives the draft, he should rise up redraft ranks and be a cheap source of RB production in dynasty. This could all change if Seattle drafts one of the draft’s top RB prospects at No. 38 or No. 39.

I am back with the final iteration of the 2022 NFL Mock Draft series, many hours of grinding, and months of prospecting. I have entered the below mock into the HuddleReport.com Mock Draft Challenge. Just know while perusing through, the Mock Draft Challenge is scored based on 1pt for each player that is selected in […]

Hunter Henry should still finish as a top 10 TE, but did only average 9.7 (No. 15 among qualified tight ends) Fantasy Points Per Game last season. This shows that he will probably be boom or bust, and also TD dependent. But it is Mac Jones second year, and they had a solid connection. So it really depends more on what the Patriots offense looks like next season.

Dalton Schultz is now the clear No. 2 target in Dallas behind CeeDee Lamb. Even Ezekiel Elliott is regressing, which should lead to more pass attempts. Schultz already had 104 targets in a year with at least five other receiving threats, so it stands to reason that he should get at least 100 targets again. The Cowboys had the second-most passing yards in the league last season, which is a good sign. As long as the passing attack stays dangerous, Schultz should have another fantastic season.

There has been a different leading rusher every single year in San Francisco since Kyle Shanahan has been head coach. Even more concerning, only one of those RBs (Carlos Hyde) played the entire season. However, Elijah Mitchell had the highest amount of yards out of any of those guys in just 11 games. Trey Sermon still hasn’t proven himself, and Raheem Mostert joined the Dolphins. If the 49ers don’t bring in another RB, and Mitchell stays healthy, he should have a pretty impressive 2022 season.

The Falcons understand that Cordarrelle Patterson is older and has injury concerns. That’s probably why he had such a low Snap Share. Despite that, he put up over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs. He and Kyle Pitts are the entire Falcons offense at this point in time. Even with Matt Ryan gone, Patterson can still be utilized the same way with Marcus Mariota. The Snap Share should go up, so hopefully he can stay healthy and produce the same way.

Second-year sensation Justin Herbert continued to improve upon his 2020 Rookie of the Year season in 2021 by throwing for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns. The offense has tons of weapons for Herbert to find, plus he can run the ball too, sporting the third-most red zone carries among QBs last season. The weapons are there, and 2022 will be Year 2 under Brandon Staley. All positive signs for growth for the players and the team as a whole.

Instead of bolstering the offensive line that led to Joe Burrow’s injury, the Bengals front office decided to reunite him with LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase with the No. 5 pick. It was a choice that changed the trajectory of the organization for years to come as Chase and Burrow’s connection helped lead the team to the Super Bowl. Chase will be in his second year, and earned a much larger Target Share than he got last season. Burrow had the 15th-most pass attempts (520) last season, that number should go up, meaning more fantasy points. The Bengals should remain contenders as long as he is behind the helm.

Last season, the Green Bay Packers finished No. 17 in the NFL with 446 rushing attempts. That marks their lowest finish in the Matt LaFleur era. Though at No. 12 in 2020 and No. 13 in 2019, they’ve been right around league average each season. If they’re a high-volume rushing team on the aggregate, that’s generally because they’ve made smart (read: pass-heavy) decisions on their way to gaining leads that they are then able to nurse with the run game. We should expect that trend to continue in 2022.

Overall, I’m not investing heavily in any Green Bay running back in dynasty right now. Jones is near the end of his run. Dillon remains in a Tony Pollard-like limbo as a startable asset with super-handcuff upside. One that may never see the planets align in a way that results in him being fully unleashed.

The 17th WR taken in the 2021 NFL Draft finished as the third best 2021 rookie WR, behind Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle. Amon-Ra St. Brown finished the season with an impressive six-week run, averaging 25.18 Fantasy Points per Game. Though the ceiling we saw at the end of last season is not the same ceiling he would have next season if everyone is healthy. To add to that, the Lions signed D.J. Chark and it is unclear how the targets will be distributed.

As long as he stays healthy, I can’t think of a single reason as to why Cooper Kupp wouldn’t have a WR1 season next year. It’s hard to imagine he repeats with a Triple Crown, but you have to think that Matthew Stafford will improve in his second year with the Rams. There’s even an argument to be had that he will throw more passes next year. All signs point to another highly productive year for Kupp next season.

In 2021, the New York Giants finished No. 25 in the league in total rushing attempts. It’s the highest they’ve ranked in that category in the four years of the Saquon Barkley era. Daniel Jones is likely starting at quarterback in 2022. Meaning you could make reasonable arguments for the Giants being both below- or above-average in rushing attempts. This is one of those situations where we really won’t know until we know.

I’m staying far away from Saquon Barkley at his current price in dynasty. The Barkley believers are staunch and the Barkley believers are many, so it’s likely you’ll be able to find a trade partner willing to give you a palatable deal in exchange for a player they view as having elite upside. Don’t get caught holding the bag on an athleticism-reliant running back who may no longer have the athleticism necessary to be effective.

With the 2022 NFL draft looming, many fantasy managers are looking to rookie drafts to replenish rosters. Breece Hall, Treylon Burks, and more headline this year’s draft class. But not all top rookies will be immediate booms for fantasy purposes. Amongst the teams making Day 1 and 2 selections, there are a few that provide great situations for incoming rookie playmakers. In this piece, I discuss the teams who will be fantastic spots for the top rookie playmakers in fantasy.

Green Bay has five selections on the first two days of the NFL draft, including two first round picks. It has prime opportunity to snag a top WR; with the likes of Garrett Wilson, Drake London, and Treylon Burks generating buzz to go in round 1. Any top selection contains the alpha traits to command a heavy Target Share and has the advantage of playing with an MVP, boosting the future rookie playmaker’s stock further. A top rookie receiving playmaker will be a smash for fantasy purposes.