NFL

The second-best running back on the Browns is D’Ernest Johnson, not Kareem Hunt. He’s one of the few best backup running backs in the league. And he deserves the same kind of sleeper/handcuff buzz in dynasty that guys like Khalil Herbert get. Johnson is also in a unique situation among handcuffs. He’s able to step into legitimate volume with an injury to either Hunt or Nick Chubb. His likelihood of fantasy utility is doubled in relation to guys like Alexander Mattison.

The improvement in quarterback play we’re likely to see when Deshaun Watson takes over for the Browns will be the tide that lifts all boats. Nick Chubb should see the lion’s share of that boost. And D’Ernest Johnson is a sneaky beneficiary as an under-the-radar stud who is likely to be usable in fantasy lineups in 2022. He’s one of the best throw-in trade targets in dynasty.

Derek Carr was great last season and now gets Davante Adams to throw the ball to. He finished as the QB14 in fantasy last season but should improve upon it with the best receiver in the NFL at his disposal and a loaded division with shootout potential. There will be many startable quarterback options this season. Carr is firmly entrenched as one.

Chase Edmonds is already one of the best receivers out of the backfield and will get the opportunity to showcase more of that skillset this season in a revamped Miami offense that saw them acquire Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill. Miami’s offensive line should hold up better than the last two seasons while plenty of space should be created underneath as defenses have to deal with both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins offense will improve as a whole, and Edmonds looks like a big beneficiary.

PlayerProfiler/RotoUnderworld Head Game Analyst and NFL Draft Analyst Cody Carpentier is back for more; now breaking down his NFL Mock Draft 5.0 in a short team-by-team series. Next up is the Chicago Bears. If you want to see your favorite team, go to Twitter @CarpentierNFL and leave Cody a comment on what team you want to see broken down next.

Entering the Senior Bowl, Alec Pierce was thought of as a late third/early fourth round pick in the Draft. But not so fast. After two above-average to good days in Mobile, he left the Senior Bowl without playing in the game. I physically saw him leaving the airport, but I wasn’t going to be that guy to ask why. I just had to infer it was one of two things. Either he had received really good news from scouts and coaches, or he was hurt. And I didn’t see anything wrong with him.

Before Tony Pollard got to town, Ezekiel Elliott was a highly-drafted running back in his early 20s who had put up composite scores of 84.6, 52.3 (in that suspension-shortened 2017 season), and 89.7. When healthy and in shape, he was consistently one of the best pure runners in the league as a young player. The decline has come quickly for Zeke. He’s recently only added value in short yardage and against heavy box counts relative to Pollard’s output.

We’re left playing the same game we’ve been playing with the Ezekiel Elliott-Tony Pollard duo for the last three years. Except the value that Pollard’s youth added to that equation is nearly gone.We’re approaching the moment of truth on this backfield. The most likely outcomes for Pollard all end in disappointment for dynasty gamers. Cash out and get off the ride while you still can.

PlayerProfiler/RotoUnderworld Head Game Analyst and NFL Draft Analyst Cody Carpentier is back for more; now breaking down his NFL Mock Draft 5.0 in a short team-by-team series. Next up is the Green Bay Packers. If you want to see your favorite team, go to Twitter @CarpentierNFL and leave Cody a comment on what team you want to see broken down next.

If you play any devy Fantasy Football, you remember the name George Pickens. He fits that mold of Davante Adams that all of the Packers fans are clamoring for. He dealt with injury at Georgia, tearing his ACL last spring causing him to miss most of the 2021 season. But he returned for the final stretch to make key plays for Georgia en route to a National Championship. He could’ve taken to the easy way out, knowing he was a potential first-round talent and just resting the knee to get healthy for the process. But he didn’t. He wanted to win.

The offseason is an exciting time for both the organizations and the players, and it is the time where new storylines begin. Teams are looking to fix last season’s mistakes, and free agents are looking for a fresh start. There has certainly been some movement that will change the trajectory of some NFL teams for years to come. Let’s take a look at some players going to new teams via free agency.

One year after being PFF’s worst offensive line, the Dolphins have brought in three-time Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead. He will bring in veteran leadership and be a valuable asset to the Dolphins offensive line for up to five years. It’s put up or shut up time for Tua Tagovailoa, who still hasn’t really impressed at the NFL level. All the pieces are there, now it’s time for us to watch.

PlayerProfiler/RotoUnderworld Head Game Analyst and NFL Draft Analyst Cody Carpentier is back for more; now breaking down his NFL Mock Draft 5.0 in a short team-by-team series. Next up is Minnesota Vikings. If you want to see your favorite team, go to Twitter @CarpentierNFL and leave Cody a comment on what team you want to see broken down next.

I can’t express how much it hurts me to see the top prospect on my Top 300 Big Board drop to Pick No. 12. From Nick Fairley to Warren Sapp and Laremy Tunsil, sometimes guys fall for a number of reasons. The 11-15 range is where they land. Here comes the value of the draft. Minnesota doesn’t need EDGE as bad as they did a month ago, but you can’t pass up on Kayvon Thibodeaux’s talent.

The return of Jameis Winston to the Saints brings several different fantasy implications, not only for him, but for the team’s skill players. As a starter for New Orleans last season, Winston averaged 17.2 fantasy points per game with 14 passing touchdowns to just 3 interceptions in seven games. He also tacked on 166 rushing yards, showing he has the rushing potential to be impactful in fantasy. Winston had two top-5 weekly fantasy finishes in that time. However, he had four games under 15 fantasy points, showing he was a very volatile option on a Saints team with limited receiving options.

After releasing Cole Beasley, the Buffalo Bills went out and signed Jamison Crowder. Crowder (whose Best Comparable is Beasley) has spent the majority of his career as a slot receiver. Last season in twelve games, he took 334 (No. 17) Slot Snaps at a 66.8-percent Slot Rate. In Buffalo last season, Beasley had an 82.1-percent Slot Rate with Isaiah McKenzie filling in the slot as well. With Beasley out, Crowder’s role will almost certainly be as Josh Allen’s slot receiver, a position where Beasley saw over 100 targets each of the last three seasons.

Consistency is highly sought after by many in the fantasy football community. Since it’s human nature to avoid risk, we feel more comfortable putting a player in our lineup if we know he’ll reliably score 12-15 points compared to a player ranging from 5-25 points. But is consistency a trait we can predict from year to year? Follow along as I use the power of statistics to better analyze the relationship between fantasy points and the consistency with which they’re scored. 

Mike Williams in 2021 finished as the WR14 in PPG by averaging 15.4 PPR points per game, but conversations about his outlook in 2022 are centered on his inconsistent production. His six games with more than 20 PPR points and seven games with fewer than 10 PPR points are worrying many drafters, yet his CV only checked in at 0.687, on the slightly inconsistent end of our “average” bucket. History would suggest that Williams’ CV will improve and he is likely to stay productive in fantasy.

Brad Holmes spent 8 of 16 seasons with Les Snead in Los Angeles, and I would be doing this wrong if I didn’t remind folks what happened during Snead’s first draft back in 2012 while holding the No. 2 overall pick. If not at number 2, the Jets are another spot to look for Atlanta or Seattle to move up.

The benefit of trading away a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson is reaping the reward with draft picks, and building from within.. the correct way to rebuild a franchise, Evan Neal and Jordan Davis in Round 1 is a smash.