The 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone, and that means it’s time for dynasty rookie and startup drafts to really take off. We’ll have you covered throughout the draft season. You can find our full dynasty startup, dynasty rookie, and dynasty superflex rookie rankings that will be updated through draft season.

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Let’s take a look at eight players Derek Brown is targeting in trades in his dynasty leagues.

Derek Carr (QB – LV) Overall ADP: 162.3, Positional ADP: QB18

Before the offense fell apart around him, Derek Carr was the QB11 in fantasy football. At the age of 31, with an improved receiver group and the Davante Adams addition, Carr has plenty of good football ahead of him. Last season he was seventh in true completion rate, first in play-action completion rate, and first in clean pocket accuracy (per Playerprofiler.com). The Raiders began last season fifth in neutral-script passing rate before it tailed off somewhat as the team was limping to the finish line. Carr could easily be a top-12 option at the quarterback position for the next two seasons that is currently being viewed as a mid to low QB2.

Matt Ryan (QB – IND) Overall ADP: 219.1, Positional ADP: QB25

Frank Reich coaxed a QB18 season out of the dumpster fire that is Carson Wentz last year. In his final season, Philip Rivers was a top-16 weekly fantasy option in 43.7% of his games. Matt Ryan still has more in the tank and is playing at a higher level at this juncture than both of those quarterbacks. Last season with minimal talent outside of Cordarrelle Patterson, Kyle Pitts, and Russell Gage, Ryan was top 10 in deep-ball accuracy, clean pocket accuracy, and under pressure accuracy ratings (per Playerprofiler.com). With an improved offensive line, Michael Pittman, and Reich calling the shots, Ryan can easily churn out mid-QB2 production (if not higher) as a Colt.

James Conner (RB – ARI) Overall ADP: 82.1, Positional ADP: RB26

Life after drafting James Conner in 2022pic.twitter.com/6Nvhtt1fWj

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 1, 2022

James Conner is being criminally underrated in dynasty circles. If dynasty managers played this format in two-year windows like many claim to, Conner would be a locked-in top-20 dynasty back. His new contract puts him in Arizona for at least two seasons, as the team can’t save considerable money by cutting him until after the 2023 season. During his abbreviated run as Arizona’s workhorse, Conner crushed last year as the RB2 in fantasy points per game. The pass-game usage he saw in that stretch gives him an immensely high ceiling and floor. In Weeks 9-14, he saw a 15.8% target share (5.2 targets per game). Over a full season at that pace, he would have finished fifth in target share behind Austin Ekeler and third in raw target volume behind only Ekeler and Najee Harris. The health concerns for Conner have made him the screaming value.

Cam Akers (RB – LAR) Overall ADP: 31.3, Positional ADP: RB13

Peering at this ranking, you’re not getting an insane injury discount with Cam Akers, but at age 22, with two years left on his rookie deal, Akers could still climb up the rankings. There’s a tier of nearly age-27 running backs that he could hop in Austin Ekeler, Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb, and Dalvin Cook with a healthy 2022 season. While his 2.31 yards after contact per attempt last year was yuck, he rolled up a 2.96 mark in his rookie season at full health that was good for 28th, immediately behind Alvin Kamara (minimum 50 carries, per PFF). If Akers resumes his workhorse ways in 2022 with better results inside of a top 5-10 scoring offense, his stock will bounce back and rise up the dynasty boards.

Gabriel Davis (WR – BUF) Overall ADP: 80.6, Positional ADP: WR42

Gabriel Davis could make zero progress forward in the targets per route department (18%) and see a big bump in targets thanks to more routes.

Hard to see a scenario where he doesn't get to 85-90% in the Bills' offense.

21% target share player in that role down the stretch: pic.twitter.com/iZMnCS1RCe

— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) May 12, 2022

The Gabriel Davis hype machine apparently hasn’t spread throughout the entire dynasty community considering this ADP. Davis deserves the praise, though. Last season after becoming a full-time player in Week 14, he had a 2.10 yards per route run (per PFF). If he kept up this level of production the entire season, he would have ranked 13th in this metric among wide receivers with 50 or more targets. In Weeks 14-20, he was PFF’s 14th-highest-graded wide receiver. Tied to arguably the league’s best quarterback inside of a top-five scoring offense, if you’re waiting to see Davis do it for an entire season, you’ll be late to the party. RSVP and acquire his services now.

Allen Lazard (WR – GB) Overall ADP: 125.8, Positional ADP: WR61

Allen Lazard is being vastly underrated. The chemistry with Aaron Rodgers is already in place, and Lazard is a perfect fit and quietly elite at what Rodgers loves to do. Over the last three seasons, Rodgers has ranked 13th, 8th, and 13th in pass attempts between 0-9 yards from the line of scrimmage (per PFF). Over that same timespan, Lazard has ranked seventh, first, and 25th in yards per route in this area of the field (minimum 20 short-area targets, per PFF). If Lazard steps forward in 2022 as Rodgers’ top target and (gasp) gets a contract extension, his stock will rocket up the board.

Cole Kmet (TE – CHI) Overall ADP: 132.3. Positional ADP: TE14

Cole Kmet looks HUGE pic.twitter.com/UTWIO4xalQ

— Bears Nation (@BearsNationCHI) April 14, 2022

We wouldn’t be having this discussion if Cole Kmet hadn’t finished last season with zero zilch nada for touchdowns. Kmet ranked inside the top 12 amongst tight ends in targets (93, eighth), target share (17.7%, 11th), receiving yards (612, 12th), and air yard share (17.6%, 11th). With the depth chart devoid of receiving talent outside of Darnell Mooney, Kmet should see a similar share of the passing offense (if not more) in 2022. With touchdown regression poised to strike his box scores, Kmet could easily vault into the top 8-10 range for dynasty tight ends after this season.

David Njoku (TE – CLE) Overall ADP: 155.1, Positional ADP: TE18

Another day of people ?…

on David Njoku’s Top 5️⃣ upsidepic.twitter.com/B6FAmkNPwf

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) April 10, 2022

David Njoku’s dynasty value is screaming at this moment. It’s been turned up to 11. Your eardrums might burst if you don’t answer the call to acquire him in dynasty. Njoku will gain value as soon as he signs the rumored extension regarding which he and the Browns have been in talks. So that’s one avenue. The other is his immense talent is at the precipice of being unleashed. Last year, Njoku was 11th in yards per route run and fifth in yards after the catch per reception (minimum 20 targets, per PFF). He can win the battle to become Deshaun Watson‘s second target over David Bell, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Co. You’ll wish you traded for Njoku at pennies on the dollar when he does.

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