It’s never too early to prepare for your 2022 fantasy football draft. What better way to do so than to mock draft against the top experts in the fantasy football industry! You can use our FREE mock draft simulator to do just that. Let’s take a look at our latest mock draft and player notes.
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Mock Draft Picks: 12-Team, PPR, No. 3 Pick
Round 1, Pick 3: Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC)
Austin Ekeler isn’t used as a true three-down workhorse, but it’s hard to tell based on the actual amount of touches he sees in the Los Angeles Chargers’ offense. At 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Ekeler finished eighth in the NFL in total touches (276) and 14th in touches per game (17.2).
But the raw touches hardly showcase the fantasy value Ekeler possesses, because he often commands an extremely high share of high-value targets ie. targets and red-zone opportunities.
His 13.9% target share and 70 receptions ranked second behind only Najee Harris. Ekeler’s 18 red-zone touchdowns and 63 red-zone touches ranked first and second respectively.
With such a secure role as a receiver out of the backfield and as a featured red-zone weapon in a high-powered offense, it’s hard to imagine a healthy Ekeler not returning at least top-five fantasy status in 2022. He wrapped a bow on the 2021 season as the RB3 in points per game and RB2 overall in half-point scoring.
Round 2, Pick 10: CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
No more Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson can only spell great things for CeeDee Lamb in 2022. The biggest issue with Lamb was that he never was seeing the requisite target volume in an offense that had a surplus of playmakers.
Lamb boasted just an 18% target share last season — which ranked outside the top 30 among all pass catchers.
But with the eighth-most vacated targets left to be distributed between Lamb, tight end Dalton Schultz, ACL-injury returning Michael Gallup, veteran James Washington, and third-round rookie pick Jalen Tolbert, I’d bet Lamb crests at least a 20% target share in 2022. His 21% target rate per route run bested anybody in Dallas last season.
And that means more fantasy production will be on its way. Only once did Lamb fail to score double-digit fantasy points in a game where he commanded fewer than six targets in 2021.
Round 3, Pick 3: Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)
Last year, Mark Andrews was the early-round tight end who drove rosters to fantasy championships. The Baltimore Ravens’ fourth-year TE led the position with a 25% target share, 28% air yards share, and 17.5 fantasy points per game. He ran a route on 84% of offensive dropbacks, which also ranked first.
With Marquise Brown traded to the Cardinals, Andrews has solidified himself as the clear TE1 with a still unproven second-year wideout as his main competition for targets.
However, be aware that even if Andrews does repeat his efforts as TE1, it may not be to the extent that it was in 2021. His 623 routes run were 209 more than he had in 2020 and fueled the career year. Andrews’ increase in route running was tied to the Ravens’ boosted pass-play rate (56%).
From 2019-2020, Baltimore passed on fewer than 46% of their plays. Because Baltimore’s increase in passing was due out of necessity in 2021, I’d project it to regress closer to the 2019-2020 rate for this upcoming season.
Round 4, Pick 10: D.J. Moore (WR – CAR)
There’s no denying D.J. Moore’s talent or elite usage for the Carolina Panthers. He was just one of 11 WRs to run a route on at least 90% of their team’s dropbacks to go along with a top-three air yards share (36%) and seventh-ranked target rate per route run (25%).
Most wideouts that own this usage are no-doubt top-12 fantasy options, but Moore’s abysmal quarterback play continues to hold him back. He only finished as the WR19 last season in half-point scoring, as his QB play was graded out as the stone worst in the NFL, per PFF. The Panthers literally had the worst QB play last year across several metrics including EPA per dropback and success rate.
But with Baker Mayfield in Carolina, it’s an upgrade for all parties involved.
It’s not being discussed enough that before Mayfield separated his shoulder in Week 6, he ranked sixth in yards per attempt (8.5) and seventh in aDOT (9.6).
Mayfield has shown the ability to support multiple fantasy weapons (not named Odell Beckham Jr. when healthy), so Moore should be firmly at the top of the fantasy WR2 conversation during the fantasy football draft season. Jarvis Landry — as the Browns’ No. 1 — finished as WR19 and WR13 in half-point scoring in 2018/2019 with Mayfield at quarterback.
Mayfield also boasts the highest passing TD% of any QB Moore has ever played with, suggesting a career high in touchdowns is well within reach for 2022.
Round 5, Pick 3: Courtland Sutton (WR – DEN)
Entering Year 3, it looked like Courtland Sutton was on the cusp of true elite fantasy WR1 production, but his 2020 season was lost due to a torn ACL in Week 2. It was unclear how productive Sutton would be returning from the devastating knee injury.
But to start the 2021 season, the Broncos wide receiver looked like his old self. He averaged 13.8 fantasy points per game (17th) and had a 27% target share in Weeks 2-7 during the regular season.
It wasn’t until Jerry Jeudy‘s return from injury that Sutton — and the rest of the Broncos’ pass catchers — became obsolete in a crowded, run-heavy offense led by a combination of Drew Lock/Teddy Bridgewater. Nevertheless, Sutton finished the season as the fantasy WR46.
However, even in the anemic offense, Sutton still finished seventh in air yards (1,756), cemented in between Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, in 2021.
Sutton has a real chance to recapture his elite form another year removed from his ACL injury. It also helps substantially that he has received an ultra upgrade at the quarterback position with Denver’s trade for Russell Wilson.
Wilson has always been an elite downfield passer — he had the sixth-highest passer rating on throws of 20-plus air yards last season — which plays heavily into Sutton’s strengths as a vertical threat.
Round 6, Pick 10: Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
DeAndre Hopkins is being suspended six games for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug policy. This penalty has massive fantasy football repercussions for the Arizona Cardinals’ offense, starting with quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray’s production dipped last season without Hopkins in the lineup over the final four weeks of the season. He averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game and 6.3 yards per pass attempt.
Murray averaged 24.9 fantasy points per game and 8.7 yards per attempt in the nine games with Hopkins fully healthy. He also posted the No. 1-ranked PFF passing grade (90.5).
Losing Hopkins for six games cannot be ignored, but the addition of Marquise Brown figures to make up for some of the lost production.
Round 7, Pick 3: JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – KC)
It always seemed more probable than not that JuJu Smith-Schuster would find his way to Kansas City in free agency. The Chiefs were interested in him last season, and the landing spot is perfect to revive Smith-Schuster’s fantasy football value. He’s just one year removed from a WR17 finish in PPR between two injury-plagued seasons.
Let’s not forget JuJu had an elite sophomore campaign — 1,400-plus receiving yards — and he is still just 25 years old. With the most vacated targets available in Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes his new quarterback, 2022 will be a return to form for Smith-Schuster.
He can operate from his natural position in the slot and benefit from the playmakers around him. After all, Smith-Schuster was at his best as a Pittsburgh Steeler during his first two seasons playing opposite of Antonio Brown.
Round 8, Pick 10: Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE)
Kareem Hunt’s been rumored to be on the trade block this offseason. His contract expires in 2023, and the Browns have a mighty stable of backs behind Nick Chubb including D’Ernest Johnson, Jerome Ford, and Demetric Felton.
If no deal is reached by the time the season starts, it would be much less likely that Hunt stays in Cleveland, making him a prime trade target for any team that suffers an injury at running back through training camp/preseason.
Last year, Hunt was limited to just eight games due to a calf injury — but he maintained his effectiveness when healthy through the first six weeks of the season. He was a top-10 running back in PPR averaging 17 fantasy points per game, compiling just south of 15 touches per game.
Hunt’s true upside will always be capped in a backfield as the Robin to Chubb’s Batman. But should an injury occur to Chubb or another star running back, Hunt would easily flirt with league-winning upside if he is awarded the requisite volume to do so.
His sixth-ranked yards after contact per attempt (3.54), sixth-ranked yards per route run (1.81), and 26% target rate suggest he’s not slowing down entering age-27 season. All he needs is a change of scenery to recapture his rookie-year accolades when he led the NFL in rushing yards.
Round 9, Pick 3: Tony Pollard (RB – DAL)
Tony Pollard is coming off a career high in rushing attempts (130) and targets (46). Pollard was one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL. Last season, he was fourth in yards after contact per attempt behind only Rashaad Penny, Nick Chubb, and Jonathan Taylor (minimum 100 carries, per PFF). He was also first in yards per route run at the position. Pollard offers standalone RB3 production, as he was the RB30 in fantasy points per game last season. If anything happens to Ezekiel Elliott, Pollard has league-winning upside.
Round 10, Pick 10: Ronald Jones (RB – KC)
The Kansas City Chiefs signed running back Ronald Jones to a one-year deal to help bolster their running back room behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The former Buccaneer took a major step backward in 2021, being regulated to strict backup duties after losing out on the starting gig in Tampa Bay to Leonard Fournette. And even when loaded to take on the bellcow role with Fournette sidelined during the end of the season, RoJo failed to fire.
He earned 20 carries in Week 16 versus the Panthers but totaled just 65 yards. The plodding runner also finished 51st out of 64 qualifying running backs in yards after contact per attempt (2.5).
Jones is a one-dimensional grinder back, whose fantasy value will be super reliant on carry volume, offensive line play, and overall offensive efficiency.
That in itself means he will have fantasy appeal as a late-round running back in redraft if he can carve out a role on early downs and/or at the goal line in a high-powered Chiefs offense.
Round 11, Pick 3: Kenny Golladay (WR – NYG)
Poor Kenny Golladay. The New York Giants’ prized offseason acquisition failed to score a single touchdown with his new team despite seeing 13 end-zone targets. It was the most end-zone targets of any player to go scoreless this past season.
We have an extremely large sample size of Golladay catching touchdowns at the NFL level, though — he led the NFL with 11 receiving touchdowns in 2019. So the big-bodied wideout has nowhere to go but up in 2022.
Round 12, Pick 10: Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
Williams may not hit the field until October, making him a tough guy to stash in redraft formats. Furthermore, Williams’ vertical ability cannot be capitalized on with Jared Goff under center.
Goff’s average depth of throw has decreased over the last four seasons, with his most recent 2021 mark (6.8) ranking dead last among 38 qualifying quarterbacks. He has also averaged just 13 completions of 20-plus air yards the last two seasons. Williams finished top seven among all college wide receivers in receiving yards on 20-plus air-yard throws in 2021.
However, Williams does also possess top-tier YAC-ability, so he should be able to salvage some production when he returns from injury.
And although Goff’s lack of deep game isn’t ideal, we have seen him fuel top fantasy WR seasons before in Los Angeles and Detroit. Most recently with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was the fantasy WR3 to close out last season. Williams commanded a 31% dominator rating last season by hanging 1,561 receiving yards, 20 yards per reception, and 15 touchdowns — all achievements that ranked top three among his 2022 NFL Draft class.
Nobody will be shocked to see Williams outproduce the combination of St. Brown and T.J. Hockenson once he is fully acclimated into the offense.
Round 13, Pick 3: Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA)
Raheem Mostert will be 30 years old by the season’s start. He has played 16 games once and never started more than eight games in a season.
Round 14, Pick 10: Jamison Crowder (WR – BUF)
If Jamison Crowder can just do what Cole Beasley did last season — 82 receptions for 693 yards, WR40 in PPR, WR48 in half-PPR — he will vastly outproduce his ADP outside the top 60.
Playing in a super pass-heavy offense will allow Crowder the opportunity to soak up targets underneath, as he has done when healthy for the New York Jets. Just last year, the 29-year-old commanded at least five targets in every single game he played without leaving due to injury.
In those 10 healthy games, the slot receiver averaged nearly five receptions and seven targets per game.
Mock Draft Results and Analysis
FantasyPros Staff Consensus 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings
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