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. 7 Pick
Round 1, Pick 7: Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)
What else is there to say about Cooper Kupp’s historic 2021 campaign? The guy was essentially lapping the other wide receivers, finishing No. 1 overall in points per game, receiving yards (1,947), and target share (31%) with over 200 targets total in 21 games played.
New quarterback Matthew Stafford elevated Kupp back inside the top-five fantasy WRs — as he previously was in 2019. Stafford’s arrival in L.A. was the code to cracking Kupp’s untapped potential, especially with touchdowns.
After catching just three the year prior, Kupp led the league with 16 TD scores — a feat that has happened only six times since 2007.
However, regression will almost certainly hit Kupp’s production in 2022, because it’s nearly impossible for him to repeat his once-in-a-lifetime production. The five previous WRs that have caught at least 16 touchdowns in a season averaged just 6.6 TDs the following season. Only two (Davante Adams, Randy Moss) were able to haul in double-digit scores.
Round 2, Pick 6: Aaron Jones (RB – GB)
Aaron Jones has been an absolute target and receptions monster when Davante Adams has missed time in the past. Without Green Bay’s No. 1 WR, Jones has averaged close to 4.5 catches, 6 targets, 48.5 receiving yards, and 23 PPR points per game. It’s hard to ignore the Packers’ RB1 as a dynamite selection in Round 2 with multiple top-five finishes on his resume.
Round 3, Pick 7: James Conner (RB – ARI)
The Cardinals re-signed their RB1 from a season ago to a three-year, $21 million extension this offseason, locking him in as their guy for the foreseeable future. It’s a great signing for fantasy football because it puts Conner firmly in the top-12 running back conversation, especially with Chase Edmonds landing in Miami.
The ex-Steelers running back finished the 2021 season tied for second in goal-line carries and third in touchdowns (18). Conner received extensive work in the passing game with Edmonds out of the lineup from Weeks 9-14 and Week 18. Conner averaged 26.2 fantasy points and 5.5 targets per game in those six games while running a route on 61% of the Cardinals’ dropbacks. His RB finishes in half-point scoring during those weeks: RB1, RB16, RB8, RB11, RB2, and RB3.
Round 4, Pick 6: 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 7: 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 6: Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
Lamar Jackson had a season to forget in 2021, as he dealt with a plethora of injuries/illnesses and regressed immensely as a passer. Two key metrics at PFF that are important to analyze for QBs are performance in a clean pocket and throwing at the intermediate level.
Jackson ranked 28th in passer rating from a clean pocket (90.4) and 22nd in PFF passing grade at the intermediate level (70.0). Despite all his shortcomings as a passer, Jackson still finished the season second in expected fantasy points per game (23.8) and seventh in fantasy points per game (21.3).
His expected fantasy point per game output marked the highest of his career thanks to the Ravens’ willingness to throw more in 2021. From 2019-2020, Jackson had 37 or more passing attempts in a game only four times. He did so five times in 2021, with Baltimore throwing at a 60% clip.
However, I would not anticipate the pass-heavy approach to continue into 2022. Their philosophical change on offense was forced out of necessity based on the injuries. But a lack of passing doesn’t impact Jackson the way it does most other QBs with his greatest fantasy asset being his legs.
Jackson may never recapture his rare 2019 MVP form when he averaged north of 28 fantasy points per game, but a 22-point per-game average seems like his norm based on his last two years of fantasy production. In 2020, he led all QBs in fantasy points per dropback. That cements him as a clear-cut top-five fantasy QB.
Round 7, Pick 7: Gabriel Davis (WR – BUF)
Gabriel Davis averaged 19.8 fantasy points per game (PPR) and 16.0 expected fantasy points per game in his last six games while running a route on 88% of dropbacks as the Bills finally emphasized his playing time in the offense.
As a strong bet to earn the No. 2 wide receiver job come opening day, Davis has a legitimate shot to be a reliable fantasy option in a Josh Allen-led offense in 2022.
Round 8, Pick 6: Miles Sanders (RB – PHI)
Miles Sanders opened the year playing 60-83% of snaps in the first six games but only averaging 9.5 rushing attempts per game. He did see 3.8 targets per game. He then sustained an ankle injury that landed him on the injured reserve. When he returned from the ankle injury, he was the Eagles’ clear lead back (Weeks 11-15), averaging 16.8 carries per game, although his pass-game usage dried up (1.8 targets per game). Despite seeing 23 touches inside the red zone, he failed to get into the end zone in 2021. While Sanders will see touchdown regression this season, he will still have to deal with Jalen Hurts near the goal line and the looming specters of Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. He could return RB2 production this season, but there’s the risk with his injury history and how high-value touches could be divided up in 2022.
Round 9, Pick 7: Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI)
It took much longer than many fantasy gamers would have liked, but Dallas Goedert finally broke out in 2021 after being overshadowed by Zach Ertz since his rookie year. The Eagles tight end finished as PFF’s second-highest-graded receiving tight end (91.1) and as the TE10 overall, with the majority of his fantasy production coming from Week 7 onward. In those 11 games played — including the postseason — Goedert averaged 11.8 fantasy points per game, which would have ranked as the TE8 from a season-long perspective.
Round 10, Pick 6: Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)
Rhamondre Stevenson experienced a very successful rookie season that should not be overlooked. After fully escaping the Bill Belichick doghouse in Week 9, Stevenson earned top grades across the board.
He was PFF’s third-highest-graded running back (84.2). Stevenson also ranked 13th in rushing yards and in yards per route run (1.41). For fantasy, the rookie running back was the RB25 in total points scored, eight spots behind his backfield teammate Damien Harris.
There’s a high ceiling for Stevenson, especially if you ask former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. The ESPN analyst went as far as saying that Stevenson “…will be one of the better, if not one of the top three, running backs in the league based on what I saw with his strength, explosion, and catch-and-run ability.”
Round 11, Pick 7: Nyheim Hines (RB – IND)
Nyheim Hines posted career lows across the receiving board in 2021, but there’s hope that with a new quarterback under center that he can bounce back in 2022.
No passer targeted running backs more than new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan did in 2021 — 8.6 targets per game. This bodes well for Hines to provide more usable weeks like he did in 2020. That year, Hines finished as RB18 in PPR scoring.
Round 12, Pick 6: 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 7: Corey Davis (WR – NYJ)
Corey Davis has an opt-out in his contract in 2023, so the writing is on the wall about his future with Gang Green. The team has invested high-end draft capital in WRs in the last two drafts, with their latest pick in Garrett Wilson profiling as someone that could line up in Davis’ spot on the perimeter.
Still, Davis probably will be a starter to open the season, and he showed chemistry with Zach Wilson before he got hurt in 2021. The former Titan was the WR25 in half-point scoring with a 21% target share. He never played a game with fewer than five targets through his first six games.
Round 14, Pick 6: Robbie Anderson (WR – CAR)
Baker Mayfield’s addition also provides hope that Robbie Anderson can bounce back after a horrible 2021 campaign. Anderson finished ninth in route participation (91%), 28th in targets (105), and 46th in expected fantasy points per game (10.6).
With his role likely unchanged from a season ago, Anderson should be an auto pick as your last pick in formats that require a plethora of starting WRs. He’s one year removed from a top-20 finish and is still just 29 years old.
Mock Draft Results and Analysis
FantasyPros Staff Consensus 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings
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