PPR leagues bring a dimension to fantasy football that is unique. Role players who aren’t workhorses can be productive members of your fantasy team if they are active in the passing game. They bring with them a “high floor.” In other words, they tend to generate points for your team week-in-and-week-out. Plenty of superstars fit this profile, but below are some players who are borderline starters or solid bench players who can bring this stability to your team.
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Average Draft Position referenced is our consensus ADP for PPR scoring
Running Backs
Chase Edmonds (RB-MIA): ADP RB33
Edmonds averaged 4.8 targets and 3.9 receptions in the eleven games he played last season. However, that was in Arizona, and now he’s in Miami. Thus, we can’t be sure of how the Dolphins will use him, and he’ll have competition in their backfield from Raheem Mostert, Sony Michel, and Myles Gaskin. Only Gaskin is an accomplished pass-catcher of the three, but there’s a reason Miami beefed up its running back corp this off-season. The consensus projections have Edmonds catching around 46 passes in 2022, which seems conservative. Tua Tagovailoa had one of the lowest aDOTs in the league last season, so Edmonds could see a ton of check-downs this year.
J.D. McKissic (RB-WAS): ADP RB47
McKissic was almost a member of the Buffalo Bills. He had an agreement in place but changed his mind and returned to Washington. Why walk away from a contender to play for the Commanders? Obviously, he’s comfortable there and secure in his role. McKissic made this column last year and is still among the best pass-catching RBs in the league. He averaged nearly four receptions per game last season and five in 2020. The C0mmanders will use him in the passing game often. His lack of production as a runner prevents him from being very useful as a starter, but as a bye-week fill-in or injury replacement, he’s a safe bet to get you some points in PPR leagues.
Wide Receivers
Adam Thielen (WR-MIN): ADP WR29
The risk with Thielen is injuries because when he’s on the field, he generates a ton of targets. He’s missed 11 games over the past three seasons but is still only 31, so that trend could reverse. The Vikings receiving tree looks much the same this year as it did in 2021, and it’s pretty narrow. After superstar Justin Jefferson, Thielen doesn’t have much competition for targets. Last season he was targeted over seven times per game and pulled down 5.2 catches. Add to this that he’s been a TD machine the past few seasons, and his ADP seems conservative.
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Hunter Renfrow (WR-LV): ADP WR32
Hunter Renfrow was in the top ten in receptions per game in 2021, with over six per contest. He finished the season tenth in fantasy points among wide receivers in PPR leagues, yet his ADP reflects disbelief that he’ll be able to come close to repeating that success. The reason is simple: Davante Adams is now on the team. Adams was a target monster in Green Bay, but he’s joining a new team, and Derek Carr already has a great rapport with Renfrow. Plus, there’s not much depth at wideout beyond these two, and Darren Waller has been dealing with injuries all camp. Renfrow will likely see his TD total drop, but he’ll still haul in plenty of passes.
Jakobi Meyers (WR-NE): ADP WR53
Fantasy managers seem to fear DeVante Parker will cut into Meyers’ production in a big way. How else to explain an ADP of WR53 after his finishing as WR29 last season? Meyers caught 83 passes in 2021, over five passes per game. That’s high-volume, and Mac Jones figures only to improve. Do you know how many times Parker has had that many receptions in a season? If you guessed none, you’d be correct. Parker is talented but oft-injured and inconsistent. Meyers should continue to be a safety blanket for Jones, giving him the high floor. If he ever starts finding the endzone, his value will skyrocket.
Tight Ends
Cole Kmet (TE-CHI): ADP TE13
If you’re in a PPR league and decide to wait on drafting a Tight End, then Kmet could be your man. Kmet generated 17.4% of Chicago’s targets last year, and his 93 targets were eighth in the league among Tight Ends. The problem was a low 64.5% catch rate and zero TDs. The Bears did little to beef up their receiving corps this offseason. You could say they went backward with Allen Robinson II now in Los Angeles. Kmet should receive plenty of targets once again, keeping his floor high. If his catch rate improves and he starts hauling in TDs, he could vault into a top ten TE.
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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
