With two weeks of NFL preseason action down and just one final tuneup game on tap, it’s time to take a look at which players have boosted their stock the most and which are falling down draft boards.
Our featured analysts are here to tell you which players they’re moving up and down their rankings.
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Rankings Risers
1. Which player has risen up your fantasy football draft rankings the most?
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT): ECR 372 | RB105
“Rookies always seem to be my biggest sleepers. One, covering the draft is primarily my interest, and familiarity often wins, but two, they are still so widely unknown to so many. Isiah Pacheco would be the big answer, but there’s already so much on him. Let’s look into the Steelers’ undrafted RB Jaylen Warren. After transferring from Utah State, Warren had a monster year for Oklahoma State but was overlooked in the draft after a modest combine performance. Pittsburgh does not seem to be smitten with holdovers Benny Snell or Anthony McFarland, and Warren has already passed them on the depth chart for RB2 honors behind Najee Harris. Not only is this a great handcuff opportunity, but there is talk of lessening Harris’ role. There should be a decent opportunity for around 100 carries, independent of Harris’ status. This all makes for phenomenal late-round value.”
– Andy Singleton (Expand The Boxscore)
Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG): ECR 17 | RB10
“Saquon Barkley. Knee and ankle injuries have limited him to 15 games over the last two seasons, and he’s been ineffective when healthy enough to play during that stretch. I began the offseason concerned that we haven’t seen Saquon look like Saquon since 2019. Is he still the same guy who had fantasy managers drooling when he entered the NFL as an uber-prospect in 2018, then finished RB2 and RB6 in fantasy points per game in his first two seasons? I don’t know, but being a mincing little fraidy cat seems like a bad approach to take with a running back who offers the sort of ceiling that Barkley has, particularly when new Giants head coach Brian Daboll will likely be the best play caller Barkley has had since entering the league.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE): ECR 74 | RB30
“Kareem Hunt has skyrocketed up my fantasy football rankings. Previously ranked as RB31, I moved him up to RB24, and that may be too low. The injury derailing his season last year is making him fly too far under the radar. Before getting injured, Hunt was the RB8 in weeks 1-6. In 2020, Hunt finished as the RB10. With Jacoby Brissett under center for most of the year, we can expect Cleveland to lean heavily on their running backs.”
– Matt Gruber (Dynasty Nerds)
Gabriel Davis (WR – BUF): ECR 66 | WR28
“Gabriel Davis of the Bills is a top-20 WR for me. He continues to show his TD acumen in the preseason, carrying over from last year’s incredible playoff run. This is no fluke either. In his rookie season, he was a red zone threat as well. Now that more targets are headed his way, Davis has enormous fantasy appeal in 2022 with this high-scoring Bills offense.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
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Rankings Fallers
2. Which player has fallen in your fantasy football draft rankings the most?
Elijah Mitchell (RB – SF): ECR 47 | RB22
“Elijah Mitchell was already a player I was worried about for a myriad of reasons. I do believe in the talent, and I think the Niners do as well, but I just don’t think they trust it. Early indications are justifying that belief, as Mitchell appears to be dealing with an injury, and a bevy of usable talent lies in waiting in San Francisco. Mitchell being drafted as a top-50 player is starting to feel like a bigger stretch than I’d want to buy, and I’m already regretting earlier draft investments.”
– Andy Singleton (Expand The Boxscore)
Leonard Fournette (RB – TB): ECR 20 | RB13
“Leonard Fournette was a low-end RB1 in my draft rankings a few months ago, but he now sits at RB17. Fournette’s 2021 fantasy value was largely driven by his usage as a pass catcher, even though he wasn’t very efficient in that role (6.6 yards per catch, 5.4 yards per target). Fournette had little competition for pass-catching work because Giovani Bernard was hurt for nearly the entire season, and Ronald Jones has always been awful in the passing game. Now, Bernard might reclaim some of that work, and rookie Rachaad White is a capable pass catcher/blocker. The middle of the Buccaneers’ offensive line is in shambles due to personnel changes and injuries, threatening Fournette’s productivity in the running game. QB Tom Brady is 45 and could tumble over the age cliff. I have zero interest in drafting Fournette at his early-third-round ADP.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Amari Cooper (WR – CLE): ECR 70 | WR30
“Plummeting down my rankings most recently has been Amari Cooper. I was never high on him this year, but with the Deshaun Watson suspension, I have moved Cooper down even more. He finished as the WR27 on a pass-friendly team led by an elite quarterback in Dak Prescott, and this new situation in Cleveland is a major downgrade. Cooper is currently sitting as my WR33. Give me players like Rashod Bateman, Darnell Mooney and Jerry Jeudy instead — all guys who will command a big target share or are tied to a great quarterback.”
– Matt Gruber (Dynasty Nerds)
Miles Sanders (RB – PHI): ECR 69 | RB28
“Miles Sanders is now outside of my top 30 RBs. He’s coming off an RB41 finish in 2021, and I’m just not seeing a path for massive improvement in ’22. He’s already dealing with a hamstring injury, and this offense doesn’t “need” Sanders to touch the ball to excel. That should be a terrifying truth for fantasy players, because if Sanders isn’t getting volume, he can’t bring you fantasy production or return draft capital. ”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Thanks to the experts for sharing their advice! For more of their insight, be sure to follow each pundit on Twitter (click their names above) and visit their respective sites.
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