Whether you’re looking for high-upside rookies with early-season starting roles or veterans on new teams looking to make a leap in 2022, this list of 10 sleepers poised to outperform their average draft position (ADP) will help you crush your fantasy draft.
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10. Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL) – Overall 186
He wasn’t one of the top prospects in the 2022 draft, but make no mistake, Jalen Tolbert is a promising talent who has stumbled into a golden opportunity. Dallas is a prolific offense, leading the NFL in total offense in 2021 and second only to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in total passing yards. The reports out of camp have been fantastic for Tolbert. With Michael Gallup still recovering from a torn ACL and James Washington suffering a broken foot during training camp, Tolbert can make an immediate impact as a Week 1 starter opposite of CeeDee Lamb. And if he can earn the trust of Dak Prescott, he can carry that momentum through the remainder of the season when Gallup is ready to play. Even as the third receiving option, Tolbert would still be worth his current ADP.
9. Jahan Dotson (WR – WAS) – Overall 180
Despite having an incredible final season at Penn State with nearly 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns, Jahan Dotson didn’t have the same level of draft and offseason buzz of his flashier piers like Garrett Wilson, Drake London, and Treylon Burks. Going to the Commanders, a team now led by Carson Wentz, wasn’t exactly the best landing spot, but Dotson has had a fantastic offseason. With Terry McLaurin in contract negotiations much of the offseason, Dotson had the opportunity to show off his capabilities with Carson Wentz and didn’t disappoint. Washington has a clear hole at WR2 and, at this point, Dotson is a locked-in starter.
8. Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PHI) – Overall 163
The Eagles’ offseason moves have been to reinforce their passing game, but the running game will still be a primary focus for the Eagles because their 2021 work on the ground was immaculate, with a total of over 2,700 yards and 25 touchdowns. The downside to drafting an Eagles running back is that the Eagles’ run game is a clear committee. But that presents the opportunity to snag discounted value in one of the league’s best ground games. All news coming out about Kenneth Gainwell in camp is very positive. And while his 2021 usage was very inconsistent, Gainwell did see five touchdowns on the ground, one through the air, and 33 receptions on 50 targets. Gainwell will have the opportunity to provide weekly value while being a solid handcuff.
7. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR – KC) – Overall 142
Marquez Valdes-Scanting is a very intriguing pick this year, especially if you play in a standard league. With the exit of Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs opted to replace his part of the production with Valdes-Scanting likely playing the deep threat within the Chiefs’ offense now. MVS will not be a high-volume reception receiver, but he can be the home run hitter for the Chiefs. He has a 17.5 yards per reception career average and Patrick Mahomes will be able to capitalize on those numbers while MVS racks up the air yards.
6. Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU) – Overall 134
If you’re opting to go Hero-RB or Zero-RB, you need to take a look at Dameon Pierce. The Texans were dead last in team rushing yards with just over 1,400 yards and only eight rushing touchdowns. They added Marlon Mark this offseason, and while he does figure to be the guy pushing to be the lead back, reports out of training camp have been that Pierce has shown good vision and power, with five carries for 49 years in his first preseason game. The running back room is wide open and a couple of good preseason games could help push Pierce up the depth chart, in an offense that could be a bit more competitive than people are expecting.
5. Cole Kmet (TE – CHI) – Overall 130
There’s nothing wrong with grabbing one of the top tight ends in early rounds. But it’s just as viable of a strategy to try to identify which late-round tight ends will work their way into the top five — because it happens every single year. Cole Kmet is one of those guys who has the upside and opportunity to have a breakout season. In 2021, Kmet had 60 receptions on 93 targets for just over 600 yards, but unfortunately, he was unable to find the end zone. But that is set to change in 2022 now that the Bears have fully committed to Kmet as the primary tight end. Kmet will be the second option in Chicago’s offense behind Darnell Mooney. You want to target tight ends with high volume opportunities. Expect Kmet to have an increase in targets and red-zone opportunities to push his way into a top-five finish.
4. Chris Olave (WR – NO) – Overall 114
While others are opting to draft Michael Thomas, I’m opting to pass on Thomas and draft Saints rookie Chris Olave. Olave’s skill set aligns with being one of the most NFL-ready receivers of the 2022 rookie class. Olave can excel in the slot, but what sold me on Olave’s immediate on-the-field impact is his deep-threat ability. The lack of receiving options in early 2021 impacted the Saints’ ability to air out the ball, and Chris Olave will help solve that problem. Olave will be an incredibly versatile receiver in an offense that is looking to bounce back with Jameis Winston back at the helm.
3. Allen Lazard (WR – GB) – Overall 108
The Packers are entering their post-Davante Adams era and have expressed they have no intentions of adding any big names heading into the season. That leaves the Packers’ offense in dire need of a WR1 and my bet is on Allen Lazard. Let’s keep expectations in check because this will be a very different WR1 than Davante Adams. The Packers are likely to spread targets around their receiving corps and running backs. So, I don’t have high target expectations for Lazard, but where I think the value for Lazard pays off is in the red zone. Lazard had 40 receptions on 60 targets, 513 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2021. Five of those touchdowns came in Weeks 14-18. He ranked in the top 20 in fantasy points scored in the red zone in 2021. Increased red-zone opportunities could yield major results for Lazard. And with camp buzz growing around Romeo Doubs, Lazard’s ADP will remain very reasonable and be a fantastic steal for his potential output.
2. Elijah Moore (WR – NYJ) – Overall 87
Elijah Moore’s rookie season was a bit limited due to multiple injury issues, but we saw more than enough to know that the talent is real with Moore. In between his injury stints, Weeks 7-14, Moore was WR9 in average points per game with 17.7 points. That average was more than receivers currently going over 50 picks ahead of him. If he can maintain even close to that level of production, he will smash his ADP. The skepticism around Moore isn’t a talent issue; it’s that he plays for the Jets, his quarterback is Zach Wilson, and it’s hard to ignore the potential of Garrett Wilson. But there’s tremendous upside with Moore, and I do expect him to operate as the team’s WR1.
1. JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – KC) – Overall 85
JuJu Smith-Schuster is a proven talent that is getting a massive upgrade at quarterback. The unfortunate decline in this production and advanced statistics is closely tied to the decline in Ben Roethlisberger. But with Patrick Mahomes, JuJu — who is only 25 years — is looking to reignite his career and become the primary target behind Travis Kelce. At his best, we’ve seen JuJu be a 100+ reception guy. And we’ve seen him be incredibly productive in the red zone, like in 2020 where he caught 15-of-19 targets inside the 20 for six touchdowns. There’s no reason he can’t return to that same level of production. Given the role he’ll play within the Kansas City offense, he’ll have the opportunity to rack up targets in one of the league’s most potent offenses.
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to 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 Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.