Andrew Erickson’s Top Late-Round Draft Picks (2022 Fantasy Football)

The 2022 NFL season is approaching, which means it’s time to prepare for your fantasy football draft. Of course, there’s no better way to do that than to practice drafting with our free mock draft simulator! Beyond our tools, we will have you covered throughout the draft prep season with our content.

The goal of every fantasy football manager is to complete the perfect draft. Impossible, you say? Let’s call it a stretch goal and strive for fantasy football glory. Here’s Andrew Erickson’s perfect 2022 fantasy football draft.

And for those looking for even more in-depth analysis, check out Erickson’s full round-by-round draft strategy along with his preferred draft slot breakdown.

• Erickson’s Early-Round Draft Strategy
• Erickson’s Middle-Round Draft Strategy

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.

Andrew Erickson’s Top Late-Round Draft Picks

Round 11 Target

• Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN): Mattison smashes every time Dalvin Cook misses games, which happens every year. The Vikings RB2 has had five games with at least 23 touches the past two seasons, including two games with 32 touches when Cook has been sidelined. He averaged 23.7 PPR points and 90 rushing yards per game.
• George Pickens (WR – PIT): Pickens’ college profile screams that of a true alpha, so I’d be looking to stash him across the board before he is fully unleashed. The Georgia Bulldog WR broke out as a true 18-year-old freshman, finishing 2019 as PFF’s the 17th-highest-graded receiver in the nation (88.0) – ahead of future NFL wideouts like Jerry Jeudy, Justin Jefferson, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Wabrddle. His 2.64 yards per route run were identical to Jefferson’s. George Pickens’ unbelievable first year generated a 27% dominator rating – the No. 1 age-adjusted mark among the WRs in this draft class.
• Cole Kmet (TE – CHI): No tight end should make a more significant leap in 2022 than Kmet, whose upside has been capped by a lack of touchdown equity with veteran Jimmy Graham rearing his ugly head the past few seasons. But Graham’s currently a free agent, opening the door for Kmet to smash in 2022.

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.

Round 12 Target

• Rachaad White (RB – TB): White looks just like Leonard Fournette’s backup at the moment. But there’s an outcome where he delivers massive upside should Lenny go down with an injury or maintain his overweight status from the offseason. White has shades of David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell in his style of play, which didn’t go unnoticed by the new senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bruce Arians. The Arizona State product ranked first in his class in receiving yards, No. 1 in yards per route run (2.24), and second in receptions (43). His 16% target share is bonkers for a running back at the college level, and it did wonders to generate his Day 2 draft capital. That draft capital combined with White’s 30 receiving yards per game in college puts him into a group of RBs that includes: Saquon Barkley, David Johnson, Joe Mixon, Antonio Gibson, Najee Harris and Travis Etienne Jr. With a strong college profile and athleticism to boot — White has league-winning potential if given the opportunity in the Buccaneers’ offense.
• Albert Okwuegbunam (TE – DEN): Albert Okwuegbunam tied for the third-highest target rate per route run in the NFL last season (23%) with Darren Waller and George Kittle. Now entrenched as the presumed full-time starter with Noah Fant traded to the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, the uber-athletic tight end can break out in Year 3. It bodes well for Albert O that Noah Fant finished last season as the TE12 while the duo played in 14 games together. So although there are concerns about Denver’s third-round rookie draft pick Greg Dulcich eating into Okwuegbunam’s production, that rhetoric is likely being overblown. Denver was already projected to feature 12 personnel — two TE sets — based on new head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s history. They ranked second in that particular deployment in 2021 while Hackett coached with the Green Bay Packers. Dulcich also was placed on IR — which means he is going to miss the first 4 weeks of the season.
• Skyy Moore (WR – KC): Moore’s impressive yards after catch (YAC) ability — tied for first with 26 forced missed tackles in 2021 college football — and versatility to play both inside/outside will help him stand out from the other Kansas City Chiefs WRs. With Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback, Moore could smash his current ADP into the stratosphere. It’s not that outlandish to think a second-rounder can make an immediate impact considering six of the 12 highest-scoring Round 1 & 2 rookie WRs selected since 2017 were second-rounders. Although, please be patient with Moore because he doesn’t project to see starter snaps in Week 1. He was running as the WR4/5 during the preseason. But I’d imagine it’s only a matter of time before he forces himself into the starting lineup based on his talent
• Treylon Burks (WR – TEN): With a similar YAC-ability to A.J. Brown, Treylon Burks has the opportunity to step on the field on day one and potentially offer immediate fantasy football appeal as a WR3 fantasy option. The Razorbacks’ 8.5 yards after the catch rank 14th among 169 qualifying wide receivers (92nd percentile) over the past two seasons. The run-heavy nature of the offense, Burks status as the current No.2/3 alongside Robert Woods/Nick Westbrook and limitations of Ryan Tannehill at quarterback will likely hinder Burks’ fantasy ceiling, but he has a path to opportunities that not many other rookie wide receivers will see as a favorite to be the team’s WR1 at the conclusion of the season.

Remember, A.J. Brown flashed immediately as a rookie under Vrabel…

but didn’t become a full-time piece till Week 9.

After their bye week, it was then wheels up for AJB.

The Titans’ bye week is Week 6.

Be patient with Burks from Weeks 1-5.

— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 23, 2022

Round 13 Target

• David Njoku (TE – CLE): Newly-paid tight end David Njoku — Four-year extension worth $56.75m — has a golden opportunity to break out in 2022 after an encouraging 2021. He set career highs in PFF grade (70.9, 10th), yards per route run (1.56, eighth), and yards after the catch per reception (7.0, first) among tight ends who commanded at least 50 targets in 2021. In addition, the Browns cut Austin Hooper, which should open up the opportunity for the athletic Njoku to take a major leap. Don’t be too quick to forget that Njoku already has a top-10 TE finish on his career resume.
• Sony Michel (RB – LAC) Sony Michel signed with the Chargers after being released from the Dolphins. Over the final 6 weeks of the 2021 season…he ranked second in RB snaps, first in carries, third in rushing yards, third in broken tackles forced and first in RZ carries. Should be viewed as the favorite to be RB2 behind Austin Ekeler.
• Russell Gage (WR – TB):Russell Gage has fallen to the wayside with reports of Chris Godwin looking healthier than expected and the team’s addition of veteran WR Julio Jones.But the Bucs shelled out a $30 million contract to sign Gage this offseason. And at 33 years-old, Jones probably isn’t playing a full-time role. I’d be buying the dip on Gage after a breakout season that saw him post career-highs in yards per route run (1.96) and PFF receiving grade (76.0) in 2021. This offense throws more than enough to keep all the mouths fed. Case in point, Mike Evans, Godwin and Antonio Brown finished as top-36 WRs in more than 71% of their games played last year.
• DeVante Parker (WR – NE): 2021 was a typical season for DeVante Parker. The former first-round pick had at least seven targets in seven of his nine game played, scoring double-digit fantasy points in more than half of them. He averaged 12.9 expected fantasy points per game through 17 weeks (28th). His acquisition by the Patriots helps shore up the need for a big-bodied wide receiver on the perimeter that can make plays downfield. But the extent of how high a target share Parker will command remains to be seen. If anything, he probably has the most touchdown upside of the New England Patriots WRs. And that means Parker will be the most productive fantasy wide receiver on the team…in the games he plays in 2022.
• Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC): 7th-round rookie running back Isiah Pacheco is also a late-round pick worth taking a shot on. The explosive 4.37 Rutgers running back is a sleeper candidate to eat into CEH’s workload on early downs and in the red zone. Pacheco is generating a ton of hype out of training camp, so there’s also a chance that he takes on larger than expected role on the Chiefs offense. The two backs have swapped first-team reps on a near-daily basis

Final Round Targets

• Joshua Palmer (WR – LAC): As a rookie, Palmer averaged over seven targets per game and scored a touchdown in his three games with a 60% snap share. He was also extremely efficient in the end zone, catching three of his five total end-zone targets for TDs.
• Darrel Williams (RB – ARI): In the six games that Williams was the clear-cut starter in the Chiefs’ backfield, he averaged 19 fantasy points per game (PPR) on 18.3 touches per game. He also averaged nearly 100 yards from scrimmage (96.3). Williams is the James Conner backup to target across all formats, as he’d likely inherit the RB1 role should the injury-prone starter go down. His body of work as a receiver and goal-line back presents him with immediate fantasy RB1 upside.
• Gerald Everett (TE – LAC): Everett was solid during stretches of the 2021 season, particularly after Russell Wilson returned from injury. The ex-Rams tight end ranked as the TE9 in fantasy points per game (PPR) from Weeks 10-16 while running a route on 74% of dropbacks. Everett has proven he can be a featured No. 1 tight end for the Chargers coming off a career year.
• Khalil Herbert (RB – CHI): David Montgomery is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the new coaching regime will have no loyalty toward him. Already been demoted to special teams, LOL. Herbert was PFF’s fourth-highest-graded rusher (84.6) from Weeks 5-8 with Montgomery sidelined. The rookie rushed for at least 72 yards in all four games. Montgomery rushed for 72 yards four times all season.
• Isaiah McKenzie: (WR – BUF): If Isaiah McKenzie can just do what Cole Beasley did last season — 82 receptions for 693 yards, WR40 in PPR, WR48 in HPPR — he will vastly out-produce his ADP outside the top-65. Playing in a super pass-heavy offense will allow McKenzie the opportunity to soak up targets , as he has done when in previous stints.
• Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS): According to Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, we could see third-rounder Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson work together in a similar fashion to how Jonathan Stewart and De’Angelo Williams operated during Rivera’s tenure in Carolina. Coaches lie all the time so I wouldn’t overreact, but Robinson owning a legitimate  role on offense isn’t shocking based on Gibson’s injuries/fumbles and their investment in the Alabama running back in this year’s draft. Not to mention, Robinson has been the more impressive of the two backs this summer, earning starter reps in the team’s first two preseason games. Robinson finished third in missed tackles and seventh in PFF rushing grade (90.4) while also flashing his chops in the passing game last season. He caught 35 of 38 targets for 296 receiving yards. He is far from a can’t-miss prospect but offers the physicality and size to be a thumper for the Commanders. Just be aware that he is going to miss the 1st four games after being placed on the NFI list in the wake of injuries from an attempted robbery.

Honorable Mentions: Justin Fields, Jahan Dotson, K.J. Osborn, Jeff Wilson Jr., Logan Thomas, Ameer Abdullah, Jerick McKinnon, Damien Williams, Irv Smith Jr., Hayden Hurst, Brevin Jordan and Mo Alie-Cox.

Andrew Erickson’s 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings