As the fantasy football season draws to a close, it makes sense to take stock of everything that has transpired over the past four months and reflect on whether there are any lessons to take forward into 2023. We asked the experts about their top takeaways from 2022.
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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 Waiver Wire Assistant – which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
What is your top takeaway from the 2022 fantasy football season?
“There is plenty to take away from the 2022 season, including expecting the unexpected. However, the biggest takeaway is to stop worrying about injury risk. Yes, players with injury history are riskier picks, but they tend to come with more upside. Fantasy players who used their top two picks on Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley likely won their league despite their well-documented injury history. Meanwhile, anyone who picked Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams probably missed the playoffs despite the duo never missing a game because of injury.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Pursuing the top quarterbacks is worth your while. Geno Smith, Daniel Jones, Trevor Lawrence and Kirk Cousins currently occupy the QB6-QB9 range in fantasy scoring, and they all averaged about 18 fantasy points per game. Jalen Hurts averaged 26.8 FPPG, Patrick Mahomes 25.8 and Josh Allen 24.3. Those three quarterbacks gave you a significant weekly advantage over midrange QB1s such as Lawrence and Cousins, to say nothing of the advantage they gave you over fantasy managers who were starting quarterbacks outside the top 10 in fantasy scoring. Waiting on QB in fantasy drafts is no longer a prudent strategy. ”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
“Heading into 2022, part of my RB draft strategy was targeting RBs slated for free agency. 2021 those impending FAs brought positive results. Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard and Miles Sanders continued that trend. 2024 FA RBs of note include: D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers, JK Dobbins AJ Dillon and Antonio Gibson.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
“Every strategy can work, even if you do so accidentally. In one of my leagues, the winner drafted a kicker in the third round and unintentionally went zero-QB, landing Justin Fields and Jared Goff super late and cruising to victory. It’s also important to remember that if someone calls a guy “reliable” – and that guy is not Travis Kelce – don’t believe them. Fantasy football can be won in many ways, but it can always be lost thinking someone is a “set-and-forget” player when they are no longer THAT guy.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)
“Continue to invest in high-end WR early and often, as well as “elite” quarterbacks, even in single QB leagues. Offensive points stem from these two branches, and if you are going to build a team with a high weekly floor/ceiling, you need to consider these types to be the building blocks of your rosters. Serviceable running backs cycle throughout the season far more frequently than high-end QB/WR play. Also, the tight end position has one more year to dig itself out of a hole before we start eliminating it in favor of a second FLEX spot.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
“I’m still going to wait for a QB, but maybe I won’t wait as long as I normally do going forward. I have typically been happy to watch the top QBs go off the board in my drafts, knowing I could still get a very solid option even if I ended up being the 11th or 12th manager to draft a QB. And while that strategy could have still worked this season (taking Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, or Daniel Jones late would have given you QB5, QB8, or QB7), the points per game of the top tier of QBs is a big advantage. I’m still not likely to be the first manager to draft a QB in my drafts next season, but I’ll be more inclined to grab an early QB once someone starts the early QB run by taking Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or Jalen Hurts.”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)
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.
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