Fantasy Football Rankings 2022 Preseason | Top Players To Draft

With the start of the 2022 NFL season drawing near, The Game Day assembled its host of fantasy football experts — Scott Engel, Frank Ammirante, and Anthony Cervino — to bring you the top 330 players to draft this upcoming season.

This is for re-draft leagues only. If you’re interested in 2022 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings, we’ve got you covered with a whole separate list for this season and beyond.

Below, you’ll find our experts’ top 330 fantasy football players for 2022 and position-by-position analysis to explain the decision-making process behind their rankings.

Fantasy Football Rankings 2022 Preseason: League Settings

• Lineup: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE ), 1 K, 1 DST
• Standard 0.5 PPR Scoring
  • 1 point per 10 Rushing/Receiving Yards
  • 4 points per passing TD
  • -1 point per Interception
  • 6 points per Rushing/Receiving TD

Note: Fantasy dynasty rankings are current as of July 1.

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Fantasy Football Rankings 2022 Preseason: Key

• Rk: Rank
• SE: Scott Engel
• FA: Frank Ammirante
• AC: Anthony Cervino
• Ovr Rk: Consensus Rank

Fantasy Football Rankings 2022 Preseason

Rk	Player	POS	Team	SE	FA	AC	Ovr Rk
1	Jonathan Taylor	RB	IND	1	2	1	1.33
2	Austin Ekeler	RB	LAC	2	4	3	3
3	Justin Jefferson	WR	MIN	4	1	7	4
4	Christian McCaffrey	RB	CAR	9	3	2	4.67
5	Cooper Kupp	WR	LAR	3	5	10	6
6	Dalvin Cook	RB	MIN	7	7	5	6.33
7	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	6	8	6	6.67
8	Ja'Marr Chase	WR	CIN	5	6	11	7.33
9	Najee Harris	RB	PIT	8	13	4	8.33
10	Joe Mixon	RB	CIN	10	11	8	9.67
11	Leonard Fournette	RB	TB	12	12	13	12.33
12	Davante Adams	WR	LV	11	15	15	13.67
13	Stefon Diggs	WR	BUF	16	10	19	15
14	Mark Andrews	TE	BAL	21	18	9	16
15	Nick Chubb	RB	CLE	13	24	14	17
16	D'Andre Swift	RB	DET	24	17	12	17.67
17	Aaron Jones	RB	GB	15	16	22	17.67
18	CeeDee Lamb	WR	DAL	18	20	16	18
19	Saquon Barkley	RB	NYG	19	9	26	18
20	Travis Kelce	TE	KC	22	14	20	18.67
21	Deebo Samuel	WR	SF	14	26	24	21.33
22	Mike Evans	WR	TB	25	19	23	22.33
23	Tyreek Hill	WR	MIA	17	32	21	23.33
24	A.J. Brown	WR	PHI	20	25	25	23.33
25	Tee Higgins	WR	CIN	31	21	30	27.33
26	Javonte Williams	RB	DEN	42	23	18	27.67
27	James Conner	RB	ARI	26	33	28	29
28	Keenan Allen	WR	LAC	30	31	27	29.33
29	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	23	37	29	29.67
30	Kyle Pitts	TE	ATL	35	22	32	29.67
31	Jaylen Waddle	WR	MIA	32	30	34	32
32	Josh Allen	QB	BUF	34	28	36	32.67
33	Diontae Johnson	WR	PIT	29	49	31	36.33
34	Michael Pittman Jr.	WR	IND	47	27	35	36.33
35	Alvin Kamara	RB	NO	27	66	17	36.67
36	Justin Herbert	QB	LAC	36	34	45	38.33
37	David Montgomery	RB	CHI	28	56	33	39
38	Terry McLaurin	WR	WAS	33	47	43	41
39	Breece Hall	RB	NYJ	50	38	37	41.67
40	Patrick Mahomes II	QB	KC	37	51	40	42.67
41	Travis Etienne Jr.	RB	JAC	53	35	47	45
42	George Kittle	TE	SF	40	46	52	46
43	Cam Akers	RB	LAR	46	53	41	46.67
44	J.K. Dobbins	RB	BAL	58	44	42	48
45	DK Metcalf	WR	SEA	43	67	39	49.67
46	Antonio Gibson	RB	WAS	41	62	46	49.67
47	Kyler Murray	QB	ARI	59	42	50	50.33
48	Mike Williams	WR	LAC	52	43	56	50.33
49	Marquise Brown	WR	ARI	75	29	49	51
50	Darren Waller	TE	LV	51	36	68	51.67
51	Allen Robinson II	WR	LAR	39	39	79	52.33
52	D.J. Moore	WR	CAR	73	48	38	53
53	Courtland Sutton	WR	DEN	45	52	62	53
54	JuJu Smith-Schuster	WR	KC	44	58	58	53.33
55	Elijah Mitchell	RB	SF	55	61	51	55.67
56	Jalen Hurts	QB	PHI	54	45	69	56
57	Gabriel Davis	WR	BUF	38	84	55	59
58	Lamar Jackson	QB	BAL	61	41	75	59
59	Damien Harris	RB	NE	49	65	70	61.33
60	Amari Cooper	WR	CLE	65	76	44	61.67
61	Brandin Cooks	WR	HOU	66	74	48	62.67
62	Jerry Jeudy	WR	DEN	48	68	73	63
63	Joe Burrow	QB	CIN	89	40	66	65
64	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	RB	KC	71	64	61	65.33
65	Miles Sanders	RB	PHI	70	63	63	65.33
66	Josh Jacobs	RB	LV	93	54	53	66.67
67	Rashaad Penny	RB	SEA	57	55	90	67.33
68	Darnell Mooney	WR	CHI	74	70	64	69.33
69	Dallas Goedert	TE	PHI	68	72	72	70.67
70	Amon-Ra St. Brown	WR	DET	87	59	67	71
71	Dalton Schultz	TE	DAL	78	82	54	71.33
72	Elijah Moore	WR	NYJ	100	60	59	73
73	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	63	71	85	73
74	Cordarrelle Patterson	RB	ATL	56	87	84	75.67
75	Tom Brady	QB	TB	84	69	76	76.33
76	Russell Wilson	QB	DEN	72	73	86	77
77	T.J. Hockenson	TE	DET	60	85	89	78
78	Adam Thielen	WR	MIN	79	57	98	78
79	Chris Godwin	WR	TB	67	109	60	78.67
80	Kareem Hunt	RB	CLE	69	89	83	80.33
81	AJ Dillon	RB	GB	109	77	57	81
82	Drake London	WR	ATL	80	94	77	83.67
83	Michael Thomas	WR	NO	86	102	65	84.33
84	Rashod Bateman	WR	BAL	118	50	88	85.33
85	DeVonta Smith	WR	PHI	76	83	97	85.33
86	Ken Walker III	RB	SEA	83	105	71	86.33
87	Chase Edmonds	RB	MIA	101	81	81	87.67
88	Hunter Renfrow	WR	LV	62	99	103	88
89	Tyler Lockett	WR	SEA	81	106	78	88.33
90	Melvin Gordon III	RB	DEN	91	88	87	88.67
91	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	ARI	77	108	82	89
92	Matthew Stafford	QB	LAR	95	80	99	91.33
93	James Cook	RB	BUF	64	123	91	92.67
94	Trey Lance	QB	SF	102	79	100	93.67
95	Tony Pollard	RB	DAL	130	78	74	94
96	Devin Singletary	RB	BUF	116	86	80	94
97	Treylon Burks	WR	TEN	104	91	96	97
98	Zach Ertz	TE	ARI	92	107	93	97.33
99	Brandon Aiyuk	WR	SF	114	75	105	98
100	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB	99	97	101	99
101	Allen Lazard	WR	GB	88	103	110	100.33
102	Christian Kirk	WR	JAC	106	93	111	103.33
103	Russell Gage	WR	TB	90	100	123	104.33
104	Rhamondre Stevenson	RB	NE	128	92	94	104.67
105	Ronald Jones II	RB	KC	82	141	92	105
106	Pat Freiermuth	TE	PIT	108	104	104	105.33
107	Dawson Knox	TE	BUF	96	126	95	105.67
108	Robert Woods	WR	TEN	85	122	112	106.33
109	Derek Carr	QB	LV	111	95	119	108.33
110	Skyy Moore	WR	KC	115	112	107	111.33
111	Chase Claypool	WR	PIT	140	90	106	112
112	Garrett Wilson	WR	NYJ	117	111	109	112.33
113	Kirk Cousins	QB	MIN	119	96	124	113
114	Darrell Henderson Jr.	RB	LAR	112	113	116	113.67
115	Kadarius Toney	WR	NYG	141	98	113	117.33
116	Alexander Mattison	RB	MIN	136	101	115	117.33
117	Cole Kmet	TE	CHI	110	114	128	117.33
118	Chris Olave	WR	NO	98	110	145	117.67
119	Michael Gallup	WR	DAL	97	147	121	121.67
120	Mike Gesicki	TE	MIA	138	127	102	122.33
121	Michael Carter	RB	NYJ	127	132	114	124.33
122	Tua Tagovailoa	QB	MIA	129	118	126	124.33
123	Jarvis Landry	WR	NO	124	120	137	127
124	Dameon Pierce	RB	HOU	107	167	108	127.33
125	Jakobi Meyers	WR	NE	142	129	122	131
126	DJ Chark Jr.	WR	DET	126	139	133	132.67
127	Rachaad White	RB	TB	137	124	139	133.33
128	Nyheim Hines	RB	IND	139	131	132	134
129	Marlon Mack	RB	HOU	103	156	147	135.33
130	James Robinson	RB	JAC	120	175	117	137.33
131	Justin Fields	QB	CHI	133	116	163	137.33
132	Christian Watson	WR	GB	125	158	130	137.67
133	Raheem Mostert	RB	MIA	146	149	120	138.33
134	Deshaun Watson	QB	CLE	123	174	125	140.67
135	Hunter Henry	TE	NE	143	146	135	141.33
136	Irv Smith Jr.	TE	MIN	122	128	179	143
137	Noah Fant	TE	SEA	144	145	141	143.33
138	Albert Okwuegbunam	TE	DEN	154	137	140	143.67
139	Tyler Allgeier	RB	ATL	150	155	131	145.33
140	J.D. McKissic	RB	WAS	135	161	143	146.33
141	DeVante Parker	WR	NE	156	136	148	146.67
142	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	WR	KC	167	140	136	147.67
143	Kenneth Gainwell	RB	PHI	121	134	189	148
144	Kenny Golladay	WR	NYG	209	119	118	148.67
145	Matt Ryan	QB	IND	149	138	160	149
146	Tyler Higbee	TE	LAR	163	142	144	149.67
147	Jamaal Williams	RB	DET	134	166	154	151.33
148	Isaiah Spiller	RB	LAC	203	125	127	151.67
149	David Njoku	TE	CLE	161	144	153	152.67
150	Tyler Boyd	WR	CIN	212	121	129	154
151	Robert Tonyan	TE	GB	168	153	142	154.33
152	Brian Robinson Jr.	RB	WAS	155	150	158	154.33
153	Zamir White	RB	LV	94	195	183	157.33
154	Khalil Herbert	RB	CHI	196	115	162	157.67
155	Jameis Winston	QB	NO	151	133	193	159
156	Rondale Moore	WR	ARI	160	178	146	161.33
157	Trevor Lawrence	QB	JAC	200	117	168	161.67
158	Gus Edwards	RB	BAL	148	182	157	162.33
159	Jahan Dotson	WR	WAS	178	164	149	163.67
160	Logan Thomas	TE	WAS	162	162	167	163.67
161	Jalen Tolbert	WR	DAL	132	173	196	167
162	Evan Engram	TE	JAC	186	154	165	168.33
163	Sony Michel	RB	MIA	185	188	138	170.33
164	Jameson Williams	WR	DET	169	157	187	171
165	David Bell	WR	CLE	159	165	195	173
166	Daniel Jones	QB	NYG	220	130	172	174
167	Buffalo Bills	DST	BUF	170	201	155	175.33
168	Austin Hooper	TE	TEN	131	218	182	177
169	Corey Davis	WR	NYJ	258	143	134	178.33
170	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	FA	152	198	185	178.33
171	Robbie Anderson	WR	CAR	180	163	194	179
172	George Pickens	WR	PIT	179	171	188	179.33
173	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DST	TB	175	200	164	179.67
174	Ryan Tannehill	QB	TEN	165	196	178	179.67
175	Mecole Hardman	WR	KC	214	179	152	181.67
176	Tyrion Davis-Price	RB	SF	113	194	245	184
177	New England Patriots	DST	NE	192	206	156	184.67
178	Donovan Peoples-Jones	WR	CLE	158	190	220	189.33
179	Sterling Shepard	WR	NYG	242	177	150	189.67
180	Tim Patrick	WR	DEN	248	135	186	189.67
181	Justin Tucker	K	BAL	172	223	175	190
182	Van Jefferson	WR	LAR	262	159	151	190.67
183	Jamison Crowder	WR	BUF	181	180	214	191.67
184	Denver Broncos	DST	DEN	187	209	180	192
185	Dallas Cowboys	DST	DAL	215	203	159	192.33
186	Matt Gay	K	LAR	177	225	181	194.33
187	D'Onta Foreman	RB	CAR	210	176	198	194.67
188	Alec Pierce	WR	IND	105	274	205	194.67
189	Mac Jones	QB	NE	171	212	202	195
190	Chuba Hubbard	RB	CAR	233	192	161	195.33
191	San Francisco 49ers	DST	SF	206	210	171	195.67
192	Los Angeles Rams	DST	LAR	176	202	213	197
193	Tyler Bass	K	BUF	184	224	184	197.33
194	James White	RB	NE	157	184	256	199
195	Darrel Williams	RB	ARI	201	160	237	199.33
196	New Orleans Saints	DST	NO	225	205	169	199.67
197	Los Angeles Chargers	DST	LAC	182	211	207	200
198	Curtis Samuel	WR	WAS	222	169	210	200.33
199	Zach Wilson	QB	NYJ	164	197	241	200.67
200	Hayden Hurst	TE	CIN	194	222	190	202
201	Indianapolis Colts	DST	IND	202	204	200	202
202	William Fuller V	WR	FA	240	170	203	204.33
203	Daniel Carlson	K	LV	174	226	215	205
204	Jared Goff	QB	DET	270	151	197	206
205	Evan McPherson	K	CIN	188	227	204	206.33
206	Ryan Succop	K	TB	204	228	191	207.67
207	Gerald Everett	TE	LAC	247	214	166	209
208	Davis Mills	QB	HOU	166	213	254	211
209	Marvin Jones Jr.	WR	JAC	249	181	206	212
210	K.J. Osborn	WR	MIN	226	168	242	212
211	Mark Ingram II	RB	NO	145	268	227	213.33
212	Kansas City Chiefs	DST	KC	238	234	170	214
213	Matt Prater	K	ARI	191	230	221	214
214	Miami Dolphins	DST	MIA	213	236	201	216.67
215	Samaje Perine	RB	CIN	281	183	192	218.67
216	Nick Folk	K	NE	183	245	228	218.67
217	Joshua Palmer	WR	LAC	266	172	222	220
218	Boston Scott	RB	PHI	147	257	257	220.33
219	Baltimore Ravens	DST	BAL	239	208	219	222
220	Jason Sanders	K	MIA	219	231	218	222.67
221	John Metchie III	WR	HOU	197	262	212	223.67
222	Brevin Jordan	TE	HOU	227	216	232	225
223	Carson Wentz	QB	WAS	254	148	275	225.67
224	Green Bay Packers	DST	GB	223	207	248	226
225	Wan'Dale Robinson	WR	NYG	304	152	223	226.33
226	Kenyan Drake	RB	LV	261	221	199	227
227	D'Ernest Johnson	RB	CLE	280	185	217	227.33
228	Pittsburgh Steelers	DST	PIT	236	241	211	229.33
229	Robbie Gould	K	SF	218	247	224	229.67
230	Harrison Butker	K	KC	207	232	252	230.33
231	Philadelphia Eagles	DST	PHI	229	233	230	230.67
232	Laviska Shenault Jr.	WR	JAC	265	258	173	232
233	Adam Trautman	TE	NO	195	292	209	232
234	Jake Elliott	K	PHI	199	246	253	232.67
235	Dustin Hopkins	K	LAC	198	250	251	233
236	Arizona Cardinals	DST	ARI	244	235	225	234.67
237	Nico Collins	WR	HOU	287	186	231	234.67
238	Brandon McManus	K	DEN	208	248	249	235
239	Cleveland Browns	DST	CLE	237	237	234	236
240	A.J. Green	WR	ARI	221	260	229	236.67
241	Sammy Watkins	WR	GB	189	281	244	238
242	Myles Gaskin	RB	MIA	272	267	176	238.33
243	Rodrigo Blankenship	K	IND	235	243	239	239
244	Julio Jones	WR	FA	305	199	216	240
245	Terrace Marshall Jr.	WR	CAR	230	287	208	241.67
246	KJ Hamler	WR	DEN	267	191	268	242
247	Damien Williams	RB	ATL	278	220	235	244.33
248	Zay Jones	WR	JAC	251	189	293	244.33
249	Jerick McKinnon	RB	KC	234	219	283	245.33
250	Cameron Brate	TE	TB	301	259	177	245.67
251	Greg Zuerlein	K	NYJ	263	244	233	246.67
252	Kendrick Bourne	WR	NE	286	193	261	246.67
253	C.J. Uzomah	TE	NYJ	173	300	267	246.67
254	Bryan Edwards	WR	ATL	289	187	265	247
255	Younghoe Koo	K	ATL	241	229	276	248.67
256	Kyren Williams	RB	LAR	205	215	326	248.67
257	Chris Carson	RB	SEA	315	264	174	251
258	Cincinnati Bengals	DST	CIN	250	238	266	251.33
259	Velus Jones Jr.	WR	CHI	153	303	304	253.33
260	Hassan Haskins	RB	TEN	211	255	296	254
261	Rex Burkhead	RB	HOU	190	301	273	254.67
262	Marcus Mariota	QB	ATL	246	217	306	256.33
263	Wil Lutz	K	NO	232	251	287	256.67
264	Mason Crosby	K	GB	231	249	292	257.33
265	Trey Sermon	RB	SF	257	279	238	258
266	Minnesota Vikings	DST	MIN	259	242	278	259.67
267	Parris Campbell	WR	IND	253	256	271	260
268	Randall Cobb	WR	GB	284	261	240	261.67
269	Tennessee Titans	DST	TEN	271	240	279	263.33
270	Braxton Berrios	WR	NYJ	269	263	263	265
271	Snoop Conner	RB	JAC	216	302	277	265
272	Chris Boswell	K	PIT	255	252	288	265
273	Carolina Panthers	DST	CAR	307	239	250	265.33
274	Greg Joseph	K	MIN	193	304	300	265.67
275	Jonnu Smith	TE	NE	295	276	236	269
276	Trey McBride	TE	ARI	275	283	255	271
277	Phillip Lindsay	RB	IND	228	278	313	273
278	Byron Pringle	WR	CHI	252	285	286	274.33
279	Matt Breida	RB	NYG	224	291	308	274.33
280	Marquez Callaway	WR	NO	306	293	226	275
281	Cedrick Wilson Jr.	WR	MIA	317	266	243	275.33
282	Zack Moss	RB	BUF	285	269	272	275.33
283	Mitchell Trubisky	QB	PIT	243	290	302	278.33
284	Graham Gano	K	NYG	217	308	312	279
285	Josh Reynolds	WR	DET	274	296	269	279.67
286	Mo Alie-Cox	TE	IND	314	271	258	281
287	Keaontay Ingram	RB	ARI	282	254	316	284
288	Isaiah McKenzie	WR	BUF	322	284	247	284.33
289	Jeff Wilson Jr.	RB	SF	283	311	259	284.33
290	Cole Beasley	WR	FA	321	265	270	285.33
291	Mike Davis	RB	BAL	279	289	289	285.67
292	Quez Watkins	WR	PHI	323	275	262	286.67
293	Sam Darnold	QB	CAR	297	280	284	287
294	Dan Arnold	TE	JAC	311	307	246	288
295	Randy Bullock	K	TEN	245	314	305	288
296	Kenny Pickett	QB	PIT	291	270	303	288
297	Tre'Quan Smith	WR	NO	303	282	285	290
298	O.J. Howard	TE	BUF	316	295	260	290.33
299	Drew Lock	QB	SEA	277	288	307	290.67
300	Amari Rodgers	WR	GB	308	253	311	290.67
301	Nelson Agholor	WR	NE	309	272	295	292
302	Pierre Strong Jr.	RB	NE	288	273	318	293
303	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	SF	293	286	301	293.33
304	Washington Commanders	DST	WAS	264	306	314	294.67
305	Cairo Santos	K	CHI	256	310	325	297
306	Ke'Shawn Vaughn	RB	TB	312	316	264	297.33
307	Baker Mayfield	QB	CLE	292	294	309	298.33
308	Chicago Bears	DST	CHI	260	309	327	298.67
309	Jonathan Garibay	K	DAL	313	305	281	299.67
310	Seattle Seahawks	DST	SEA	268	315	317	300
311	Ricky Seals-Jones	TE	NYG	302	317	282	300.33
312	Romeo Doubs	WR	GB	310	277	315	300.67
313	Justin Jackson	RB	FA	328	297	280	301.67
314	New York Giants	DST	NYG	276	313	323	304
315	Ty Johnson	RB	NYJ	330	312	274	305.33
316	Jason Myers	K	SEA	273	326	324	307.67
317	Emmanuel Sanders	WR	BUF	319	318	290	309
318	Dyami Brown	WR	WAS	290	319	321	310
319	Desmond Ridder	QB	ATL	294	320	319	311
320	Jelani Woods	TE	IND	318	323	294	311.67
321	Jacoby Brissett	QB	CLE	299	328	310	312.33
322	Tyquan Thornton	WR	NE	320	298	322	313.33
323	Daniel Bellinger	TE	NYG	327	324	291	314
324	Jalen Reagor	WR	PHI	324	322	298	314.67
325	Matt Corral	QB	CAR	296	321	328	315
326	Geno Smith	QB	SEA	298	329	320	315.67
327	Harrison Bryant	TE	CLE	325	325	299	316.33
328	Darius Slayton	WR	NYG	326	327	297	316.67
329	Jerome Ford	RB	CLE	329	299	329	319
330	Sam Howell	QB	WAS	300	330	330	320

Fantasy Football Rankings 2022 Preseason: Analysis

Quarterbacks

SE: Expect Jalen Hurts to move into the top 5 this season because of his rushing production and a receiving group that has become a strong point with A.J. Brown joining Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith. Russell Wilson may be allowed to “cook” more, but he has always been more about efficiency than volume. If you nab one of the top 12 QBs in your seasonal draft there should be a good level of comfort with the starting choice.

Aaron Rodgers’ WR corps may seem depleted, but he can overcome it. Trey Lance is raw for real NFL purposes, but the fantasy upside is apparent and he has pass-catchers who can do a lot of the work for him. Derek Carr could be a value play with the arrival of Davante Adams.

For standard league and superflex/two-QB purposes, the position is deep as we annually expect. Ideally, in superflex and two-QB leagues, you will at least want a guy in the No. 15 to 24 range as your second starter.

FA: Josh Allen is the class of this group, while Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers look headed for disappointing seasons following the losses of Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams.

Russell Wilson should see a resurgent season with a stacked supporting cast in Denver, a la Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles last year. Jalen Hurts can join the elite tier of quarterbacks due to his rushing upside and newly-acquired alpha wideout A.J. Brown.

Look for Joe Burrow to build off a dominant finish to last season, while Trey Lance could make a serious impact due to his dual-threat ability. Deshaun Watson is ranked lower because we don’t know his status yet.

AC: I don’t think I have ever seen so much depth at the quarterback position in fantasy football. If you are playing in a standard 12-team league, there are at least 13-14 players that would qualify as weekly starters. And while I can make a case for at least five guys to end the season as the overall QB1, the next two tiers have enough pop to get your team to the fantasy championship with the right roster build to back it up.

Running Backs

SE: After the top two of Jonathan Taylor and Austin Ekeler are off the board, you may have durability questions about Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, and Christian McCaffrey, so it would be understandable to pivot to a WR in the first round over them. Nick Chubb can still be a major factor in a reworked offense, as he gets regular TD chances and sees more open running room. Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott have a lot to prove this season, but can still be high-end RB2 types.

David Montgomery is a value play who will be a busy volume runner. Javonte Williams won’t reach his full potential with Melvin Gordon still in the picture, and he will be unreliable for fantasy purposes. With more time this offseason to recover from last year’s Achilles injury, Cam Akers might exceed tempered initial expectations, even if he starts slowly.

• Check out our 2022 Fantasy Football Sleepers

When Rashaad Penny is healthy, the Seattle backfield will be unpredictable, but if he misses any time, Ken Walker III may deliver some outstanding performances. Miles Sanders is who he is, a RB that is not dependable and doesn’t score enough. Don’t expect a sudden breakout season.

FA: Jonathan Taylor is the overall RB1 following a dominant season. He now gets a quarterback upgrade in Matt Ryan, who could help with check-down receptions, but may also result in more work for Nyheim Hines.

Rashaad Penny can build off last year’s strong finish if he can finally stay healthy. Don’t let ADP fool you, he’s the 1A in this backfield over rookie Ken Walker III. Clyde Edwards-Helaire could now become more of an emphasis in the Chiefs’ offense, although he is hurt by Jerick McKinnon‘s return.

Antonio Gibson is an underwhelming option following the Commanders’ selection of Brian Robinson in the third round. Travis Etienne has the backfield to himself in Jacksonville, while Jets rookie Breece Hall has everything you look for in a bell-cow. Alvin Kamara is looking at a six-game suspension to start the season, so we’re out on him.

AC: We are beginning to see a shift at the top of the running back position. Christian McCaffrey is no longer the de facto RB1 and Ezekiel Elliott isn’t even in the conversation. While there are some regulars still filling out the RB1 tier, players like Najee Harris and D’Andre Swift are names you should expect to see there for years to come.

Overall, the running back position does appear deep, but there is a sure-fire drop-off outside the top 30. Once you get past the top 30, you will find a mix of high upside timeshare players and handcuffs with some standalone value who will need the stars to align in their favor to max out their potential.

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Wide Receivers

SE: Even if Cooper Kupp’s numbers from 2022 fall off, he still should outperform anyone else at the position and is worthy of a top-3 overall pick. Any one of the top WRs should function as a terrific No. 1 fantasy WR. Deebo Samuel creates a lot of his own yardage after the catch, so don’t expect him to disappoint even with the switch from Jimmy Garoppolo to Lance.

CeeDee Lamb should emerge as a true No. 1 fantasy WR this season. Ju-Ju Smith Schuster will be the No. 1 WR for Patrick Mahomes and will show he is still a very productive wideout. Gabriel Davis is in the ideal situation to have a big breakout year as a No. 2 fantasy WR.

Marquise Brown may be overmatched as a No. 1 WR for Arizona when DeAndre Hopkins is out and will be relegated to a lesser role when he returns. Allen Lazard could surprise everyone, because the Packers have cleared the way for him to operate as a top target for Rodgers. The Jaguars overpaid for Christian Kirk, who gets a QB downgrade, and he has not shown he can be a dependable fantasy performer.

FA: Justin Jefferson could play the Cooper Kupp role in new head coach and former Rams’ offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Allen Robinson and JuJu Smith-Schuster look headed for bounce-back seasons after joining two elite offenses.

Deebo Samuel gets a downgrade at quarterback because Trey Lance is likely to run more, resulting in a decline in passing volume. I’d rather have Jaylen Waddle than Tyreek Hill because of existing chemistry with Tua Tagovailoa. Chris Godwin and Michael Thomas are lower because of health concerns.

Rookies Treylon Burks and Drake London have strong landing spots with clear paths to sizeable target shares. Who will emerge as the top target in Denver? My bet is on Courtland Sutton, but Jerry Jeudy is in play as well.

AC: This year’s top 24 wide receivers look very much the same as they did last year, only in a different order at the top due to quarterback and situational downgrades for notable names like Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill.

And while the fate of A.J. Brown’s ceiling lies in the hands of a Jalen Hurts third-year leap as well as his health, Marquise Brown is the one I am gushing over. Brown’s ceiling with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals is through the roof. He is one of the biggest values in the early rounds. Overall, there are a ton of ceiling and stability plays in a position group that goes roughly 70 deep.

Tight Ends

SE: Those who draft either Mark Andrews or Travis Kelce have the obvious advantage at the thinnest position in fantasy football, so it’s worth taking either of them in earlier rounds and addressing other positions thereafter. Kyle Pitts still has to prove he can be in that sort of elite company, and he has a shaky QB situation.

Pat Freiermuth came through with an impressive rookie campaign, but the uncertain shift at QB prevents him from being ranked higher than 12th. Cole Kmet could be headed for a breakthrough season as a top target in the Chicago passing game. Austin Hooper can re-emerge as a key guy for Ryan Tannehill on important passing downs.

A healthy Irv Smith Jr. could be one of the top value plays at tight end this season.

FA: Travis Kelce has a chance to see even more targets with Tyreek Hill now in Miami. Kyle Pitts is a generational prospect and could see a huge leap in his sophomore season.

While Darren Waller will lose a chunk of targets to Davante Adams, it’s more likely that this will negatively impact Hunter Renfrow more. George Kittle gets a downgrade because there’s a good chance that the 49ers are more run-heavy this season.

Dalton Schultz could be headed for a strong follow-up to a surprising season following Amari Cooper’s departure. Schultz is in line to be the number-two target in one of the best offenses in football.

AC: Year after year, the tight end position tricks us in fantasy football. On paper, tight end appears to be deep. However, after the top three or four players are off the board, we find our usual significant drop-off. Last year, only 21.7 points separated the TE5 and the TE12. Then, 30.5 points separated the TE13 and the TE20.

You can safely punt the position if you aren’t trying to build your team around one of the top dogs. Sure, you can chase ceiling in the middling rounds of your draft with high upside plays like Mike Gesicki, but you can make the case that both Evan Engram and David Njoku bring similar upside to the table. They are both free compared to the price point you will pay for Gesicki.

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Kickers

SE: Many fantasy players don’t invest much thought in drafting kickers, but it is smart to know who the actual best performers are rather than just drafting off a cheat sheet or taking the kickers from the most prolific offenses.

Daniel Carlson was the top kicker in fantasy football last season, and he went undrafted in most leagues. That is because most fantasy players didn’t think much of the Raiders offense overall. But the best kickers often do not work in tune with the highest-scoring offenses.

Mason Crosby will often get drafted as a top-10 kicker because he plays in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense, but he has consistently not placed in the top 12 by the end of the season. Quarterback and offensive changes will also impact kicker outlooks every season, so we take that into account with our rankings.

FA: The usual suspects headline the kicking game, with stalwarts like Justin Tucker and Tyler Bass. They’ll be in terrific offenses and set up nicely to rack up field goals for your fantasy teams.

Harrison Butker could be more active than usual with the Chiefs projected to be worse on offense, as they may have to settle for more field goals this year.

Look out for Dustin Hopkins as a low-key pick, kicking for a Chargers offense that should continue to improve in Year 3 under Justin Herbert.

AC: If you want to draft a kicker early, my advice is don’t. Sure, you will get stability with Justin Tucker, but you can stream the waiver wire until you find the hot hands (or foots) of 2022. I like to attach myself to a kicker on an above-average offense that lives on the opponent’s side of the field.

Outside of Tucker, Tyler Bass, and Daniel Carlson, this position is a rat race. We don’t know who the Cowboys kicker is yet, but we do know they will be a top-end offense. Right now, their kicker is projected to be Jonathan Garibay. I don’t know who he is either, but he will likely be available late in drafts and have a similar ceiling as the top 5 kickers.

Defense/Special Teams

SE: We have ranked defenses in terms of their overall outlook for the season, but that does not necessarily mean you should draft them in such a manner. The most active position on waivers throughout the season is defense.

You are going to be using different defensive units every week for the most part, and it starts right from the season opener. It is better to draft a defense that has the best early-season matchups, or the best season-opening matchup.

Most fantasy players don’t draft defenses with early-season or Week 1 matchups in mind. Putting that sort of thought process behind drafting a defense for its Week 1 or good early-season matchups will give you an advantage over the rest of your opponents.

FA: The key with defenses is to try to play the matchup, focusing on teams favored by higher point spreads. The teams best equipped to have these types of games are the ones in weak divisions, like the Colts and Buccaneers.

The Rams remain in play as a strong fantasy defense because of Aaron Donald. The Bills showed tremendous improvements last year and we can likely expect more of the same this time around.

Look for the Ravens to get back on track this season, while the Browns could emerge as a sleeper defense, especially if their offense starts to roll with Deshaun Watson.

AC: Similar to kicker, D/ST varies outside of the top 3, and even that is murky from year-to-year. This is another position you should be streaming and not risking paying up for a top-ranked unit that will more than likely take a step back in favor of a new hot hand.

Did anyone see the Cowboys finishing as the No. 1 fantasy DST last season? Nope. And guess what, they were projected to be one of the worst defenses in the NFL. If you are looking for stability, it’s the Patriots, Saints, and Steelers for me.