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Studs, Duds, & Values In 2022 Fantasy Football
In part one of this eight part series, we’ll walk through the AFC North to identify a stud, a dud (bust), and a value on each team in regards to 2022 fantasy football. It’s important to remember that the “duds” are in reference to that particular player’s current ADP.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Stud: Diontae Johnson
Diontae Johnson finished as the WR8 in 2021 with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. That’s really all you need to know about how good he is. He finished second in targets, fifth in receptions, ninth in receiving yards, and sixth in yards after the catch. He’s the best player on that Steelers offense.
Dud: Pat Freiermuth
Pat Freiermuth averaged 9.5 fantasy points per game as a rookie (TE16). That mostly came on the back of seven scores and a 12-percent touchdown rate thanks to his 20 red zone targets. It’s going to be hard to improve on that with the target competition he faces in Pittsburgh especially with the addition of rookie George Pickens who will undoubtedly eat into that red zone share.
Value: George Pickens
George Pickens has looked like a stud during training camp and preseason. He was a stud at Georgia, too. He led the Bulldogs in receiving yards and touchdowns as a true freshman at age 18. But after an underwhelming 2020 season and a lost 2021 season due to injury, he fell off the radar a bit. He’s going to be the Steelers’ No.2 wide receiver before long, though. Pittsburgh is notorious for developing wide receiver talent and Pickens has about as high a ceiling as any of the wideouts in his class. He’ll be especially dangerous in the red zone where he can take advantage of his size, catch radius, and ability to win in contested situations. His ADP is on the rise, but considering what he could do, there’s still plenty of value to be had.
Baltimore Ravens
Stud: Lamar Jackson
We already know how good Lamar Jackson is. As long as he’s healthy, he’s a top-5 quarterback in fantasy football.
Dud: Mark Andrews
This is more of a case where there really isn’t a good option to choose as a bust. I certainly don’t think Andrews will have a bad season, but I could argue he’s being drafted a bit too high. He was the TE1 last year thanks in part to the Ravens needing to pass the ball 10 more times per game than we’ve seen in the Lamar Jackson era. That was because the team was riddled with injuries in both the backfield and the secondary. So not only did they struggle to run the ball, but they were often in shootouts or playing from behind because their defense couldn’t stop anyone. Now they’ve upgraded the secondary, the running backs are trending towards being healthy for the start of the season. The Ravens also went out and drafted two offensive linemen, two tight ends, and a running back in the draft. That’s just another indication that the team wants to get back to running the football.
Not to mention, Rashod Bateman is back healthy which will only make it harder for Andrews to command the same high-value target share he saw last season.
Value: Rashod Bateman
Speaking of Rashod Bateman, he just might be the most obvious wide receiver breakout candidate of 2022. He struggled with injuries as a rookie but we have to remember, this was a dominant college producer. He has the size and skill set to be the true alpha wide receiver in the Ravens offense. Marquise Brown is gone, leaving just Devin Duvernay, James Proche, Tylan Wallace, and Binjimin Victor on the wide receiver depth chart.
Cleveland Browns
Stud: Amari Cooper
Will Deshaun Watson play? Will Deshaun Watson not play? Who knows? Either way, Amari Cooper is set to be the alpha in the Browns pass attack. If he has Watson at quarterback, he’ll get a ton of volume and be efficient. If it’s Jacoby Brissett, the efficiency will be down but he will still be the guy Brissett locks in on.
Dud: Kareem Hunt
Kareem Hunt is sharing a backfield in what is likely going to be a Jacoby Brissett-led offense. That’s if he even plays for the Browns at all this year considering he’s looking to either get a new contract from the team or be traded to someone who will give him one. Too many unknowns. I’m staying away.
Value: David Njoku
David Njoku just got paid. The team has given every indication that they plan on utilizing their former first round tight end in a significant role. Njoku is an athletic freak who has flashed big game potential in recent seasons. His 7 catch, 149-yard outing against the Chargers in Week 5 last season is all we need to know about the upside of a guy like Njoku if he finally puts it all together in his age-26 season.
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Cincinnati Bengals
Stud: Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins’ 17-game pace last season would’ve given him over 1,300 receiving yards. The Bengals are a pretty consolidated offense for fantasy with Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins, and Tyler Boyd being the only significant options in the passing game.
Dud: Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow is being overdrafted in some leagues. Even with all the weapons available to him, Burrow was still only QB10 in fantasy points per game. Yet, he’s often being drafted ahead of someone like Trey Lance who’s rushing ability unlocks a much greater ceiling than a pocket passer like Burrow. He’s going to have a good season and is not a bad pick by any means, just be wary of how high you take him. Waiting to take a Derek Carr or Kirk Cousins multiple rounds later is probably the way to go.
Value: Chris Evans
Chris Evans was underutilized at Michigan before coming out as a sixth round pick to the Bengals in 2021. He’s incredibly explosive and agile as we saw in his long breakaway run in Week 1 of the preseason (which was called back). As a rookie, he flashed receiving prowess, handling 15 of his 17 targets for 151 yards and two scores in limited playing time. Joe Mixon has been far from the epitome of health over his career and if anything were to happen to him, just Samaje Perine stands between Evans and a significant role in one of the league’s top offenses. Head coach Zac Taylor has already acknowledged that Evans and Perine are fighting it out in training camp for the RB2 job. He has an all-purpose skill set and would become one of the more valuable handcuff running backs in fantasy football if he’s named the No.2.
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