Top 5 Fantasy Football Sleepers For 2022
By Liam McKeone
Football season is fast approaching and therefore so are fantasy drafts. One must be prepared to capitalize on the mistakes of others. Thus, it's time for us to examine who the best fantasy football sleepers will be for 2022 NFL season. Read closely and pat yourself on the back for being smarter than all your friends come December.
Fantasy Football Sleepers 2022
Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars made Etienne their second first-round pick behind Trevor Lawrence in 2021 and said they hoped to use him as both a receiver and running back in equal measure. Then Etienne went down with a season-ending injury before playing a snap. He's healthy now and it's probably for the best he missed last season anyway given how everything went with Urban Meyer. Lawrence should be better in Year 2 with a functional team around him and Etienne will benefit immensely. He'll split snaps with James Robinson but will still get plenty of touches and should be available in the late rounds as a quality FLEX option.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
It's dangerous to bet on rookies and even more so when they are on a team that is not expected to be very good. Running backs are the exception to both those rules. Walker was the Seahawks' second-round pick in 2022, meaning they think very highly of him, and Chris Carson's retirement means it'll be Walker and Rashaad Penny atop the depth chart. Penny hasn't played a full season yet in his NFL career so it wouldn't be shocking to see Walker receive the lion's share of snaps very quickly. Pair that with the fact that Seattle will have to run first in order to make up for their mediocre quarterback room and Pete Carroll's affinity for that type of offense and baby, we've got a stew.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Reliable production is difficult to find from the tight end position in fantasy football but Goedert is poised to leap into that exclusive grouping in 2022. He emerged as a safety blanket for Jalen Hurts and put up consistent numbers after the Eagles traded Zach Ertz in 2021. Hurts' limitations mean Goedert is less likely to boom but he's also less likely to bust as a central piece of a well-designed offense.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens traded Marquise Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft and didn't really do anything to replace him. Bateman is the player who will benefit the most. He struggled a bit to start his rookie season but came on strong near the end of the year even as his teammates were dropping like flies due to injury -- including Lamar Jackson. Baltimore is a popular bounce-back pick at large for 2022 and Jackson might be in a contract year, so he'll want to ball out. Bateman will be there right beside him. He's a great candidate to rise from a WR3 to a WR1 over the course of the season.
Chase Edmonds, RB, Miami Dolphins
All the attention this offseason has gone to the Dolphins' pricy acquisition of Tyreek Hill, but Edmonds is in a great spot to succeed. Mike McDaniel is a Kyle Shanahan product who loves creating open space for playmakers to work and Edmonds is the only legitimate receiving threat in the running back room. Even if he'll be sharing rushing touches with Sony Michel and Raheem Mostert, Edmonds has an excellent opportunity to seize the top role and Tua Tagovailoa's tendency to check down quickly gives Edmonds great potential. There are injury concerns here, to be sure, but Edmonds seems like an under-appreciated high-floor pick for the late rounds.