Fantasy Football 2022: Nine Potential Busts To Avoid In PPR Leagues
Don't let big names sway your decision making
Fantasy football players across the world soon will be tasked with making a series of tough decisions.
Putting together an “ideal” fantasy roster can be an arduous challenge. There’s plenty to consider when assessing a player’s fantasy potential, including their spot on the depth chart, production from a season ago or maybe new surroundings.
Furthermore, being a high-profile NFL player doesn’t always translate into top-tier fantasy production. With this in mind, here are some big names you might want to avoid in your (PPR league) draft, at least in the early rounds.
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
This suggestion might seem puzzling, as Conner is coming off an 18-touchdown season and DeAndre Hopkins is set to miss the Cardinals’ first six games of the campaign. But many of those targets in Hopkins’ absence likely will go to Arizona newcomer Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and tight end Zach Ertz will have the benefit of a full training camp and preseason with the Cards. Backup back Darrel Williams also has proven to be a capable pass-catcher.
We’re not saying Conner is going to be irrelevant as a fantasy player this season, but he’s probably not worth pursuing as your RB1.
Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
This has more to do with the situation than Johnson, a 2021 Pro Bowler who is coming off a 107-catch, 1,100-yard season. The Steelers’ quarterback depth leaves much to be desired, as Johnson likely will be catching passes from Mitchell Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett. This changing of the guard under center might prompt Pittsburgh to shift to more of a ground-and-pound approach, and it has just the guy to do it in lead back Najee Harris.
Johnson also finds himself within a sneaky-strong pass-catching group. Chase Claypool can stuff the stat sheet and first-year wideout George Pickens wasted no time drawing rave reviews in training camp. Keep an eye out for tight end Pat Friermuth as a potential breakout season candidate.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
The days of Elliott being one of the NFL’s premier running backs might be over. The Cowboys star barely snuck over 1,000 rushing yards last season despite playing in all 17 regular-season games and he logged his lowest reception total (47) since the 2017 season.
Compounding the issue of Elliott’s possible decline is the emergence of Tony Pollard. Dallas made the fourth-year back way more of a focal point in the offense last season and that trend figures to further develop in 2022. Losing Amari Cooper gives Dak Prescott one less top-tier asset, but it’s tough to see Elliott lighting it up consistently this season.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Post-Russell Wilson life probably will come at Metcalf fast this season. After catching passes from one of the NFL’s best signal-callers for the first three seasons of his career, Metcalf now will work in an offense led by Geno Smith or Drew Lock. That is unless the Seahawks swing a trade with the rival San Francisco 49ers for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Keep in mind: Metcalf only eclipsed the 75-reception threshold once in his first three seasons. Can you see the star wideout going over that mark with either of the aforementioned QBs? Metcalf obviously is worth rostering, but he probably shouldn’t be your WR1 this season.
Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots
Harris’ 15 rushing touchdowns last season is a somewhat deceiving stat. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in NFL circles who would describe the Alabama product as a dominant back, as his trips to paydirt often are made on short-yardage, goal-line situations.
The 25-year-old, who only has 23 career catches through three NFL seasons, might be on the hot seat as the Patriots’ lead back, too. Sophomore Rhamondre Stevenson is entering the season with some momentum after Bill Belichick and company showed an uncharacteristic amount of faith in him as a rookie. First-year back Pierre Strong Jr. also has the makeup to be impactful in New England and the surehanded James White is poised to return to the field at some point.
Harris should be motivated playing in a contract year, but the touches and targets might not be there in abundance for the fourth-year pro.
Allen Robinson II, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Robinson finally has the opportunity to play with an elite quarterback after spending the first eight seasons of his NFL career between Jacksonville and Chicago. But unlike his status with those two teams, Robinson will not be the top receiver on the depth chart in Los Angeles. That title obviously belongs to Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp.
We don’t recommend completely avoiding Robinson, but we can see fantasy players reaching for him given the departures of Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. We’d advise against this, as the reigning champs still boast two dual-threat backs and a very solid tight end. Furthermore, it might take some time for Stafford and Robinson to develop strong chemistry.
Devin Singeltary, RB, Buffalo Bills
This take might veer on reckless, but we can see Singletary becoming somewhat of an afterthought in the Bills’ offense. Singletary never really proved to be a game-changer in his first three seasons in Buffalo, and Josh Allen’s arsenal grew even stronger over the offseason.
Veteran wideout Jamison Crowder, a sneaky reliable fantasy option, now is in the fold, as is talented tight end O.J. Howard. The Bills also invested a 2022 second-round pick in James Cook to add to a running back room that already featured Singeltary and Zack Moss.
All things considered, Singeltary probably should be viewed as an above-average bench option this season.
Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
It’s impossible to ignore the potential rust factor surrounding Thomas, who missed all of last season and only played seven games in 2020. The three-time Pro Bowl selection also isn’t returning to the only NFL QB he’s ever known, Drew Brees, but rather the oft-erratic Jameis Winston. Winston, by the way, is coming off a torn ACL injury sustained last October.
New Orleans also beefed up its receiver group in the spring, adding veteran Jarvis Landry and rookie Chris Olave, the 11th overall pick in the draft. Between his extended time away from the game and internal competition, Thomas probably isn’t bound for a big season.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert didn’t really establish himself as a true top-tier tight end after Ertz’s departure last season. In fact, Goedert only corralled two touchdown passes in the Eagles’ nine games after moving Ertz to the Cardinals. That’s a concerning stat for a player who’s built to be a red-zone threat.
The fifth-year pro also is poised to lose some targets to A.J. Brown, Philadelphia’s marquee offseason addition. The Birds don’t have another good tight option outside of Goedert, but the rest of Jalen Hurts’ weapons make it easy to project a modest level of production from the former.
