Fantasy Football 2022: Five NFL Rookies To Draft, Five To Avoid

Finding the next Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson is a surefire way to put your fantasy football team in contention down the stretch.

Chase, during his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, was the fifth-highest scoring receiver in fantasy football, according to Sportradar. Jefferson finished the 2020 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings, as the sixth-highest-scoring wideout. That sort of production from a rookie undoubtedly helped fantasy managers.

With that, here are five rookies to draft and five to avoid with fantasy football drafts right around the corner.

Five to draft:
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
Hall was the first running back off the board with the Jets selecting him No. 36 overall. He currently sits atop the New York depth chart with Michael Carter and Tevin Coleman behind him. Hall should benefit from the Jets’ improved offensive line. A second-year improvement from Zach Wilson — who now has a better pass-catching group — might also be able enough to keep defenses honest. Nevertheless, the Iowa State product should see plenty of touches with high-end potential.

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
London’s production should benefit from the Falcons’ lack of pass-catching options. He’ll pair up with tight end Kyle Pitts, who enters his second NFL season, headlining a list of pedestrian receiver options: Bryan Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus, etc. The USC product was the first receiver off the board at No. 8 overall in a loaded class of wideouts and likely will be catching the majority of passes from a rebounding Marcus Mariota.

Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
The Saints’ group of receivers is much-improved from last season with Michael Thomas seemingly returning to health, Jarvis Landry entering the fold and New Orleans’ first first-round pick being used on Olave. The group will limit the number of targets Olave receives, in comparison to a fellow rookie like London, but his downfield skill set and ability to create separation should pair well with quarterback Jameis Winston. Olave’s red-zone work will be further impacted with Alvin Kamara, should he play the full season, but New Orleans’ ability to score will translate well.

Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Moore might be a bit more of an under-the-radar receiving option after he was the 13th wideout off the draft board. He’s not even listed as a starter as Kansas City’s depth chart features fellow newcomers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling along with receiver Mecole Hardman and Patrick Mahomes’ No. 1 pass catcher, tight end Travis Kelce. But the fact the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill gives them plenty of targets to fill, and it feels like Moore’s yards-after-catch skill could fit in nicely. He also stands out in the Chiefs’ room given his ability to play both inside and outside. And the Kansas City offense certainly will put up points.

Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Walker, selected five picks after Hall, has the potential to unseat Rashaad Penny as the starter after benefiting from the retirement of Chris Carson. Penny has played 23 games in the past three NFL seasons due to injury, which also would open the door for Walker. And the fact the Seahawks quarterback depth chart is headlined by Geno Smith and Drew Lock might help the rookie as much as anything with plenty of ground opportunities. The Michigan State product has flashed 4.38 40-yard dash speed and is a much better pass-catcher than one might assume given his mere 13 receptions for the Spartans last year.

Five to avoid:
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
On second thought, this goes for all the rookie quarterbacks. While previous seasons might have caused fantasy owners to consider drafting then-rookie Joe Burrow or then-rookie Trevor Lawrence, the potential is not there for this 2022 class of signal-callers. The Falcons’ Desmond Ridder and Tennessee’s Malik Willis, who went after Pickett, are not even entering the season as starters.

Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Pierce was selected the pick before Moore, but the Cincinnati product’s fantasy prospects are not as high. The Colts rely heavily on Jonathan Taylor, giving the running back heavy work on the ground and in the short passing game. Meanwhile, Michael Pittman Jr. will develop into Matt Ryan’s No. 1 receiver target. The vertical threat where Pierce seems to be at his best doesn’t feel like a great fit for the aging Ryan.

Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
The Penn. State product doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of competition for targets alongside No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin, but Carson Wentz hasn’t proved to be a quarterback who makes those around him better. The Commanders clearly think high of Dotson after selecting him No. 16 overall, but fantasy owners probably are best served letting him hit the waiver wire and seeing how the first few weeks play out.

NESN Fantasy Football Podcast | Football Is Back, 2022 NFL Season Preview | Ep. 15

Aug 2, 2022

Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
It’s well-known that certain positions in fantasy football are far less important than others and having depth at tight end is not crucial. That’s why McBride, despite being the first player drafted at the position, is not worth investing in. In fact, no rookie tight end is worth it. McBride, specifically, is behind Zach Ertz on Arizona’s depth chart, but fantasy owners are better off drafting a veteran at the position.

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
This serves as more of a reminder that Williams, who is rehabbing from an ACL injury, will not take the field for the Lions until what could be midway through the fantasy season. The Alabama product presents plenty of potential, which is why he was the fourth wideout off the board at No. 12 overall, but it will be interesting to see how his vertical playmaking fits quarterback Jared Goff.