Early 2022 draft rankings: Examining top fantasy QBs, RBs, WRs and TEs
After examining big names likely to leave the first round of fantasy football drafts in 2022, it's time to share a sample positional draft board for next season. Doing this three-to-four months before my Best Ball season kicks in means these rankings are very much in pencil. But rankings are fun.
Keep in mind, a high ranking here doesn’t mean I’m actively going after the player. There will be names on this list I'll draft proactively, others I'll fade and plenty of room in between depending on where ADPs end up.
Quarterback
If you look at the Fantasy MVPs — the most common players rostered on the 500 best Yahoo public teams — there are zero quarterbacks in the top 10. That speaks to how this position doesn’t demand the urgency that the other primary spots do. If you can get a star lower than their ADP, that’s great. If you can find a second-tier QB who’s ready to jump into the first tier, that’s even better. If you can stream like an omniscient god, more power to you.
These aren’t new concepts. Tons of ink has been spilled over the case for building your quarterback room on a budget. And obviously, every league is different — you know your competition and your league better than an outsider ever will.
For now, this is how I see the QB draft board for next season:
1. Josh Allen
4. Lamar Jackson
5. Dak Prescott
7. Joe Burrow
8. Kyler Murray
9. Kirk Cousins
10. Russell Wilson
11. Ryan Tannehill
12. Jalen Hurts
Full breakdown of fantasy quarterback takeaways from 2021
Running back
When it comes to running backs and fantasy football, sometimes I think the more we know, the less we understand.
We know bell cows can swing leagues and be seismic factors in championship teams. We also know bell cows are a dying breed in the league.
We know the position has a high attrition rate. Injuries overwhelm this position more than any other in fantasy football.
We know the key age for backs keeps getting younger and younger.
And we know that every opposing manager in our league is going to be borderline obsessed with the makeup of their running back room. This doesn’t mean these opponents will necessarily draft running backs early, but every skillful fantasy manager is going to work on running back depth constantly.
With that preamble out of the way, here's an early look at the running back draft landscape for 2022:
4. Dalvin Cook
5. Najee Harris
6. Joe Mixon
9. Alvin Kamara
10. Antonio Gibson
11. Nick Chubb
12. David Montgomery
14. Aaron Jones
15. Cam Akers
16. Saquon Barkley
Full breakdown of fantasy running back takeaways from 2021
Wide receiver
Quarterbacks are the glamour boys of the NFL, faces of franchises. Running backs have long been the focus of a fantasy player’s mind and heart, the most discussed and coveted depth players on draft day (no matter if you acquire them proactively or reactively).
But let’s give the wideouts their due. We’re seeing this position collectively dominate in a way that’s fresh to the current game, and if you nailed your receiver picks last summer, there’s a good chance you had a deep fantasy run — and maybe even a victory parade — to show for it.
Who could help you make a deep run next season? This is my initial WR draft board:
1. Cooper Kupp
4. Ja’Marr Chase
5. Tyreek Hill
6. Deebo Samuel
7. A.J. Brown
8. Chris Godwin
9. Stefon Diggs
10. D.K. Metcalf
11. CeeDee Lamb
12. Mike Evans
13. Diontae Johnson
14. Terry McLaurin
15. Tee Higgins
Full breakdown of fantasy wide receiver takeaways from 2021
Tight end
Career arcs for the four main fantasy positions are radically different from one another. It’s not uncommon for old quarterbacks to play well — Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers immediately come to mind. Running back production seems to skew younger and younger every season. Wide receiver is another spot where we have to be careful when players hit the wrong side of 30.
Tight ends don’t have quite the longevity of quarterbacks — the position is too physically demanding, and they don’t receive the hands-off treatment that the glamour-boy QBs do. But unlike the backfield, we can draft second-contract or even 30-something tight ends and feel good about it.
While one of the four major positions in fantasy football, tight end is probably the position we think about the least.
Here's an early look at the tight end board for 2022:
1. Travis Kelce
2. Mark Andrews
3. George Kittle
4. Kyle Pitts
5. Dallas Goedert
6. Darren Waller
7. T.J. Hockenson
8. Rob Gronowski
9. Dalton Schultz
10. Dawson Knox
11. Pat Freiermuth
12. Noah Fant
Full breakdown of fantasy tight end takeaways from 2021
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