Melvin Gordon

10 best fantasy football sleepers for 2022 preseason drafts

Home » NFL » NFL Fantasy » NFL Fantasy Sleepers 2022: Best Fantasy Football Sleepers

While most fantasy football owners obsess over their first few draft picks, those who win their fantasy league this year will be the ones who find the best NFL fantasy sleepers in 2022.

When making fantasy football predictions, it’s critical to find the players who have been overlooked and are on the verge of becoming stars. That can include rookies, as well as players who have yet to make a name for themselves.

NFL fantasy sleepers 2022

This year, it’s possible that some fantasy football sleepers could end up becoming some of the best fantasy football players in 2022.

Owners just have to know who they should be targeting that their competitors haven’t considered as difference-makers. To help you get a leg up in your draft this year, we want to share our favorite 10 NFL fantasy sleepers in 2022.

10. Kenneth Walker

The rookie running back class looks rather underwhelming this year, although Kenneth Walker is someone to watch closely. He won the Doak Walker Award last year while rushing for over 1,600 yards at Michigan State.

       

He also heads to a situation in Seattle where the backfield remains largely unsettled. That should create an opportunity for Walker to put himself in the rotation right away. From there, it’s a mystery what will happen.

But Walker could be worth a late-round flyer in fantasy drafts on the off-chance that he earns significant carries with the Seahawks and has a productive rookie season.

9. Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence clearly has some growing up to do after a subpar rookie season that saw him lead the league in interceptions. However, Doug Pederson should help to get his career on track.

After all, he’s just one year removed from being the top overall pick in the draft. He also plays in a weak division, so there is some hope that he can take a big step forward this year. Lawrence may not be a top-10 fantasy quarterback just yet, but in two-quarterback leagues, he’s a potential sleeper who could make a positive impact.

8. Travis Etienne

Travis Etienne is in an unusual position, as he missed his rookie season due to injury and now the coaching staff that drafted him is no longer in Jacksonville. That will make it easy for fantasy owners to overlook him.

       

But it’s important to remember that he was an explosive back in college who could take it to the house every time he touched the ball. Etienne also figures to be a factor in the passing game, especially with his college teammate Trevor Lawrence playing quarterback. Those factors should make Etienne an interesting fantasy player to watch this season.

7. Trey Lance

Out of all of the potential NFL fantasy sleepers in 2022, Trey Lance might be the biggest boom-or-bust candidate.

The tricky part with Lance is that we don’t know that much about the kind of NFL player he’ll be. He only started two games last year, throwing just 71 passes. For what it’s worth, we only saw one full season of him in college.

However, he has the skillset of someone who could be one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL.

He’s bound to make plays with his legs, which is a huge asset from a fantasy perspective. Lance also has the arm talent to be a proficient passer. But even if the 49ers are confident handing him the reins, we don’t know how things will unfold. If he’s not ready, Lance could have a dreadful season and not even be worth a flyer in the late rounds of a fantasy draft. On the other hand, if everything clicks for him, the upside is there for him to do special things.

6. Cam Akers

Cam Akers only played in Week 18 and during the playoffs last year, and his numbers in those games were underwhelming at best. Needless to say, his stock is way down, especially after a solid but unspectacular rookie campaign in 2020.

But that’s exactly what could make Akers one of the NFL’s fantasy sleepers in 2022.

He’s still in line to be the starter for the Rams and will be more than a year removed from the torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of last season. That could mean a bounce-back year for a running back who had high hopes when he was drafted and still has time to meet those expectations.

5. Rashod Bateman

Rashod Bateman suffered an injury early in his rookie season, making it hard for him to get on track. Nevertheless, he finished last year with over 500 receiving yards, even with Baltimore’s quarterback issues late in the season when Lamar Jackson was hurt.

More importantly, with Marquise Brown getting traded, Bateman figures to be Baltimore’s no. 1 receiver (not including tight end Mark Andrews).

That should lead to a healthy amount of targets for Bateman in 2022. From there, it’s up to him to do something productive with his opportunity. But there’s no denying the opportunity is there for Bateman to have a breakout season, making him a potential sleeper to watch closely.

4. Chase Edmonds

A move to Miami could be exactly what Chase Edmonds needs for his career and to unlock his full fantasy value. The concern is that the Dolphins could have a logjam at running back, adding multiple backs during the offseason to overcompensate for a lackluster backfield in recent years.

However, Edmonds will likely head into the season at the top of the depth chart, so the touches should be there for him to have some fantasy value. He’s also a somewhat proven commodity when it comes to catching passes out of the backfield, which means Edmonds has a lot of upside and could be a sleeper pick who pays off in 2022.

3. Melvin Gordon

While Javonte Williams impressed during his rookie season, that’s no reason to overlook Melvin Gordon as Denver’s backup. The Broncos don’t exactly have any promising running backs who could steal the backup job from Gordon, so he should get a decent amount of carries and could be even more valuable if Williams were to get hurt.

Also, don’t forget that Gordon has surpassed 900 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons and scored at least eight rushing touchdowns in six straight years. He’s been remarkably consistent in that regard and should have a few more decent seasons left in his legs. As someone who could be overlooked, he’s an excellent sleeper pick late in drafts.

2. Gabriel Davis

What if his four touchdowns against the Chiefs in the playoffs last year were not a fluke but rather a sign of things to come?

Well, that would make Gabriel Davis one of the biggest fantasy football sleepers this year.

Outside of Stefon Diggs, Davis is likely to be Josh Allen’s preferred target in the passing game, as the two clearly have good chemistry with one another. Keep in mind that this will only be his third season in the league with Davis putting up over 500 receiving yards and at least six touchdowns in his first two years. Those numbers have a chance to take a big leap in 2022, making Davis a great sleeper candidate.

1. AJ Dillon

Even though AJ Dillon will still be the backup to Aaron Jones in Green Bay, one has to think that the Packers will make an effort to get him touches.

With the way Dillon came on strong last season, it could be close to an equal timeshare between those two backs. But even if Dillon is the clear backup, he’s great in goal-line situations and was far better than most expected when it came to catching the ball.

Obviously, Jones is the biggest fantasy target on the Packers, but Dillon could be one of the best NFL fantasy sleepers in 2022.

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