The 2022 fantasy football season is truly underway as drafts fire off across the nation, meaning now is the time to look at some of the top sleepers you can find in 2022 fantasy football drafts. With all the attention on the early rounds, these players can give you a significant advantage at a discount if things break right.
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Top fantasy football sleepers in 2022
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but Trevor Lawrence‘s rookie season did not go according to plan. Finishing as the QB22, Lawrence led the NFL with -72.3 FPOE (fantasy points over expectation).
He completed just 59% of his passes for less than 3,700 yards with a nearly 2:3 TD-to-INT ratio. Where Lawrence really fell short was in touchdowns. His -10.9 expected touchdowns were the most amongst QBs last year.
But things could not be more different in Duval. For one, Urban Meyer’s circus has rolled out of town, and in came Doug Pederson. The only thing on his finger is a Super Bowl ring, not a scandal.
While I hate to take too much from the preseason, Lawrence has looked like a completely different QB. His passing is crisp, on time, and accurate to a new-look offense with Travis Etienne back, James Robinson looking healthy, along with Christian Kirk, Marvin Jones Jr., Evan Engram, and Dan Arnold. Add in Lawrence’s sneaky rush ability — 73 rushes for 334 yards and two TDs last year — and you have the makings of a fantasy sleeper for 2022.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields lacked consistency in the early portion of his rookie season, not only in play on the field but even getting on it as the Bears went with Andy Dalton to open the season. In the nine games where Fields played at least 95% of the snaps, he completed 16 of 27 passes for 191 yards with a 1:1 TD-to-INT ratio. The only upside was his rushing ability, averaging just over 40 yards a game.
But there is hope. Over his last five starts, Fields was a top-12 QB (17.2 PPR/game), averaging 56 rushing yards and 243 passing yards. Over his final seven starts, Fields averaged 7.4 attempts for 51.6 yards per game on the ground. Push that out over a season, and it would be 877 rush yards.
If you placed Fields on any other roster, he would be a top-10 QB, garnering similar hype as Trey Lance is for the 49ers. Fields is worth a look simply due to his rushing upside.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
If there was someone I was wrong about last year, it was Rhamondre Stevenson. The rusher the Patriots drafted is not the one we saw at Oklahoma, and that’s a great thing. He’s also likely not getting enough credit for last season.
After escaping the Bill Belichick doghouse in Week 9, Stevenson totaled 532 rushing yards (4.9 ypa) and four touchdowns, which put him on a 17-game pace of 1,130 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Following the retirement of James White, Stevenson could easily see more receiving volume and is the more explosive back between him and Damien Harris. Not only that, but there are also rumors of a potential trade of Harris, similar to what they did with Sony Michel.
Stevenson has not only cracked the fantasy football sleeper list for 2022, but he’s also vaulted Harris in my rankings, now up to RB25. He is one of the best values, with a current ADP of 99.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
Amongst the class of rookies, outside of maybe Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III, no rusher has the chance to break out like Dameon Pierce for the Houston Texans. The second pick of the fourth round, Pierce was the seventh RB off the board — and he only went that late because of how Florida used — or should I say, misused –him.
Pierce has the film of a lead back. He personified efficiency as a senior, recording 13 touchdowns on just 100 carries (5.7 ypc). Pierce also showed receiving upside, hauling in 36 receptions in his last two seasons as a Gator.
A two-year starter, Pierce has all the contact balance and power in his leg drive to break tackles as a violent finisher at the next level. Something which has repeatedly shown up in the preseason as Pierce won the starting job over Marlon Mack, who was eventually cut.
Pierce’s ADP has steadily risen thanks to his play on the field, but it’s hard to overlook the upside he brings. While he still counts as a fantasy football sleeper for now, that won’t last much longer in 2022.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
For now, it’s unclear how the Chiefs backfield will shake out. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been unimpressive despite the draft capital invested. Behind him is a mess of Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones. However, the rusher to keep an eye on as a potential sleeper is Isiah Pacheco.
Pacheco is a big (215 pounds) but surprisingly fast (4.37 speed) rusher the Chiefs drafted out of Rutgers at 251 overall. Talk about maximizing value. He’s been the talk of camp and has a legitimate shot at becoming a staple in Kansas City’s offense.
Remember, Edwards-Helaire has never played more than 13 games in a season, finished higher than 22nd in PPR/game, had more than 1,100 total yards, scored more than six scores in a season, and has just six career games of 15+ carries. This job is not set in stone, folks, and Pacheco might end up being one of the best values overall for fantasy in 2022.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Last year was one to forget for Brandon Aiyuk. He started the season in Kyle Shanahan’s dog house, ranking WR68 through Week 9. Many wrote him off for good. But that was premature as Aiyuk was the WR14 in Weeks 10-17 with 31 receptions on 46 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns.
Aiyuk is the perfect post-hype sleeper for fantasy football in 2022. I’ve even gone on record saying, at cost (ADP 94), he’s a better value than Deebo Samuel (ADP 16). Trey Lance under center unlocks a new verticality to this offense, and day in and day out, it has been Aiyuk on the receiving end of those plays. I wouldn’t rule out a top-20 finish for Aiyuk.
Isaiah McKenzie, WR, Buffalo Bills
Who was going to replace the Cole Beasley role for the Bills this year? Find the answer, and you unlock a potential path to 100+ targets, as Beasley saw in the last three seasons. At first, it looked like Jamison Crowder, but in the end, Isaiah McKenzie won the job.
Usually, slot receivers can be hit or miss, but not in Buffalo. Per Sports Info Solutions, the Bills ranked third in percentage of dropbacks with 3+ wide receivers on the first at 88.3%, meaning McKenzie, assuming he’s the starter, will be on the field a ton.
I don’t think he hits triple digits since Crowder will rotate in, but McKenzie represents the cheapest way to get a piece of the Bills’ passing attack. Maybe his 11 of 12 for 125 yards and a TD game against the Patriots is a sign of things to come.
Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers
Someone has to be the No. 1 target for Aaron Rodgers. All signs point towards Allen Lazard as that option. Not only does Lazard have some prior chemistry with the back-to-back MVP, but he ended last year on fire.
Over the final five weeks, Lazard was the WR8 in PPR scoring thanks to 21 receptions for 290 receiving yards and five touchdowns to close the year out. Currently outside the top 40 in most rankings, Lazard could be one of the steals of the year for fantasy, should things click.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
This might be one of the few times I mention two Texans players in the same article, so I’ll take advantage of the opportunity by also mentioning Nico Collins as a fantasy football sleeper for 2022.
By no means was Collins great last year. He was the WR86 in PPR formats playing in 14 games, and he finished 97th in PPR/game scoring (6.0). But he also played for the Texans with a rookie QB in Davis Mills, not Deshaun Watson.
Yet, perhaps there is a silver lining. Collins closed the season with 30 targets in his final five games, catching 15 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but it was progress.
Collins is no worse than the No. 2 target for a team likely to be trailing most of the time. At 6’4″ with blazing speed, he’s worth a look as an under-the-radar player for fantasy football who could take a significant leap in 2022.
Jalen Tolbert, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Jalen Tolbert is one of my favorite values currently in fantasy football drafts. While at South Alabama, Tolbert was one of the most efficient players in the nation. After a 1,000-yard and eight-touchdown season as a junior, Tolbert exploded in 2021.
Recording 82 receptions, Tolbert posted 1,474 yards with eight more scores. Not only did he account for 3.62 yards per team passing attempt, but Tolbert also had 29.4% of the receptions in 2020 and a flat 30% in 2021.
He then went to the NFL Combine and backed everything up with impressive athletic testing numbers with 10″ hands, a 76 3/8″ wingspan, a 4.49 40-yard dash, and a 36″ vertical jump.
Since 2019, no FBS player has had more receptions of 15+ yards than Tolbert (77). He’s now coming in as the clear No. 2 receiver for Dak Prescott to open the season with Michael Gallup (ACL) and James Washington (foot) both missing time. Sign me up for Tolbert as one of my favorite fantasy football sleepers in 2022.
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Denver Broncos
You have two options at tight end it feels. Draft early, or just wait for the later rounds and try to draft a sleeper or breakout. Those in the latter category should pay close attention to Albert Okwuegbunam.
Entering the third year of his rookie contract, the 6’6″ tight end from Missouri is one of the most athletic players in the NFL at his position. You rarely see a player his size run a sub-4.5 40-yard dash.
Although he saw minimal action last season, Albert O had some flashes, catching 33 of his 40 targets for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Although it doesn’t sound like a lot, he was actually tied for the third-highest target rate per route run in the NFL last season at 23%.
With Tim Patrick out for the season (ACL), there are more targets to go around in Denver, plus Russell Wilson has never had an issue hitting his tight ends. Greg Dulcich will be waiting in the winds, but Okwuegbunam has clear top-10 upside in 2022.
Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
In fantasy, you need one of two things for a tight end. Either 90+ targets or 10+ touchdowns. Every top-six TE in PPR formats since 2003 has hit this. The only outlier in half-PPR is Mark Andrews in 2020 (88 targets). This is why Bears TE Cole Kmet is so interesting.
Kmet is the clear No. 2 target for a team that has the worst group of pass catchers in the NFL. Last year, Kmet blocked on just 11.7% of the passing plays while carrying an 84% route participation. He also saw 93 targets, a comfortable second-most on the team behind Darnell Mooney.
If Kmet had just had the average TD rate of the top five TEs last year (6.2%), he would have been the TE12 with 155.8 points, clearing Pat Freiermuth. It all comes down to touchdowns for Kmet, but he’s one of my favorite sleepers for fantasy football.
Evan Engram TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
The hiring of Doug Pederson as head coach for the Jaguars is being praised for what it can do for Lawrence, and I completely agree. But I am equally excited about what this might mean for Evan Engram.
Peterson has historically been a TE whisperer, utilizing 12-personnel and athleticism to generate mismatches in the secondary with linebackers, and having overtly athletic TEs is a game-changer, especially in today’s 4-2-5-driven league.
The only thing Engram needs to learn how to be more consistent at is catching the ball as drops have plagued his career, and its one of the reasons he is out of New York. The rest should work itself out as this is a scheme designed to get players in space, and when you have an offense loaded with Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne, and even Zay Jones, spacing won’t be an issue, especially if we see either 12-personnel or bunch formations with crosser concepts and “pick” routes at the line.
Dan Arnold is also someone that I am higher on than some due to his efficiency after coming over from Carolina, but the highest upside by far is Engram. Playing on a one-year prove-it deal, Engram fits the mold of everything I look for in a potential sleeper at TE. The YAC should be there, and if the Jags’ defense is poor, that should keep the offense needing to throw the ball early and often. Throw in continued maturation and a hopeful return to the player we know Lawrence can be, and Engram is someone who will be on the bulk of my rosters. Have patience early, as the rewards should show up after a few weeks.