Draft time for the 2022 fantasy football season is upon us, and preparation is crucial. Whether it is CBS or one of the other fantasy providers, being ready when you enter your draft is crucial.
For that reason, we have put together a 2022 CBS cheat sheet for you to utilize during your fantasy football drafts. In the article below, we will examine the lineup requirements and scoring system of a standard CBS league. Additionally, we will look closely at the CBS ADP to see if there are particular players to target or avoid.
If you are looking to ask specific questions about your CBS league, be sure to join our free Discord server, where our analysts will be dropping in to answer your questions. All ADP numbers in this article were taken from FantasyPros and CBS and are correct at the time of writing (Aug. 23, 2022).
CBS fantasy football cheat sheet | Hints and tips to help you win your league
The first thing to check before you draft in your CBS league is whether the league is using the standard setup or a custom one. On CBS, if you use their standard setup, then it is free, but a customized one costs $149.99 (down from $179.99) for the season.
It is important to know the situation because of the impact on how things play out compared to ADP. The site’s ADP is usually based heavily on drafts performed using those standard settings. That means any changes to that will alter player values compared to the ADP. Making sure you know these differences will give you an advantage over the other players in your league.
CBS fantasy football standard scoring system
The standard scoring format for CBS leagues is non-PPR. This is set, along with all the other scoring unless you pay for the ability to customize your league.
When it comes to passing, players get 0.04 fantasy points per passing yard, six points for touchdown passes, and two points for two-point conversions. QBs also lose two points for throwing an interception.
When it comes to rushing, players get 0.1 points per yard, six points per touchdown, and two points for converting a two-point conversion. Receptions earn 0.1 points per receiving yard, six points per touchdown, and two points for a two-point conversion.
There are also various points awarded for kickers and defense. Every PAT made earns a point, while every field goal missed costs the kicker a point. The scoring for made field goals is based on distance. Kicks between 0-39 yards earn three points, 40-49-yard kicks earn four points, 50-59-yard kicks earn five points, and kicks over 60 yards earn six points.
Defenses earn points for a number of elements of the game. Touchdowns on defense or special teams earn six points, sacks earn a single point, while interceptions, fumble recoveries, safeties, and a two-point return each earn two points. There are also points based on the number of yards and points a defense gives up, with a sliding scale from 12 to zero.
Additionally, players can also gain points for fumble recovery touchdowns. Players also lose two points if they lose a fumble.
CBS standard roster requirements
The standard CBS lineup requirement is QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, kicker, and D/ST. Each team also has five bench spots to store reserves. There is also one injured reserve spot as standard.
CBS leagues have a limit to how many players you can draft at each position. Managers can draft a maximum of five RBs and WRs, as well as a maximum of two QBs, TEs, kickers, and D/ST. It is also worth noting that managers must leave their draft with a complete starting lineup, so no skipping on your defense and kickers to load up elsewhere.
Once you get into the season, these requirements are dropped. At that point, you can carry as many or as few players at each position as you like so long as you can field a legal lineup. Compared to ESPN or NFL.com formats, CBS’ standard league size is 12 teams as opposed to 10. This impacts how you read the ADP as the end of the fifth round in a 12-team league is the 60th pick compared to the 50th in 10-team leagues.
If you are playing in a CBS league with customized settings, then PFN’s fantasy resources can help you understand how the value of players changes with different settings. The remainder of this article will examine the ADP that is generated from CBS’ standard league settings to look for any players to target or avoid in your drafts this year.
CBS ADP | Potential bargains to exploit
When you glance at the CBS ADP, there are some things that stand out immediately. Namely, Josh Allen with an ADP of eighth overall and Patrick Mahomes at 14th overall. Both of those are going around two rounds earlier than in FantasyPros’ consensus non-PPR ADP.
At an initial glance, those two names really stand out. Let’s take a look at the rest of the QBs to see if the trend continues down the position and how that impacts the value of other positions in CBS leagues.
Quarterback values are inflated in CBS leagues
These types of differences in site ADP compared to the consensus are why we put together our CBS cheat sheet for the 2022 season. If you only play on CBS, then their ADP is “standard” to you. However, when you compare it to the values of players on other sites, you can see where there are opportunities to exploit value. Quarterback is one such position.
One thing to note with the CBS ADP is that there appear to be drafts performed with custom-league settings included in their ADP. Allen has a range of selections from first to 25th, while Mahomes and Herbert are selected as high as third in some leagues. While these numbers could be generated from managers who are overzealous about the QB position, it’s more likely these higher selections were made in Superflex or 2QB leagues.
Therefore, it’s something to be aware of when researching your league. If it is a 1QB league, then the values you see as the CBS ADP will appear inflated compared to the consensus. If you play in a custom-built Superflex league, then the values will seem suppressed compared to what you may see happen in your draft. Make sure to consider that when planning for your draft. You may get values, or you may have to sometimes reach, but knowing when to feel comfortable doing so is important.
In terms of individual values for players, Tom Brady stands out as the QB5 on CBS, compared to the consensus QB10. In PFN’s consensus 2022 QB fantasy rankings, Brady is the QB6, which closely matches his price on CBS. In contrast, Joe Burrow as the QB8 appears to be a value compared to consensus. However, he is the QB10 in our consensus rankings, so even his CBS ADP may not present the value you hope.
The remaining QB values relative to each other are largely the same as the consensus. Russell Wilson as the QB12 on CBS stands out as a slight value that you might be able to exploit.
RB values overall on CBS largely mirror the consensus
When valuing individual positions, there are two elements. Look at how the position as a whole is valued on your league site compared to the consensus, and then examine individual players. For people drafting on CBS, RB values largely match the consensus ADP for non-PPR leagues through the first 40 running backs. There is then a shift where backs in the RB45-60 region start going off the board later than we see in the consensus.
When we then examine players individually, there are many differences. In the first round, we generally see Christian McCaffrey going off the board later in CBS leagues than the consensus would suggest (6.3 vs. 2.7). The biggest RB stand out of the first two rounds is D’Andre Swift, who has a 25.3 ADP on CBS compared to a consensus of 12.3. In contrast, J.K. Dobbins has an ADP of 38.8 on CBS, compared to 57.0 when we look at consensus.
Here are some other notable RB values that differ by 10 picks or more between CBS and the consensus non-PPR ADP:
- Javonte Williams, DEN
CBS ADP: 27.0; Consensus ADP: 17.3 - Cam Akers, LAR
CBS ADP: 47.0; Consensus ADP: 29.7 - Damien Harris, NE
CBS ADP: 47.3; Consensus ADP: 71.0 - Travis Etienne, JAX
CBS ADP: 53.0; Consensus ADP: 40.3 - Elijah Mitchell, SF
CBS ADP: 59.0; Consensus ADP: 49.0 - Antonio Gibson, WAS
CBS ADP: 63.14; Consensus ADP: 43.0 - AJ Dillon, GB
CBS ADP: 72.5; Consensus ADP: 55.7 - Rashaad Penny, SEA
CBS ADP: 92.9; Consensus ADP: 82.3 - Chase Edmonds, MIA
CBS ADP: 97.4; Consensus ADP: 83.3 - Rhamondre Stevenson, NE
CBS ADP: 102.9; Consensus ADP: 90.7
WR values are slightly reduced on CBS
When you look through the CBS ADP compared to the consensus, there is a definite reduction in wide receivers’ ADP on CBS. Through the first 30 WRs off the board, there is between half a round to a round difference between CBS and the consensus.
This appears as early as the WR5, which goes on average 5.3 picks later on CBS. The gap is as wide as 10 picks by the WR10, and while it closes up slightly around the WR20 region, there is a 12-pick gap in the WR30 value. There is a full 20-pick gap when we reach the WR40, which makes a huge difference when building your roster strategy.
The differences in the position are clear immediately. Justin Jefferson’s ADP is 11.38 on CBS, compared to 5.7 in terms of consensus. It’s not until Mike Williams goes off the board at pick 42 on CBS that we see a receiver with an ADP higher on CBS than in terms of the consensus.
With values being different right across the board, let’s take a look at some notable receivers who have at least a 20-selection difference between CBS and the consensus:
- Diontae Johnson, PIT
CBS ADP: 69.8; Consensus ADP: 43.7 - Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET
CBS ADP: 100.9; Consensus ADP: 58.3 - Darnell Mooney, CHI
CBS ADP: 91.9; Consensus ADP: 62.0 - Amari Cooper, CLE
CBS ADP: 91.02; Consensus ADP: 66.0 - Elijah Moore, NYJ
CBS ADP: 100.4; Consensus ADP: 79.7 - Hunter Renfrow, LV
CBS ADP: 104.9; Consensus ADP: 84.0 - Tyler Lockett, SEA
CBS ADP: 123.7; Consensus ADP: 94.0 - Drake London, ATL
CBS ADP: 120.0; Consensus ADP: 95.0
Tight end values on CBS mostly match the consensus
When you look down the ADP at tight end, there aren’t major variations in the overall picture. The first six tight ends all go off the board in a similar region on CBS to the consensus. The only real difference comes with Dallas Goedert and T.J. Hockenson.
Those two are essentially flipped with Goedert going 71.7 on CBS, compared to 82.7 in terms of the consensus. In contrast, Hockenson is at 89.3 on CBS, with a consensus ADP of 69.3. Therefore, if you are a believer in Goedert, you may need to reach for him on CBS. However, Hockenson fans could find themselves getting a value on CBS.
Cole Kmet is another player who appears to present a value on CBS. His ADP is 135.6 compared to 120 in terms of the consensus. After that, there are individual discrepancies, so if you have a late-round TE target this year, it’s worth double checking his value on CBS.