Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the more polarizing quarterbacks in fantasy football. As a far better fantasy quarterback than NFL quarterback, some view Hurts as a ticking time bomb at risk of being benched. Following a strong QB1 performance last season, what can fantasy managers expect from Hurts in the 2022 season, and is he a good value at his current ADP in fantasy football drafts?
Jalen Hurts’ fantasy outlook for 2022
Hurts felt like a great value entering the 2021 season. We know rushing is a cheat code for quarterbacks, and Hurts is projected to be near Lamar Jackson levels as a runner.
In 2021, Hurts completed just 61.3% of his passes. He attempted a league-low 432 passes and threw for only 3,144 yards and 16 touchdowns. Hurts scored a total of 26 touchdowns on the season. These numbers all pale in comparison to someone like Matthew Stafford, who threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns. Yet, Hurts averaged 21.4 fantasy points per game, a full ppg more than Stafford.
In a year where Jackson was banged up, Hurts was the most prolific rushing quarterback in the NFL. He carried the ball 139 times for 784 yards and the aforementioned 10 touchdowns. It didn’t matter that Hurts was largely ineffective as a thrower.
One of the main arguments against Hurts was that he could potentially get benched. Well, not only did Hurts make it through the season as the starter, he led the Eagles to the playoffs. Don’t let anyone tell you Hurts might get benched this season. I’m not saying he’s definitely the Eagles’ long-term answer at quarterback. But he’s their guy for 2022.
How the Eagles’ depth chart impacts Jalen Hurts’ fantasy projection for the season
Hurts doesn’t need to improve as a passer to be a high-end QB1. However, there is plenty of room for improvement and reason to think he will get better.
In 2021, the Eagles spent a first-round pick on wide receiver DeVonta Smith and committed to Dallas Goedert as their primary tight end during the season. In 2022, the Eagles used a first-round selection to trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown. Philadelphia’s front office is setting up its quarterback for success.
Hurts was the overall QB6 in his first year as a starter with Jalen Reagor and Quez Watkins as his WR2 and WR3. If Brown makes Hurts merely a little better and Hurts’ completion percentage goes up a tick, we’re looking at a legitimate overall QB1 contender.
Hurts’ ADP for 2022
Hurts’ ADP sits in the region of 65th overall as the QB7. He has a range of ADPs on the various sites of around 10 selections on either side of that overall. In general, our analysts have Hurts slightly below that ADP. He sits at 76th overall as the QB5 in our consensus 2022 PPR fantasy rankings. At this point, you’ve read the above paragraphs (I hope!). You don’t need me to tell you I’m all in on Hurts in the sixth round or later.
That’s not to say I’m automatically taking Hurts in that round. As always, it depends on what the draft board looks like. Ultimately, as much as I love Hurts this season, if there are running backs or wide receivers that present better value, I’m okay waiting even further on a quarterback.
With that said, you should have no reservations about making Hurts a top-72 selection. He’s going nearly a full round after guys like Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray, both of whom we have ranked below him in our consensus rankings.