Fantasy Football 2022: Players Who Should Be Getting Drafted Earlier

No two fantasy football drafts are going to unfold exactly the same. And there are various reasons for that.

For one, many fantasy managers have different favorite teams. Even though some don't let personal feelings impact draft decisions, maybe a Baltimore Ravens fan won't be able to resist reaching for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

People also have varying opinions on NFL players entering a new season. That sleeper wide receiver you think may be on the cusp of a breakout? Others might not see it happening.

So while mocks are helpful for preparation, your league's draft is sure to go slightly different. Still, they do give you a general sense of how things may unfold. They also show you which players may be a bit undervalued during the preseason.

Here's a look at several players who should be getting drafted earlier than they have been in recent mocks.

Don't want to draft Leonard Fournette because of the reports of him showing up to training camp overweight? You'll be missing out.

The 27-year-old is the starting running back for one of the NFL's best offenses, and decisions like that tend to be overreactions when looking back at season's end.

As Fournette told Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site, he tends to "blow up" every offseason before reporting to training camp and getting back in football shape. If it's happened before, there's no reason to believe he won't do that again.

Yet, the LSU product's average draft position in 12-team points-per-reception leagues doesn't have him coming off the board until the third round, per Fantasy Football Calculator. He should be selected in the second round, with possible late first-round consideration.

In case you forgot, Fournette was a top-10 RB in PPR leagues last season, when he rushed for 812 yards and eight touchdowns and had 69 catches for 454 yards and two scores in 14 games. He could get even more touches in 2022, now that Ronald Jones II is with the Kansas City Chiefs.

If Fournette somehow falls to the third round, he's a must-draft player at that point.

Fantasy managers who used an early draft pick on Allen Robinson II last year ended up highly disappointed. His production dropped off in a big way, as he had only 38 catches for 410 yards and one touchdown over 12 games for the Chicago Bears.

But the 28-year-old is no longer in Chicago, where he wasn't exactly catching passes from top-tier quarterbacks over the past four seasons. That will change in 2022 with the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, where he'll be on the receiving end of throws from Matthew Stafford.

Opposing defenses will need to give a ton of attention to reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, which means Robinson could quickly emerge as a great No. 2 option, especially with Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. no longer on the Rams.

Robinson isn't getting drafted until the middle of the sixth round in 12-team PPR leagues, per Fantasy Football Calculator. But don't be surprised if he bounces back in a big way in the upcoming season.

The Penn State product should be among the tier of wide receivers who are likely to get drafted in the fourth or fifth round, and his performance will likely reward managers who take him then.

Over his first seven games of 2021, Brandon Aiyuk had only 13 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown. It was a disappointing start to his second NFL season, and some fantasy managers who drafted him in a middle round dropped him as a result.

But the 24-year-old rewarded those who stuck with him. He performed much better down the stretch, recording 43 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns in his final 10 games.

So, which version of Aiyuk will show up in 2022? The 49ers offense has a new leader, as Trey Lance has taken over for Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback.

And even though the 22-year-old could have some early struggles, that should be a good long-term development for the receiving corps, including Aiyuk.

It's clear fantasy managers aren't sure what to think of the Arizona State product at this point, as his ADP is the fourth pick of the ninth round in 12-team PPR leagues, per Fantasy Football Calculator. That's lower than Elijah Moore, Rashod Bateman and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Aiyuk shouldn't be getting drafted that late, and he's likely to get off to a better start this year. That means his third NFL season could be his best yet, rewarding the fantasy managers who take him a bit earlier than his average draft position.