Fantasy Football 2022: Mobile Cheatsheet, Mock-Draft Strategy for Top Positions

Thursday served as a reminder that the 2022 NFL season is quickly approaching. The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game, kicking off this year's preseason slate.

In a little more than a month, games will begin to count. Then, tons of people will be closely following the fantasy football apps on their phones, hoping to see their players racking up points to help them defeat their opponents.

But right now, it's draft time in the fantasy world. Managers will be building their initial rosters over the next few weeks, and it's always crucial to go into the draft with cheatsheets to follow and a plan to execute.

So, here are some early positional rankings to help for draft preparation, along with strategies to consider while you're participating in mocks to help get ready.

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

4. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

5. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

6. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

8. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

10. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

No quarterback should be taken within the first two rounds of a fantasy draft this year, even in 12-team leagues. There's plenty of depth at the position, and you'd be missing out on the top running backs and wide receivers, spots that need to be addressed early.

But when it's time to start considering QBs, Allen is clearly at the top of the list. He's a top-tier passer who also contributes solid rushing numbers, making him the most desirable fantasy quarterback to have in 2022. Still, he shouldn't be taken until the third round, so don't reach for him.

After that, it's fine to wait until the fourth, fifth or sixth round to add a quarterback, if not even later. Unless there's a huge run on QBs and you're afraid of missing out on somebody from one of your top few tiers, there should be some start-worthy options around the middle of the draft.

However, if you want one of the mobile quarterbacks who are dual threats (such as Murray, Jackson or Hurts), you'll probably need to use at least a fifth- or sixth-round selection on them. If you've drafted well at other positions to that point, it can be wise to do that if it makes sense for your roster.

1. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

2. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

3. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

5. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

6. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

7. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

8. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

9. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

10. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

It's possible that all 10 of these running backs could be taken in the first round in a 12-team league. That's how important it is to have a star RB to anchor your lineup and build your roster around.

Taylor and McCaffrey are likely to go No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in most drafts. So if you don't have one of those picks, you can likely plan on targeting another running back (or potentially one of the top few wide receivers) with your first-round selection.

Ekeler is a great target because of the receiving numbers he will likely have. Henry and Cook are safe picks (assuming they stay healthy) because they're sure to get a ton of touches from their respective teams.

Unless the top-tier RB you draft gets hurt, it's hard to go wrong with one of these players. They're all stars who have proved they can put up big rushing numbers in a season.

1. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

3. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

4. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

5. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

6. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

7. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

8. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

9. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

10. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

There are three wide receivers here who should be worthy of first-round consideration: Kupp, Jefferson and Chase. And all of them appear poised for big things in 2022.

Even though Kupp is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, he isn't ranked as the No. 1 WR in all preseason rankings. Some believe that Jefferson and possibly even Chase should be drafted ahead of Kupp.

But Kupp has a high ceiling, as he proved in 2021, when he led the NFL in catches (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16). He's worthy of picking in the top five (potentially even as high as No. 3 overall), and he may be a bit safer of a selection than Jefferson and Chase.

After those three are off the board heading into the second round, many of the top wide receivers will likely start getting picked. So if you've taken a star RB in the first, it could be a great move to try to land a WR such as Diggs, Adams or Samuel in the second.

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

3. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

4. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

6. Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

7. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

8. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals

10. Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills

Last year, some fantasy managers debated whether they should take Kelce in the first round of drafts. This year, it's possible that he and Andrews are both worthy of consideration. And it's even possible that Andrews could have higher upside than Kelce.

It's clear Kelce and Andrews are the top two tight ends, and the former is likely a safer pick because of his consistency in recent seasons. But it'll be costly to land either. Even if they don't get picked in the first, it's unlikely they'll still be on the board past the second.

If you miss out on Kelce and Andrews, it's probably best to wait a few rounds to get a tight end, otherwise you'd be reaching for a player in one of the next few tiers. It's also not the worst move to pass on all of these tight ends while building depth at other spots on your roster and then planning to stream the position heading into the season.