Fantasy Football 2022: Funniest Team Names and Mock Draft Strategy at Key Spots

With the 2022 NFL preseason well underway, it's time for fantasy football enthusiasts to start devising their draft strategies. Ideally, you won't be drafting until the very end of the preseason—exhibition injuries are a thing—but it's never too early to start planning.

Here, we'll dive into some draft strategies to try out in mock drafts and to utilize during live season-long drafts.

We'll also examine some funny team name suggestions for the 2022 season. First, though, let's check out our latest draft rankings and a three-round mock draft.

All rankings are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

4. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

5. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

6. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

7. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

8. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

9. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

11. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

12. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

13. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

14. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

15. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

16. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

17. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

18. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

19. Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

22. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

23. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

24. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

25. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

26. Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

27. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

28. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

29. D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

30. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

31. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

32. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

33. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

34. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

35. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

36. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

37. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

38. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

39. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

40. Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans

41. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

42. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

43. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

44. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

45. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders

46. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

47. Allen Robinson II, WR, Los Angeles Rams

48. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

49. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

50. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

Round 1

1.01 Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

1.02 Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

1.03 Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

1.04 Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

1.05 Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

1.06 Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

1.07 Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

1.08 Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

1.09 D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

1.10 Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

1.11 Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

1.12 Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Round 2

2.01 Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

2.02 Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

2.03 Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

2.04 Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

2.05 Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

2.06 Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

2.07 Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2.08 Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

2.09 CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

2.10 Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

2.11 Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

2.12 Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Round 3

3.01 Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

3.02 Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3.03 Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

3.04 Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

3.05 Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

3.06 Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

3.07 A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

3.08 Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

3.09 James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

3.10 Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

3.11 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

3.12 Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

There are a few key spots to focus on during fantasy drafts, and a few strategies one can utilize for each. Trying out strategies in mock drafts—using a tool like FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator—managers can find strategies that work best for them.

The first key spot in drafts may seem obvious, but it comes in the first two rounds. This is where managers want to find the cornerstones of their starting lineups. Here, you should be looking for players who regularly touch the football.

Dual=threat running backs like Austin Ekeler, bell-cow runners like Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry and star receivers like Cooper Kupp and Ja'Marr Chase are players to target highly.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey should be back in the top tier, now that he's healthy following two injury-hampered campaigns.

"I'm not spending my time worrying about, 'hey, will Christian get hurt?'" Panthers coach Matt Rhule said, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press. "We are thinking about Christian in one way only—and that’s attack."

In Rounds 1 and 2, seek players whose weekly workloads are too large to truly bust. Doubling up on running backs in the first two rounds is one strategy to consider, but don't be afraid to use a mid-to-late Round 1 selection on a PPR machine like Kupp or Davante Adams.

Travis Kelce is the only tight end worthy of first-round consideration. With Tyreek Hill now with the Miami Dolphins, Kelce should be the Kansas City Chiefs' top target.

The next critical spot comes in the second and third rounds. This is where top-tier quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes may start coming off the board. Managers can generally wait until Round 5 or later to find a quality starter, but signal-callers who offer rushing potential often go highly.

Whether you take a quarterback in the first four rounds or not, it's smart to come away with three running backs and/or receivers—with at least one of each—before Round 5. Focus on high-floor, low-risk players who can be the faces of your lineup.

The middle rounds are where to round out your starting lineup—except for defense/special teams and kickers. Lineups will vary depending on the league but will typically include two running backs, two receivers, a tight end, a quarterback and a flex spot (RB/WR/TE).

Looking at our mock draft, for example, Team 11 took RB Joe Mixon, RB Aaron Jones and WR Mike Evans in the first three rounds. If that team took a quarterback in Round 4, a second starting receiver should be at the top of the wish list in Round 5.

There are two ways to approach the middle rounds. Managers can go after high-floor veterans who are likely to provide some sort of production each week. They can also target high-risk, high-reward players—those returning from injury, players getting starting roles for the first time and rookies.

Atlanta Falcons rookie receiver Drake London—the first receiver taken in the draft—is a good example of a risk-reward player perfect for the middle rounds. He could be a rookie star like Chase was in 2021 and Justin Jefferson was in 2020. However, he's completely unproven at the pro level. (He had one catch for 24 yards in Friday's preseason opener.)

The late rounds are where to grab kickers and defenses and target deep sleepers. Rookies and players likely to see expanded roles in 2022 should make up the bulk of late-round selections. Otherwise, you should be targeting handcuffs—players who provide injury insurance, like Henry's backup, Dontrell Hilliard—and pure depth.

Most importantly, be ready to pivot at all points in the draft, as positional runs can and will make it necessary to alter strategies.

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