2022 NFL Predictions: 2nd-Year Players Set to Become Breakout Fantasy Stars
Nothing can grease the gears for a fantasy football championship run better than the early discovery of a breakout performer.
These aren't players who merely outperform expectations. Rather, they spend the campaign climbing entire tiers up the NFL world and boosting their fantasy numbers in the process.
Since the art of breaking out inherently skews toward younger members of the league, we'll focus on a second-year player ascending toward stardom at each of the three marquee positions.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Last year, the Ravens spent the 27th overall pick on Rashod Bateman. They're ready to get a major return on that investment.
The wideout never quite found his footing as a rookie. He opened the season on injured reserve (core muscle injury) and didn't debut until Week 6. He saw encouraging usage from that point forward (seven games with six-plus targets), but it was too little too late in terms of fantasy relevance.
He wound up with 46 receptions on 68 targets for 515 yards and a single touchdown. He had one 100-yard performance and tallied 80 yards in two other contests, but his yardage was largely held in check.
That could change in a big way this season. Baltimore needs a new No. 1 receiver after trading away Marquise Brown, and Bateman is the likeliest candidate to fill that void. If he becomes the preferred target of a healthy Lamar Jackson, Bateman's numbers could soar.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The second season can be a massive one for first-round quarterbacks.
Just ask Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow, who all went wild during their sophomore seasons.
The same thing could happen for Trevor Lawrence, the top overall pick of the 2021 draft. The franchise is fully invested in his development and shook plenty of things up to improve things around him this offseason. That included the coaching change from Urban Meyer to Doug Pederson, but also free-agency investments at receiver (Christian Kirk, Zay Jones), tight end (Evan Engram) and offensive guard (Brandon Scherff).
Tack on a healthy Travis Etienne Jr.—Lawrence's running back at Clemson—plus key returning vets like James Robinson and Marvin Jones Jr., and this entire offense might be primed for a breakout season.
Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
If there's a gripe with selecting Elijah Mitchell here, it's that he possible broke out already last season.
He went in the sixth round of the 2021 draft (No. 194 overall) and forced his way not only into the running back rotation but San Francisco's starting lineup. Across 11 games (10 starts), he tallied 963 rushing yards, 137 receiving yards and six total touchdowns.
So, can it possibly get even better this time around? No question—so long as he can put his hamstring injury behind him before the campaign kicks off.
If he can stay healthy, he could have a monster year. He has the trust of coach Kyle Shanahan, and that can do wonders for a fantasy running back. Mitchell cleared 20 carries five different times last season, averaging 111.6 scrimmage yards and 0.6 touchdowns in those outings.
If he's the focal point of this backfield and a safety valve for first-time starting quarterback Trey Lance, Mitchell could become a true RB1 in fantasy and crack the position's top 10.