Fantasy Football 2022: 5-Round Standard League Mock Draft

The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams are set to kick off the 2022 NFL season next Thursday night. This means that football fans and fantasy enthusiasts alike will get their first taste of meaningful action in mere days.

For fantasy managers who haven't yet drafted for the coming season, now is the perfect time to cram some last-minute information. Familiarizing yourself with the latest depth-chart decisions, injury updates and other preseason developments is a great start. It can also be helpful to dive into the latest fantasy rankings and mock-draft analysis.

We're going to do exactly that here by breaking down a mock draft conducted with FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator. While a mock can't tell you who to draft, it can indicate where players are being valued based on the latest consensus rankings and average draft position (ADP).

We'll run through the first five rounds of a 12-team, standard snake draft and note any interesting or surprising picks and trends along the way.

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

3. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

5. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

6. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

7. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

8. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

9. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

10. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

11. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

12. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

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There's nothing too surprising to see in the first round. Eight of the top 12 selections were running backs, which is a common occurrence in standard-scoring drafts.

Indianapolis Colts star and reigning rushing leader Jonathan Taylor kicked off Round 1, as he has likely done in many real-world drafts this preseason. It is also interesting to note that Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson cracked the top four.

In standard, it's all about the yardage and the touchdowns, and Jefferson had plenty of both last season (1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns). Running backs are typically "safer" options at the top of Round 1. However, high-volume receivers like Jefferson, Cooper Kupp and Ja'Marr Chase are viable targets. Jefferson, for example, only had one game with less than 50 yards and no touchdowns last season.

The floor for a receiver who consistently gets targets is usually high, even in standard.

The one surprise here is the selection of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. He had a decent year in 2021—he had 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns—but his numbers were far more impressive in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues than in standard. Kelce caught 92 passes last season.

It's likely that Kelce's fantasy stock has gotten a boost from the offseason trade of Tyreek Hill. Kelce should be the unquestioned No. 1 target in Kansas City, and he could return to the production we saw in 2020 (1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games). That's something to consider, especially if Kelce slips into Round 2 in your league.

1. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

2. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

3. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

4. D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions

5. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

6. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

7. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

8. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

9. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

11. Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

12. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

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Only five running backs went in the second round, as many mock managers looked for top-of-the-roster balance. Only four teams opted to start their drafts with two running backs.

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb kicked off Round 2, and he should be a borderline first-rounder in standard formats. He's far less valuable in PPR because he's often spelled by dual-threat back Kareem Hunt. Chubb is a standout ball carrier, however.

In 14 games last season, Chubb amassed 1,433 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns. That's an average of over 100 yards per game, which is an incredible floor. Chubb has averaged 96 yards per game in his career, and he only started nine of 16 contests as a rookie.

The only pick that raises eyebrows here is the selection of new Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill in the second round. Hill had a solid 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns last season. However, he's no longer playing with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

In Miami, Hill will have to split targets with the likes of Jaylen Waddle, Mike Gesicki and Cedrick Wilson Jr. In his new home, Hill is a bit more of a boom-or-bust player than in previous years.

1. Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

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

4. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

5. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

6. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

7. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

8. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

9. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

10. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

11. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

12. DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

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Again, we have only five running backs going here. This feels low for a standard draft, but this is really just an indication of how the game has evolved. With a few exceptions, there aren't many true bell cow backs anymore. Teams frequently use committees, even when they have quality starters.

In 2021, we saw only seven 1,000-yard rushers.

There is a far deeper group of second-tier pass-catchers, however. Twenty-six players had at least 1,000 receiving yards last season. Therefore, a lot of viable starting receivers can be found in Round 3 and later.

This means, of course, that if you can find a quality back here, it can be worth waiting on a pass-catcher. You can probably find a 1,000-yard receiver in Round 4 or 5. You're far less likely to find a 1,000-yard runner there.

Round 3 is also where you should start seeing quarterbacks come off the board in standard leagues. Buffalo Bills signal-caller Josh Allen is a logical choice for QB1, as he's a high-level passer who also adds fantasy value with his legs.

Last season, Allen tallied 4,407 passing yards, 763 rushing yards and 42 combined touchdowns.

1. Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams

2. Allen Robinson II, WR, Los Angeles Rams

3. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

4. Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

5. AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers

6. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

7. Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers

8. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

9. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

10. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

11. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

12. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

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Two more quarterbacks came off the board in Round 4, and, unsurprisingly, they were Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

Mahomes is no surprise, as the Chiefs signal-caller is consistently among the league's most prolific passers. He also provides bonus value on the ground, though he isn't as much of a dual-threat as Allen.

Last season, Mahomes rushed for 381 yards and two scores.

Herbert is a similarly talented quarterback who shined for the Los Angeles Chargers last year. He also topped 300 rushing yards and threw for more than 5,000 yards with 41 combined touchdowns.

Of course, managers don't have to draft a quarterback this highly to find value at the position. Most leagues provide a scoring premium for quarterback rushing—it may be one point for every 10 yards versus one point for every 25 passing yards. This means that dual-threat quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts can be just as productive as Mahomes or Herbert.

Murray went in Round 5 of our mock. Jackson went in Round 6, while Hurts went in the seventh round. Don't overdraft a quarterback if you don't have to.

1. Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

2. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

3. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders

4. Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills

5. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

6. Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks

7. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens

8. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

9. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

10. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

11. Chase Edmonds, RB, Miami Dolphins

12. Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans

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There's nothing too wild to note here in the fifth round, though this does feel a bit high for Bills running back Devin Singletary and Baltimore Ravens back J.K. Dobbins.

Singletary is expected to split time with Zack Moss and rookie James Cook, and he wasn't exactly an elite producer last season. Singletary finished with 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns, but his 40 receptions would be irrelevant in standard.

With Cook now in the mix, expect Singletary's product to dip in 2022.

Dobbins, meanwhile, is working his way back from a torn ACL and isn't at 100 percent just yet.

"His quickness is kind of back," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley.

Managers should want to hear more than "kind of" before committing to Dobbins over a player like Houston Texans rookie Dameon Pierce, who went in the sixth round of this mock. Baltimore recently added Kenyan Drake to its backfield, so we could see a limited amount of Dobbins early in the season.