Fantasy Football 2022: Early Sleepers, Dynasty Tips and Team Names
It's the perfect time to kick your fantasy football research into high gear. Training camp has arrived, and the 2022 NFL season is getting closer. Fantasy leagues are likely scheduling drafts to take place in August or early September.
In order to be a successful fantasy manager, work needs to be put in now. And there's plenty of preparations that can be made to put yourself in the best possible position come draft day.
Who are some potential sleepers to keep an eye on? If you're in a dynasty league, which rookies should you look to add to your roster? And, of course, what should your team name be?
Here's a guide to help with some of those decisions ahead of the 2022 fantasy football season.
Potential Team Names
Brady Gaga
Dak Side of the Moon
Work from Mahomes
Return of the Mac
Cobra Kyler
Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood
Tuafinity and Beyond
Fresh Prince of Helaire
Catalina Wine Mixon
Zeke and Destroy
McLaurin F1
Good JuJu
Silenced by the Lamb
Pop Lockett Drop It
I Gotta Thielen
Sleepers to Target
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields wasn't a factor in fantasy football during his rookie season in 2021. He played 12 games and made 10 starts, passing for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also had only two rushing touchdowns.
However, the 23-year-old is capable of using his legs to make big plays. And now that he has a year of NFL experience under his belt, he could take a big step forward in his 2022 sophomore campaign.
The Chicago Bears don't have the best receiving corps, but that may only aid Fields' rushing numbers. It will be intriguing to see if he becomes the two-way threat he has the potential to be.
Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Don't forget about Travis Etienne Jr. just because he missed all of the 2021 season because of a foot injury. The Jacksonville Jaguars used a first-round pick on the running back because of his talent, and it's almost time for him to remind fans of that.
There should be enough touches to go around for both the 23-year-old and James Robinson to make an impact this season. Because of Etienne's chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (his former Clemson teammate), they could both put up strong numbers in 2022.
Etienne has a high fantasy ceiling, and although there's some uncertainty of how quickly he'll adjust to the NFL level after a year without playing football, he has a ton of potential.
Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Rondale Moore flashed his potential at times as a rookie in 2021, when he had 54 catches for 435 yards and one touchdown in 14 games. He could fare even better in his second season catching passes from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Arizona is going to be without top wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for six games after he violated the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The Cardinals have Marquise Brown and A.J. Green to help fill that void, but Moore could step up during that time, too.
The 22-year-old has the big-play potential to become a breakout fantasy star during the upcoming season, so he should be targeted late in drafts.
Dynasty Tips
If you're heading into a dynasty rookie draft in the near future, you need to make sure you have the right strategy. Otherwise, your team could pay for it down the road.
First, it's best to target rookie running backs in the first round, if possible. It can be so difficult to acquire star RBs in dynasty leagues with so few available, meaning you need to find potential breakout players when possible.
This year, New York Jets running back Breece Hall and Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III are the best rookies to target. Not only could they become stars later on, but they also both have the potential to be fantasy relevant in 2022.
The rookie wide receiver class for this season is deep. So it's OK to miss out on the top-tier ones in the first round, because there are plenty to scoop up in a later round. Rookie receivers such as the Cleveland Browns' David Bell or the Pittsburgh Steelers' Calvin Austin III could be great to target.
It's risky to draft a quarterback early in this year's dynasty rookie drafts. Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett has the best chance of starting in 2022, and even he may sit behind Mitchell Trubisky this season.
There's a chance no QBs from this year's rookie class develop into fantasy stars, so only take one if you're really thin at the position for the future.