2022 Fantasy Football draft value: Sleepers, busts and more

Running Backs:

Best Value: Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

ADP 45.5, RB19

Running Back 12. That’s how Josh Jacobs finished last season in terms of total points. He’s also only twenty-four years old! It seems that everyone views him as a grizzly veteran who’s somehow started his decline? And (you can decide if this matters to you) he’s on a contract year.

The Raiders have already declined the fifth year option on Jacobs’ rookie contract, and not only may they not be worried about running him into the ground with extra touches, but I expect Jacobs will be playing with the mindset that he has something to prove. While not necessarily backed up by stats, these circumstances happen all the time, and may prove to create conditions for success in Jacobs’ case.

The Raiders’ offense promises to be improved this season, after the acquisition of Devante Adams to help spread out the offense. A balanced offense leads to open running lanes, fewer tacklers in the box, and typically higher scoring, in which Jacobs should share. I expect to see Jacobs challenge for a top-10 ranking by season’s end.

Worst Value: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

ADP 16.8, RB 8

I’ll keep this one brief. Kamara not only lost his All-Pro left tackle to free agency and the Miami Dolphins, but he’s also dealing with a rather messy legal situation that is likely to leave him suspended, with six games being the projected length. While I expect we will see Kamara’s ADP drop sharply once the suspension is announced, I don’t expect to be targeting him much in drafts wherever he falls.

Like him in this spot: Travis Etienne, Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

ADP 56.3, RB 23

A ranking of RB 23 in terms of ADP would land a player in the “Preferred Flex Play” category. That’s exactly how I expect Etienne to perform this year, maybe rarely ever being a truly top RB, but putting up numbers respectable enough to earn a spot in your starting lineup.

Travis Etienne missed all of his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, though reports out of Jaguars’ camp in both 2021 and ’22 are that Etienne has been mainly focusing on his skills and role as a pass catcher. In today’s pass-happy NFL, a pass-catching running back has some significant fantasy value, which we’ve seen in the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Kareem Hunt.

While I do not expect Etienne to be Christian McCaffrey, I do see Hunt as an attainable scoring comparison for Etienne. Hunt, at his best, is a top ten RB, and overall is a solid starter on any team. Look for solid production out of Etienne and consider this a worthwhile pick in the fifth or sixth round.