5 Fantasy Break-out Candidates
Last year in fantasy football we saw Cooper Kupp and Jonathan Taylor light up fantasy football leagues. There are players every year that can be league winners. With that being said, here are five fantasy football breakout candidates for the 2022 season:
Dallas Cowboys WR, Ceedee Lamb
The door has become wide open for CeeDee Lamb to step into a WR1 role after the Cowboys dealt Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. Cedrick Wilson Jr. is also no longer part of the team as he joined the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. Another note for fantasy football managers is that Michael Gallup is expected to not be ready at the start of the season, due to the torn ACL injury he suffered back in January.
Combine the Gallup injury and the Cowboys dealing away with Amari Cooper that leaves 104 vacated targets that will likely be divided up between Lamb, Gallup, James Washington, Dalton Schultz and Jalen Tolbert.
Lamb had no sophomore slump in 2021 as he hauled in 1,102 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Lamb was a difference maker for the Cowboys' passing attack. If Lamb can stay healthy in 2022 then he will be poised for his biggest season. Expect Lamb to become a top 10 fantasy wideout by the end of the year and will have the makings of the WR1 in fantasy.
Indianapolis Colts WR, Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman should find himself in the same shoes as CeeDee Lamb as making a case for Pittman to have a breakout season. Having Matt Ryan as Pittman's quarterback heading into the season should only boost his numbers in fantasy. Ryan should provide an upgrade that will benefit the Colts' pass catchers.
According to FantasyPros, with Matt Ryan under center Pittman has the volume potential to be a top-12 fantasy option. Ryan has a history of fueling top-end fantasy WRs like Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley.
Pittman showed what he is capable of in the 2021 season where he posted 88 receptions, 1088 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers led to a WR17 finish in PPR leagues. Pittman will no longer have to deal with T.Y. Hilton taking some of the target share. In the offseason, the Colts only added rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce and Jelani Woods to the receiving core.
Pittman will have the opportunity to dominate his team in targets with the limited competition in the wide receiver room. The WR room is open for Pittman to have a breakout year going into the 2022 season. A top-10 fantasy WR finish is not out of the realm of possibility.
Green Bay Packers RB, Aaron Jones
Jones' role could spike this season with the absence of Davante Adams being in the offense. The departure of Adams will give Jones an added role in the passing game. Jones has already shown that he is capable of being a RB1 in previous seasons.
In the one game without Davante Adams last year, Jones took full advantage. In that game, Jones had 11 targets to pair with his 15 rush attempts. Adams took over most of the target shares, but Jones was able to take on a larger role in the passing game when Adams missed time.
According to Fantasy Pros, Jones finished as the RB11 in PPR formats last season, averaging 15. 3 points per game. 2021 was frustrating for Jones' owners as the Packers were splitting time at the running back position between Jones and A.J. Dillon.
Jones' best performance in 2021 came in week two against the Detroit Lions where he scored four touchdowns. The season would turn slow for Jones as after that he would score just six more times while finishing with 799 rushing yards on 171 carries. Jones is set to take off as the Packers begin the post-Adams era.
Jacksonville Jaguars RB, Travis Etienne
Etienne missed the entire 2021 season, due to a preseason Lisfranc injury. It is expected that Etienne will be ready to go for the season and will be set into RB1 duties. His counterpart, James Robinson, suffered a torn Achilles injury and is expected to miss the start of the season.
Etienne was a playmaker in college, carrying the load 686 times for 4, 952 yards with 70 touchdowns. He will be a boost for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense. Etienne has the capabilities of being an elite pass-catching running back and that can be beneficial for fantasy football owners looking to get a step up from their leaguemates. During his career at Clemson, Etienne hauled in 48 receptions for 588 yards and two touchdowns.
Factoring in that Robinson will likely miss time early on only increases Etienne's chances of becoming a fantasy impact player. The familiarity with Trevor Lawrence and the expectation of the Jaguars offense being improved should elevate Etienne's production.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR, Mike Evans
Mike Evans is under the same scenario as Ceedee Lamb and Michael Pittman heading into this year. The departure of Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski retiring will only lead to more target shares for Evans. Chris Godwin will also come into play for fantasy football managers eyeing Evans as he is recovering from a torn ACL injury. Russell Gage was also added to the roster, but Evans should still be looked at as the clear favorite for WR1 status on the Buccaneers offense. Julio Jones' recent addition shouldn't cause concern for fantasy managers looking to snap Evans in the early rounds.
In 2021, Evans achieved his eighth consecutive 1,000 yard-season and set a new career-high with 14 touchdowns. Evans finished as the WR9 in PPR scoring. His production was WR1 level, despite the crowded wide receiver room in Tampa Bay in 2021.
Evans will be in position to dominate the target share to open up the season. The combination of Brady under center and a less-crowded wide receiver room will open the path for Evans to finish as one of the receivers.
📸 Credit: Draft Kings Nation
📸 Credit: CBS Sports
Tyler Eschette - Sports Scramble podcast/ Olde City Sports Network
