5 Potential Fantasy Stars of the 2022 NFL Rookie Class

Published by Mike Noblin on April 7, 2022

The 2022 NFL Draft will be here before we know it! It starts on Thursday, April 30 in Las Vegas and will feature a ton of insanely talented young players. Since it's never too early for fantasy football prep, here are 5 potential fantasy stars of the 2022 NFL rookie class.

QB: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

There are a ton of quarterback prospects in this year's draft class, but none are more NFL-ready than Kenny Pickett. At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Pickett has the ideal size for an NFL QB. The New Jersey native is also quite a bit underrated as a scrambler, as he ran for 20 touchdowns during his college career.

The 23-year old made the most of his fifth season at Pitt by throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also completed over 67% of his passes and ended up finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Pickett has plenty of arm strength and can make all of the necessary throws. He also plays with a certain type of grit and toughness that makes most scouts believe he'll be a Pro Bowl-caliber QB one day.

Most mock drafts have Pickett going to Carolina or Atlanta. If he winds up in either of those spots, he'll have a chance to be the Week 1 starter. It wouldn't surprise us if Pickett turns out to have a solid fantasy season, much like Joe Burrow did a couple of years ago.

RB: Breece Hall, Iowa State

The NFL continues to devalue the running back position, but a solid ball carrier is a huge asset to any fantasy team. Hall has good size (5-11, 217 pounds), blazing speed (4.39), and possibly the best vision of any back in the draft.

The two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year ran for 3,941 yards and 50 touchdowns during his three-year career with Iowa State. Hall has also proven to have good passing catching skills, as he finished his college career with 82 receptions.

This leads us to believe that he can be an every-down back in the NFL. If Hall is drafted by the right team, he could end up being a fantasy stud in 2022.

WR: Drake London, USC

There have been plenty of rookie wide receivers over the years that became fantasy superstars right away. Look no further than Ja'Marr Chase last season! Drake London has that same type of phenomenal ability.

At 6-5 and 210 pounds, London is a former basketball star who can really go up and get the football. In only 22 games at USC, London amassed 2,153 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. His size and jumping ability may even draw comparisons to Randy Moss.

Most mock drafts have London coming off the board somewhere in the middle of the first round. If London goes to the Chargers at No. 17, he'll be a fantasy owner's dream as Justin Herbert's new favorite target.

WR:  Treylon Burks, Arkansas

Want a guy with the speed of a track star but the size of a tight end? Enter Treylon Burks, who is 6-3 and 225 pounds with a 4.5 second 40 time. Though some scouts are a tad worried about his route running ability, Burks may be the most gifted physical specimen in the draft.

Through just three seasons at Arkansas, Burks racked up 2,399 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. Some folks have compared Burks to Deebo Samuel and DK Metcalf. As far as fantasy is concerned, Burks may be an ideal choice for the Flex position in 2022.

Who will draft Burks? The smart money says that it'll be Green Bay, especially since they failed to re-sign Davante Adams. We could see Aaron Rodgers having a good time throwing jump balls to Burks in 2022.

Sleeper WR: Christian Watson, North Dakota State

We had to throw in a sleeper option and Christian Watson is the perfect fit. The 6-4, 211-pounder didn't get much national hype because he played at North Dakota State. However, he opened a lot of eyes at the 2022 Senior Bowl and his 40 time is incredible (4.36).

Watson also has plenty of jumping ability, which will come in handy on goal-line fade patterns. The Tampa, Florida, native caught 14 touchdowns during his college career and was also used as a running back in special situations. He's also proven to be a dangerous return man.

No matter where Watson goes in the draft, he has the ability to be a Week 1 starter. We could see Watson fitting in well with either the Chicago Bears or the Philadelphia Eagles. Both of those teams have young quarterbacks who need more playmakers around them.

 

 

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports betting and fantasy sports for more than two decades. He played baseball in college while earning a degree in sports psychology. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeNoblin.

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