2022 Fantasy Football Preview: NFC West

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2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Fantasy In Frames

Welcome to our next Fantasy Football Divisional Preview for the 2022 NFL Season!

While loaded with information from both sides of the ball, all of our writers here at Fantasy In Frames made sure to make all of our analyses as digestible as possible so that you can get the detailed information that you NEED to go out there and dominate your fantasy football drafts as efficiently as possible. Let’s get things going with our 2022 Fantasy Football Preview of the NFC West!

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Quarterback Fantasy In Frames

Quarterback Summary

Even though Russell Wilson was traded to the AFC West in the off-season, the NFC West still lays claim to 3 of the Top 13 QBs in fantasy, per their current ADP. Let’s talk about them! 

Kyler Murray 

Murray has finished in the Top 10 in QB Fantasy Scoring every year in the NFL. He threw multiple TD’s in half of the games he started last season. The fact he is 5th in QB ADP coming into the 2022 season is predominantly due to his rushing ability. He’s eclipsed 30 yards rushing (that’s 3 extra points per game) in 26 of his 46 career starts and has at least 400 yards and 4 scores on the ground in each of his first 3 seasons. However, I have some serious concerns with taking Murray where you will have to, at his current ADP. For starters, he will be without DeAndre Hopkins for the first 6 games of the season. He is a completely different QB when Hopkins is on the field compared to when he is not. Murray threw 19 touchdowns in the 9 games Hopkins started and played at least 75% of the snaps. In the games Hopkins didn’t play, or played a low amount of snaps, Murray threw just 5 touchdowns, in those 5 games. My other major concern is the fact that Murray has scored significantly fewer points at the end of the season compared to the early parts of the year, the last two seasons. In 2020, he was averaging over 29 ppg through his first 10 starts, his last 5 full starts he only scored 19.06 ppg, 10 less points per game for the playoffs. Last year through his first 9 starts he was averaging 23.9 ppg, and over his last 5, he averaged 18.85 ppg, 5 less points per game for the playoffs.  I think this stems from him being a smaller QB, who takes punishment throughout the season, and wears down at the end of the year. Not exactly a recipe for winning your fantasy championships. I would avoid Murray at his current ADP, if he falls below it, I would jump at him, but with his struggles over the latter part of the last two seasons, I don’t trust him as QB ADP 5. 

Matthew Stafford

I’m shocked that Matthew Stafford is the 12th QB per ADP for 2022, on the heels of his amazing 2021 campaign. A year where he finished as QB5, threw 41 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, and was as consistent as any QB in the league in terms of fantasy. He scored 18 points or more in 11 of his 17 starts, 15 points or more in 15 of his 17 starts, and threw at least 1 touchdown in every game last season. A reminder that he did this in Year 1 in LA and away from the Detroit Lions. It’s often discussed how important it is for Quarterbacks to see continuity in their coaches and offensive schemes, but why not say the same for veteran QBs?

A perfect example of this was in 2016 with Matt Ryan in year 2 of a similar offense with Kyle Shannahan in Atlanta, where he threw 17 more touchdowns and 9 fewer interceptions than year 1 in that system. He went from the 20th QB in fantasy scoring to the 2nd. I’m not saying Stafford will have that kind of jump, I don’t think it’s possible, but I do think his interceptions will be much lower this year. I think he will have a better grasp of the offense and a better understanding of what Sean McVay wants him to do. His 2021 season ended with him playing arguably his best football of his career, throwing 9 touchdowns to 3 interceptions over his final 4 starts(all playoff games). Finally, he has Cooper freaking Kupp, and I fully believe their connection will be better in Year 2 as well. Everyone talks about regression with these two guys, but go back and watch the second half of the Super Bowl. The Rams couldn’t run the ball, were missing OBJ and Higbee, and everyone knew to move the ball, they needed to force feed Kupp. That’s exactly what they did in their come-from-behind win. I think Stafford is a steal at his current ADP, and I fully expect him to be in the top 7 fantasy scoring QBs in 2022 again if he stays healthy. 

Trey Lance 

If you are one of the people who is in love with Trey Lance at his current ADP 13 for Quarterbacks, I can’t argue the potential fantasy-scoring supernova he could be. Lance, in two and a half games last season, as a very raw Rookie QB scored 15 points or more in all three games, including 20 in a half versus Seattle in Week 4. He rushed for 161 yards on just 31 carries in those 10 quarters, eclipsing 30 yards in all 3 games and averaging over 5.5 ypc in 2 out of 3. Kyle Shannahan and his coaching staff are probably salivating thinking of how they can unleash Lance on opposing defenses, especially with the talent around him. Having said that, I would caution going all in on Lance. This does not mean don’t take him, but you should have a backup plan for that position. If you are taking Lance at his current ADP or a few spots above it, be sure to spend the capital to take another QB soon after. Pairing Lance with a Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, or Derek Carr would provide insurance if things don’t go well, and they could. Lance in his 3 starts, only eclipsed 51% completion once, and that was against a terrible Texans D. A reminder that Lance played for a small school in college, not running anything near a pro-style offense, against weaker opponents, and didn’t play but one game in his final season in college. He only played 19 games in his 3 seasons at North Dakota State. There are going to be growing pains this year. I think his rushing ability will salvage from a fantasy standpoint his individual game-to-game performances, but the 49ers are a team that is ready to win now. As long as Jimmy G is on that roster, there is a decent chance they go back to the veteran if they think he is their best chance to win the title. That should be SF’s goal this year, with their talent on their roster. If you think Lance is the next Vick, Cam, Kapernick, or Lamar, I completely cosign taking him at or before his current ADP. However, be sure to have a backup plan and go into your draft knowing you will spend two relatively early draft picks on Quarterbacks. 

Drew Lock

There are 32 teams in the NFL, Lock is currently at ADP 35 for the position. I don’t think anything else needs to be said, except don’t do it!

Best Value at the Quarterback Position

In order to accurately assess the value of each quarterback, I need to lay out exactly where all of these guys are going in your leagues.  Listed below are the current positional and overall ADP’s of all of the quarterbacks in this division.  For those of you that are sick in the head like me and many of the Fantasy In Frames crew and play in 2 quarterback or Superflex leagues, I even listed ADPs for Drew Lock and Geno Smith.

Trey Lance: Current ADP QB13, 99 Overall

Kyler Murray: Current ADP QB5, 58 Overall

Matthew Stafford: Current ADP QB12, 87 Overall

Drew Lock: Current ADP QB35, 298 Overall

Geno Smith: Current ADP QB39, 308 Overall

While I feel strongly that Drew Lock will start for the Seahawks for the entire season, I wouldn’t recommend to anyone drafting him or relying on him in any meaningful way.  Drew Lock is an absolute break in case of an emergency option, even in a Superflex league.  This comes down to Trey Lance, Kyler Murray, and Matthew Stafford.

I love Kyler Murray as much as the next person, but when we are talking about fifth-round ADP I am out.  Here are some running backs and wide receivers you can get around or beyond Kyler Murray’s; AJ Dillion, JK Dobbins, Mike Williams, Marquise Brown, Brandin Cooks, and Chris Godwin.  I cannot in good conscience pass on every week starters or potential top 12 performers at their respective positions. 

Before I started writing and projecting all of these guys out through the end of the season, my gut reaction would have been that Matthew Stafford was the right answer here.  Even after all of my projecting, Stafford is still a good answer but not the correct one.  Stafford’s elbow issue doesn’t concern me as much as his ADP does.  At 87 overall, very early in the eight round of your drafts I would much rather grab a guy like Rashod Bateman who is going to be the clear number 1 wide receiver on his team.

Trey Lance feels like the standard pick here and I believe the correct one.  The beginning of the ninth round represents a cliff for me of players who you would want to have in your starting lineup each week.  When you walk over that cliff is when it becomes time to start drafting your quarterback in 1 QB leagues.  The 49ers have made a commitment to Trey Lance, and that commitment will be further cemented once Jimmy G is no longer on this roster.  I believe we can use Jalen Hurts’ QB9 season of 2021 as a barometer for Trey Lance.  However, Trey Lance not only has the rushing upside, but he is playing quarterback for possibly the most brilliant play caller in the NFL, Kyle Shanahan.  This fact gives him a much higher passing ceiling than Jalen Hurts ever had in 2021 as well as 2022.  Trey is bound to have some extremely underwhelming passing performances. However, the floor that his rushing upside presents is much too enticing to ignore here.  Take Trey Lance in the ninth round of your drafts and let him win your league for you with the high-value running backs and wide receivers you stacked up in rounds 1 through 5.

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Running Back Fantasy In Frames

Running Back Summary

There are plenty of talented running backs in the NFC West, but they all have question marks about durability. Ken Walker III is the only one without prior injury concerns, but he is not expected to be the Seattle Seahawks starting running back.

Cam Akers

Cam Akers created so much hype and excitement for fantasy football before the 2021 season. Then before training camp, he tore his Achilles tendon, unfortunately. Miraculously, he returned at the end of the 2021 season, but he did not play well. We cannot rely on last year to give us any optimism. He had a decent rookie season in 2020, which is why there was so much hope for 2021 before the injury. Now in 2022, there is plenty of skepticism about Akers’ health and his expected workload. Akers may be splitting more carries with Henderson, which would cap Akers’ ceiling. He has a consensus ADP of RB17 at pick 32. If you think he will dominate touches, then he is a steal at that draft cost. I think he carries too much risk, and I prefer other players in that range, so I am not drafting Cam Akers at that ADP.

James Conner

James Conner proved the doubters wrong and had an incredible 2021 season! He finished as the RB5 (RB6 in PPG). He was boosted by 18 total touchdowns, and he was efficient with his receptions averaging 10.1 yards per catch. Chase Edmonds is no longer on the team, so Conner should increase his snap share of 51% in 2021. Conner had a target share of 6.8%, so there is room for improvement but that may just not be how he is utilized in this offense with so many other offensive weapons. Conner has struggled with injuries during his career, but if he can stay healthy he will have touches on a good offense to finish as an RB2 this season. He has a consensus ADP of RB16 at pick 31, so right next to Cam Akers. I have more confidence in James Conner to have enough touches to produce as an RB2 compared to Akers.

Elijah Mitchell

Elijah Mitchell was the waiver wire pickup of the 2021 season. Most people expected Raheem Mostert to lead the 49ers backfield, but he got hurt at the beginning of the first game. Mitchell was the next man up and he ran for 104 yards and scored a touchdown in Week 1. Mitchell finished as the RB25 in only 12 games (RB19 PPG). We expect to be the lead back this season, but you never know what Kyle Shanahan will do. However, whichever running back leads the touches for the 49ers does well for fantasy football. There is a quarterback change this season with Trey Lance the starter for 2022. There is concern that Lance will “steal” rushing touchdowns from Mitchell. That is possible, but it is possible that the defense will be so concerned with Lance’s scrambling abilities that Mitchell has more lanes to run through and have longer gains. Mitchell’s consensus ADP is RB23 at pick 46. I would be happy to draft Mitchell at the end of the 4th round or the beginning of the 5th round as my RB2.

Rashaad Penny

Rashaad Penny was drafted at the end of the first round in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, like many other running backs in this division, his career has been hamstrung by several injuries. At the end of 2021, he started the final six weeks (including Week 18), and he dominated in four out of six weeks. Everyone remembers his 30.5 half-PPR performance in the fantasy football championship in Week 17. There is skepticism that Penny will stay healthy, Russell Wilson left, and the offensive line is expected to be near the bottom of the league. That is why Penny’s consensus ADP is RB31 at pick 81. The risk is baked into his draft cost because you should not be able to draft a starting running back that late. Penny is a great target for anyone who utilizes the Zero RB draft strategy and waits to draft their first running back.

Ken Walker III

We added Ken Walker III to this list because there is a chance he is named the starter before the season starts and he is being drafted so close to Rashaad Penny. As long as Penny does not get hurt during preseason, which is always possible, Walker III will start the season as the backup running back. Walker III was considered the best pure runner in the 2021 NFL draft, but he was not allowed to show off his receiving skills in college. Walker III needs to prove that he can be trusted in pass protection if he wants to gain more snaps this season. Penny has been injured every season so there is a chance that Walker III becomes the starter at any point this season. Walker III has a consensus ADP of RB34 at pick 89. Walker III makes sense on a roster if you don’t need to start him for the first month of the season then hope he earns more playing time by then.

Best Value at the Running Back Position

Coming in as the RB30 (80 overall) according to the latest Fantasy Pros half-PPR ADP, Rashaad Penny is my pick for the best value at the running back position in the NFC West! Down the stretch last season, Penny (when finally healthy) was the RB1 overall from Week 12-8 averaging 18.6 PPG. Among running backs playing 70% of snaps during the most crucial part of the fantasy football season, according to PFF, Penny was graded as the BEST RUNNING BACK IN FOOTBALL during that time period. His Yards After Contact/Attempt was tops in the league and his Elusiness Rating of 143 almost twice as high as other running backs such as Najee Harris, Nick Chubb, and Jonathan Taylor.

Yes, I know injury concerns are warranted given Penny’s track record but for those draft who are going Anchor RB or Zero RB, Penny is the PERFECT EXAMPLE of finding a diamond in the rough later on in your fantasy football drafts this season!

           

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Wide Receivers Fantasy In Frames

Wide Receiver Summary

What a plethora of talent we have to choose from when it comes to Wide Receivers in the NFC West. The top two pass-catchers on each of the four NFC West teams have an ADP inside the top-100 according to FantasyPros, and we are going to discuss a few of them here.

Cooper Kupp

The reigning Super Bowl and Fantasy Football MVP is rightly ranked as the WR1 in re-draft leagues and has an ADP inside the first five picks, according to FantasyPros. His rapport with Matthew Stafford was evident for all to see in 2021, and there’s little reason to expect that to stop in 2022. Kupp led the NFL in Targets, Receptions, Yards & TD receptions last season and after finishing only 53 yards shy of breaking the 2,000 mark in ’21, I’m expecting another Kupp x Stafford collaboration to try and get the former Eastern Washington Eagle over the hump in ’22. He should be the first WR off the board in every re-draft league. 

Deebo Samuel

After all the noise about being traded and being upset about how he was being used in the Shanahan offense, Deebo finally committed his future to the Niners by signing a new three-year, $71.55m contract. Now that we know where Deebo will be playing his football in 2022, it’s time to talk about if we can expect a repeat of his highly impressive 2021 season. 

Deebo has made his feelings clear on playing the dual-WR/RB role that saw him garner so many FF points last season, so with him likely reverting back to being a WR only, it’s only natural to question how this will affect his ability to be a high-scoring fantasy football asset. 

DK Metcalf

The athletic freak (in a good way) has been an impact receiver over his short career with one Russell Wilson as his QB. But can we expect similar returns with a combination of either Geno Smith or Drew Lock throwing him the rock and Pete Carroll’s obsession with pounding it? I suspect teams will fear Tyler Lockett less without Russ and instead focus on making sure DK isn’t able to hurt them for big yardage down the field. This mixture of a lesser passer, run-heavy offense and likely defensive game plans geared to neutralise his threat have me worried about his ability to repeat his WR1 and high WR2 finishes from the previous two seasons. 

Hollywood Brown

After a Draft night trade to re-introduce Brown with his former college QB, Kyler Murray, there was a lot of excitement in the FF world about what this partnership could do in the NFL. Brown’s coming off of a season in Baltimore in which he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, the first Raven to post 1k receiving yards since Mike Wallace in 2016. Arizona throws the ball more than Baltimore, and with Nuk Hopkins missing the first six games through suspension, there should be ample opportunity for Brown to establish himself as the new #1 in the desert. His recent arrest for criminal speeding has dulled some of his shine, and his ADP seems to have taken a slight hit. I think he’s a buy at his current ADP #59 value. 

Allen Robinson

After a torrid final season in Chicago, Allen Robinson now finds himself in the best situation of his career. Matthew Stafford is easily the best QB he’s had, and the same can be said for Sean McVay as his new Head Coach. The only downside to all this is that Robinson will clearly be playing second fiddle to the aforementioned, Cooper Kupp and no longer the primary target of the offense as he is used to being. Robinson is a proven dominant outside receiver in the NFL and is now free from the shackles of inept offensive play-callers and below-average QBs. I like him as a value at his WR22 / ADP #66 value. 

Brandon Aiyuk

“Once bitten, twice shy” is the saying, but apparently not when it comes to the FF community and Brandon Aiyuk. The former Arizona State pass-catcher was a highly touted ‘sleeper’ pick in 2021, only to effectively be a healthy scratch in Week 1 and bring his fantasy managers crashing back down to earth. After getting himself out of Shanahan’s doghouse, Aiyuk impressed down the stretch last season. And now, with all the reports out of Niners training camp suggesting he’s building rapport with new starting QB Trey Lance and defensive teammates stating that he’s “having the best camp out of everyone on the team.” I’m once again all-in on Aiyuk, especially at his ADP #98 value.

Best Value at the Wide Receiver Position

Brandon Aiyuk is THE BEST VALUE at WIDE RECEIVER out of the NFC WEST! Currently the WR38 (98th overall), Aiyuk’s play in fantasy football was night and day during the 2021 season. From going from next to nothing utlizatation in the passing game to averaging a snap percentage of 92.3% and averaging 11 PPG with Jimmy G as the QB from Week 8-18. His YPT were in the double-digit yards which is a great for building a rapport with Trey Lance as Lance was known for being of the better deep ball passers in college. While Deebo Samuel is considered a utility player, Aiyuk showed down the stretch that he is the TRUE wide receiver for this offense. Having an upgrade at the QB position this season will only make make Aiyuk that more valuable in fantasy football this season!

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Tight End Fantasy In Frames

Tight End Summary

George Kittle

Since his breakout, Kittle has been a source of consistent fantasy production. In each of his last four seasons, Kittle has scored at least 11.6 points per game in half-PPR scoring – peaking at 13.4 in 2018. Over 14 games last season, he recorded 71 receptions from 94 targets, amassing 808 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He finished as the TE4 as a result, behind Andrews, Kelce, and Schultz, according to FantasyData.

Kittle’s efficiency has been one of his main assets to fantasy managers. He ranked first amongst tight ends with at least 40 targets in yards per route run last season at an impressive 2.35, according to PFF. He now sits as the TE4 in FantasyPros’ ECR, behind the top tier of Kelce and Andrews as well as sophomore Kyle Pitts. While he is clearly one of the elite options at the position, the main uncertainty is how favorably this new-look offense will suit him. With Lance taking the helm, the question is can he support three high-quality options in Samuel, Aiyuk, and Kittle?

Zach Ertz

Since moving out west to Arizona, Zach Ertz has been given a new lease of life. The tight-end, who is now entering his tenth season in the league, returned to form in 2021 – particularly over the back half of the season. Ertz quickly became an integral part of the Cardinals’ passing attack, seeing at least six targets in all but one game from week ten onwards. In total, he saw 112 targets in total, reeling in 74 for 763 yards and five touchdowns.

Ertz ranked third in targets amongst tight ends in 2021, only behind Andrews and Kelce. A repetition of this usage appears to be on the cards. And after finishing as the joint-TE5 in half-PPR scoring, according to FantasyData, he now ranks as the TE9 in FantasyPros’ ECR. On top of this, his upside is also boosted early in the season given that star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be suspended for the first six games. He is a solid target for those looking to take a tight-end slightly later in drafts.

Noah Fant

Fant’s elite profile has never quite converted into consistent fantasy production. As an uber-athlete selected in the first round, big things were expected. And after a promising rookie season, a true breakout looked to be on the cards. Yet over the last two seasons, Fant has never hit over 70 receptions or more than 700 yards. After his move to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade, we can likely expect more of the same.

While it is easy to get excited about Pete Carroll saying that Fant had “the most spectacular camp of anybody” after OTAs, a significant uptick from recent production seems farfetched. With either Smith or Lock under center, his upside is significantly capped in what is likely to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL this coming year. Despite all that, given his athleticism, his current ECR ranking of TE17 provides an intriguing late-round option for those in larger leagues.

Tyler Higbee

Tyler Higbee saw a jump in opportunities in 2021 yet it failed to materialize into fantasy points. His targets rose to 85 last year, reeling in 61 for 560 yards and five touchdowns. He saw at least five targets in all but three games last season yet only hit 50 receiving yards twice during the fantasy season.

Now with Allen Robinson joining the fray, Higbee’s targets are likely to take a dip. Additionally, despite being part of a high-powered offense, Sean McVay’s prevalence to use 11-personnel will continue to limit Higbee’s fantasy output. He’s likely a mid to late-range TE2 and an occasional streaming option at best.

Best Value at the Tight End Position

My best value pick at the tight end position for the NFC West is Zach Ertz. Obviously, George Kittle is in this division and has great value this year. My reasoning for picking Ertz over Kittle is that both have the chance to finish top five for tight end scoring in fantasy football, but Ertz’s price tag is much lower than Kittle’s. The 49ers’ star TE is ranked as TE4 according to FantasyPros, while Zach Ertz is ranked as TE9. That’s a difference of five rounds since Kittle is being taken towards the end of round five and Ertz is being drafted towards the start of round 10. This will give you a great chance to fill out your lineup with solid, valuable picks and then be able to get a great tight end in the 10th round. If you would rather take a safer approach to your tight end spot in your fantasy drafts, I would 100% take Kittle over the other guys in this division but if you are willing to take the risk to make the best team possible, Ertz is your man.

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Linebacker Fantasy In Frames

Linebacker Summary

Bobby Wagner

Despite turning 32 last month, Bobby Wagner just seems to defy time.  One of the best IDPs to date and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.  The Rams decided that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, and signed Wagner to a 5yr/$50M deal from their division rival.  Wagner joins Ernest Jones and looks to provide rock-solid stability and play-calling, something they have lacked at MLB for quite some time.  Wagner will greatly benefit by having Aaron Donald in the middle, opening up gaps to see through.  If we want just to surmise how good Wagner has been over his career, let’s take a look at some numbers.  

  • 2014-The only season that Wagner has had less than 110 tackles.  He only played 11 games
  • 0-The number of seasons that Wagner has failed to record a sack. 
  • 9-The total number of games misses during his 10-year career.

Fred Warner

From one amazing MLB in Bobby Wagner to another in Fred Warner.  Warner enters his 5th season in the NFL, seeking his 5th straight 100+ tackle season.  Warner combines his freak athletic ability with consistent and efficient metrics. His 137 tackles last season were supported by an amazing 14% tackle rate and a minuscule 7.4% missed tackle rate. Warner won’t provide many pass-rush stats, but he does have great vision and has 25.5 TFL for his career.  Couple that with his solid coverage skills (25 passes defensed), and you have the recipe for my LB6 overall. 

Jordyn Brooks

Last year’s solo tackle leader in the NFL, Brooks is primed to have another LB1 season.  Playing next to Bobby Wagner and in a full-time role for the first time, Brooks proved that he is a tackling machine.  Brooks’ 16.6% tackle rate only trailed Oluokon among LB with 1,000 snaps.  What might have been more impressive was his 4.7% missed tackle rate, which was the 2nd best mark of the 1,000 snap LBs.  

Fast forward to 2022, and All-Pro Bobby Wagner is now in LA.  Brooks and fellow LB Cody Barton are ready to step up to the challenge. Cody Barton is one of the sneakier plays in IDP leagues this year, as he is expected to see significant snaps.  Last year, when given playing time, Barton respond with 18 tackles of his own.  I expect both to be names we will be praising come season’s end.  Brooks is currently my LB4 in my 1st Tier, and Barton is at LB18.  Barton is tricky because he has limited snaps, but there is significant LB2 upside with an ADP in the LB3/4 range. 

What do we do with Arizona LBs?

This may be one of the better/more challenging questions to answer.  For one, Isaiah Simmons has shown that he is capable of 100+ tackles, as he had 106 last year.  With Simmons comes a slew of attributes that could lead to IDP production.  He has great speed, developing cover ability, and time at multiple positions in college.  Simmons’ development in pass coverage is the area that draws most of my attention.  As a rookie, he was losing playing time due to his poor coverage ability.  In his 2nd year, he was 2nd in the NFL among LBs with 7 passes defended.  This year tho, Simmons has already been bouncing around multiple positions in camp and has been mentioned as a possible S/LB hybrid to see the field better.  As a result, it’s very difficult to place a ranking on him going into 2022.  I currently have him at LB34 due to the uncertainty. 

Like Simmons, Zaven Collins was projected last year to fill in at ILB and be an immediate IDP producer.  Also, similar to Collins, this was never the case.  Collins saw time at LB all season but never had much production, evidenced by his 24 tackles across only 220 snaps.  What was impressive is the 4 PDs in that stretch.  Collins is a great coverage LB and could make a big jump if he can stay on the field for the majority of the snaps.  I currently have him as my LB17 which is one of my “bolder” takes.  There is a good chance he reaches the snap rate that Simmons saw last year (92%) and returns LB2 value.  These odds are also greatly improved with the loss of Jordan Hicks and no true threat to steal snaps.  I am all systems go on the breakout of Zaven Collins in 2022!

Best Value at the Linebacker Position

For me the answer is, if healthy, Dre Greenlaw, linebacker for the 49ers. In 2020, Greenlaw posted 85 total tackles (61 solo/ 24 assisted) with a tackle rate of 12.3% and just a 5.5% missed tackle rate. If not for an injury-pleagued season in 2021 we would all be talking about how excited we are to insert Greenlaw into our LB2 spot. If he comes out of training camp unscathed he’s the LB2 you want to roster!

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West Defensive Back Fantasy In Frames

Defensive Back Summary

Jalen Thompson

I can already hear my fellow IDP analysts stating the obvious, he has only done it for ONE SEASON. The “It” I’m referring to is posting a career high in total tackles (121) last season and finished 7th in total points scored using Fantasy Pros IDP scoring. Thompson had the 4th highest tackle rate among safeties in the NFL last season, while granted with limited usage on defense as an in the box defender. In fact, the majority of his snaps came at free safety versus in the box and out of 986 total snaps on defense, he only played against the run 369 times.

The real question with Thompson is can he expect to have the same role on this defense this year as he had last year? By the video graphic shown above you will see that he is in line to be the play caller on the field for the Cardinals’ defensive unit in 2022. With that being the case, I expect Thompson to maintain the same usage he had last year, allowing him to maintain his efficiency despite having a lower snap percentage in run stopping situations.

Budda Baker

Last year, unlike in seasons past where he was a Top 10 DB in IDP in fantasy football due to similar usage as Thompson had in 2021, Budda was used a LOT MORE in coverage than he was defending against the run. I don’t need to sell you on why Budda Baker is a great talent in real football or fantasy football, however, it looks like the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator seem pretty dead set on keeping the same usage pattern of his two safeties from last year which caps Baker’s upside in fantasy.

Jordan Fuller

Fuller was another high volume tackler (DB7 in total tackles) with decent tackle efficiency due to the his low snap percentage playing against the run. Not being asked to do to much other play a mixture of free safety and in the box defender Fuller made the best of his opportunities. For fantasy purposes he’s a solid defensive back. Not mind-blowningly awesome, but servicesable during a bye week situation.

Jamal Adams

Injuries in recent seasons have kind of made Adams take a hit in fantasy due to games missed but make no mistake about he is good at what he does which is make tackles. In 2021, among safeties he had the 14th fewest snaps at free safety, playing a majority of his snaps in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage which certainly helped his tackle volume. With Seattle switching to a 3-4 defensive base package, there have been rumblings about him playing even MORE along the defensive line and utilizing him more as a pass rushers which could only pad his stats even more.

IF he is healthy, he’s a top 3 DB in my book!

Best Value at the Defensive Back Position

The defensive back position in the NFC West may be the best collection of DBs in any one division.  Three of the players rank inside the Top 12, and another couple is within the DB3 threshold.  Determining the best “value” is extremely difficult.  Budda Baker and Jamal Adams are in the Top 5 of ECR rankings at FantasyPros, where my rankings would have them.  This leads me to Jalen Thompson.  Last year, Thompson erupted out of nowhere and turned in a performance for the ages for a waiver-wire DB.  His 74 solo tackles were 4th among DB, his 42 assisted tackles were also 4th among DB.  If you add in his 7 PDs and 3 INT, you had the DB 7 or DB8, depending upon the scoring rubric.  This year, Thompson is getting pushed down some boards due to his lack of track record.  While it is a risky proposition, there is solid evidence that he is capable of another DB1 finish while being drafted as the 14th or 15th selected. 

2022 Fantasy Football Preview NFC West DL/EDGE Fantasy In Frames

Defensive Lineman/EDGE Summary

Nick Bosa

There is little denying the talent of Nick Bosa.  The younger brother to Joey Bosa, but he doesn’t look up to Joey in the skills department.  In the two years that Bosa has been healthy, he has been one of, if not the, best IDP DL.  In those two years, he has combined for 99 tackles (37 TFL), 24.5 sacks, 58 QB hits, and 5 forced fumbles.  If we look at last year, regardless of the scoring format, he finished inside the Top 5.  Last year was career highs in sacks, tackles, QB hits, and forced fumbles.  As you enter your 2022 IDP draft, it’s between TJ Watt, Myles Garrett, and Nick Bosa as the clear Tier 1 at DL.  I know that I am taking the 24-year-old Bosa, who just make the next step and is playing for a new contract.  

Aaron Donald

There is little doubt that Aaron Donald has been the most valuable defensive player for the past 4-5years.  Evidenced by his 3 Defensive Player Of The Year awards since 2017.  So does the translation of “real” football mirror his IDP output?  Absolutely!  Last year, among DLs, Donald ranked 3rd in tackles,  4th in sacks, 2nd in TFL, 7th in QB hits, and 2nd in forced fumbles.  This production resulted in Top 2 in both FIF and FantasyPros scoring.  In 2022, Aaron Donald is looking for the same type of production as he had in 2021, and he has a little more help on the defense.  The Rams brought in Bobby Wagner to man the middle.  While many are worried that Donald “has to” come back to Earth, I think he is safe atop my 2nd tier at DL.  

Both the Seahawks are Cardinals are lacking big-time IDP talent at DL.  I have a lot of respect for JJ Watt, and he had a solid season by metrics, but it didn’t translate onto the field.  His 18% win rate and 7.4% pressure rate were both Top 20!  It is every other year that Watt is healthy, and this is the hopeful year.  You could grab Watt in the last rounds of your draft and hope for the sacks to match the metric.  As far as Seattle goes, they lost their sack leader in Carlos Dunlap and are looking for growth out of Darrell Taylor.  They drafted Boye Mafe, who has the talent to succeed but is someone that is going to have to play his way into a role.  

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Best Value at the Defensive Lineman/EDGE Position

There is no value here in this division. It’s literally Bosa, Donald, or bust.

Thanks for reading our 2022 Fantasy Football Preview of the NFC West.

To see our other 2022 Divisional Previews click here.

Now go out there and crush your fantasy football drafts!

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