2022 Fantasy Football Preview: NFC East

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NFC EAST Divisional Preview 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Welcome to our second 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 started with our Fantasy Football Preview of the NFC East!

Fantasy Football Preview of NFC East Quarterbacks 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Quarterback Summary

You can make a legit case that the 2022 season for the Quarterbacks in the NFC East is a show-me season. Dak Prescott needs to show he can take the Cowboys to the next level and get America’s team to their first conference championship game since 1996. Jalen Hurts needs to show he can take advantage of the weapons the Eagles front office has surrounded him within the off-season and reward them by taking his game to another level. Daniel Jones needs to show the Giants he is their answer at QB moving forward. For the first time in his short career, he has a solid offensive line, several true threats at the wide receiver position, and hopefully a healthy season from their star running back Saquon Barkley. Finally, Carson Wentz needs to show everyone he’s closer to the QB who was on his way to winning the MVP in 2017 before an injury ended his season than he is the guy who looked like the worst QB in the league in a must-win game to make the playoffs versus Jax last season. A game where he threw for only 185 yards on 29 throws, taking 6 sacks and an interception. For fantasy purposes, all of these guys have a case to perform well above their current ADP, and I’ll discuss why below. 

Dak Prescott 

Dak is coming off a 2021 campaign where he set a new season high in touchdowns and the second highest passing yards season of his career. He was a top 10 fantasy QB despite his lowest full-season rushing total and his least amount of rushing touchdowns. Coach Mike McCarthy has publicly stated that you will see more QB runs and passing plays with Dak on the move. Dak’s low rushing numbers in 2021 are not hard to figure out, he was coming off a gruesome leg injury that had him miss most of the 2020 season, and he was banged most of the 2021 season as well. 

If Dak can return to his pre-2020 rushing totals/ability, with the strides he’s made in the passing game over the last season and a half, he could end the season as one of the top 3-5 fantasy QBs in the league. He’s rushed for at least 20 yards (that’s 2 extra points per) in 18 of his 59 games since 2018. In those games, he’s gone over 20 yards, he’s averaged 35 yards per game on the ground, and scored a rushing touchdown every five games on average. I know some are concerned about the departure of Amari Cooper and the fact Michael Gallup is expected to miss a big chunk of this season. However, I’m not concerned about this at all. I think Cee Dee Lamb is going to have a monster year, his first as a true number 1 receiver, Dalton Schultz is becoming one of the better tight ends in football, and the plan to use Tony Pollard as a slot receiver this season gives Dak another explosive weapon in the passing game. Dak still has plenty of firepowers to do damage through the air, and if he’s truly able to run like before his injury in 2020, the sky’s the limit. 

Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts finished his first full season as a starter as a low-end QB1 in fantasy. Considering his struggles in the passing games and a limited number of passing touchdowns, it showcases the value in fantasy football to have a Quarterback who does damage on the ground. What I love about Hurts the most is his consistency. In the 20 games, Hurts has started, he’s been a top 12 QB in 17 of them. 

In 2022, Hurts has a legit chance to be a Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen point scorer. In his second full year as the starter, the Eagles have surrounded him with 3 legit passing weapons, and what’s most exciting is they are perfect for the strengths and limitations in Hurts’ game. The trade for AJ Brown on draft night gives him a big, athletic, true number one receiver whose superhuman abilities after the catch is going to help pad Hurts’ fantasy passing numbers. The addition of Brown also allows last year’s first-round pick, Devonta Smith, to do what he does best without as much attention from opposing defenses. Smith is a superb route runner, with dangerous quickness, and I can see him running a lot of slants, curls, and comebacks in 2022 (where he had at least an 84% win rate in all 3 of these routes in his rookie season). Finally, Dallas Goedert gives him a big/athletic security blanket at tight end, something that can help all young QBs. Hurts has the potential to be a fantasy supernova in 2022 and is the most likely QB outside of Tier 1 to move into that Tier by season’s end. 

Carson Wentz  

Washington traded for Wentz in the off-season in hopes of finding a long-term answer at QB for the first time in decades. It’s a lazy narrative to think Wentz is not a substantial upgrade for Washington at QB. Last year Washington’s QB accounted for 20 touchdowns to 15 interceptions, the worst touchdown to interception ratio in the league. Wentz threw 27 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in Indy last year, and if not for his poor performance in his last few starts and the disappointment of the Colts missing the playoffs. Wentz’s year in Indy would be looked at a lot differently. 

Washington has plenty of weapons for Wentz coming into 2022, Terry McLaurin is one of the more undervalued receivers in fantasy this season. The arrival of Wentz, the best QB McLaurin has had in his career by far, could turn him into one of the best fantasy wide receivers in football this season. Washington’s 1st round pick Jahan Dotson from Penn State gives them another big athletic receiver on the outside, and with a trio of talented running backs in Antonio Gibson, JD Mckissic, and rookie Brian Robinson from Alabama, Washington has playmakers at each level on the offensive side of the ball. 

Wentz is a really good deep ball thrower, and I can see Washington having a lot of chunk plays with McLaurin, Dotson, and tight end Logan Thomas. Before last season in Indy, Wentz had never played with a 1,000-yard receiver. Wentz’s second and third most targeted players in Indy were both running backs. Luckily in Washington, pass-catching is something both Gibson and Mckissic(Mckissic has the 4th most receptions by an RB the last two seasons) excel at. If Wentz stays healthy, he should throw at least 27 Touchdown passes, a number he’s hit in each of his last 3 full seasons as a starter. It’s for these reasons I think Wentz could finish several spots higher at the season’s end than his current ADP. 

Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones and the Giants offense as a whole is, in my opinion, is being undervalued in projections for the upcoming fantasy season. If you watched the Giants with Jason Garrett calling plays the last few seasons, I would understand the pessimism, but Garrett is gone, and Brian Daboll is the new head coach. Daboll is as responsible as anyone for the transformation of Buffalo’s Josh Allen into one of the best Quarterbacks in the league over the last few seasons. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I believe Daboll can help Jones in many of the same ways he helped Allen develop. For starters Jones, like Allen, is a good athlete with an ability to run the ball (Jones has averaged 333 yards per season on the ground, despite playing no more than 14 games in a season). Another comparison between Jones and Allen is both are better passers throwing on the move. Jones’s decision-making in the pocket leaves a lot to be desired at times, but if you look at his rookie season in the aggressive, offensive scheme under Pat Shurmur (Jones threw for 300 yards or more in 5 of 12 starts, with 4 TDs or more 3 times), it will give you more hope for a breakout fantasy season in 2022 by Jones. 

The Giants offensive line is a strength for the first time in Jones’s career, Saquon Barkley is fully healthy, and with Kenny Golliday and the additions of Kadarius Toney and Wandale Robinson, the Giants have true playmakers at Wide Receiver. Jones is surrounded by the most talented offensive unit he’s had in New York and has a huge upgrade in the offensive scheme he will be running. Daboll was one of the more aggressive play callers in the NFL last year, with Josh Allen throwing 51 pass attempts of 20 yards or more. In 2020, Jones led the league in QBR on those throws, with a 5/0 touchdown to interception ratio. Making the fact the Giants in 2021 had one of the lowest totals of pass attempts 20 plus yards (23 attempts) all the more baffling (Let’s call it the Garrett effect) Jones rushed for 25 yards or more in half of his starts last year, which gives a cushion for his fantasy floor most weeks. Finally, I try to avoid factoring a team’s schedule based on the previous year’s results, because there is no guarantee that a defense that was bad last season will be equally as bad this season, but it is nice to see Jones has the easiest fantasy schedule for QBs. The teams on his schedule this season gave up 18.4 ppg to opposing QBs. I think Jones should be targeted late in your drafts, especially if you didn’t take a Tier 1 QB. Jones is someone who will cost you very little Draft capital, and if things go right in New York this year, he could be a top 10 QB by season’s end. 

Best Value at the Quarterback Position

He may be the most expensive of the four come your draft, but in my opinion, Jalen Hurts remains the best value at the quarterback position in the NFC East. If you miss out on one of the handful of top-tier quarterback options, Hurts presents you with a slightly cheaper option with an incredible amount of upside.

Hurts is a true Konami-code quarterback, and it is his rushing upside that should excite you most. In 15 games during the 2021 regular season, Hurts rushed 139 times, accumulating 784 rushing yards and an astounding ten rushing touchdowns. As a result, the Eagles’ signal caller led the league in all three metrics. With no significant additions to the running back room, Hurts is likely to be a key, if not the focal point, of the Eagles’ rushing attack. While some may point to negative touchdown regression, and a slight dip should be anticipated, Hurts’ ability to find the end zone with his legs has been evident ever since taking over as the starter.

On top of all of this, Hurts is now playing with the best-supporting cast of his young career. The arrival of superstar receiver AJ Brown, combined with the continued development of DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert should help Hurts develop further as a passer. His willingness to attack downfield, which he attempted almost 16% of the time last year, is also promising. His aDOT of 9.5 ranked fourth amongst QBs last season according to PFF, only behind Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields. Another big season beckons.

Fantasy Football Preview of NFC East Running Backs 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Running Back Summary

Saquon Barkley

Barkley has had his bouts with injury, but this might be the year he proves his worth. His confidence in himself is at an all-time high, saying that he feels better physically than ever before. The upgrades to the offensive line in Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal help Saquon’s value as well. Saquon is still one of the better passing-catching running backs when he’s on the field, and his round 3 price tag is not something to ignore. If your plan is to take wide receivers in your first two rounds, target Saquon Barkley for your RB1 spot.

Ezekiel Elliot

Zeke never seems to get the respect he deserves. He finished last season as RB6 in PPR leagues but is being taken as RB15 in Sleeper redraft leagues. However, he has entered that RB cliff age at 27 years old, an age where many talented backs start to take a dip in production. I like Zeke in the 4th round, I think he has the ability to outperform some of the guys ahead of him, and he is still the RB1 for the Cowboys.

Antonio Gibson

Personally, this is my biggest question mark at the RB position for this division. Gibson is head and shoulders the RB1 in Washington, but head coach Ron Rivera has said that the Commanders backfield will be run by a committee. This should put some worry into Gibson owners since the Commanders were known for using JD McKissic a lot last season. They also added new additions to the running back room with the signing of Jaret Patterson and the drafting of Brian Robinson. Travis Etienne is taken a few spots after Gibson, this would be a better pick at ADP. 

Miles Sanders

Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Sanders has a chance to prove himself as the workhorse back the Eagles need. Sanders is another running back who dealt with injury, having not played a full season since his rookie year in 2019. The Eagles are one of the top run-heavy teams in the NFL, so Sanders should have plenty of opportunities. Sanders has come out and publicly said for people not to draft him in fantasy football, but no one will listen to him. Sanders looks to be a solid RB2 value for your lineup this year.

Tony Pollard

The RB2 for the Cowboys, but someone we have to talk about is Tony Pollard. While Pollard sits behind Elliot in the depth chart, he outranks him in almost every rushing and receiving statistic from last season. The best part is that Pollard is being drafted a full 5 rounds later than Zeke. Pollard has the best chance to outperform his 87.9 sleeper ADP. If you miss out on Zeke in your drafts, take Pollard later on.

Best Value at the Running Back Position

This is bold because he is the first NFC East running back drafted, but Saquon Barkley is the best value as the RB11 drafted at pick 22 near the end of the 2nd round. Every running back in the NFC East has some “warts.” Barkley projects to have the largest workload and is arguably the most talented. There is an injury concern, but you can say that about any running back in the NFL. He was healthy this entire offseason, so he could properly train instead of rehab.

 As a rookie (2018), Barkley was the RB2 in total fantasy points and points per game (21.3 ppg). Then in 2019, Barkley played 13 games and was RB10 in total fantasy points and RB6 in points per game (16.8 ppg). He tore his ACL early in the 2020 season. Last season he started slow, which was expected less than a year since he tore his ACL. However, in Week 3 and Week 4 he scored 18.4 and 27.1 points, respectively. Unfortunately, he stepped on another player’s foot early in Week 5 and sprained his foot. He returned in Week 11 but was never fully recovered for the rest of the season.

The New York Giants improved their offensive line this offseason. The offensive scheme is expected to be better this season with Brian Daboll becoming the head coach from being the Bills’ offensive coordinator. The Giants do not have any depth at running back behind Saquon Barkley. I do not expect Barkley to have an 83% snap share and 21.1% target share like his prolific rookie season (2018). However, a 68.2% snap share and 12.4% target share is a reasonable expectation, like in 2019 when he was the RB6 in points per game. It has been a couple of seasons since we have seen a dynamic Saquon Barkley, but he is still only 25 years old and is fully healthy. I am not using this phrase with any hyperbole, Barkley is an athletic FREAK.

           

Saquon Barkley at the end of the 2nd round as the RB11 is VALUE. He has the talent and workload to finish as a top-5 running back. You should draft Barkley at any pick in the 2nd round.

NFC East Wide Receivers 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Wide Receiver Summary

If you wanted an example of how quickly things change in the NFL and Fantasy Football in just a few years, the Wide Receiver position in the NFC East would be a great place to start. Two years ago, outside of the Dallas Cowboys’ Amari Cooper and rookie Cee Dee Lamb, this division at Wide Receiver would have been a complete stay away. The Eagles had just missed out again on a future star at WR in the draft. Their best pass catcher was an aging Alshon Jeffrey. Washington had drafted a talented Terry McLaurin, but between rookie receivers, typically underperforming compared to their hype/ADP, and the issue of Washington having mediocre QB play at best, made that situation a complete stay away. Then there was the Giants, whose receiving core was filled with players you would be thrilled to be your slot or 3rd best receiver on your team, but they had no true number one receiver. Not to mention the mess that was their offensive line or the fact Daniel Jones had not proven he’s a quality starting NFL QB. 

Going into the 2022 NFL Season, the Eagles trading for AJ Brown on draft night, the Giants improving their offensive line, bringing in an offensive genius at coach in Brian Daboll, and Kadarius Toney showing flashes of greatness in his injury-plagued rookie season, there is reason for optimism at the position with both of those teams. With as much as we laugh at Washington trading a lot of draft picks for Carson Wentz, he is by far the best Quarterback Terry McLaurin has had throwing to him and the best QB in a Washington uniform since Kirk Cousins. The Cowboys, despite trading Amari Cooper, are still a potential offensive juggernaut, and all signs point to this being the season Cee Dee Lamb is truly unleashed on opposing defenses. In just two years, for fantasy purposes, discussing the value of the NFC East receiving options(particularly the number 1 receivers). There is a legit argument the Division has gone from the worst, or biggest stay away, to the best and some of the receivers with the most upside at the position. 

CeeDee Lamb 

The fact that Lamb’s had much success his first two seasons in the league, despite only seeing roughly a 20% target volume for both, speaks volumes about the talent he possesses. There are plenty of people, myself included, who have questioned when will Dallas truly unleash him as a weapon and what his fantasy production will look like if they do. With the trade of Amari Cooper to the Browns in the off-season, the wait is over, and that time is now. I think the answer to what his fantasy production looks like will be very good for the people who draft him in their upcoming fantasy drafts. Lamb’s target share for 2022 will be in the 25% range, and that’s probably on the conservative side. It’s why I am extremely bullish on Lamb this season. 

I think you can make a legit case he should be the third WR off the board behind Kupp and Jefferson in fantasy drafts. This is no disrespect to Adams, Chase, or Diggs, who are all currently above him. All three are clear number one receivers for their teams, but all three also have Number 2 receivers who will see plenty of targets in Renfrow, Higgins, and Davis. I like Michael Gallup for his current ADP (49), but I don’t worry about him cutting into Lamb’s production the way Higgins, Renfrow, and Davis will. You can argue the biggest threat to Lamb in Dallas’s passing game is tight end, Dalton Schultz. Schultz is the other big benefactor of Cooper leaving, but Schultz and Lamb do different things entirely as receivers. The one legit concern is Schultz hurting Lamb’s overall touchdown numbers and red zone targets. In his rookie season, Lamb averaged 8.4 yards per target. That number increased to 9.1 yards per target last year, despite seeing more targets. If Lamb can just be in the middle of those yards per targets this season, and sees an extra 30-40 targets, he could easily reach 1300-1500 receiving yards. If he improves both his number of targets and targets per yard again, he could be in the 1400-1600 receiving yards range. I think Lamb is the best receiver in this division, and as I said above, that’s a much more significant label than it was just a few years ago. 

AJ Brown

The Eagles shocked many on draft night when they traded for the young Titans star receiver AJ Brown. Brown is a perfect weapon for the Eagles’ offense, who will help the run game (he’s an excellent run blocker), the development of Jalen Hurts (Brown is excellent after the catch and a great vertical threat), and he also will help 2nd-year receiver, Devonta Smith (Smith a excellent route runner and receiver, but is undersized). The addition of Brown will allow Smith to excel at what he’s good at and help by taking away opposing defenses’ attention. I loved this trade on draft night, and months later, I’m more confident Brown can help make The Eagles legitimate contenders, potentially as early as this year. Hurts and the Eagles struggled scoring touchdowns through the air last season, and this is where I expect Brown to help them the most. Brown has 24 touchdowns in his first 43 games, scoring a touchdown on 13 percent of his receptions. 

Terry McLaurin

When you look back at the first 3 seasons in the NFL for Terry “F1” McLaurin, it’s impressive purely by the numbers. He’s racked up 222 receptions, over 3000 yards receiving, and 16 touchdowns. He’s averaged at least 12.9 yards per reception each season and at least 8.1 yards per target, but when you look at the Quarterbacks he’s had throwing him the ball, his numbers become even more impressive. In his first 3 seasons, the list of QBs and the games they started are as follows, Taylor Heinicke (15), Dwayne Haskins (13/RIP), Case Keenum (8), Alex Smith (6), Kyle Allen (4), Colt McCoy (1), Garren Gilbert (1), and Ryan Fitzpatrick (1). No matter what your overall opinion is on Carson Wentz, there is no denying he is a significant upgrade to the eight QBs McLaurin has caught passes from the previous three seasons. Last year, Wentz threw 27 TDs to only 7 INT. The Washington QBs combined to throw 20 TDs to 15 INT’s. Over the last 3 years, McLaurin has accounted for slightly over 30% of Washington’s passing touchdowns. In the last 3 seasons that Carson Wentz has started at least 13 games, he’s averaging 29 passing touchdowns (with at least 27 in each). If he puts up similar numbers again. It is not a stretch to say McLaurin could reach near or above double-digit TD totals. 

Kadarius Toney

There is a litany of reasons Kadarius Toney, a 1st round pick in last year’s draft, who, when healthy last year, had moments where he looked like one of the most explosive players in the league with the ball in his hands, is sitting at Wide Receiver ADP 47. For starters, in the off-season, there were numerous trade rumors involving Toney. Reports said that the Giants were concerned with his attitude and character. Toney also struggled to stay on the field, only playing in 9 games his rookie year, and a majority of those games, he was limited or unable to finish the game. If that’s not enough reason to concern you with the second-year receiver, the Giants drafted Wandale Robinson in the 2nd round. Robinson and Toney share a lot of the same skill sets, both are smaller receivers in stature, who rely on their initial quickness and straight-line speed, and both are electric in open space with the ball in their hands. 

That being said I’m high on Toney this year, especially when you factor in his current ADP. If you go back and rewatch the 4 pm prime time game vs Dallas in October, you might see why I see the kind of true sleeper you look for in fantasy drafts. The Cowboys are a team filled with electric athletes, and Toney was the most explosive player on the field. In the video below against NO, Toney turns a 3rd and 18, 4-yard dump-off pass from Jones, into a first down, with just pure athleticism. This play and a few others from his rookie season is why I see shades of a Tyreek Hill-type player in Toney. Someone who can terrorize opposing defenses anytime he gets the ball in space. If the Giants didn’t have Brian Daboll as their new head coach, the Robinson draft pick would make me lean towards staying away from Toney more, but in Buffalo, Daboll proved he could utilize multiple smaller/shifty receivers on the field at one time. He’s also the guy most responsible for the warp speed progression in Josh Allen’s game, giving me hope he can do the same for Daniel Jones. Overall, I’m high on the Giants’ offense this year. They have plenty of weapons on offense, a revamped offensive line, and one of the best young play callers in the game as their head coach. It’s not often you are able to draft a player with the upside of Toney, a player who the team has invested a 1st round pick in, and you can grab him in the 9th or 10th round in 12-team leagues. This is the exact area of the draft where I’m looking for this kind of potential breakout player. 

Best Value at the Wide Receiver Position

The NFC East has some sneaky good WR talent, but how many of them are a value at their current Sleeper ADP? 

Let’s start with the two studs. Both CeeDee Lamb and AJ Brown are top-10 WRs according to their current Sleeper ADP, and whilst Brown has been in that rarefied air in previous seasons, he is coming off of a season in which he missed five games and will be wearing the colors of a new, yet still run-first team this season. 

Ceede Lamb has a Sleeper ADP that puts him as the WR6 heading into 2022. In his two seasons in the NFL, Lamb has yet to post a top-12 (WR1) finish, yet we’re supposed to buy him as a top-6 scorer at the position? And I know what you’re going to say, “Amari Cooper’s out of town, he’s going to be Dak’s primary target.” And, I agree. But it’s important to remember that Amari Cooper has never finished as a top-6 WR and that his removal from the offense means that defenses can roll the coverage Lamb’s way without the fear of one of the best route runners in the NFL breaking the ankles of a CB2 on the other side. 

Whilst both players are obvious studs, we must remember we’re talking about VALUE here. It feels like we’re buying both of these players at their ceiling. I’m instead looking at a rookie WR who, although unlikely to be a  “league winner.” should prove value at his current ADP. 

Jahan Dotson was selected 16th overall by the Washington Commanders and was the 5th WR off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. Despite this, he has the 8th lowest ADP amongst rookie receivers. Treylon Burks, who was taken two spots later than Dotson, has an ADP of #78. Whilst 2nd round pass-catchers Christian Watson & Skyy Moore have ADPs inside the top 115. Even Jameson Williams, who’s expected to miss the whole of training camp as he recovers from a torn ACL, has an ADP of 120. So if someone could explain to me why Jahan Dotson’s ADP is 138 (WR56), I’d very much appreciate it! 

You don’t have to look far to find a report coming out of Commanders OTA’s or training camp that mentions how good Dotson looks, how he’s building rapport with Carson Wentz or how his running mates have been impressed with his ability. I expect Dotson, if fully healthy throughout the year, to finish as a top-40 WR, so for me, he represents a screaming value at WR56.

NFC East Tight End 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Tight End Summary

I assume you have heard of the Stars and Scrubs approach to drafting an auction team, or you just pay attention to how the LA Rams build their roster.  Well, that aptly describes the NFC East tight end picture.  Two guys competing for a top 5 spot, and two that will make you profoundly sad when you put them in your starting lineup in a pinch.

Dalton Schultz

Let’s get a few things out of the way about Dalton Schultz before diving into his fantasy value. 

  1. He is not a guy to take over a game
  2. He is not athletic when looked at through the lens of professional athletes playing the tight end position.  In fact, his Sparq score is only in the 20th percentile
  3. He is playing on a franchise tag because the Cowboy’s didn’t deem him worthy of a long term contract

Okay, now that we hit those points, let’s cover the plethora of positives.  Michael Gallup has openly said being back by week 1 is unrealistic, and Schultz is one of two pass catchers that will be on the field that has played with Dak before.  Schultz should see a generous mid-teens target share, and in an offense that lets it fly as much as the Cowboys do, that should have him clearing 100 targets in 2022.  In addition to volume, Schultz led the Cowboys in ten-zone targets with 7 last year, converting greater than 70% of those targets into touchdowns.  The volume will set Schultz’s floor around the TE8, and the touchdowns could push his ceiling into the top 3 at the position.

Dallas Goedert

The presence of Dallas Goedert made the Eagles not only comfortable enough to get rid of Zach Ertz but actually incentivized them to do so in order to give one of the best players at his position in the league more snaps. The Philadelphia offense should continue to be notoriously run-heavy in 2022, ipso facto reducing passing volume.  However, the benefit of having three very good receiving options and a handful of zeros (see earlier discussed Stars and Scrubs approach) catching passes is that those 3 get a large percentage of the targets.  Goedert was the second highest graded (according to PFF) tight end in the league last year, behind only Mark Andrews. He was also the second highest graded receiving TE in the NFL behind only George Kittle and received a top 20 run blocking grade (All PFF).  Account for all of that, and you have a scenario where this man might never leave the field.

Currently, according to Sleeper, ADP Goedert is going off the board as the tight end 8 at 81.7 overall; 18 picks after Dalton Schultz.  Give me the value of the better player 2 rounds later all day.

Logan Thomas

Logan Thomas makes me sad to discuss.  He was one of the only “I’m changing my position to TE” guys who has ever been successful.  He was a huge part of this offense in 2020, racking up 110 targets for 670 yards and 6 touchdowns.  He, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and is working his way back from that injury. However, it has been reported that he has a chance to return in week 1.  

Hate on Carson Wentz all you want, lord knows I have, but he is a significant upgrade over Taylor Heinicke in every single football category except for maybe grit.  Wentz is going to give Scott Turner the ability to open his playbook a bit more and sling it around the yard a lot more than he did last year.  Outside of Terry McLaurin, the Washington pass catchers consist of an undersized rookie, an oft-injured gadget guy, 25-target Dyami Brown, and some other guys.  It may not be the size of the Capital Beltway, but a road does exist for a healthy Logan Thomas to be the number 2 pass catcher on this team.  I will not be prioritizing him, but at his current draft cost of completely free (TE27), the chances are good I end up with him on some of my teams where I punt TE.

Ricky Seals-Jones

via GIPHY

No One: 

Literally, No One:

Nobody in the Entire Multiverse:

The Quiet Place: 

A Dark, Windless Night in the middle of the Silent Antarctic Tundra:

Fantasy Twitter: BUT WHAT ABOUT DANIEL BELLINGER?!?!

Listen, I like Daniel Bellinger enough to draft him in the 4th round of dynasty rookie drafts, but he is a rookie tight end coming out of San Diego State.  He can sit on my taxi squad for a year or two, and we will see what happens.

Ricky Seals-Jones is simply a warm body that can come in and not screw up.  He is a veteran that will likely have 1 game where he has 6 catches for 59 yards and a touchdown and tempt the point chasers in your home league to pick him up off waivers.  

The tight end position on the New York Giants is a non-entity for fantasy football in 2022.

Best Value at the Tight End Position

It’s no secret the key to drafting in fantasy football is value, and there may be no position people are desperate to find it than tight end. Obviously, it’s comforting when you grab Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews early and don’t have to worry about the position, but it’s hard to get excess value from them when they’re both going in the second round (Based on the average draft position – ADP – of 12 teams, half-point PPR, redraft leagues on Sleeper). That’s not to say don’t take them; the old adage that you’ll rarely win your league with your early picks but you can definitely lose it rings true, but if you’d rather load up on running backs and/or wide receivers in the first few rounds & find a tight end whose production can exceed their ADP then this article will be right up your alley. Today we’re looking specifically for which tight end in the NFC East provides the most potential value.

A case could be made for each of the starting tight ends to be the most underrated in the division. Daniel Bellinger has been consistently running with the first team in Giants camp, yet the rookie is going undrafted outside of dynasty leagues. Logan Thomas was widely considered a top ten fantasy tight end going into last year before injuries derailed his season; now he’s outside the top twenty and going undrafted in a lot of leagues. If he’s healthy, a fringe TE-1 season isn’t out of the question. Last year Dallas Goedert led all tight ends in yards per route run & now he’s free of Zach Ertz. Prorating Goedert’s stats from the 10 games after Ertz was traded away, he’d have had 70 receptions for 1044 yards and 3 scores. With a little touchdown regression, those numbers would see Goedert, going as TE number eight in the seventh round, finish among the top five at the position. Meanwhile, Dalton Schultz finished last season as the number three fantasy tight end, yet six of them are currently being drafted ahead of him on Sleeper, as he’s falling to the tail end of the fifth, or beginning of the sixth, round.

It is for that reason that Dalton Schultz is my best value tight end in the division!

Amari Cooper’s departure not only frees up 104 targets but a team-leading 17 red zone targets as well. The lion’s share of the former will go to CeeDee Lamb & the rest of the receivers, though it should help guarantee Schultz hits triple-digit targets a second consecutive year, the latter is more intriguing because it was Schultz who finished second to Cooper in red zone targets & led the team in receiving scores in the red zone. With that knowledge in hand, his 8 touchdowns from last year feel not only repeatable but something that could be improved upon. With Zeke Elliot having surpassed the 1500 carry mark that portends a running back’s downfall & the defense likely to a take a step back after a turnover-fueled season unlikely to repeat in 2022 (Dallas was 19th in yards allowed but 7th in points thanks to a league leading 34 turnovers forced), it’s likely game scripts will also force Dallas to air it out more. Throw it all together & Schultz is primed to see more targets, especially in the red zone, and repeat as a top-five fantasy tight end you can grab as late as the sixth round.

NFC East Linebackers 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Linebacker Summary

Micah Parsons

Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys are hoping for a repeat of the 2021 DROY’s fantastic season. The 12th pick was drafted to compete for LB snaps, but with the injury to DeMarcus Lawrence, was asked to wear multiple hats on that defense. The move to DL showcased just how the dynamic of a player Parsons can be at the NFL level. His 13 sacks matched a rookie franchise record for the Cowboys, and his 20 TFL were tops in the NFC. Parsons finished as the LB2 in FIF scoring and the LB7 in Fantasy Pros scoring last year and should be drafted as an LB1 this year, but I have a few concerns. While fantasy managers would love to see a replication of last year, I think his usage as a pass-rusher will take a step back, and thus his QB hit/sack totals may suffer. I do, however, believe that he is an impressive talent and will give us another LB1 season in 2022. 

Cole Holcomb

Many have wondered what an entire season of health could mean for Cole Holcomb’s IDP outlook, and we got our answer in 2021. Holcomb had his coming-out party and is in search of a repeat performance in 2022. His 142 tackles were good for 10th among LB, and his 7 PDs were good for 3rd among fellow LB. Holcomb finished as the LB16 in FIF scoring and LB13 in Fantasy Pros scoring, and with a solid 13.9% tackle rate and a 7.8% missed tackle rate, a repeat as a high-end LB2 is definitely a good bet to make. 

Blake Martinez

All Blake Martinez has done since entering the league in 2016 is made tackles. New York Giants fans hope that Martinez can return to his tackle-volume ways in 2022 after missing nearly all of 2021 with a torn ACL. When Martinez joined the Giants in 2020, he showed exactly why he was worth the investment, recording 151 tackles, 9 TFL, 6QB hits, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 5 PDs, 2 FF, and a fumble recovery. It is this type of production that has fantasy managers willing to invest heavily again with the hopes of a return to form. Currently ranked as the LB19 in Fantasy Pros rankings, I have him as my LB10 in FIF scoring, with such a remarkable ceiling. 

T.J. Edwards

T.J. Edwards is my most avoided NFC East LB of this group. Sure, last season was a career-altering trajectory that I believe will lead to disappointment this upcoming season. I won’t say that he didn’t have an incredible 2021, considering he had 130 tackles, 5 TFL, and 5 PDs. But here is the concern; he did all of this on a mere 685 snaps. Sure, he played 88% of the snaps from Week 9 on, but I see a reduced role in 2022 with the addition of Nakobe Dean. It has all the makings of a rotation, and for that, I have him as my LB25 in Fantasy Pros rankings.

Best Value at the Linebacker Position

Going as the LB61 on Sleeper (8/1/2022) and contrary to Nate’s opinion, I believe T.J. Edwards is the best value out of the linebackers listed above. The third-pro may have been second fiddle to Alex Singleton on the Eagles roster last season, but Edwards was no pushover. With linebackers who played a minimum of 500 snaps last season, Edwards had the fourth-best tackle rate in the entire NFL. He played primarily as their off-ball linebacker aka their #TackleMachine on the season, playing a majority of the time close to the line of scrimmage and against the run. With the additions of Kyzir White in free agency and Nakobe Dean in the draft, the Eagles linebacking corp now has two new options at linebacker that can assume coverage responsibilities allowing Edwards to stay at his normal position and role this upcoming season. He finished just outside of LB2 territory as the LB26 in Fantasy Pros scoring last season, and with Singleton no longer there, he has the potential for mid to high LB2 potential in 2021!

NFC East Defensive Backs 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Defensive Back Summary

Jayron Kearse

Kearse was an absolute monster last year, not to mention a league-winning type of DB. If you saw his 2021 season coming, can I ask you for a few numbers to play in Powerball? Before 2021, Kearse was a journeyman with career-high 59 tackles in 2020. Kearse’s potential seemingly was unlocked by Dan Quinn. He was 12th among DB with 101 tackles, 1st in TFL (9), and 4th in QB hits (6). It is this type of production that led to his DB6 overall finish. Kearse’s lack of competition, elevated snap counts (6th most box snaps), and pass-rush ability (3rd most pressures among DB), all comfort me when I have him as my DB13. 

Kamren Curl

The darling of Fantasy In Frames. Curl has now had back-to-back 60+ solo tackle seasons, just falling 1 tackle short of 100 in 2021. As a whole, Curl was not exactly the “must-start” option that we had seen in 2020, finishing as the DB58. Much of that has to do with the rotation-type approach that the Commanders used last year with their safeties. This year, with no Landon Collins to pilfer snaps, there is a chance that Curl sniffs an increase in box snaps. Currently ranked as my DB24, his ranking can swing from 24 down into the 40s if he is expected to stay in coverage for 2022. 

Xavier McKinney

After only playing in 6 games in 2020, McKinney erupted onto the scene in 2021. The Alabama product had 93 tackles, 11 PDs, and 5 INT. The 5 INT were good for 3rd most and could be a decent floor in production for this season. As a whole, he finished as the DB17, which I believe he can replicate, if not beat, this year. For starters, the Giants have a new DC in “Wink” Martindale. Add in the fact that both Logan Ryan and James Bradberry are gone, and opposing offenses just might challenge them through the air. With the Giants making improvements across the defense, I really like the odds that McKinney continues to develop into a superstar.

Best Value at the Defensive Back Position

Going as the DB29 on Sleeper and DB27 on ESPN, Kamren Curl is my value pick at the DB position in the NFC East. A lot of people will fade Curl after last season as he did not live up to the expectations he set in 2020. He had 98 fewer snaps in the box in 2021, and he played more snaps at slot corner, which certainly dampened his upside in terms of fantasy production. With no Landon Collins playing at strong safety this year, Curl should be due for a bounce-back season for your fantasy team!

NFC East DL/Edge Rushers 2022 Fantasy In Frames

Defensive Lineman/EDGE Summary

DeMarcus Lawrence

Lawrence made headlines when he signed a fully guaranteed 3yr deal with the Cowboys, making him the 1st DE in NFL history with 7 consecutive guaranteed years. While I won’t go as far as saying he doesn’t deserve the money, I will say after the previous 3 seasons; I am a little surprised. After back-to-back double-digit sack seasons in 17-18, he has failed to tally more than 7 in the past 3! If there is optimism, it comes in the way of his finish in 2021. From Wk14-18, Lawrence totaled 14 tackles (5 TFL), 3 sacks, 6 QB hits, 5 PDs, and 1 INT for a TD. On a per-game basis, Lawrence finished as the DL6 in FIF scoring! I currently have him as my DL19 in Fantasy Pros scoring, with concerns of someone opposite him on the d-line to take pressure away

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Chase Young

Ask 100 different people, and you might get 100 different opinions on Chase Young. I feel like we all are aware of his unique blend of size and speed, but I also feel like we have been sort of “let down” with his career to date. His rookie season felt like it baited the hook with 7.5 sacks, 12.5 TFL, 14 QB hits, and 4 FF. Despite the injury last year, he still only managed 1.5 sacks, 26 tackles, 3 TFL, and 4 QB hits across nearly 500 snaps. This year, he is already on the PUP, with Week 1 in jeopardy. I feel like I am dropping him in my rankings daily and might just be a full “avoid” this year, despite the intriguing upside his skillset provides.

Haason Reddick

If you have the luxury of using Haason Reddick as a DL, you have another one of our coveted cheat codes when it comes to FIF IDP scoring. While his 1st three years were underwhelming in Ari, his past 2 seasons between Ari and Car have been incredible. Following up a 2020 season in which he had 63 tackles (20 TFL), 12.5 sacks, 18 QB hits, 4 PD, and 5 FF, Reddick found himself in Carolina in 2021. The hopes were high in Carolina, starting opposite Brian Burns, and he fulfilled those high hopes. As a whole, Reddick finished as the LB30, but more importantly, he finished as the DL7 on the heels of 11 sacks, 68 tackles (11 TFL), and 18 QB hits.

Best Value at the Defensive Lineman/EDGE Position

Unfortunately, in this division, there is no real value I’d recommend. Instead, pay up for Haason Reddicks and reap the rewards.

Thanks for reading our Fantasy Football Preview of the NFC East.

To see our other 2022 Divisional Previews click here.

Now go out there and crush your fantasy football drafts!

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