James Conner, Rashod Bateman Among Veteran Post-Draft Fantasy Winners and Losers

May 03, 2022

Depth charts shake up during the draft and these are the veterans who saw their fantasy stock most affected.

The 2022 NFL Draft is in the books, and we now have a clearer picture of how all 32 rosters will look heading into the summer months. That means it’s time for fantasy fans to dig deep into the depth charts and start getting their rankings ready for the upcoming best-ball league and re-draft madness that is just around the corner.

We’ve already examined the biggest winners and losers among the rookies, so let's look at how the draft will affect incumbent veterans who might or might not have competition heading into the season. Whether it’s based on talent, depth chart or a combination of both, here’s a guide to whose value might be moving up or down.

Winners

Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Fournette, who is coming off a career-best 18.3 fantasy points per game average last season, has the look of a true featured back once again in 2022. The Buccaneers lost Ronald Jones to the Chiefs as a free agent, leaving Giovani Bernard and Ke’Shawn Vaughn behind him on the depth chart. The team did draft Rachaad White in the third round, but he’s unlikely to be a serious threat to Fournette’s touches in his rookie year.

James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Conner scored 18 touchdowns and was the RB5 based on fantasy points last season, which will be tough to duplicate. Still, the offseason has been kind to his value to this point. The Cardinals lost Chase Edmonds as a free agent, and the team didn’t draft a running back until the sixth round (Keaontay Ingram). That indicates that Conner will be the true lead runner and a more attractive option in all 2022 fantasy football drafts.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens made a surprising trade during the draft, sending Hollywood Brown to the Cardinals. That opens up a near 25% target share in the offense, most of which we expect Bateman to absorb. A first-round pick in 2020, the Minnesota product missed five contests and averaged fewer than nine fantasy points as a rookie. However, the possibility of a much bigger workload makes Bateman a strong breakout candidate.

Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

The news that DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended for six games is clearly a negative for Murray’s value. But once Nuk returns, K1 could explode. The team made a deal to acquire Marquise Brown, who played with Murray in college, giving him a strong group of weapons upon Hopkins’ return. With A.J. Green, Rondale Moore and Zach Ertz also in the mix, Murray should be a top-five fantasy quarterback for most of the season.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

The QB9 from last season, Hurts could push his way into the next tier of fantasy field generals after the Eagles traded for A.J. Brown. He now has a strong core of receivers, including Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert, so an uptick in his 3,144 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes should be imminent. Combine that with his mobility, and Hurts is suddenly more valuable as a fantasy asset than he’s ever been before.

Gabriel Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills

Davis is a hot name in fantasy football, especially after his monster performance in the postseason against the Chiefs. The offseason has been a positive one for him in terms of player movement, too, as the Bills won’t bring back Emmanuel Sanders and didn’t draft a wideout until Round 5 (Khalil Shakir). That leaves Davis as the unquestioned starter opposite Stefon Diggs in what should remain an explosive Buffalo pass attack.

Devin Singletary, RB, Buffalo Bills

Singletary was a league winner in the second half of last season, and the fact that the Bills didn’t draft Breece Hall (as was rumored) helps his value in 2022. The team did land James Cook in the second round, but he’s more of a complementary back than a potential starter at the next level. With the stock of Zack Moss stumbling in the fantasy football world, Singletary should remain in the flex starter conversation in 2022 drafts.

Matt Ryan, QB, Indianapolis Colts

After being traded to the Colts, Ryan was already a winner this offseason, but he gets an uptick after the NFL draft. The team added a potential No. 2 wide receiver in Alec Pierce in the second round, not to mention a talented tight end in Virginia’s Jelani Woods. The Colts also drafted an offensive tackle in Bernhard Raimann in Round 3, which gives Ryan additional protection on the line. He’s now a more attractive No. 2 fantasy option.

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Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets

Wilson doesn’t have a ton of fantasy appeal overall, but his arrow is certainly pointing up after the draft. The Jets not only secured a potential No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, but the team also drafted the consensus top running back in the 2022 class in Breece Hall. New York also landed more help on the offensive line in Max Mitchell out of Louisiana, so Wilson should be better protected. He’s worth a late-round selection.

Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions

Goff might not be the most attractive fantasy quarterback in the land, but he has had a good offseason. The Lions signed D.J. Chark as a free agent and then moved up in the draft to land Alabama’s Jameson Williams, giving Goff even more options in the passing game alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and T.J. Hockenson. The Lions also didn’t draft a quarterback, so Goff is looking pretty secure atop the Detroit depth chart next season.

Losers

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders

The Commanders don’t seem to view Gibson as a true featured back, as they re-signed J.D. McKissic and drafted Brian Robinson out of Alabama in the third round. While I still see Gibson as the unquestioned leader in touches, the moves will certainly put a ceiling on the numbers he'll produce next season and beyond. Unfortunately, it seems that Gibson won’t have a chance to move into the elite level of fantasy running backs.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

St. Brown was a league winner as a rookie, posting top-three fantasy numbers among wide receivers in his final six games. However, he was playing in an offense that didn't have T.J. Hockenson, and the Lions have made a few big moves to upgrade the passing attack. First, the team grabbed D.J. Chark as a free agent. Next, Detroit moved up in the draft to land Jameson Williams. As a result, St. Brown’s stock in 2022 is sliding.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens picked up a new center in the draft in Tyler Linderbaum, but the trade that sent Brown to the Eagles left Jackson without his No. 1 wideout. (His “Wtf” tweet tells you how much he disliked the move). While Bateman's stock is rising, the Ravens' other wideouts include Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace and James Proche II. I still see Jackson as a No. 1 fantasy quarterback, but his ceiling as a passer has taken a hit.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Smith is coming off a good rookie season, finishing 30th in fantasy points among wide receivers. His ceiling took a massive hit during the draft, though, as the Eagles made a huge trade to acquire A.J. Brown. That will likely put a dent into his 22.2% target share from a year ago, not to mention putting a damper on his ceiling. Also, keep in mind that the Eagles ran the football (51.2%) more than any team in the league last season.

Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets

Carter showed some flashes of potential during his rookie season, averaging more than 11 fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, he was never going to be a featured back at 5-foot-7. That was evident when the Jets landed the top running back in the 2022 draft class, Breece Hall, who will be the unquestioned favorite to start as a rookie. Carter will see his chances in the offense, but Hall’s presence throws cold water on his draft stock.

Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears

What are the Bears doing? After losing Allen Robinson to the Rams in free agency, the team has done little to give Fields additional weapons in the passing attack. Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown aren’t going to excite Bears fans or fantasy managers, and adding a soon-to-be 25-year-old rookie in Velus Jones Jr. will bring far more jokes than jubilation. Unfortunately, Fields looks to be in a bad position for 2022.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans

Tannehill is coming off a disappointing season that saw him finish with fewer than 16 fantasy points per game, and now he’s lost his best wideout in A.J. Brown. The addition of rookie Treylon Burks helps, but it won’t completely fill the void in the passing attack. The Titans also drafted quarterback Malik Willis, who was projected as a first-rounder, to be Tannehill's replacement, possibly as soon as next season or in 2023.

Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Carson’s value was already in question coming off a serious neck injury, but now one must wonder if he'll ever play in the NFL after the Seahawks drafted Kenneth Walker III. Even if he can return to action, Carson could be limited both by his ailment and the presence of not only Walker but Rashaad Penny as well. In fact, I see a scenario where Carson is either a late-round flier or not picked at all in fantasy drafts.

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Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Moore’s value seemed to be on the rise when the Cardinals lost Christian Kirk to the Jaguars, but that no longer seems to be the case. Not only did the team re-sign A.J. Green, but it traded for Hollywood Brown during the draft. With Zach Ertz also coming back, Moore could find himself as the fourth or fifth-best option in the passing game for Kyler Murray. He’ll have more value while Hopkins is out, but that’s just temporary.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns

The draft did nothing but further cloud Mayfield's NFL status. The Carolina Panthers, one of the teams rumored to have interest in trading for him, drafted a quarterback in Matt Corral. The Colts had already traded for Matt Ryan, leaving the Seahawks as the lone suitor (and they passed on Willis multiple times in the draft). At this point, Mayfield has very few options (if any at all) unless an injury happens in camps.

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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!

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