2022 Favorite Best Ball Draft Targets Part 1
Due to player departure or injury that could impact availability to start the 2022 season, there is unique opportunity to target vacated targets in respected offenses. I believe the three wide receivers listed below will be beneficiaries to receive increased consolidated target share, which is why I have been drafting all three on both Underdog and FFPC.
Note: ADP is reflective of Underdogs Superflex tournament and all fantasy scoring is reflective of .5 point PPR.
Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Vacated Targets Case
WR Chris Godwin suffered an ACL tear week 15 of the NFL season that could jeopardize him starting the early part of the season in 2022. Godwin led the team in WR target share in 2021 accumulating 127 targets in 14 games (37%), which is an average of 9 targets per game.
Evans - What To Know
Finished 2021 WR8
74 receptions - 114 targets - 1035 yards - 14 receiving touchdowns
Current ADP WR10
Two years with QB Tom Brady has finished WR8 and WR10
Has recorded 1000 receiving yards in all 8 NFL seasons
In 8 seasons has averaged 9.375 receiving touchdowns per season
4 of 8 seasons has scored 12 or more touchdowns
Both seasons with Tom Brady has resulted in 13 and 14 touchdowns
Has finished a top 12 wide receiver 6 of 8 season or 75% of the time
2015 WR24 was his worst fantasy finish when he recorded a career low 3 receiving touchdowns
TE Context
TB 2021 TE1 Rob Gronkowski had 88 targets, TE2 Cameron Brate had 57 targets
Rob Gronkowski has yet to announce if he will return to TB in 2022. If Gronkowski returns, he is an equal beneficiary if Chris Godwin misses time at the beginning of the season. If Gronkowski does not return, that is an additional 88 targets of vacated volume.
Allen Lazard - Greenbay Packers
Vacated Targets Case
As if the departure of 2021 WR3 Davante Adams who alone accounted for 169 targets (3rd most-league) and 31 red zone targets (3rd most-league) is not enough, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (55 targets) and Equanimeous St. Brown (17 targets) have also exited Green Bay’s WR room. The equates to a total of 241 WR targets or 66% of the Packers WR target share now vacated.
Lazard - What To Know
Finished 2021 WR45
40 receptions - 60 targets - 513 yards - 8 receiving touchdowns
Current ADP WR51
In 2021 Lazard finished second on the team in targets (60)
Lazard is 26 years old and will be in his 5th year in the NFL
He played in 14 games and 6 of those games he scored above 10 points (usable in best ball)
Has Lazard had a ceiling? Yes - In 2021 he scored more than 20 points once. That is more times than WR Keenan Allen, and the same as WRs Stefon Diggs and Diontae Johnson
QB trust in a receiver is a factor. Let’s not forget that in 2019 it was Aaron Rodgers who lobbied for Lazard to get a chance
TE Context
GB 2021 TE1 Josiah Degura had 33 targets
Robert Tonyan played 8 games totaling 29 targets. Tonyan is one year removed from finishing 2020 overall TE3 and could also be in line for a 2022 bounceback season being priced as current TE18 in drafts.
CeeDee Lamb - Dallas Cowboys
Vacated Targets Case
Of the three wide receivers listed in this post, Lamb may be the single largest beneficiary of vacated targets. Departures of both WRs Amari Cooper and Cedric Wilson leave behind a total of 165 targets which was a combined 43% of all Cowboys WR target share. Additionally, now WR2 on the team, Michael Gallup, tore his ACL week 17 in 2021, already putting in doubt a healthy start to the 2022 year. If you were to factor in Gallup missing time, that equates to a total of 243 WR targets from the 2021 season, or 59% of the Cowboys WR target share, that will be vacated to start the 2022 season.
Lamb - What To Know
Finished 2021 WR18
79 receptions - 120 targets - 1102 yards - 6 receiving touchdowns
Current ADP WR8
Lamb was a fantasy community and industry 2021 darling causing his ADP only to rise as the season neared
2022 will be Lambs third NFL season (AKA WR breakout year)
His first two years he finished WR20 and WR18
Positive TD regression
2020 Lamb recorded 5 receiving touchdowns
2021 Lamb recorded 6 receiving touchdowns
2021 both RB Ezekiel Elliot (19) and WR Amari Cooper (17-Vacated) had more red zone targets than Lamb (15)
TE Context
DAL 2021 TE1 Dalton Schultz had 104 targets and finished overall TE3. An equal case could be made for Schultz as beneficiary for the vacated targets. Not to mention TE2 Blake Jarwin is no longer in Dallas creating a path for a 2022 Schultz show. I need more shares.
