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August 22nd update: Draft season is here, so we’ve got an update to our standard rankings while also adding another voice to the rankings with Mr. Teddy Ricketson. We will continue to update often as we close in on Week 1 of the season.
The 2022 fantasy football season is barreling toward us and we either need to get on board or get out of the way! Today, we’ll try to get on board by ranking the best players in order for drafting in standard leagues. A standard league remains a non-PPR league as far as I can tell, but always be sure to double-check your settings.
Playing in non-PPR leagues will push you to value touchdown scorers more than possession receivers and scat backs, but it doesn’t mean you don’t value players who get a lot of targets. We still want the players who lead their team in targets, we just don’t get as many fantasy points as we would in PPR leagues.
A few favorite picks
I like to get through training camp and the first couple preseason games before I carve my favorite fantasy picks for the season, but I’ve got a list going and here are a few as of early August.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers, QB
Rodgers is coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, but the trade of Davante Adams to the Raiders has lowered fantasy expectations for the QB. The good news is that Rodgers’ fantasy numbers don’t take a hit when Adams is out, so his ADP drop has been too far for me.
Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, RB
I don’t have a ton of faith in Elliott, but I know he played through a bad injury all last season and the team is going to get what they can out of him before they let him go. Dallas is weak at wide receiver depth, so Tony Pollard will get work too, but I believe both can have fantasy impacts and if Elliott can stay healthy in the Cowboys’ fast paced offense, he’ll easily beat his 4th round ADP.
Allen Lazard, Packers, WR
For being the No. 1 receiver in Green Bay now, Lazard hasn’t gotten much ADP love, as he’s going off the board as the 45th receiver. Will he be the target hog that Adams was? No. But there is no doubt that Rodgers likes Lazard and trusts him enough to give him the majority of the receiver targets this season.
Mo Alie-Cox, Colts, TE
The Colts will have yet another quarterback at the helm this season as Matt Ryan takes over after Carson Wentz was sent packing. Ryan should be an upgrade and the Colts, who love using their tight ends, have Alie-Cox firmly in the driver’s seat at the position.