Top NFL Breakout Players on Each Team : 2022 Fantasy Football

Based on past performances or different team rotations, some players are expected to have a breakout year and thereby generate more fantasy points than what’s expected from them. They won’t all be immediate stars, but they’ll most likely produce more for their teams. Here’s a list of the predicted top breakout candidates on each team.

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Buffalo Bills

Gabriel Davis – Davis had a great postseason performance and strong red-zone plays. With more volume, he’s bound to generate more points than ever before.

Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa – While his next season’s expected performance has been a concern for everyone, it’s true at least that he has the most potential to breakout because of the star-studded offensive cast the team has.

New England Patriots

Rhamondre Stevenson – He experienced a very successful rookie season that should not be overlooked. He was PFF’s third-highest graded running back (84.2). Stevenson also ranked 13th in rushing yards and yards per route run (1.41).

New York Jets

Elijah Moore – He might be one of the most overhyped, but he does have a lot of potential. Over a five-game span from Week 9 to Week 13 last year, Elijah Moore was the WR2 in PPR, averaging 20.1 points per game. Moore is likely to put up difference-making fantasy numbers in 2022.

Baltimore Ravens

Rashod Bateman – He showed some flashes when finally healthy. Unfortunately, that was while Lamar Jackson wasn’t. However, Bateman has a clear path to the #1 WR job in Baltimore and is the best talent they’ve had at the position in years.

Cincinnati Bengals

Chris Evans – The former Michigan Wolverine finished as PFF’s fifth-highest graded receiver and 10th-best pass-blocker at the running back position last season. His 2.11 yards per route run ranked 4th-best among all RBs, which suggests he has a legitimate shot to take over third-down duties in the Bengals backfield.

Cleveland Browns

Harrison Bryant – Bryant was a prolific pass catcher at Florida A&M, where he had 1,004 yards and seven TDs as a senior. He’s managed to establish a foothold in the Cleveland offense the last two years despite having to compete with Njoku and Austin Hooper for TE targets. Hooper is gone, and Njoku hasn’t been consistent.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Chase Claypool – George Pickens and Diontae Johnson provide some competition for target shares, but camp reports do mention that Claypool’s moving around the formation. He can handle on-on-one with cornerbacks and can provide some easy points if plays are schemed well.

Houston Texans

Brevin Jordan – He enjoyed a decent rookie season, finishing with a 19% target rate per route run and four top-12 weekly finishes over his last nine games.

Indianapolis Colts

Michael Pittman Jr. – Matt Ryan is in a position to make Michael Pittman Jr. a fantasy stud. There’s no WR close to his ability on this roster, so expect Pittman to have WR1 upside this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Etienne – During his final season as a Clemson Tiger, he led the country in receiving yards and ranked second in receptions among running backs. With an explosive pass-catching skill set and James Robinson rehabbing an injury, Travis Etienne checks off the requisite boxes of a fantasy RB poised to make noise in 2022.

Tennessee Titans

Treylon Burks – He replaces A.J. Brown as the most talented, most physically imposing receiver on the Titans’ roster. Burks dealt with bad quarterbacking at the University of Arkansas and still thrived. He’s poised to smash from the get-go in the NFL.

Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton – He’s expected to emerge as Russell Wilson’s go-to red-zone target. He led the Broncos in red-zone targets in 2021 and led all WRs in target rate inside the 10-yard line in 2019. Wilson has an affinity for attacking receivers in the red zone; a Seattle WR has finished top-five in red-zone targets for three straight seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs

Skyy Moore – One of the most hyped rookies since the loss of Tyreek Hill, Moore will be a key cog for Kansas City as a field stretcher and underneath YAC marvel.

Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White – He’s a physical between-the-tackles banger who can wear down defenses, and he should be an effective goal-line back. The Raiders didn’t pick up RB Josh Jacobs’ fifth-year option, so maybe they’ll flip the switch early and start giving White significant carries in 2022.

Los Angeles Chargers

Josh Palmer – As a rookie, he averaged over seven targets per game and scored a touchdown in his three games with a 60% snap share. With a downfield skill set that perfectly aligns with his big-armed quarterback, Palmer is a great late-round pick to target.

Dallas Cowboys

Dalton Schultz – He has elite TE potential in 2022. With Michael Gallup likely to start the year on the PUP, Schultz could become the #2 option in the Dallas passing game and never let that go.

New York Giants

Kadarius Toney – His talents were on full display in Weeks 4-5, with six catches for 78 yards against the Saints and 10 catches for 189 yards against the Cowboys. Toney is a twitchy, springy athlete who’s absolutely electric in the open field. If Toney can stay healthy, new Giants HC Brian Daboll should have fun devising ways to deploy this unique weapon.

Philadelphia Eagles

DeVonta Smith – He will benefit greatly from having A.J. Brown around. With Jalen Hurts becoming a possible prolific passer, the targets should be very centralized in this offense spread among Brown, Smith and Dallas Goedert and not many else.

Washington Commanders

Jahan Dotson – He is all too familiar with dealing with subpar quarterback play. Adjusting to poorly placed balls is nothing new. Despite his slight frame, Dotson is strong at the catch point and has the prerequisite speed to break a long touchdown whenever he touches the ball.

Chicago Bears

Cole Kmet – He already established himself as an important contributor to the Bears offense, but his lousy TD luck has kept him from becoming a useful fantasy contributor. The young TE had 60 catches for 612 yards in his second NFL season but failed to score a single touchdown. He’s bound to have better fortune in the TD department this season, and Kmet should see plenty of targets with the Bears being so thin at wide receiver.

Detroit Lions

Jameson Williams –Williams’ insane speed and agility give him a sky-high ceiling weekly. This big-play penchant will help as the volume could be a concern in the early going as the Lions are stocked with playmakers. Detroit could be the home for the 2022 stretch run hero in fantasy.

Green Bay Packers

A.J. Dillon – He averaged 3.5 more carries per game than Aaron Jones over the last eight regular-season games they played together, and Dillon took over as Green Bay’s goal-line back late in the season. With a strong roster and a manageable schedule, the Packers should get plenty of run-friendly game scripts. 

Minnesota Vikings

K.J. Osborn – There will be more playing time for K.J. Osborn. With 50 catches for 655 yards and seven TDs last season, Osborn was a pleasant surprise. With an enhanced role, he could become an impactful fantasy contributor.

Atlanta Falcons

Drake London – His ceiling may be limited by his QB play this rookie season, but he has the skill set to at least deliver some PPR numbers worthy of your attention. Touchdowns may be scarce, along with big games, but regardless, London offers plenty of appeal.

Carolina Panthers

Terrace Marshall – The Panthers need another pass-catcher to step up in this offense behind D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey. A healthy version of Marshall could do so in 2022. Anderson finished 94th in yards per route run with an 11.7% target per snap rate (63rd). If Marshall is up to the task, there’s volume to be had in his sophomore season.

New Orleans Saints

Chris Olave – Chris Olave is healthy and with so much uncertainty surrounding Michael Thomas’ health and Jarvis Landry getting up there in age, Olave could have far more upside this season than people realize.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Russell Gage – The uncertainty swirling around Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski translates into a mountainous upside for Russell Gage. After sharpening his teeth last season as Calvin Ridley’s replacement alongside Kyle Pitts, Gage proved adept and drawing volume and translating it into efficient results.

Arizona Cardinals

Rondale Moore – DeAndre Hopkins’ six-game suspension is the trial run for Rondale Moore to prove he should remain the team’s starting slot receiver for the entire season. Moore was 28th in route win rate and 11th in juke rate among wide receivers last season. While we can still question his ability to stretch the field, his route running and playmaking chops are being underrated at this juncture.

Los Angeles Rams

Cam Akers – Sony Michel and Darrell Henderson combined for 336 touches — third-most among all RBs, 19.7 per game — when operating as the true lead back through 17 games. Cam Akers has a chance to capture that role in 2022.

San Francisco 49ers

Trey Lance – Only started 2 games as a rookie but flashed the rushing prowess that excited fantasy managers during last year’s draft season. The 49ers’ first-year signal-caller averaged 22.4 expected fantasy points (QB4 last season) and 60 rushing yards per game.

Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker – Rashad Penny’s always struggled to stay on the field and Chris Carson is likely done. Kenneth Walker could see his role increase dramatically overnight and his downhill run style suits Pete Carroll’s desires.

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