The Coaches – My Guys

Jalen Hurts

Coach Dillon: @DMeaney9688

My guy is Jalen Hurts. Everyone knocks on him for being a bad passer but he is a fantastic fantasy quarterback. Not only did he finish as a top 12 QB overall last year, he also finished as a Top 12 QB in 4 Point/Passing TD’s leagues, 73% of the time or 11/15 weeks. That was good for 1st place amongst all QB’s last year in 4 Point/Passing TD’s leagues. He was a Top 24 QB in all but two of his games last year, so there is very rarely a week in superflex leagues that he is unusable. Now he adds AJ Brown to the mix. We see a lot of QB’s make a big jump passing when they get a true #1 receiver. AJ Brown is just that type of player and should help Hurts become a quality passer in the league. With the rushing upside that Hurts has, I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility to see a Top 5 finish from him this year as he is looking for the Eagles to commit to him long term with a big contract.

Jaylen Waddle

Coach Hunter: @hunter_covert

New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had one thing to say when asked about wide receiver Jaylen Waddle this off-season: “I would start him in fantasy.” McDaniel has talked up Waddle non stop after his electric rookie season. This is the same coach coming from the 49ers system that just turned Deebo Samuel into the WR2 on the season in 2021. In fact, the 49ers have led the NFL in each of the last 4 seasons in yards after the catch, something Waddle shines at. He possesses game breaking speed, running a 4.37 40 yard dash. According to Next Gen Stats he actually clocked a faster game speed than new well known speedster teammate Tyreek Hill ever did in 2021. Waddle was drafted 6th overall to be a difference maker on this team and immediately stepped in to that role.

He broke the all-time rookie reception record (104). With a heavily upgraded offensive line compared to last year Waddle will have more time to get open at a deeper level where he excels in open space. The arrival of Tyreek has many people questioning where Waddle should be drafted but I am salivating even more at the thought of getting Waddle later in drafts. Tyreek will likely pull the stronger coverage from defenses. With an offensive mastermind getting his best players the ball in open space, there is no reason Waddle can’t match what people are expecting from Tyreek, if not outperform him. The best part is you can get Waddle 2 or even 3 rounds later. 

Kyle Pitts

Coach Hunter: @hunter_covert

Kyle Pitts is a unicorn at the tight end position physically. He had the second most receiving yards by a rookie tight end ever (1026), only trailing Mike Ditka by 50 yards. Every rookie with over 1000 receiving yards scored at least 6 touchdowns. Kyle Pitts scored 1. Positive touchdown regression is obvious but it doesn’t end there. He should be absolutely peppered with targets. His biggest target competition comes from an incoming rookie wide wide receiver who is already dealing with a knee injury. Of players remaining on the roster from last season, running back Cordarelle Patterson had the second most receiving yards with 548. Pitts was number 1 at the position at average yards per reception with 15.1.

For comparison, Zach Ertz finished with 763 yards on only 6 more receptions. Noah Fant finished with almost 400 yards less than Pitts on the exact same amount of receptions. With his athleticism and ball skills, Pitts targets are just worth more. New quarterback Marcus Mariota has a history of targeting the tight end position. In 2015 when Mariota took over, his tight end Delanie Walker finished the season with 133 targets and 94 receptions. With the type of target share he will demand and the upside for double digit touchdowns, Pitts could finish as the true TE1 this season. This could be lift off for Pitts and I want in. Trust in the talent and reap the rewards before he becomes a first round draft pick in future fantasy drafts.

Jamaal Williams

Coach Emerson: @Dynasty_Analyst

Williams is a fantastic Running Back to target later on in fantasy drafts. Last season when he was healthy he had a steady role in the offense reaching double digit rushing attempts in 10 of his 14 opportunities. D’Andre Swift was healthy in many of these games as well giving Williams potential flex value even in a limited role. Furthermore, Swift has been far from the picture of health his first two seasons in the league making it likely Williams will lead the backfield at some point this season. Williams ADP is currently RB52 on Fantasy Pros and is going behind players like Isaiah Spiller and Raheem Mostert, who’s roles aren’t as solidified. The offense should be much better too as the Lions boast a very talented skill position group combined with one of the best Offensive Lines in football. If Goff provides competent Quarterback play Detroit should score a lot more in 2022, and Williams will still likely be the goalline back. He’s one of my most rostered players in fantasy this season and that will continue through my final drafts this weekend.

AJ Dillion

Coach Steve – @coachstevenp

Dillion is a running back I want in all my drafts for the upcoming 2022 season. Last season, during the second half of the year, Dillion was running as a RB1 in fantasy. He out-carried Aaron Jones during that span 32 to 11 with RedZone touches. While Jones is considered the main pass catcher in the offense, Dillion has shown the ability to dominate int he passing game too. The current state of the Packers’ pass catchers, its could be that Dillion is called upon to produce more the passing game. I’d expect Dillion to be the main ball carrier this season for the Packers and reach the 200 in carries for the season. His current ADP of 52 may seem high but he has stand alone value as a flex option is well worth it. Let’s not forget that Aaron Jones has a injury history which could lead to Dillion to see low end RB1 numbers in fantasy as full workload back. Dillion is a perfect RB2 for any fantasy owner.