Hey there GoingFor2 fam! Dr. Fantasy here with the second iteration of my weekly fantasy football bold predictions for the 2022 season. If you haven’t seen my weekly series in previous seasons, I will offer 10 bold predictions each week. As the year progresses, I will be tracking my wins/losses on these predictions by placing them into three distinct categories: nailed it, close but no cigar, and nope, nowhere close. If you want to check that out, please see my results at the bottom. Drop your bold comments in the comments, and let me know if you think any of my predictions may be just a bit too bold.
- Talanoa Hufanga finishes as a top-20 DB. What, IDPs? Adding an IDP space or five is quickly becoming popular in fantasy circles, so I will be including a few IDP bold predictions. Even if you don’t know much about IDPs, streaming and understanding these positions may be your competitive advantage. If you are looking for more information on IDPs, follow our show’s IDP Twitter @CoverZeroGF2 and check out our YouTube episodes. Hufanga had 11 tackles in his 2022 season debut and was highly effective. He has an opportunity to continue that trend in a Week 2 NFC west showdown and be an IDP force all season long.
- Kyle Pitts finishes outside the top 10. I don’t love picking against one of the most dynamic “tight ends” in the game, but between Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones, the Rams do have some athletic linebackers that can hold their own in coverage.
- Nyheim Hines finishes as a top-24 RB. After a shaky Week 1for the Colts’ offense, I am fully ready for this prediction to be a dud. The young Jaguars’ front 7 looks much improved, however, they struggled in coverage last week. With questions surrounding Michael Pittman’s health, expect the Colts to use Hines all over the field to create mismatches.
- Justin Fields finishes as a top-12 QB. I love Justin Fields and am not ready to give up on him. Fields continues to show minor improvements, and Fields had one of his better games as a pro in their last matchup. The Bears are playing with a lot of energy, so expect Justin Fields to come out and lead the way.
- Russell Wilson has a second straight dud and finishes outside of the top 12. What a difference a week makes. Last week I had Wilson with a top-3 week, and now he finds himself on the other end of the spectrum. I have a weird faith in Lovie Smith’s ability to gameplan and think the Texans have the opportunity to come out strong and prove their Week 1 defensive performance was not a fluke.
- Trey Lance bounces back with a top-10 performance. Based on his ADP, perhaps this isn’t bold, and people are already ready to hand the keys back to Jimmy Garoppolo but RELAX. The weather was terrible and that is going to have a huge impact on Lance’s style of play. Everyone is excited about the Seahawks’ defense except me. I do not believe they are that great and think they took advantage of an emotional Russell Wilson in Week 1. Lance takes advantage of their beat-up secondary with a couple of big plays and a nice fantasy day.
- Nick Chubb finishes outside the top 20 RBs. Am I seriously buying into the Jets’ defense? Stop giving me that look! They held the Ravens to the third-fewest yards in Week 1 and only 3 YPC. Against one of the league’s most dynamic rushing attacks, this is a big deal! People are pointing to the Ravens being more pass-heavy than usual in Week 1, but maybe this was because of the Jets’ scheme? I expect the Jets to focus on stopping the Browns’ run game and force Jacoby Brissett to make a few plays, which he will fail to do.
- Zach Ertz finishes as a top-5 TE. Ertz played last week but was a bit banged up. With this receiving core continuing to be in flux, and the Raiders not having a great solution for covering TEs, expect Ertz to take advantage.
- Allen Robinson finishes as a top-24 WR. Okay, it’s a little early in the morning, so bear with me. Historically, when Sean McVay does not include a WR in the offense, he will immediately overcompensate next week. Expect Robinson to see several targets on the first drive, and if the Falcons can game plan to where A.J. Terrell is in the range of Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson should have opportunities to make plays.
- D.J. Moore finishes as a top-12 WR. I am intrigued by the Giants’ defense, especially when Ojulari and Thibodeaux return, but for now, I do not have faith in their secondary. I think the Panthers take advantage of this mismatch and feed their number one WR early and often.
That’s it, folks, see you next week! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @drfantasysports and check out our IDP show’s new handle @CoverZeroGF2.
Nailed It: 3. I was correct that Dameon Pierce would stink and that Rex Burkhead would outscore him. Tony Pollard was not great but squeaked by my projection.
Close, but no cigar: 1. Pat Friermuth was TE #7, close enough to TE #5.
Not even close: 5. Mike Williams stunk, Ka’Darius Tony stunk, Russell Wilson stunk, Jalen Hurts was too good and Kirk Cousins wasn’t quite good enough.
Void: 1. Rondale Moore did not play, but Greg Dortch led the way in targets, so the thought was there.
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