Hey there GoingFor2 fam! Dr. Fantasy here with the third iteration of my weekly 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.
Embed from Getty Images- Cody Barton finishes as a top-12 LB. 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. Barton has back-to-back weeks of double-digit tackles, and I am here to tell you that it is not a fluke. The Atlanta offense has been very fantasy-friendly for opposing LBs thus far, so expect Cody Barton and Jordyn Brooks to come through big for their fantasy owners.
- The Packers v. Bucs game is one of the 3-lowest combined scoring games of the week. This one may not seem fantasy relevant, but I want to highlight the fact that I don’t believe Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers right the ship this week. I expect this matchup between two future Hall of Famers to come down to whose defense shows up more. The Bucs’ defense has been elite thus far, and I believe the Packers’ defense will hit its stride in the coming weeks.
- Treylon Burks has a top-24 finish. Burks has been solid throughout his first two games, but this week against a weak Raiders secondary is where we start to see his ascension. Burks is currently 93rd in the league in routes run and has been targeted on 37.9% of those routes, which ranks 8th in the league. The guy has been effective in limited opportunities, and this is the week where we see quality and quantity meet.
- Carson Wentz has a top-8 QB finish. Maybe not that bold considering his effectiveness early this season, but the Eagles’ defense looked extremely effective against Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and crew. Carson Wentz continues his comeback trail by beating up on his old team and expect Dotson to be a large beneficiary.
- Hunter Henry finds the endzone for the first time in 2022. Henry only has two catches on the season, TWO, but against the struggling Ravens’ secondary, this may be the week for him to find pay dirt. The Patriots are masters at taking advantage of opponents’ weaknesses, and this should be one of the areas they target in Week 3.
- Josh Allen (Jaguars) finishes as a top-5 DL. Not the Josh Allen you wanted to talk about, but the Josh Allen you needed. Do I need to mention that Josh Allen is 1-0 against his name-counterpart? The Chargers have allowed two top-6 finishes to DL in their first two weeks, and based on how the Jaguars’ defense is playing, I expect that momentum to continue.
- CeeDee Lamb has his breakthrough as a top-5 WR. This may not seem like the spot for it, considering the Giants have allowed the 2nd-fewest points to opposing WRs, however, this was against Baker Mayfield and Ryan Tannehill. Yes, I know it’s Cooper Rush, but CeeDee will be the Giants’ biggest test to date. I expect CeeDee to remind everyone in prime time why he has top-5 receiver talent.
- Brandon Aiyuk finishes as a top-20 WR. I know that the Broncos’ defense has been overally effective, but I expect them to try to put this game on Jimmy G’s shoulders. With that, I expect Aiyuk to have 10+ targets and a very nice day at the office.
- Miles Sanders finishes as a top-10 RB. The Commanders have allowed the 2nd most points to fantasy RBs thus far, and I expect this trend to continue. Keep feeding Miles Sanders the rock!
- Kyler Murray finishes as a top-3 QB. As a fan of the Rams, I hope this is wrong. The Rams’ secondary has not been the greatest in the early going, and after destroying Murray in the playoffs last year, I expect Murray to come out with a huge game. Hitting on these “top-3” predictions are challenging, but this one has a shot.
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.
Last week
Nailed It: Hufanga was dominant again, Kyle Pitts stunk, Russell Wilson disappointed again, Allen Robinson bounced back, and Ertz had himself a nice week. Not bad.
Close, but no cigar: 1. Pat Friermuth was TE #7, close enough to TE #5.
Not even close: I predicted Nick Chubb would have a stinker and he ended up as the RB #1, Trey Lance left the game early, Justin Fields was not good, Nyheim Hines was not as involved as I would have hoped, and D.J. Moore did not quite have the bounceback I was hoping for. 5 correct and 5 swings and misses, I consider this a pretty successful week.
Season Stats:
Nailed It: 8.
Close, but no cigar: 1
Not even close: 10
Void: 1
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