With the final draft weekend upon us, here are my last-minute rankings. These are my favorite 25 quarterbacks, 50 running backs, 60 receivers and 25 tight ends for 2022. For all other questions — including up-the-second-rankings for every major format — please check out our comprehensive, award-winning DRAFT GUIDE, one we have been working tirelessly on all summer.
Top 25 Quarterbacks
1. Josh Allen — QB1 each of the past two seasons. 62.6 more fantasy points than any QB in that span.
2. Patrick Mahomes — Despite Allen’s ceiling, Mahomes maintains highest week-to-week floor.
3. Justin Herbert — Arm, talent and scheme all in alignment.
4. Kyler Murray — Was flirting with QB1 finish before yet again getting injured last year.
5. Lamar Jackson — Not quite a one-man band, but receiver issues make L-Jax’s legs paramount.
6. Jalen Hurts — Has been given the tools. No. 1 overall finish within the realm of possibility.
7. Joe Burrow — Burrow is feeling like a model breaker at the quarterback position.
8. Tom Brady — Inhuman, but … WR injuries, OL carnage, summer strangeness with sabbatical.
9. Dak Prescott — Good as he’s been, it still feels like Prescott has yet to have career year.
10. Russell Wilson — More about improved sequencing and scheme than increased volume.
11. Aaron Rodgers — Can the efficiency god survive the loss of his football soulmate?
12. Matthew Stafford — Robinson a big improvement as No. 2 WR, but McVay wants balance.
13. Trey Lance — Widest range of potential outcomes as any quarterback.
14. Kirk Cousins — Could end up out Dak Prescotting Dak Prescott.
15. Derek Carr — Almost maxed out in efficiency department, so improved WR corps is the key.
16. Tua Tagovailoa — Tua’s weapons and coaching could propel him to top 12.
17. Trevor Lawrence — By all accounts had the steadying summer he needed.
18. Justin Fields — Limited supporting cast. Season hinges on new staff using both of Fields’ threats.
19. Jameis Winston — Major supporting cast upgrades for rehabbed QB born to throw.
20. Matt Ryan — Egregious lack of OL protection in ATL does 180 in Indy.
21. Daniel Jones — Hope is that improved coaching and decent skill corps produce spiked weeks.
22. Mac Jones — Has been given the tools to spread it out. Has been given the OC to……….
23. Ryan Tannehill — How much longer can he stay one step ahead of the play-action sheriff?
24. Zach Wilson — In theory a good athlete. In theory has a good supporting cast.
25. Carson Wentz — But it might work for us.
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Top 50 Running Backs
1. Jonathan Taylor — Even if touchdowns regress, Taylor has highest floor in football.
2. Christian McCaffrey — CMC will win leagues if healthy. It’s that simple.
3. Austin Ekeler — Career years rarely duplicate, but Ekeler maintains golden combo of GL, 3D work.
4. Derrick Henry — Ninth in rushing last season … in eight games.
5. Dalvin Cook — Cook’s ceiling remains as high as almost anyone at running back.
6. Najee Harris — Centerpiece of a bad offensive environment. Zero touch competition.
7. D’Andre Swift — Austin Ekeler season waiting to happen.
8. Joe Mixon — Risks are TD regression and lack of third-down commitment. But the baseline is high.
9. Alvin Kamara — Miscast in bell-cow role, though the Saints seem to be running it back.
10. Nick Chubb — After all that, Chubb remains the engine of CLE’s offense. 5.5 YPC in his sleep.
11. Aaron Jones — Should finally be the season Jones catches 60-plus passes, right?
12. Javonte Williams — Signs point toward 1A/1B committee rather than last year’s 50/50 arrangement.
13. Saquon Barkley — A McCaffrey moonshot with a slightly more palatable ADP.
14. Cam Akers — Guessing — emphasis on guessing — McVay still prefers Akers to Hendo.
15. Ezekiel Elliott — Supposedly healthier after injury-ruined campaign. Not getting any younger.
16. Leonard Fournette — Injury, conditioning, third down, and OL concerns … and lots of upside.
17. James Conner — You’re better off trying to find this year’s Conner, but excellent setup on paper.
18. David Montgomery — Played 20-of-22 snaps with Fields in regular season rehearsal.
19. Elijah Mitchell — The Three’s Company behind Mitchell never got its summer act together.
20. J.K. Dobbins — Think Week 4 instead of Week 1.
21. Miles Sanders — Say what you will, he is the lead back of a sophisticated rushing attack.
22. Travis Etienne — High variance RB2.
23. Rhamondre Stevenson — Ty Montgomery injury should enhance both floor and ceiling.
24. AJ Dillon — Shockingly capable pass catcher in 2021. Do we really know Pack’s RB plan?
25. Rashaad Penny — Best RB down the stretch in ’21 has backfield to himself for now.
26. Chase Edmonds — Sony Michel release hints at a player who should maybe be RB2.
27. Josh Jacobs — For all the sound and fury, nothing seems to have really changed on early downs.
28. Breece Hall — Perhaps it’s just smoke with Michael Carter, but it won’t stop billowing.
29. Devin Singletary — Despite three-man committee talk, DS remains best back in potential best O.
30. Tony Pollard — Things stay the same right up until the second they don’t. Plausible ‘22 outcomes where he overtakes Zeke.
31. Kareem Hunt — Scenery change would’ve been nice. 1B back in run-committed offense not bad.
32. Clyde Edwards-Helaire — Wounded brand but easily kept lead-back duties.
33. Damien Harris — A good player in an imperfect situation.
34. Dameon Pierce — Summer riser with dangerous plant-and-go ability.
35. Antonio Gibson — Even with Robinson sidelined, it’s indisputable Commanders are looking for somewhere else to shovel touches.
36. Cordarrelle Patterson — Resisted summer heat in jumbled backfield.
37. Melvin Gordon — A good player whose piece of the pie seems destined to be smaller, if still filling.
38. Michael Carter — Late summer hype suspicious, but good player with obvious role to play.
39. J.D. McKissic — Touch outlook stabilized following unfortunate Brian Robinson situation.
40. James Cook — Bills were laser focused on adding third-down back, and Cook did his bit in camp.
41. Rachaad White — At least in the mix for weekly targets from the GOAT.
42. Darrell Henderson — Enough Akers uncertainty that I have Hendo a few spots higher than I’d like.
43. Nyheim Hines — J.D. McKissic with better press clippings.
44. Kenneth Walker — Timeline unclear. Draft capital, SEA run commitment quite clear.
45. Kenneth Gainwell — Frankly hard to tell if Gainwell is actually the No. 2 back or not.
46. James Robinson — Limited touches, but they could be high value.
47. Raheem Mostert — Michel’s release a vote of confidence in Mostert’s health.
48. Khalil Herbert — Excellent insurance option who could carve out COP role.
49. Alexander Mattison — Still lacking standalone value.
50. Jeff Wilson — Seems to lead the “best of the rest” in San Francisco for now.
Top 60 Wide Receivers
1. Cooper Kupp — Even with A-Rob aboard, surprising lack of target competition.
2. Justin Jefferson — Camp reports had Jefferson winning “every route in every situation.”
3. Ja’Marr Chase — Anyone surprised if Chase is clear WR1 for next five years by Week 4?
4. Davante Adams — In a weird ‘22 scene for wideouts, we can still bet on Adams’ targets.
5. Stefon Diggs — This WR corps big enough for the two of “Diggs WR1” and “Gabe breakout.”
6. Deebo Samuel — How many different ways can one man make plays?
7. CeeDee Lamb — Formerly crowded targets landscape did a 180. Hopefully that’s a good thing.
8. A.J. Brown — Took over Eagles camp. YAC god who doesn’t need elite QB play.
9. Tyreek Hill — Variables, but in McDaniel we trust.
10. Tee Higgins — Will clean up on aisle “Ja’Marr Chase bracket coverage.”
11. Mike Evans — 10-12 scores is absolute floor post-Gronk.
12. D.J. Moore — All the 2020 Stefon Diggs ingredients remain.
13. Michael Pittman — Already 95 percent broken out, Matt Ryan should put Pittman over the top.
14. Keenan Allen — Aging wideout with status quo target competition.
15. Jaylen Waddle — Only TD luck away from out-pointing Tyreek? Missed majority of camp.
16. Diontae Johnson — 313 targets over the past two seasons fourth most in football.
17. Chris Godwin — Signs point toward Godwin being ready for Week 1.
18. Mike Williams — Was stubbornly low on Williams for much of the summer. 10 TDs feel imminent.
19. Marquise Brown — Enhanced big-play and compiling odds with Kyler.
20. DK Metcalf — 8-10 scores would have DK well on his way to weathering the Geno storm.
21. Courtland Sutton — Seems to have put lost 2021 in rear-view with excellent summer.
22. Terry McLaurin — McLaurin has taken up Allen Robinson‘s mantle of best WR with worst QBs.
23. Gabriel Davis — Has always produced when given the chance. Allen’s preferred freelancer?
24. Amon-Ra St. Brown — Could be foolishly low for a player who turned 2021 lemons into multinational lemonade company.
25. JuJu Smith-Schuster — Steady as she goes summer for clear Chiefs No. 1.
26. Jerry Jeudy — Camp reports have not had Jeudy hitting it off with Wilson.
27. Allen Robinson — Provided he still has his legs, A-Rob big upgrade in Rams’ WR2 spot.
28. Darnell Mooney — Solid preseason for Justin Fields has the flags flying a bit stronger.
29. Michael Thomas — Played five games and turned 29 in three years since all-time great 2019.
30. Rashod Bateman — Plan A, B and C in Ravens’ corps. That’s both a good and bad thing.
31. Brandin Cooks — Cooks has already had his career “Texans year.” Nico Collins coming.
32. Amari Cooper — Jacoby Brissett has no juice as a quarterback in 2022.
33. Christian Kirk — All signs point toward a massive target share.
34. Drake London — Most positive rookie WR buzz until minor knee injury.
35. Brandon Aiyuk — Great player behind Deebo and Kittle in offense with questionable QB.
36. Adam Thielen — Seems poised to continue finishing near the rim.
37. Tyler Lockett — Took too long for me to face the Geno music. Many will say this is still too high.
38. Elijah Moore — Rave reviews, but pervasive QB and target competition questions.
39. Hunter Renfrow — Slot machine … now lined up opposite a machine of a different kind in Davante.
40. Chris Olave — Super-talented player sandwiched between two declining target hogs.
41. DeVonta Smith — Could be a screaming value if Eagles pass more than expected.
42. Allen Lazard — Survived camp as Aaron Rodgers’ No. 1 wideout.
43. Kadarius Toney — Why the label “boom/bust” exists. Always nicked.
44. Robert Woods — Unchallenged as Titans’ No. 1 receiver.
45. Marquez Valdes-Scantling — Ended up easily winning No. 2 job. Can win weeks on 1-2 catches.
46. Garrett Wilson — Talented player surrounded by variables.
48. Michael Gallup — Should return within first four weeks. Acute targets need in Dallas.
49. DeAndre Hopkins — Missing 50 percent of fantasy regular season.
50. Julio Jones — A WR3 if he somehow stays on the field.
51. Russell Gage — Missed almost a month of practice but seems on track for Week 1.
52. Jakobi Meyers — Defaulted back to No. 1 duties but robust competition for looks.
53. Rondale Moore — Cardinals claiming he will be better utilized.
54. Nico Collins — Impressed people in a Texans camp that didn’t get much attention.
55. Josh Palmer — No. 3 weapon for an offense that badly needs one.
56. Jahan Dotson — You play with fire when you sleep on first-round receivers.
57. Chase Claypool — It’s not too late for uber-talented player to turn career around.
58. George Pickens — Out of control dawg levels. Quite under control QB play.
59. Romeo Doubs — No. 4 receiver has the most upside in Packers’ corps.
60. Skyy Moore — Had eerily quiet summer.
Top 25 Tight Ends
1. Travis Kelce — After an offseason of “Andrews, TE1” I’ve stopped fighting Kelce City Hall.
2. Mark Andrews — Momentous target share should offset increased run rate.
3. Kyle Pitts — The great man theory getting a workout with Mariota under center.
4. George Kittle — Just because he’s more volatile than ever doesn’t mean the upside is gone.
5. Darren Waller — Nick-of-time contract extension a green light for apprehensive fantasy drafters.
6. Dalton Schultz — Last call at the Safe Targets Saloon.
7. T.J. Hockenson — No longer the only show in town. Hopefully that’s a good thing.
8. Dallas Goedert — I wouldn’t begrudge anyone who thinks Goedert’s upside makes him the TE6.
9. Zach Ertz — Ready to Witten for a target-needy offense.
10. Cole Kmet — Narrative would have been completely different if he scored 3-4 TDs last season.
11. Hunter Henry — Henry in the red zone the Pats’ one set pass-catching role.
12. Dawson Knox — Touchdown regression unlikely to be offset by increased volume.
13. Pat Freiermuth — Hopefully the heavy seas of this in-transition O at least include RZ targets.
14. Noah Fant — SEA’s clear-cut third target. We’ll see if that means anything with Geno starting.
15. Robert Tonyan — Barely practiced this summer but badly needed in the painted area.
16. Irv Smith — Could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of improved offensive environment.
17. David Njoku — Not sure I want to pin my sixth-year breakout hopes on Jacoby Brissett.
18. Mike Gesicki — Never a great sign when a player is basically like “lol don’t draft me.”
19. Evan Engram —Not most likely outcome, but ingredients for a post-hype breakout are there.
20. Logan Thomas — Injury question mark, but top TE for QB who targets nothing but TEs.
21. Tyler Higbee — And the infinite sadness.
22. Austin Hooper — An offense known for targeting tight ends.
23. Gerald Everett — Too many miscues mixed in with the big plays.
24. Hayden Hurst — TEs free to roam down seam with defenses focused on Chase, Higgins.
25. Albert Okwuegbunam — Injuries to Tim Patrick, Greg Dulcich keep the TE2 dream alive.
