austin-ekeler-7-1400.jpg
USATSI

We held our first 12-team, PPR mock draft for the 2022 season this week, and it felt like a trip down memory lane. It was fun drafting guys who missed most of the 2021 campaign with the hope of what they can be next season, including Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins and Travis Etienne, among others.

We didn't include incoming rookies in this draft. This exercise is done mostly to react to what happened in 2021 and how it could impact next season. And the results are interesting and worth digesting.

In Round 1, Jonathan Taylor is the expected No. 1 overall selection, which happened here. But No. 2 overall is up for debate, with the likely candidates being Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. I took Ekeler second, and I'm counting on him to build off what he did in 2021 and continue to show he's among the best running backs in the NFL, especially as a receiver out of the backfield.

Henry and McCaffrey went after Ekeler, and then the first receiver went at No. 5 in Davante Adams. Another fun debate in 2022 will be Adams vs. Cooper Kupp, and I like Adams better if he stays in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers. Adams, Kupp (No. 7 overall) and Justin Jefferson (No. 12) were the only receivers drafted in Round 1.

Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, in that order, were drafted in Round 2, and that's the right spot for them. I like Andrews better than Kelce, and hopefully both are exceptional once again.

The first quarterback wasn't drafted until Round 6, and Josh Allen went two picks ahead of Patrick Mahomes, which I agree with. Justin Herbert was the No. 3 quarterback selected, and he also was drafted in the sixth round.

I waited on a quarterback and ended up with Tom Brady in Round 9. I also took a flier on Justin Fields in Round 13, and he should be a breakout candidate in 2022, depending on the new coach in Chicago.

After drafting Ekeler in Round 1, I struggled with my Round 2 pick, which ended up being Antonio Gibson. I would have preferred a receiver there, but my top choices were Keenan Allen, Mike Evans and Diontae Johnson. Gibson has top-10 upside in 2022 if Washington finds the right quarterback, especially if J.D. McKissic leaves as a free agent to solidify Gibson's role in the passing game.

I ended up with Allen in Round 3, so that worked out, and I loved getting Elijah Mitchell in Round 4. Hopefully, the 49ers stick with him as their lead running back in 2022, and he could be a top 10 Fantasy option in all leagues.

Having neglected receivers so far, I went with the always underrated Brandin Cooks in Round 5. He finished as the No. 21 PPR receiver in 2021 with 90 catches, 1,037 yards and six touchdowns, and he should be a reliable Fantasy option again in 2022. 

My next two picks were all about upside with Etienne and Jerry Jeudy. Etienne should be fine after missing his rookie campaign with a foot injury, and he could be Jacksonville's lead running back in 2022 if James Robinson (Achilles) is out to open the season.

Jeudy will hopefully get a quarterback upgrade in 2022, and he still has amazing potential despite a down sophomore season where he was injured and didn't score a touchdown. With the right quarterback, I'll go back to Jeudy as a breakout candidate next season.

I went with Dalton Schultz in Round 8, and he's a good tight end to wait for, especially since he just finished as the No. 5 tight end in 2021. And then I got Brady in Round 9, and hopefully he's still an elite quarterback at 45 years old.

The rest of my draft was focused on receivers with D.J. Chark, Antonio Brown, Marquez Callaway and Corey Davis with four of my final five picks. All have plenty of upside but also significant question marks.

Chark played in just four games because of an ankle injury, and he's a free agent this offseason. With the right team and quarterback, he can still be a quality Fantasy receiver, especially since he's only 25.

Brown might never play in the NFL again after the way his tenure ended in Tampa Bay. But even at 33, he was still among the most productive receivers in Fantasy in 2021 -- he averaged 17.3 PPR points per game in seven outings -- and all it takes is one team giving him a chance.

Callaway finally started to produce at the end of the season with Taysom Hill, and we'll see what happens at quarterback for the Saints in 2022. We'll also see if Michael Thomas returns to New Orleans, which will clearly impact Callaway as well.

And Davis should be among the top two receivers for the Jets, along with Elijah Moore. He's a great late-round pick in all leagues, as he should be a favorite target for Zach Wilson next season.

It will be fun doing more mock drafts in different formats this offseason. But here's our first PPR mock draft for 2022, and I hope you enjoy the results.

In this league, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE). There also are six reserve spots for a 14-round draft.

Our draft order is as follows:

1. George Maselli, Fantasy Editor
2. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
3. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
4. Adam Aizer, FFT Podcast Host
5. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
6. Daniel Schneier, Fantasy Editor
7. Ben Schragger, FFT Podcast Producer
8. Frank Stampfl, FBT Podcast Host
9. Jack Capotorto, CBS Sports HQ Producer
10. Jacobs Gibbs, SportsLine Fantasy Analyst
11. Chris Towers, Senior Editor, Fantasy
12. Meron Berkson, CBS Sports HQ Producer

Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 Daniel Schneier C. McCaffrey RB SF
2 Zach Brook C. Lamb WR DAL
3 Meron Berkson T. Hill WR MIA
4 Heath Cummings B. Hall RB NYJ
5 Jamey Eisenberg J. Jefferson WR MIN
6 R.J. White J. Chase WR CIN
7 Alfredo Brown A. St. Brown WR DET
8 Thomas Shafer B. Robinson RB ATL
9 Joey Wright A. Brown WR PHI
10 Adam Aizer P. Nacua WR LAR
11 Joel Cox J. Taylor RB IND
12 Dave Richard J. Gibbs RB DET
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 Dave Richard G. Wilson WR NYJ
14 Joel Cox M. Harrison Jr. WR ARI
15 Adam Aizer S. Barkley RB PHI
16 Joey Wright S. LaPorta TE DET
17 Thomas Shafer K. Williams RB LAR
18 Alfredo Brown T. Etienne RB JAC
19 R.J. White J. Jacobs RB GB
20 Jamey Eisenberg C. Olave WR NO
21 Heath Cummings J. Cook RB BUF
22 Meron Berkson I. Pacheco RB KC
23 Zach Brook D. Adams WR LV
24 Daniel Schneier T. Kelce TE KC
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 Daniel Schneier C. Kupp WR LAR
26 Zach Brook D. London WR ATL
27 Meron Berkson R. White RB TB
28 Heath Cummings M. Pittman WR IND
29 Jamey Eisenberg D. Henry RB BAL
30 R.J. White M. Evans WR TB
31 Alfredo Brown B. Aiyuk WR SF
32 Thomas Shafer D. Samuel WR SF
33 Joey Wright D. Moore WR CHI
34 Adam Aizer N. Collins WR HOU
35 Joel Cox J. Waddle WR MIA
36 Dave Richard S. Diggs WR HOU
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 Dave Richard P. Mahomes QB KC
38 Joel Cox D. Achane RB MIA
39 Adam Aizer T. Higgins WR CIN
40 Joey Wright J. Mixon RB HOU
41 Thomas Shafer A. Kamara RB NO
42 Alfredo Brown T. McBride TE ARI
43 R.J. White D. Smith WR PHI
44 Jamey Eisenberg K. Walker III RB SEA
45 Heath Cummings M. Andrews TE BAL
46 Meron Berkson C. Ridley WR TEN
47 Zach Brook J. Allen QB BUF
48 Daniel Schneier T. Dell WR HOU
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 Daniel Schneier M. Brown WR KC
50 Zach Brook D. Swift RB CHI
51 Meron Berkson D. Kincaid TE BUF
52 Heath Cummings G. Pickens WR PIT
53 Jamey Eisenberg C. Kirk WR JAC
54 R.J. White J. Hurts QB PHI
55 Alfredo Brown D. Metcalf WR SEA
56 Thomas Shafer L. Jackson QB BAL
57 Joey Wright Z. Flowers WR BAL
58 Adam Aizer D. Montgomery RB DET
59 Joel Cox A. Richardson QB IND
60 Dave Richard A. Cooper WR CLE
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 Dave Richard T. Pollard RB TEN
62 Joel Cox D. Johnson WR CAR
63 Adam Aizer M. Nabers WR NYG
64 Joey Wright A. Jones RB MIN
65 Thomas Shafer R. Rice WR KC
66 Alfredo Brown Z. White RB LV
67 R.J. White J. Conner RB ARI
68 Jamey Eisenberg T. McLaurin WR WAS
69 Heath Cummings J. Williams RB DEN
70 Meron Berkson C. Stroud QB HOU
71 Zach Brook J. Brooks RB CAR
72 Daniel Schneier K. Allen WR CHI
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 Daniel Schneier A. Ekeler RB WAS
74 Zach Brook J. Reed WR GB
75 Meron Berkson L. McConkey WR LAC
76 Heath Cummings C. Godwin WR TB
77 Jamey Eisenberg J. Burrow QB CIN
78 R.J. White G. Kittle TE SF
79 Alfredo Brown K. Murray QB ARI
80 Thomas Shafer K. Pitts TE ATL
81 Joey Wright J. Love QB GB
82 Adam Aizer Z. Moss RB CIN
83 Joel Cox B. Bowers TE LV
84 Dave Richard N. Harris RB PIT
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 Dave Richard E. Engram TE JAC
86 Joel Cox R. Stevenson RB NE
87 Adam Aizer T. Spears RB TEN
88 Joey Wright E. Elliott RB DAL
89 Thomas Shafer J. Addison WR MIN
90 Alfredo Brown B. Robinson Jr. RB WAS
91 R.J. White C. Sutton WR DEN
92 Jamey Eisenberg N. Chubb RB CLE
93 Heath Cummings D. Prescott QB DAL
94 Meron Berkson K. Coleman WR BUF
95 Zach Brook T. Benson RB ARI
96 Daniel Schneier R. Mostert RB MIA
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 Daniel Schneier C. Brown RB CIN
98 Zach Brook D. Singletary RB NYG
99 Meron Berkson D. Hopkins WR TEN
100 Heath Cummings C. Watson WR GB
101 Jamey Eisenberg J. Warren RB PIT
102 R.J. White G. Edwards RB LAC
103 Alfredo Brown R. Odunze WR CHI
104 Thomas Shafer X. Worthy WR KC
105 Joey Wright J. Smith-Njigba WR SEA
106 Adam Aizer C. Williams QB CHI
107 Joel Cox M. Williams WR NYJ
108 Dave Richard T. Hockenson TE MIN
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 Dave Richard J. Williams WR DET
110 Joel Cox J. Palmer WR LAC
111 Adam Aizer Z. Charbonnet RB SEA
112 Joey Wright J. Meyers WR LV
113 Thomas Shafer T. Lockett WR SEA
114 Alfredo Brown B. Thomas Jr. WR JAC
115 R.J. White J. Ford RB CLE
116 Jamey Eisenberg R. Wilson WR PIT
117 Heath Cummings J. Wright RB MIA
118 Meron Berkson B. Corum RB LAR
119 Zach Brook K. Shakir WR BUF
120 Daniel Schneier J. Herbert QB LAC
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 Daniel Schneier J. Downs WR IND
122 Zach Brook D. Njoku TE CLE
123 Meron Berkson B. Irving RB TB
124 Heath Cummings J. Dobbins RB LAC
125 Jamey Eisenberg J. Ferguson TE DAL
126 R.J. White R. Dowdle RB DAL
127 Alfredo Brown T. Chandler RB MIN
128 Thomas Shafer Q. Johnston WR LAC
129 Joey Wright R. Davis RB BUF
130 Adam Aizer D. Goedert TE PHI
131 Joel Cox C. Kmet TE CHI
132 Dave Richard C. Hubbard RB CAR
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 Dave Richard M. Lloyd RB GB
134 Joel Cox J. Dotson WR WAS
135 Adam Aizer B. Purdy QB SF
136 Joey Wright K. Miller RB NO
137 Thomas Shafer M. Corley WR NYJ
138 Alfredo Brown R. Pearsall WR SF
139 R.J. White R. Doubs WR GB
140 Jamey Eisenberg T. Franklin WR DEN
141 Heath Cummings J. Polk WR NE
142 Meron Berkson C. Samuel WR BUF
143 Zach Brook X. Legette WR CAR
144 Daniel Schneier T. Tracy Jr. RB NYG
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 Daniel Schneier J. Jeudy WR CLE
146 Zach Brook A. Gibson RB NE
147 Meron Berkson R. Shaheed WR NO
148 Heath Cummings D. Douglas WR NE
149 Jamey Eisenberg J. Daniels QB WAS
150 R.J. White B. Cooks WR DAL
151 Alfredo Brown K. Vidal RB LAC
152 Thomas Shafer A. Mitchell WR IND
153 Joey Wright J. Goff QB DET
154 Adam Aizer J. McLaughlin RB DEN
155 Joel Cox T. Allgeier RB ATL
156 Dave Richard T. Tagovailoa QB MIA
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 Dave Richard E. Mitchell RB SF
158 Joel Cox R. Johnson RB CHI
159 Adam Aizer D. Waller TE NYG
160 Joey Wright D. Pierce RB HOU
161 Thomas Shafer A. Thielen WR CAR
162 Alfredo Brown M. Wilson WR ARI
163 R.J. White G. Davis WR JAC
164 Jamey Eisenberg K. Mitchell RB BAL
165 Heath Cummings M. Mims WR DEN
166 Meron Berkson T. Lawrence QB JAC
167 Zach Brook A. Estime RB DEN
168 Daniel Schneier D. Wicks WR GB
Team by Team
Daniel Schneier
Rd Pk Player
1 1 C. McCaffrey RB SF
2 24 T. Kelce TE KC
3 25 C. Kupp WR LAR
4 48 T. Dell WR HOU
5 49 M. Brown WR KC
6 72 K. Allen WR CHI
7 73 A. Ekeler RB WAS
8 96 R. Mostert RB MIA
9 97 C. Brown RB CIN
10 120 J. Herbert QB LAC
11 121 J. Downs WR IND
12 144 T. Tracy Jr. RB NYG
13 145 J. Jeudy WR CLE
14 168 D. Wicks WR GB
Zach Brook
Rd Pk Player
1 2 C. Lamb WR DAL
2 23 D. Adams WR LV
3 26 D. London WR ATL
4 47 J. Allen QB BUF
5 50 D. Swift RB CHI
6 71 J. Brooks RB CAR
7 74 J. Reed WR GB
8 95 T. Benson RB ARI
9 98 D. Singletary RB NYG
10 119 K. Shakir WR BUF
11 122 D. Njoku TE CLE
12 143 X. Legette WR CAR
13 146 A. Gibson RB NE
14 167 A. Estime RB DEN
Meron Berkson
Rd Pk Player
1 3 T. Hill WR MIA
2 22 I. Pacheco RB KC
3 27 R. White RB TB
4 46 C. Ridley WR TEN
5 51 D. Kincaid TE BUF
6 70 C. Stroud QB HOU
7 75 L. McConkey WR LAC
8 94 K. Coleman WR BUF
9 99 D. Hopkins WR TEN
10 118 B. Corum RB LAR
11 123 B. Irving RB TB
12 142 C. Samuel WR BUF
13 147 R. Shaheed WR NO
14 166 T. Lawrence QB JAC
Heath Cummings
Rd Pk Player
1 4 B. Hall RB NYJ
2 21 J. Cook RB BUF
3 28 M. Pittman WR IND
4 45 M. Andrews TE BAL
5 52 G. Pickens WR PIT
6 69 J. Williams RB DEN
7 76 C. Godwin WR TB
8 93 D. Prescott QB DAL
9 100 C. Watson WR GB
10 117 J. Wright RB MIA
11 124 J. Dobbins RB LAC
12 141 J. Polk WR NE
13 148 D. Douglas WR NE
14 165 M. Mims WR DEN
Jamey Eisenberg
Rd Pk Player
1 5 J. Jefferson WR MIN
2 20 C. Olave WR NO
3 29 D. Henry RB BAL
4 44 K. Walker III RB SEA
5 53 C. Kirk WR JAC
6 68 T. McLaurin WR WAS
7 77 J. Burrow QB CIN
8 92 N. Chubb RB CLE
9 101 J. Warren RB PIT
10 116 R. Wilson WR PIT
11 125 J. Ferguson TE DAL
12 140 T. Franklin WR DEN
13 149 J. Daniels QB WAS
14 164 K. Mitchell RB BAL
R.J. White
Rd Pk Player
1 6 J. Chase WR CIN
2 19 J. Jacobs RB GB
3 30 M. Evans WR TB
4 43 D. Smith WR PHI
5 54 J. Hurts QB PHI
6 67 J. Conner RB ARI
7 78 G. Kittle TE SF
8 91 C. Sutton WR DEN
9 102 G. Edwards RB LAC
10 115 J. Ford RB CLE
11 126 R. Dowdle RB DAL
12 139 R. Doubs WR GB
13 150 B. Cooks WR DAL
14 163 G. Davis WR JAC
Alfredo Brown
Rd Pk Player
1 7 A. St. Brown WR DET
2 18 T. Etienne RB JAC
3 31 B. Aiyuk WR SF
4 42 T. McBride TE ARI
5 55 D. Metcalf WR SEA
6 66 Z. White RB LV
7 79 K. Murray QB ARI
8 90 B. Robinson Jr. RB WAS
9 103 R. Odunze WR CHI
10 114 B. Thomas Jr. WR JAC
11 127 T. Chandler RB MIN
12 138 R. Pearsall WR SF
13 151 K. Vidal RB LAC
14 162 M. Wilson WR ARI
Thomas Shafer
Rd Pk Player
1 8 B. Robinson RB ATL
2 17 K. Williams RB LAR
3 32 D. Samuel WR SF
4 41 A. Kamara RB NO
5 56 L. Jackson QB BAL
6 65 R. Rice WR KC
7 80 K. Pitts TE ATL
8 89 J. Addison WR MIN
9 104 X. Worthy WR KC
10 113 T. Lockett WR SEA
11 128 Q. Johnston WR LAC
12 137 M. Corley WR NYJ
13 152 A. Mitchell WR IND
14 161 A. Thielen WR CAR
Joey Wright
Rd Pk Player
1 9 A. Brown WR PHI
2 16 S. LaPorta TE DET
3 33 D. Moore WR CHI
4 40 J. Mixon RB HOU
5 57 Z. Flowers WR BAL
6 64 A. Jones RB MIN
7 81 J. Love QB GB
8 88 E. Elliott RB DAL
9 105 J. Smith-Njigba WR SEA
10 112 J. Meyers WR LV
11 129 R. Davis RB BUF
12 136 K. Miller RB NO
13 153 J. Goff QB DET
14 160 D. Pierce RB HOU
Adam Aizer
Rd Pk Player
1 10 P. Nacua WR LAR
2 15 S. Barkley RB PHI
3 34 N. Collins WR HOU
4 39 T. Higgins WR CIN
5 58 D. Montgomery RB DET
6 63 M. Nabers WR NYG
7 82 Z. Moss RB CIN
8 87 T. Spears RB TEN
9 106 C. Williams QB CHI
10 111 Z. Charbonnet RB SEA
11 130 D. Goedert TE PHI
12 135 B. Purdy QB SF
13 154 J. McLaughlin RB DEN
14 159 D. Waller TE NYG
Joel Cox
Rd Pk Player
1 11 J. Taylor RB IND
2 14 M. Harrison Jr. WR ARI
3 35 J. Waddle WR MIA
4 38 D. Achane RB MIA
5 59 A. Richardson QB IND
6 62 D. Johnson WR CAR
7 83 B. Bowers TE LV
8 86 R. Stevenson RB NE
9 107 M. Williams WR NYJ
10 110 J. Palmer WR LAC
11 131 C. Kmet TE CHI
12 134 J. Dotson WR WAS
13 155 T. Allgeier RB ATL
14 158 R. Johnson RB CHI
Dave Richard
Rd Pk Player
1 12 J. Gibbs RB DET
2 13 G. Wilson WR NYJ
3 36 S. Diggs WR HOU
4 37 P. Mahomes QB KC
5 60 A. Cooper WR CLE
6 61 T. Pollard RB TEN
7 84 N. Harris RB PIT
8 85 E. Engram TE JAC
9 108 T. Hockenson TE MIN
10 109 J. Williams WR DET
11 132 C. Hubbard RB CAR
12 133 M. Lloyd RB GB
13 156 T. Tagovailoa QB MIA
14 157 E. Mitchell RB SF