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With Mandatory minicamp in the books, the next significant date for NFL activity is July 15th when Training Camp officially begins. The dust has finally settled on the NFL Draft and major moves in Free Agency, so it’s never too early to dive into fantasy rankings.
We’ve already featured Top 25 Rookie Rankings geared towards Dynasty Leagues, but with season-long leagues on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at how to strategize fantasy picks in those critical early draft rounds. Here’s a first look at our Top 10 PPR Redraft Rankings, with a full Top 50 coming soon.
2022 WagerEdge PPR Rankings (1-10):
RK | POS | PLAYER | TEAM | BYE | PPG |
1 | WR | Cooper Kupp | LAR | 7 | 25.9 |
2 | RB | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | 13 | 18.2 |
3 | RB | Najee Harris | PIT | 9 | 17.7 |
4 | RB | Jonathan Taylor | IND | 14 | 21.9 |
5 | WR | Justin Jefferson | MIN | 7 | 19.4 |
6 | WR | Davante Adams | LV | 6 | 21.5 |
7 | WR | Ja’Marr Chase | CIN | 10 | 17.9 |
8 | RB | Joe Mixon | CIN | 10 | 18.0 |
9 | RB | Austin Ekeler | LAC | 8 | 21.5 |
10 | RB | Derrick Henry | TEN | 6 | 24.2 |
PPR Redraft Rankings (1-10):
1. Cooper Kupp (LAR) – What a year for Cooper Kupp. The 2021 Super Bowl MVP also posted video game numbers in the regular season that have since been etched into NFL History. Kupp’s 145 receptions were 2nd all-time to Michael Thomas’ 149 in 2019, and his 1,947 receiving yards were 2nd only to Calvin Johnson’s 1,964 in 2012. It’s foolish to expect growth from these 2021 totals, but it was Matthew Stafford’s first season as Rams gunslinger, and adding Allen Robinson should free him up even more. Coming off the highest-scoring season ever (440 PPR points), take him first overall and figure out the RBs later.
2. Christian McCaffrey (CAR) – CMC has played 10 games in the past 2 years and the injury debate with him rages on, but nothing is guaranteed in fantasy football, especially as it relates to health of first round RBs. The undeniable fact with McCaffrey is that his PPR ceiling is unmatched at the position, and we can’t ignore that he amassed 213 receptions in his 2018-2019 seasons. At just 26-years old, who is more worthy of high-upside dice roll than CMC? In 2022 redrafts, Kupp and McCaffrey are 1A and 1B, and it really comes down to draft strategy, league format and position preference when making the call between these 2 PPR machines.
3. Najee Harris (PIT) – Finishing 3rd among RBs with over 300 PPR points, Najee Harris provided a physical spark on a weekly basis for the Steelers handling a massive 307-carry workload in his rookie season, 2nd in the NFL to only Jonathan Taylor (332). Harris finished with 1,200 rushing yards and 10 scores, and was heavily reliable for Pittsburgh suiting up in all 17 games. If the bell-cow rushing stats didn’t already convince you, he also hauled in an RB-best 74 balls on 94 targets for just under 500 receiving yards. The QB situation certainly isn’t ideal, but Harris will again be the main catalyst for this offense and will be flooded with touches in 2022.
4. Jonathan Taylor (IND) – As fantasy’s top scoring RB in 2021 with 373 PPR points, Taylor deserves consideration for the top overall pick after toting the rock an NFL-high 332 times, and winning the rushing title by 552 yards. Taylor’s 18 rushing TDs were the most since LeGarrette Blount in 2016, and while shifting from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan appears to be an upgrade, TD totals are a clear regression spot. But there is no denying Taylor’s knack for finding the endzone, after watching him account for 31 Colts TDs in the past 2 seasons. The Indianapolis offense will once again be funneled through Taylor in Year 3, who has also been showcased in the passing game with 76 receptions on 90 targets in his young career.
5. Justin Jefferson (MIN) – Despite having a middling Kirk Cousins under center, Jefferson established himself as perhaps the most elite WR talent in the NFL in his sophomore campaign for the Vikings. Jefferson is a prototypical #1 alpha-male WR with the length and athleticism to exert his physical dominance and bully opposing defenders. He posted tantalizing career-highs across the board with 167 targets, 108 receptions, 1,616 yards and 10 TDs. Jefferson has the talent to elevate his game to another level in Year 3 and is about as unguardable as it gets as a pass-catcher in the NFL.
6. Davante Adams (LV) – The Raiders rewarded the 29-year old with a major payday (5 yr/$142M) after their trade with the Packers, allowing Adams to finish his career on the West Coast near where he grew up, and reunite with his old Fresno State pal Derek Carr. I could argue for Adams to be the Top PPR WR overall by talent, but there is only 1 ball to go around, and Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow have also been highly productive for the Raiders over the past 3 seasons. Adams is bound to be the most-featured playmaker in Las Vegas, but it wouldn’t be ideal for his PPR value to cede slot targets to Renfrow, which appears to be the plan.
7. Ja’Marr Chase (CIN) – A consensus #1 ranked dynasty asset, Chase was an absolute stud in his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign after being selected 5th overall by the Bengals last May. Chase was immensely productive from Week 1 and routinely blew the top off opposing defenses and now owns a highlight reel of big plays. The electric LSU product has no ceiling with Joe Burrow running the show and is poised to improve on his 81-1455-13 rookie marks. The future is bright in Cincinnati.
8. Joe Mixon (CIN) – Mixon notched career-highs in carries (292), rushing yards (1,205) and touchdowns (16) last season, and the young Bengals are bound to take another offensive leap in 2022. In fantasy redraft leagues, the Mixon vs Chase draft debate will be perplexing for fantasy owners trying to get a piece of the Bengals. Both players should be coming off draft boards around the same time, and it’s a win-win situation either way you plan to structure your team in the early rounds.
9. Austin Ekeler (LAC) – Concerns about Ekeler’s health seem largely overblown, after he missed just one game for the Chargers in his 5th NFL season. In Year 2 for Justin Herbert, Ekeler recorded the most well-rounded statistical season of his career, and after averaging 100 carries in his 4 previous seasons, his rushing attempt total ballooned to 206 in 2022. Ekeler has always been wildly productive in the passing game, but we hadn’t seen that production on the ground before and his 12 rushing TDs was a massive upgrade over his previous career total of 7. Dial him up with confidence in the Chargers’ high-flying offense and hope he can withstand another hefty workload in Los Angeles.
10. Derrick Henry (TEN) – King Henry enters his 7th NFL season at 28-years old, coming off a season where he missed 9 games from a fractured foot. Before the injury Henry was averaging 24.5 PPG, a mark that was tops among RBs. The 2 seasons before, Henry averaged 314 PPR points, finishing as the RB3 and RB5, and he seems to be rehabbing like a maniac this offseason. This guy is too much of a physical freak of nature to bet against returning to form, and I still think he’s got plenty left in the tank.