With the NFL regular season ending, it means that fantasy football championships have been decided.  Here is a recap of the best players, the top waiver wires pick-ups, the busts, the key injuries, and the biggest sleepers of the draft.

Going into the 2021-2022 season, the consensus top five picks were Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot.  However, as the season developed, some of these players did not perform as well as expected.  Moreover, many other notable players turned into huge busts as well.

“Calvin Ridley, Chris Carson, Clyde-Edwards Helaire, and Allen Robinson have to be the biggest busts of the season.  I drafted two of them, and my team became a wreck after week 8,” said junior Alec Goodman. 

Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson fell off because he was not targeted by rookie Bears quarterback Justin Fields and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley became a bust after “taking a break” from football due to personal reasons. 

Although there were many players that did not perform as expected, there were also early season stars that  got injured, thus ruining their seasons.  These players included McCaffrey, Henry, Arizona Cardinals’ wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Las Vegas Raiders tight-end Darren Waller, and the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods.  Henry was on pace to break the single season rushing record through eight weeks with 937 yards, but a broken foot put him on injured reserve for the rest of the regular season.  Due to these injuries, fantasy owners needed a way to save their teams with many turning to the waiver wire.

In fantasy football, the waiver wire is a place where managers can pick-up undrafted and dropped players for their team.  It is mainly beneficial for managers looking to replace people that have gotten injured or who need substitutions when players are on bye weeks.  However, some managers may find a “sleeper” player who turned into a star or a high value contributor.  Some of these players from the waiver wire include San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell and New York Jets running back Michael Carter; despite providing timely points, both ironically sustained injuries throughout the season.

“Jaret Paterson and Dare Ogunbowale saved my fantasy season.  After Antonio Gibson and James Robinson got injured, I picked those two players up right away.  They scored a combined 35 points in the last week of fantasy playoffs, helping me win my league,” said junior Reed Paltrow.  

While some relied on the waiver wire to help their team succeed, others got lucky by drafting players at a low value, who ended up being top scorers.

Two players that performed better than expected were Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp and 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.  In most leagues, Cooper Kupp’s average draft position (ADP) was 72.5, which means that people thought that 72 other players were better than him.  He entered the last week of the fantasy football season with 413 fantasy points, leading all players in the NFL, while winning the receiving triple crown (league leader in yards, touchdowns, and receptions) in a historic fashion.  Deebo Samuel’s ADP was 90, but he entered the last week with 310 fantasy points, finishing third among all wide receivers. 

“I believe that Deebo Samuel, rookie Ja’marr Chase, and Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor were the biggest sleepers of this year’s draft,” said sophomore Max Baum. 

The uprising of sleeper players and amazing waiver wire pick-ups leaves fantasy managers unsure of what the draft order is going to look like.

  The players to keep your eye on for next year are Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, Henry, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams.  Taylor tremendously improved from the 2020-2021 season, ending the season with an astounding lead in total rushing yards in the NFL.  Once again, Henry has proved himself to be one of the most dominant running backs in the league, and after recovering from his broken foot, he should be a top performer next year.  Harris had an outstanding rookie season, breaking the Steelers franchise single season rushing yards and leading the league in touches; this offers fantasy managers a high ceiling with great potential.  With the quarterback position up in the air for the Steelers, they will likely use the run game heavily next year, moving Harris towards the top of the draft next year.  Ekeler is a top fantasy running back because in addition to running the ball well, he is also an above average pass catcher, who is involved in the receiving game.  Despite injuries, he is a true stud worth drafting with your first round pick.  Lastly, Adams is worth aiming for as a perennial top wide receiver.  His route running is stellar, and assuming Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains in Green Bay, Adams will prove to be unstoppable once again.  

This year of fantasy football was one of the craziest in recent years, leaving fantasy managers with many questions for next year.  With a weak incoming college draft class, there could be some pretty similar top fantasy performers next season.