A shooting-the-shit-style overview of early fantasy facts (and fictions) for 2022.

September is upon us. That means the pads are back, fall is coming, and most importantly, we have fantasy football teams to draft.

There were a shit-ton of major moves made this past offseason that shook the league landscape. While we still are waiting to see some of these new setups in action (looking at you, Denver), we are getting a glimmer of how the Week 1 picture is shaping out.

There are still a lot of moving parts to get sorted between now and Week 1. The rosters are still in flux, with waivers after the teams cut down to 53. However, there are stories floating around in the ether around every time that can be viewed as either factual or fictitious predictions by season’s end.

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NFC WEST

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Facts: This offense has the potential to be dynamite. Last year, we saw a bromance for the ages between Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Kupp was the Triple Crown winner for receivers and Stafford whipped 40 TDs. This was done without much of a threat of a run game, which changes with Cam Akers being fully healthy. Allen Robinson adds a red zone threat and there is always the looming OBJ signing when he’s healthy. The only worry is Stafford’s “tennis elbow” injury, which will linger all year. If he stays in, the Rams will be in a great position to build on their Super Bowl run.

Fiction: We should not worry too much about Stafford’s injury. It’s a mixed bag on the reporting of the injury, so it is hard to gauge its seriousness. However, Stafford is the conductor of the Rams symphony, and if he goes down, they all go down. There is a reason they shipped Jared Goff and 1st rounders to Detroit for Stafford, and there is no heir apparent behind him on the roster. No amount of wizadry from Sean McVay would be able to cover his loss, so it is an injury to monitor throughout the year.

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Facts: Deebo Samuel and George Kittle remain top-flight fantasy plays. With the ascendance of Trey Lance to starter, the 49ers offense will be different this year. The two facts everyone can count on are Samuel and Kittle continuing to crush it. Samuel may not have as many carries as he did last year, but he will remain the primary feature of the scheme. Kittle has chemistry with every QB, so he will always be the safety blanket Lance looks to. While I am not totally bullish on the offense as a whole, those two remain studs.

Fiction: The offense will see an immediate bump in big plays with Lance at the helm. I think Lance has the ability to be great, but I have to see it in the regular season first. Last year, Kyle Shanahan started a battered Jimmy G over a fresh Lance, which was indicative of his development at that point. This year, it wasn’t a competition as much as an anointment, so Lance will have to prove the hype first.

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ARIZONA CARDINALS

Facts: James Connor is going to be a boss this season. Connor should no longer surprise us with his steadily impressive stat lines year-after-year. While the Cardinals are a de facto passing offense, Connor has found his niche in the scheme. When healthy, he is a top-10 back with sneaky versatility. With DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six weeks, the Cardinals will look to their burly back in both the pass and run game during the early season push.

Fiction: This offense will be rolling from Week 1. Murray is a joy to watch, but there is a significant difference in this Kliff Kingsbury’s offense when Hopkins is off the field. With the big stud suspended for the first few weeks, expect the Cardinals O to struggle to find its footing. Hollywood Brown is an upgrade from Christian Kirk, but he does not have the size or red zone radius of Hopkins. Rondale Moore looks like an ascending talent, but he is sized more like Brown. AJ Green or Zack Ertz could fill the red zone void, but Kyler will miss his go-to guy to start the year.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Facts: This offense is going to struggle this year, regardless of the QB. Geno Smith and Drew Locke have both been highly touted college prospects drafted to teams with the intent of making them starters, but both fizzled out and have fought it out for the starting gig in Seattle. Geno is the Week 1 starter, but how long stays the starter remains to be seen. This is problematic for DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockette, who have been a stellar fantasy pairing for the last few years. If Locke were to supplant Geno at some point this season, his rapport with Noah Fant, also acquired in the Wilson trade, could further dilute their prospects. This is a transitionary year for Seattle, and there are not many bright prospects to pick from.

Fiction: Rashaad Penny will replace Chris Carson as the feature back moving forward. Penny had a great run to end the season last year, but the one major ding on his credentials are his injury-proneness. The QB situation will lead to a rush-heavy attack, as is the Carroll way, so the likelihood that Penny split carries with the rest of the backfield remains high. Kennetth Walker III is dinged up, but he has potential to push Penny for playing time. Additionally, Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas have both seen significant playing time with Seattle in the past few seasons. Penny may be the frontrunner now, but his perch as top back will be tenuous all season.