2022 Fantasy Football Tasting Preview: NFC North Edition

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.

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY PACKERS

yellow and white line mark on green grasses

Facts: Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are going to be top-20 RBs this year. Rarely can you point to a committee situation and be like, “They’ll be fine for fantasy.” Green Bay is the exception as Jones and Dillon are interchangeable and yet different. Jones remains the top back in the pecking order, but Dillon will factor in big time as the weather turns. With the uncertainty at WR, both backs could see an uptick in passing game targets too, giving them both a boost in fantasy across all formats.

Fiction: Aaron Rodgers can make this WR group better. This is not a knock on Rodgers, who continues to defy logic with his TD/INT spread every year. The problem is for the first time in quite some time, he has no top dog. Sammy Watkins has been the top dog elsewhere, but his career is a sea of injuries and unfulfilled expectations. Randall Cobb has rapport with Rodgers, but he’s also 32 and had fewer catches than his age last year. Romeo Doubs has potential, but rookies are boom or bust. That leaves Allen Lazard, Rodgers’ long-time bro, as the likely numero uno. Lazard lacks the size and general awesomeness of Davante Adams, but he could be a new Jordy Nelson. All this being said, Rodgers may end up in the top-12 scoring, but his WRs will be fighting for his affection all season.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Facts: Justin Jefferson will continue to ascend to superstardom. Jefferson is one of the top talents at his position, and amazingly enough, he has not reached his full potential. With Kirk Cousins now running the Washington offense that earned his Minnesota paydays to begin with, Jefferson will be featured in a passing attack that may surprise with how much they lean into it. Adam Thelein, while not the same receiver he was, is a tremendous complement to Jefferson and will keep coverages from rolling too hard in his direction. Dalvin Cook, back healthy in the backfield, only adds an additional reason to focusing solely on Jefferson. He may end up being the top receiver in all of fantasy this season, when all is said and done.

Fiction: Kirk Cousins will be a surprise sleeper this season. Even taking into account Jefferson’s greatness, Cousins remains the most enigmatic QB in the league. One week, he’s an All-Pro; the next, he’s throwing dribblers to wide-open players. While his end-of-season stats do give credence to an every-week starter, Cousins is consistently inconsistent.

CHICAGO BEARS

Facts: The Bears have a QB, but not much else. Justin Fields, at times last year, looked tremendous. Other times, he looked like a rookie. With a new coach and system in place, Fields has the ability to take a big step up into the echelon of young QBs in the NFL today. His weapons, however, are far from ideal. Darnell Mooney looks like a stud in the making, but the rest of the WR corp does not inspire fear. David Montgomery may or may not have the blessing of the new staff, and Khalil Herbert is unproven. This season has a look of hurt all over it, but Fields may end up being a shining light over the dumpster fire in Chicago.

Fiction: There is not much fiction floating around about the Bears. They are obviously rebuilding once more, and the roster is filled with unproven talent. Their best defender, Roquan Smith, is at war with the front office, and this season has the makings of a rough ride. Matt Eberflus may end up being the right man for this job, but 2022 is going to be a campaign of pain for this football team, in games and in fantasy.

DETROIT LIONS

Facts: D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown are superstars the Lions can build around. Dan Campbell may be getting some additional rub for the “Hard Knocks” series, but there is real reason to believe the Lions hype. Swift is a dual-threat back with home run capabilities and St. Brown was a revelation last year. TJ Hockenson is a good young TE, but Swift and St. Brown will be the focal points of the Lions attack this season. Jamaal Williams may eat into Swift’s carries and DJ Chark may end up being a Goff red zone favorite, but both Swift and St. Brown seem in line for big campaigns.

Fiction: Not much fiction is rolling around about the Lions. Everyone seems fairly realistic on expectations. Goff may end up being a spot-starter in fantasy, and Jameson Williams may end up being an electric starter down the stretch, but the story of the Lions is pretty simple: the team will go as far as Swift and St. Brown take them.