10 fantasy surprises & disappointments from the 2022 NFL season

Engram has shown flashes throughout his career, but injuries made him a consistent disappointment in fantasy leagues. The move to Jacksonville was a great change of pace, as he landed in the top five among tight ends in PPR leagues through Week 17 with 69 catches for 739 yards and four touchdowns. Engram could be on the move again as a pending free agent.

It's been a rough year for Allen, who missed seven games with a nagging hamstring injury. While he's continued to average over 70 yards receiving per game for the sixth consecutive year, Allen's absence for the bulk of the fantasy season put his fantasy managers in a bind.

Fields was a deer in the headlights often during his rookie season, but he turned into a star in 2022 in spite of a poor supporting cast. He slotted in as a QB1 due to his legs, with 1,143 yards rushing and eight scores. His passing also showed improvement, with 2,242 yards passing and 17 touchdowns.

Promoted to the No. 2 wideout in Buffalo this season and coming off a 200-plus yard performance in the playoffs, Davis was a popular breakout candidate. Incredibly, he's only been able to tally one 100-yard game this season and has barely been more than a FLEX play in most weeks, with only 45 catches for 797 yards and seven touchdowns through Week 16.

Goff seemed to be holding onto his starting spot by a thread after last season, but there are no questions anymore. He emerged as a low-tier QB1 in fantasy leagues with 4,214 yards passing and 29 touchdowns, guiding one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL.

Lance was considered a fantasy sleeper pick as the new 49ers starting quarterback. That investment became a sunk cost after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. The strong play of rookie Brock Purdy puts Lance's future with San Francisco in a bit of doubt, especially if Purdy can lead the team on a playoff run.

Josh McDaniels' offense has been great for quarterbacks in the past, but it was the team's running back that thrived. Jacobs was the No. 3 back in PPR leagues through Week 17, leading the NFL with 323 carries for 1,608 yards. He had 2,003 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns as he approaches free agency.

Mitchell was unable to repeat his breakout 2021 season, suffering an injury early in the season and then becoming a non-factor after the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey. Unable to stay healthy, Mitchell finished the season with only 231 yards from scrimmage and no scores in four games played.

The Jaguars spent big in free agency at wideout with Christian Kirk and Jones. Kirk was expected to be the breakout performer, but Jones was right behind him and was WR24 in PPR leagues. Through Week 17, he had 78 catches for 802 yards and five touchdowns.

There were few bigger fantasy disasters than Pitts in 2022. Drafted as a top-three tight end, the second-year player was rarely used in the conservative Falcons offense before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 11. He finished with only 28 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.

What a difference coaching can make. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft had a breakout season, throwing for 3,901 yards and 24 touchdowns, and he also added five rushing scores. Unfortunately, Lawrence's struggles in Week 17 will be remembered by those who employed him in a fantasy championship matchup.

The addition of Russell Wilson and another year removed from ACL surgery made Sutton a popular sleeper pick in 2022. He couldn't deliver due in part to Wilson's poor play. Sutton had only 61 catches for 796 yards and one touchdown in Denver's anemic offense.

The Browns expressed confidence in Njoku with their financial commitment, and he had a strong fantasy season despite quarterback issues in Cleveland. He missed three games but averaged the eighth most points per game among tight ends in PPR leagues, with 54 catches for 586 yards and three scores.

Despite past injury issues, Swift was considered a consensus RB1 entering the year. He had more injuries this season, and the emergence of Jamaal Williams ate into Swift's playing time severely. Through Week 17, Swift has a career-low 134 touches in 13 games for 845 yards and eight scores.

Coming into training camp, it wasn't clear that Smith would be Seattle's starting quarterback. He not only beat out Drew Lock but excelled in the process as a fantasy QB1 with 4,069 yards passing and 29 touchdowns. Smith also led the NFL in completion percentage through Week 17 (70.1%).

Fantasy managers who spent the first overall draft choice on Taylor would like a do-over. He was plagued by a nagging ankle injury for most of the year, finishing his season with only 192 carries for 861 yards and 28 catches for 143 yards, with a total of four scores in 11 games. Indy's offseason moves could determine where Taylor is drafted next season.

St. Brown showed flashes in his rookie season and was a clear star in his sophomore campaign. The wideout had 100 receptions for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns through Week 17, putting him as the seventh-ranked wide receiver in PPR leagues.

Thomas failed to overcome an ankle injury over two seasons, but there was some optimism he would rebound in 2022 with a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, Thomas played only three games this year due to a toe injury. Entering his age-30 season in 2023, it appears Thomas will never come close to the fantasy star we saw earlier in his career.

It was thought a poor quarterback situation and target competition would be severely limiting to Wilson in his rookie season. He didn't let the obstacles stop him, with 74 catches for 1,14 yards and four touchdowns through 16 games played. He was the 22nd-ranked wideout in PPR leagues and could be ranked in the top 10 entering 2023 if the Jets adequately address quarterback.

Wilson was coming off the worst season of his career, but a change of scenery and strong weapons in Denver seemed like it would be a good thing. Unfortunately, Wilson showed a significant decline and looked cut-worthy by fantasy managers early in the year. Through Week 17, he had only 3,241 yards passing and 13 touchdowns, plus three scores on the ground.