The 2022 fantasy football season was the most difficult and challenging campaign that fantasy managers have ever endured, even following a season disrupted due to a pandemic. We saw the statistical fall of several big-name quarterbacks, a tight end position that was about as predictable as the weather in New England, and a terrible tragedy that caused some issues in our fantasy football championships.
Regardless, we made our way through another 18 weeks and took the challenges head on, hopefully en route to a league title. So, now’s the time to hand out a little online fantasy hardware with my annual Fabby Awards here at Sports Illustrated.
Because after all … it’s all about the gold!
Austin Ekeler was a fantasy league winner last season and he did even better in 2022.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today Sports
Most Valuable Player of the Year
Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: Ekeler made believers of his online critics, finishing first in fantasy points on the strength of his 107 catches, 1,637 scrimmage yards and 18 total touchdowns. His 372.7 fantasy points was better than the 343.8 points he reached just last season in what was at that point his best statistical season. Ekeler will be the top overall pick in many 2023 drafts.
Breakout Player of the Year
Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: Hurts blossomed into an elite fantasy player, scoring a bananas 378 points. That was good for third among QBs, though he led the position on a points per game basis (25.2). The dual threat passer threw for more than 3,700 yards with 22 touchdowns, but Hurts made much of his fantasy impact as a runner with 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’ll be a top-40 pick in 2023 drafts.
Sleeper of the Year
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots: Stevenson was a popular sleeper in fantasy drafts, and he more than met expectations. The Patriots runner finished seventh in points at the position, averaging nearly 15 points per game. He did have a tough finish to the season, but Stevenson still caught 69 passes and finished with 20-plus fantasy points six times. He’ll be a top-40 pick next season.
Super Sleeper of the Year
Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks: Raise your hand if you predicted that Smith would finish as a top-five fantasy quarterback. (Crickets.) He ended up being a great waiver add, breaking Seattle’s single-season record for passing yards while also scoring more than 300 points. His previous career best was 194.7 … as a rookie in 2013! Smith scored 78.1 more points than Russell Wilson, whom he replaced in Seattle.
Rookie of the Year
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets: Wilson started off the season slowly, but he got into a statistical groove in the second half. He scored 13-plus points in seven of his last 10 games, including five with more than 17 points and two with over 24. His 215.7 PPR points is the most ever scored by a Jets rookie (non-quarterback), and Wilson’s ceiling is sky high moving forward. Imagine if they trade for Derek Carr!
Bust of the Year
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts: The consensus No. 1 overall pick in 2022 drafts, Taylor missed six games and finished 33rd in fantasy points among running backs. He had just four touchdowns and 146.4 fantasy points, which was 16 fewer touchdowns and 226.7 fewer points than his breakout 2021 campaign. Taylor will remain a first-rounder next season, but expectations are way down.
Draft Value of the Year
Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: Fantasy fans were concerned about the value of Jacobs, as the hiring of head coach Josh McDaniels was a red flag for a potential committee. That didn’t happen, however, as Jacobs posted 393 touches including 53 catches, 2,053 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns. Jacobs, who had a fourth- or fifth-round ADP, finished as the RB3 and was a real steal.
Waiver Pickup of the Year
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears: Fields had a slow start to the season, scoring fewer than 14 points in each of his first four games. During that time, he was cut to the wire in many leagues. The light went on for the versatile field general after that, though, as Fields went on to score 20-plus points six times in his final nine games. What’s more, there was a five-week stretch in which he was the QB1 based on fantasy points.
Comeback Player of the Year
Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants: Barkley had missed 18 combined games in his previous two seasons, leading some fantasy managers to avoid him in the first two rounds due to his “injury prone” label. Those who kept the faith in the Penn State product were rewarded, however, as Barkley avoided injuries and finished fifth in points among running backs. He’ll be back as a first-round choice in 2023.
Performance of the Year
Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: Mixon went off in a Week 9 game against the Panthers, posting 211 scrimmage yards with five touchdowns and 55.1 fantasy points. He hit pay dirt on runs of 2, 3, 1 and 14 yards and had a 12-yard catch from Joe Burrow for a score. It was more than he had scored in his previous three games combined, and the stat line made up for nearly 25% of his total fantasy points on the season.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
