Fantasy football team owners build a roster that offers consistent point producers in the starting lineup each week. However, it does not hurt to have a superstar who can single-handedly win a matchup with an outstanding performance.
A player who falls under this category is Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes. And 2022 should be another outstanding season for the talented quarterback.
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Fantasy Football 2022 Season Preview: Patrick Mahomes
2021 Recap
Granted, his distractors will offer that the Chiefs offense was too Mahomes-centric last season. The narrative goes back to Mahomes’ statistical numbers as he surpassed career-highs in completions (436) and passing attempts (658) in 2021. His passing yards were aided by having two premier receivers, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, in the Chiefs starting lineup. For 2021, Mahomes finished with 4,839 passing yards, 37 touchdown passes, and 13 interceptions. Those numbers garnered him the fourth highest scorer (374) in most league formats. All are proof of his value in fantasy football.
Mahomes had a very productive 2021 campaign running the football. He rushed for a career-high 381 yards with two touchdowns. The Pro Bowl QB averaged 5.8 yards per carry. Keep in mind that the majority of runs were not designed running plays. Often, Mahomes scrambled for positive yards after the pocket collapsed around him. Still, the quarterback used his legs to the team’s advantage when needed.
However, the Chiefs passing game had a mid-season slump, which was attributed to the roster lacking quality receiving depth like their previous playoff teams. During this stretch of nine games, Mahomes averaged just under 270 passing yards per game as the offensive became very predictable in play-calling. The lack of production contributed to Mahomes not being impactful in fantasy last season.
2022 Outlook
This past off-season, the Chiefs main objective was to add depth to their receiver position. Yes, the trade of Hill to the Miami Dolphins was a mild surprise. But the additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Ronald Jones give Mahomes more receiving options in the passing game. Their ability to make clutch receptions in third-down situations will help move the chains and keep drives alive.
Mecole Hardman figures to have a bigger role in the passing game with the departure of Hill. He is a speed receiver with reliable hands in tight coverage. And let’s not forget rookie Skyy Moore, who is expected to be injected into the mix at some point this preseason. Both players are unknown factors in the passing game. Their interaction with Mahomes in training camp will give us an early indication of the production level expected for the Chiefs offense this season.
Another area of improvement for the 2022 Chiefs has been using the off-season to build chemistry on their talented but inexperienced offensive line. Orlando Brown Jr. and Joe Thurley have been great mentors to their teammates since their arrival last season. Now, the Chiefs coaching staff wants to provide Mahomes more time to work his magic in the pocket. If accomplished, you can expect Mahomes to become a more productive quarterback in 2022.
Average Fantasy Draft Position
The top of fantasy football draft order has not changed much from last season. Mahomes is worthy of being considered for a first-round selection. Despite his struggles in 2021, Mahomes’ season-ending numbers will stand out from other star quarterbacks once again.
He will have a new set of playmakers, which should match the talent level of his competitor’s receiving corps. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Mahomes could score 400 fantasy points in 2022. Fantasy owners should project him to be taken early in their upcoming draft. If you fail to select Mahomes, do not be surprised if he becomes a roadblock in your pursuit of winning a league title.
