D.J. Moore fantasy football managers had another nice season in 2021 after he posted career highs in targets and receptions. And, this was with Carolina Panthers’ abysmal quarterback situation. The team fluctuated between Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and PJ Walker, who all started at least one game last season. And, through it all, Moore remained a consistent target and had a decent fantasy output nearly every week. Finishing as the 12th-best receiver in 2021, Moore looks to find that type of season in 2022 under either Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield.
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2022 Fantasy Football Outlook: D.J. Moore
2021 Recap
High Share/Relation to Uncertainty
As mentioned above, Moore had career highs in targets, receptions, and target share in 2021. This can mostly be attributed to the Panthers’ offensive scheme and the injury to one of the league’s best running backs, Christian McCaffrey. Moore is a baller. but there are always some factors that either hold him back or let him run wild. Moore played over 90 percent of the Panthers’ snaps and had a great share (between 25 and 30 percent) of targets throughout the season.
2021 Stats
Moore finished with 93 receptions and 1,157 yards paired with four touchdowns in 2021. This put him at 12th and 11th-best, respectively, in those first two categories. His sharp increase in receptions (just 66 in 2020) show a big jump for him. One thing that is concerning is that Moore only totaled four touchdowns in 17 games played. Carolina struggled big time last year to score points, and without a guy like McCaffrey helping to move the chains, there’s only so much an offense can do. As the team starts to develop, Moore can expect more red zone targets and eventually more touchdowns.
Only 1 receiver has 1,200 scrimmage yards in each of the last 3 seasons.
D.J. Moore#Panthers #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/DAay7g9VS3
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) July 26, 2022
2022 Outlook/Prediction
New Quarterback?
Baker Mayfield was recently acquired by the Panthers after a complicated situation arose in Cleveland. Mayfield should be healthy and feeling better than ever to produce in 2022. Unfortunately, he’ll have to compete with Sam Darnold, who started the most games for Carolina last year. Early camp reports say that both have looked pretty good, with Moore and Mayfield seeming to have a connection already. No matter who starts, the schemes and plays will have to be adjusted to whoever the quarterback is. This could mean a decline in production for Moore, but I think it will be the other way around.
Stat Projections
I see Moore and the Panthers finding some sort of a groove this season after finishing 5-12 a year ago. I don’t think Moore sees nearly as many targets (and therefore receptions), but he should see an uptick in yardage (especially longer plays and more air yardage) and touchdowns. The offense will hopefully be rejuvenated and should provide a spark for the very talented Moore, who is entering his fifth season.
Average Draft Position
As of now, Moore is estimated to be anywhere from the 15th to the 25th-best receiver in fantasy football. This is a very large range because there are still many unknowns. Depending on who wins the starting job, Moore’s share and stats could see either a big boost or a big hit. Moore finished as the WR12 at the end of 2021, but his stock has slid quite a bit. He should have a floor of a low-end WR2 in lineups and a ceiling of a potential WR1 on a week-to-week basis. Overall, D.J. Moore fantasy football managers can select him between the 35th and 45th overall picks in most drafts, which puts him as a fourth or fifth-round option. He possesses a high upside and potential as a receiver and should be selected rather early in 2022 fantasy drafts.
