Thank you for joining us throughout the entirety of the 2022 NFL regular season. It has been a wild year and I hope that Broto has helped you make the playoffs, win some playoffs games, and hopefully even win a championship! To end this season’s takeaways, here are some fantasy insights from Week 17 to recap the season and to look towards 2023, because it is never too early for that.
Game Recaps
Cardinals @ Falcons
McBride Nearly Forgotten in this Class
The 2022 tight end draft class could have a serious impact on fantasy football in the coming years. As elite standouts like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, George Kittle, and Darren Waller only get older, an influx of young talent will be needed. Thankfully, Greg Dulcich, Isaiah Likely, Daniel Bellinger, Jelani Woods, Cade Otton and Trey McBride have all found roles as rookie TEs, a new trend that we have not typically seen in the NFL. McBride saw a sharp increase in snaps and targets beginning in Week 10 and he finally exploded in Week 17 in which he caught 7 of 10 targets for 78 yards and a TD. It is not unreasonable to expect McBride or another TE from this class to find expanded success next season as there are a lot of players to be excited about.
Broncos @ Chiefs
McKinnon is a TD Machine
Jerick McKinnon has now scored 8 receiving TDs on the season, which trails only Travis Kelce for the team lead and is a whopping five more than the next closest TD scorer. McKinnon is going to be 31 next season and the Chiefs may decide to re-sign him on another cheap deal. Isiah Pacheco could remain the starting RB but it is likely that more skill position players join the team next year. Keep an eye out on speedy players, especially receiving backs, who Mahomes could take a liking to, like he has with McKinnon. OC Eric Bienemy has also praised McKinnon’s pass protection role so it may be hard to find a true comparison in the future. The Chiefs are going to have to get Mahomes his next big weapon soon and finding players who fit the previous mold could help.
Colts @ Giants
Jones Jolts
ESPN
The Giants have not had a consistently pretty season but HC Brian Daboll has helped them to wildly exceed their expectations, as they have punched their ticket to the postseason. Perhaps the Giants are at their best when they are underdogs. Daniel Jones has found incredible success despite a glaring lack of receivers. While he has barely thrown for 200 yards per game, he has thrown 15 TDs to 5 INTs and is a big threat on the ground. Jones is set to double his previous career-high in rushing attempts. His 708 yards and 7 TDs on the ground put his past seasons to shame. This kind of rushing volume could be a way to compensate for a lack of great WRs. Daboll was the OC for the Bills who helped Josh Allen become the star QB that he is and new Giants OC Mike Kafka worked as the QB coach for the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes. Jones is in good hands. His worst finish this season was as the QB25 but he has finished as a top-3 QB on 3 separate occasions. He is also the QB10 in PPG on the year. Look for the Giants to provide Jones with some offensive weapons in the off season to push this offense into even greater heights. Jones has a ton of upside in 2023.
49ers @ Raiders
Aiyuk is the Ultimate Buy
Brandon Aiyuk is a classic case of buying talent and not situation. The 49ers have an incredible group of weapons that they will carry over into 2023 but they are getting older and Aiyuk has already found much success playing alongside these great weapons with a carousel at the QB position. Kyle Shanahan could also decide not to pay Aiyuk next season, but even then, Aiyuk would likely land on a team looking to feature and target him more than the Niners. His Reception Perception profile is bonkers as he has clearly proven he can win on nearly every route. If you trust the crowd-sourced KTC rankings, he can be acquired for a late 1st or a little more than an early 2nd round pick. Aiyuk has the upside to become one of the top receivers in the league with his alpha profile. When you believe in a player’s talent, these types of risks are necessary. He is worth paying up for.
Jets @ Seahawks
A Confusing Future in New York
Mike White and the Jets struggled this week but it is not the end of the world. White has been otherwise great in his previous starts and has been especially key in unlocking the fantasy potential of the Jets’ weapons. Garrett Wilson had a quiet day but he has usually overcome the struggles at the QB position. The Jets truly just need to find a trustworthy QB as they have a solid team outside of that position. Whether they draft someone, sign or trade for a veteran, or stick with one of their current guys, 2023 could be a headache for managers. I still believe in buying the talent - which the Jets have a lot of - but I am already preparing for goose eggs. This is certainly a situation to watch in the offseason.
Vikings @ Packers
K.J. Osborn: WR2 of the Future?
With so many quality receiving options in Minnesota, K.J. Osborn has had a very up and down season. He has earned targets mostly in games with inflated team pass attempts, like in Week 17. Against the Packers, Osborn caught 7 passes for 59 yards and a TD while Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen combined for 2 catches. Until Adam Thielen retires or changes teams, Osborn will continue to be a player who goes off at unpredictable times. Perhaps that could translate to success in best ball formats but that kind of thinking led people to target Mecole Hardman for years to no avail. With a talented TE like T.J. Hockenson on the team, it’ll make it even harder for Osborn to earn consistent targets, no matter the game script. To his credit, his booms have been significantly higher this year even if his stat totals look poor compared to last season. This may, unfortunately, make him an overpriced dynasty asset rather than a cheap lottery ticket.
Steelers @ Ravens
Same Old Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are as old school as it gets and they somehow find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt once again with just one week remaining in the season. It has been hard to trust many Steelers players on a weekly basis from a fantasy standpoint, howevver, as a boring, predictable offense that can barely throw for 200 yards on any given week is not an offense that is typically kind to fantasy managers. It is Kenny Pickett’s rookie season, and an OC change could occur in the off-season, but there is one constant that will remain in 2023 for sure and that is RB Najee Harris. Harris may not be the most talented RB in the world and his situation is not perfect but he continues to operate as the clear-cut RB1 and has been much better in the second half of the season. He is not getting peppered with targets like he did his rookie season with Ben Roethlisberger but he is on pace for 300+ touches once again. Boring does not win championships but he could work out as an early 3rd round pick or so in redraft leagues next season. Since Week 11, Najee has been the PPR RR8 in PPG. Look out for him as a name that some may avoid, leading to some nice ADP value.
The Fantasy Football by Broto app is now live on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store! Download it today for a “Start/Sit” tool, player cards, advanced and exclusive statistics, usage, rankings, interactive tools, coaching tendencies, and much, much more. FREE for a limited time.
Check out patreon.com/Brotofantasy to access extra episodes, join our community, win prizes, and help keep the app free.
By Themi Michalakis
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.