The Cincinnati Bengals will reach Super Bowl LVI and come within just a few points of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Elijah Mitchell, a sixth-round pick, will lead the 49ers running backs in fantasy points. Deebo Samuel will have more rushing touchdowns than Dalvin Cook. Tyler Conklin will score more points than Darren Waller.
If you threw any of these bold predictions before the start of the 2021 NFL season, you would have been laughed at, heckled and probably also fitted for a straitjacket.
You also would have been right.
Weird stuff happens all the time in the NFL. As a diehard fan of the Dallas Cowboys, I’m always hoping something weird like the team actually winning a playoff game will occur. Dare to dream! Anyway, here are 10 (mostly) bold predictions that will probably not happen, but what the hell! Did you see James Conner scoring 18 times in 2021?
Me neither. Alright, let’s have some fun…
Michael Fabiano's bold predictions
CeeDee Lamb will set a Cowboys record for the most receptions in a season
I have an unhealthy fantasy love affair with Lamb heading into the new campaign. The Cowboys dealt Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup is a question mark for the first month of the season. That should mean a ton of targets for Lamb, who has a chance to break Michael Irvin’s franchise record of 111 catches in a single season (set back in 1995).
Trey Lance will finish as a top-five quarterback based on fantasy points
The Niners have passed the torch from Jimmy Garoppolo to Lance, and fantasy managers should be very excited. The dual-threat quarterback should thrive under offensive-minded head coach Kyle Shanahan, and it wouldn’t shock me at all to see him finish in the top five in fantasy points at the position. He’s one of my favorite sleepers.
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A.J. Brown will fail to finish with 1,000 receiving yards in Philadelphia
I love looking at historical trends, and the Eagles have a bad one about wide receivers. In the Super Bowl era, wideouts have had 1,000-plus yards just 19 times, and just two have come in the last 10 years! The Eagles ran the ball a ton over their final 11 games of last season, and Brown has to contend with Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.
Jaylen Waddle will lead the Dolphins' receivers in targets and receptions
The Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill and paid him a king's ransom, so he will get the most targets in the passing game. Right? Maybe, but maybe not. Hill will draw extra attention from defensive backs, which could open up things for Waddle. He also has a great rapport with Tua Tagovailoa, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this comes to fruition.
Breece Hall will set a Jets record for the most rushing yards by a rookie
Here’s a little bar trivia for you. Which Jets rookie running back has the most rushing yards in the Super Bowl era? The answer is John Riggins, who posted 769 yards way back in 1971. I can see Hall smashing that mark, not to mention Clark Gaines’ Jets rookie record of 179.4 fantasy points (1976). Hall could become a solid No. 2 back.
Lamar Jackson will finish in the top five in rushing yards among all players.
Alright, maybe this isn’t that bold, but man, would we love it in fantasy land if it came to fruition. Jackson was on pace to rush for 1,086 yards before getting hurt last season. That would have been good enough to finish sixth in the league, just 73 yards shy of Dalvin Cook! With questions in the passing game, Jackson might run a ton.
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Rashaad Penny will win the 2022 NFL rushing title in Seattle
Penny, 26, led all NFL running backs in rushing yards over the final seven weeks of last season, and he’s the favorite to start now that Chris Carson (neck) has retired. I’m more of a fan of Kenneth Walker, but what’s to say that Penny won’t keep the job and run like a mad man again? Seattle will run the ball a ton, and Penny could benefit the most.
Allen Lazard will have more fantasy points than any Chiefs wide receiver
The two biggest trades of the offseason affected the Packers (Davante Adams to Las Vegas) and Chiefs (Hill to Miami). Now the question is, who will replace their production? Well, I’ll throw it out there that Lazard will be Green Bay's No. 1 receiver and will finish better than all of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore in terms of fantasy points this year. If it happens, Lazard would be a draft steal.
Kenneth Gainwell will be the highest-scoring Eagles fantasy running back
The Eagles have been hoping that Miles Sanders would emerge as a solid No. 1 back, but it hasn’t happened to this point. If that trend continues, maybe it’ll be time for coach Nick Sirianni to give Gainwell a chance to earn that role. One of the most elusive backs in the league last season per PFF, the dual-threat Gainwell has sleeper appeal.
Cole Kmet will tie the Bears' single-season TD record by a tight end
Here’s another trivia question for you fantasy freaks out there. Which Bears tight end holds the record for the most catches in a single season in the Super Bowl era? The answer is Martellus Bennett, who had 90 in 2014. While Kmet won’t hit that mark, I can see him tying Jimmy Graham and Greg Olsen for the most touchdowns (8) in a season.
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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!
