We all had high hopes for the biggest fantasy football flops in 2022. Some were sleepers primed for a breakout while others were can’t miss players set for huge years. For whatever reason though, none of that happened and managers were left holding the bag.
Before we take a look at the biggest fantasy football flops in 2022, it is important to make one distinction. We won’t include injured players. Trey Lance getting hurt in the first week of the season sucked, but that doesn’t mean he’s a flop. On the other hand, Diontae Johnson not scoring a touchdown certainly qualifies.
Related: Leonard Fournette is this year’s good fantasy football, bad real life player
Biggest fantasy football flops in 2022
5) Kyle Pitts
We have previously covered why Kyle Pitts has been the most baffling player in fantasy football this year, so there is no need to rehash the argument here. But yeah, the tight end has been an albatross for most managers who drafted him.
4) Najee Harris
In nearly every 12-team league, and many 10 teamers, Najee Harris was a first-round pick. And while he may be RB20 in both half and full PPR formats, the Pittsburgh Steelers rusher has among the biggest fantasy football flops in 2022. Only once this season has he finished as a weekly top-10 running back and only twice has he finished inside the top-20. Harris is essentially a less productive version of D’Onta Foreman and has not justified the draft capital. He’s also been painful to watch.
3) Every non-DST Denver Broncos player
The Denver Broncos going into the season with Melvin Gordon still an integral part of the team should have been a red flag. But even then, it would have been impossible to know just how awful this offense was going to be in 2022. Javonte Williams getting hurt didn’t help, but, apart from his 11-catch performance in week 1, he wasn’t exactly setting the world alight.
It is hard to know why Denver has been so bad this season. Is it a declining Russell Wilson? Atrocious coaching? Poor roster construction? Whatever the case may be, every single Bronco has massively flopped from a fantasy football perspective.
2) Chase Edmonds
By the time most draft days rolled around, Chase Edmonds was going in the fourth or fifth round. The sleeper buzz was deafening. And, as it turned out, Miami Dolphins running backs have put up good numbers. Unfortunately, Edmonds hasn’t been among that group.
He dropped a couple of passes, missed a few blocks and was eventually shipped out to Denver before getting hurt. Edmonds was a wasted draft pick for all those who took him, myself included. No sleeper was a bigger flop in 2022.
1) Cam Akers
It is easy to forget about Cam Akers because the dude has become an afterthought. However, going into the season, he appeared to be the lead back for the LA Rams. And then a surprise week 1 benching, apparently because the running back was in the coaching staff’s doghouse, changed that outlook. Things have not gotten better as the year progressed.
Akers put up some dud displays, requested a trade and returned to the fold with the offense decimated by injuries. It wasn’t exactly what fantasy football managers signed up for when taking him in the fourth round.
