Breakout Offenses for Fantasy Football in 2022

One of the most overlooked strategies in fantasy football is to draft players from good teams, or at least players on good offenses.

It sounds simple, but it’s harder than it sounds. The trickle-down effect of more yardage, opportunities and TDs eventually reaches the secondary and tertiary weapons in an offense as well, resulting in a scenario where the third or even fourth option in one offense is still a more reliable fantasy asset than the first or second option in a less-efficient offense.

Nailing the established good offenses is easy — the Buccaneers, Rams, Chiefs, etc. — but which teams have the best chance to go from zero to hero for the 2022 season? 

Denver Broncos

Players to watch:

• Russell Wilson, QB
• Javonte Williams, RB
• Jerry Jeudy, WR
• Courtland Sutton, WR
• Albert Okwuegbunam, TE

The Broncos are the most obvious breakout offense of 2022 after upgrading to Russell Wilson at the QB position. A Jerry Jeudy breakout and a Courtland Sutton revival seem like near certainties at this point. Meanwhile, Okwuegbunam — a talented TE in his own right — will be freed the Noah Fant block on the depth chart. The same is true for Javonte Williams, woh will no longer have to split work 50-50 (or at all) with Melvin Gordon.

Jeudy and Williams are the two most exciting breakout candidates here. Jeudy in particular has flopped for the standard fantasy players were holding him to, but playing with an elite QB like Wilson should go miles for his production.

New York Jets

Players to watch:

• Zach Wilson, QB
• Michael Carter, RB
• Elijah Moore, WR
• Braxton Berrios, WR
• C.J. Uzomah, TE

Is it crazy to put them here? Probably. They did, after all, score the sixth-fewest points in the league last year (310, 18 points per game).

Wilson’s potential has always been a draw, and while it was rarely on display last year (9 TDs versus 11 INTs), it’s best not to judge too harsh on a rookie year. He has a new offensive coordinator (Mike LaFleur over from the 49ers), and (ideally) some more stability from the talent around him.

Carter enters year two, as does WR Elijah Moore, a fan favorite. Moore looked elite over his final month of the 2021 season prior to injury. He finished he campaign with games of 7-84-2, 3-44-1, 8-141-1 and 6-711-1 in four of his final five.

Chicago Bears

Players to watch:

• Justin Fields, QB
• David Montgomery, RB
• Darnell Mooney, WR
• Byron Pringle, WR
• Cole Kmet, TE

Like the Jets, Chicago’s breakout potentially really hinges on how well the young QB — in this case, Fields — can play. But Fields’ upside alone is enough to make the Bears an offense to watch next year. He truly has top-five fantasy QB potential.

The rest of the Bears breakout players I’m less sold on. Mooney looked great last year, but how will he be as a true No. 1 in an offense?

Same for Pringle, who shined down the stretch as KC’s No. 2 behind Tyreek Hill, but how will he perform in an offense that doesn’t revolve around all-world talent like Hill and Travis Kelce?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Players to watch:

• Trevor Lawrence, QB
• Travis Etienne, RB
• Christian Kirk, WR
• Laviska Shenault, WR
• Zay Jones, WR
• Marvin Jones, WR
• Evan Engram, TE

Just a quick note on the Jaguars: They are the team most likely to take a Bengals-like leap next season. No Urban Meyer at head coach could go a long way. The team has also already added several interesting offensive pieces and/or seen key players set to return from injury. A massive spike in production from this group as a whole wouldn’t be a surprise.