Fantasy Football 2022: Training Camp Roundup (8/26)

It can be hard to prep for fantasy football during training camp and the preseason. Things happen every day that might be a huge deal for fantasy … or might be no deal at all. Sometimes we can figure it out, but sometimes it’s just a matter of paying attention to what happens to know what might matter just so things don’t slip through the cracks.

So each day in this space, we’ll take a trip through the top news and takeaways around the league’s training camps to offer up what fantasy managers need to know as we head through draft season and into the 2022 NFL regular season.

Antonio Gibson to Return Kicks This Season

We have seen Antonio Gibson working on kick returns during training camp. In Washington’s last preseason game, he started the game on the opening kickoff. Rookie Brian Robinson then took the field with the first-team offense and started at running back. And now head coach Ron Rivera expects Gibson to operate as the team’s primary return man during the regular season. Now this doesn’t exactly mean that Gibson is suddenly not going to see a good number of carries. In fact, he probably still leads the team in carries. But it is a bit odd to have your potential starting running back returning kicks on a weekly basis. 

Dameon Pierce is the Best RB in the NFL

I am obviously joking… I think. Dameon Pierce continued his incredible preseason Thursday, getting plenty of run with the first-team offense, carrying the ball six times for 37 yards and a touchdown. This comes one week after Texans head coach Lovie Smith rested Pierce because the team essentially already knew who the starting running back was. Pierce has looked amazing, showing tremendous ability to put his foot in the ground and make decisive cuts, while also demonstrating power to run through defenders. And while the Houston offense is bad, it doesn’t mean Pierce can’t return RB2 production this season. Remember, Rex Burkhead was the RB20 in fantasy in Weeks 11-18 last season, averaging nearly 17 carries per game during that stretch. 

Tyron Smith Will Be Sidelined Until December

With Dallas’ offensive line already starting to fall off a bit, an injury to one of the game’s best left tackles certainly doesn’t help. Smith will be sidelined until at least December, and it’s entirely possible he misses the entire regular season. This certainly doesn’t help anyone feel more confident in Ezekiel Elliott after last year, especially when you look at the splits for Elliott with and without Smith in the lineup since the start of the 2018 season.

Michael Gallup to Avoid the PUP List?

While Michael Gallup is more than likely out for Week 1, this news is huge, as it would put him on track to play at some point during the first four weeks of the season. Given Dallas’ lack of depth behind CeeDee Lamb at wide receiver, Gallup could easily post top-36 numbers among wideouts when he is on the field. Avoiding the PUP list would make Gallup one of the top late-round wide receivers to draft in all of fantasy over the next few weeks.

Denzel Mims Requests Trade

Denzel Mims was unlikely to carve out much of a role on the Jets with Elijah Moore, Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis ahead of him on the depth chart. Still a talented player, Mims could become a lot more fantasy relevant if he landed on a team that needs help at the wideout position, such as the Baltimore Ravens or Chicago Bears.