The Draft as Fantasy Football Intended: Round 7

Pick 100 will come and go here as we near ever closer to the halfway stretch in the 2022 fantasy draft as fantasy football intended. The big players of the game have mostly gone early with a lot of clever picks still to come later on in the drafting process. Who goes next, well, see below!

Pick 97: The Edinburgh Knights Select Chase Edmonds, Running Back, Miami

Points Last Year: 143.3 Points
Average Per Game: 11.9 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 34th
Last Year Rank NFL: 125th

Miami has been one of the running back cores that has been more about the group than the individual. However, after a move away from Arizona after the emergence of James Conner, there may be a lot for Chase Edmonds to prove moving into an important 2022 for him. There is a chance that he could easily make more than say Myles Gaskin did last season in the same fit but it ultimately comes down to fitting into the team, which when it has great wide weapons, may not go solidly to the run game.

Pick 98: The Galway Tribesmen Select Michael Carter, Running Back, New York Jets

Points Last Year: 154.4 Points

Average Per Game: 11.0 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 29th
Last Year Rank NFL: 112th

Michael Carter has every reason to feel aggrieved with his position in the Jets system moving into 2022 with the introduction of Breece Hall into the mix. This should drop Carter back into a RB2 position which should stymie what turned out to be a solid average last season. Capable last season of some 8 or 9 catches out of the back, it won't be the end of the world if he becomes the pass catch running back, but there should be at least a fight for RB1 status that for Galway, he has to win.

Pick 99: The Barry Islanders Select James Robinson, Running Back, Jacksonville


Points Last Year: 173.9 Points
Average Per Game: 12.4 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 24th
Last Year Rank NFL: 90th

James Robinson officially make the Barry Islanders the Island of Robinsons. Putting together a solid season that tapered out late through a mixture of injury and Urban Meyer being Urban Meyer. Still, there is going to be a few problems in this season with a now fresh Travis Etienne better in the catch game than James, leaving most of his bulk to be rushing. I don't expect as many fireworks as before but James is a proven workhorse who will do everything in his power to score as much as he can.

Pick 100: The London Steelers Select Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Los Angeles Rams


Points Last Year: 329.74 Points
Average Per Game: 15.4 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 6th
Last Year Rank NFL: 12th

It only took leaving Detroit for Stafford to finally get his superbowl ring, and with that in stride, he will be looking for great fantasy output for the London Steelers. Blessed with the greatest weapon since Randy Moss in Cooper Kupp, a mixture of old and new will benefit with returning figures such as Tyler Higbee and Van Jefferson along with some new names like Allen Robinson. Under the McVay system, Stafford has shone and will look odds on to do the same again this season.

Pick 101: The Dundee Spinners Select Derek Carr, Quarterback, Las Vegas


Points Last Year: 256.96 Points
Average Per Game: 15.1 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 14th
Last Year Rank NFL: 32nd

My Chemichal Romance: The quarterback. When Derek Carr isn't going to see a marching band, he has one of the most amazing passing cores to work with, having Davante Adams pair up with Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. Without a shadow of a doubt, if this can fire on all cylinders, the Raiders could be a runaway fantasy train with captain Carr the spearhead to it. Last season didn't really kick too much on the high end, however I feel this new addition will bring new focus to the offensive system.

Pick 102: The Cork City Rebels Select Dallas Goedert, Tight End, Philadelphia


Points Last Year: 165.0 Points
Average Per Game: 11.0 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 8th
Last Year Rank NFL: 98th

Freedoms were given last season to Dallas Goedert at the tight end position after the in season trade of Zach Ertz away to Arizona. For Cork City, Goedert represents good value, even in a run first team knowing that when he chooses to be, 100 plus yards is not out of the question. The question will be about how often those days are going to come around, knowing that A.J. Brown might be taking a number of targets and catches away from what was an already limited supply.

Pick 103: The Nottingham Sheriffs Select Zach Ertz, Tight End, Arizona


Points Last Year: 180.7 Points
Average Per Game: 10.6 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 5th
Last Year Rank NFL: 86th

Speaking of Zach Ertz, here comes the veteran tight end off to pastures new in Arizona. The first real boost to targets and points should arrive in the form of no DeAndre Hopkins, which should in all likelyhood make a flying start possible. This flying start has also been about in the form of countless 50+ yard games and at least 5 receptions in his last 5 games. Ertz proves again that he is a tight end game changer and a clever pick for Nottingham at 103. Game on for Ertz!

Pick 104: The Swansea Smelters Select Mike Gesicki, Tight End, Miami


Points Last Year: 165.0 Points
Average Per Game: 9.7 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 9th
Last Year Rank NFL: 99th

There were times last seaosn where Mike Gesicki looked really good but also some times where his production could be labeled as utility. One thing is clear though and that is space will be made for him as a more elusive option with defence attention labeled firmly Tyreek Hill. Mike did well with Tua at quarterback last season and will be expecting him to kick on in his second season. There is a lot of hype around Miami and if Swansea can get what they want out of it, they may have a good to great tight end option.

Pick 105: The Birmingham Bulls Select Pat Freiermuth, Tight End, Pittsburgh


Points Last Year: 151.7 Points
Average Per Game: 9.5 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 13th
Last Year Rank NFL: 115th

The train of tight ends keeps rolling however this may be the more circumspect of them all. Expected over Kenny Pickett is Mitchell Trubisky and Pickett to take over at some point which is never ideal. On top of that, last season proved to be rather hit or miss, only gathering up some good steam around week 6. Pat is serviceable and is a good stop gap Tight End in division terms, but for this high, at 105, I still think there are better options out there. First tight end for Birmingham and not really the one I would go for here.

Pick 106: The Belfast Giants Select Rashaad Penny, Running Back, Seattle


Points Last Year: 121.7 Points
Average Per Game: 12.2 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 42nd
Last Year Rank NFL: 151st

13 weeks of woe, the final five were excellent. Rashaad Penny's run of 26.8, 6.4, 19.5, 32.5 and 25 all have fallen well under the radar and at a Seattle team which now has severely dropped back when it comes to quarterback, reliability is now going to be needed a lot more when it comes to holding the rock. Penny may just be that choice to be RB1 and prove above all else that he deserves to take over in that space and show to the world, and the Belfast Giants that he belongs.

Pick 107: The Glasgow Pipers Select Ken Walker III, Running Back, Seattle


Points Last Year: 0.0 Points
Average Per Game: 0.0 Points
Last Year Rank Position: N/A
Last Year Rank NFL: N/A

Unless this guy has something to say about Rashaad Penny. Ken Walker III wasn't much when it came to his early collegiate work at Wake Forest however a switch to Michigan State proved to be the dynamite that got him in the second round of this year's draft. A sub 4.4 40 goes a long way to showing how elusive he can be once he breaks through, the issue he will have is reps and where those reps will be used. For Glasgow, they are going to have to hope that Rashaad Penny has another injury disrupted season.

Pick 108: The Newport Coal Miners Select Brandon Aiyuk, Wide Receiver, San Francisco


Points Last Year: 170.3 Points
Average Per Game: 10.0 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 35th
Last Year Rank NFL: 93rd

It was supposed to be Brandon Aiyuk's year last year at San Francisco but overshadowing him was Deebo Samuel. Aiyuk had to work hard to get back into the good books of the Niners but the Miners will be hoping for the player that was good for at least 12 points the majority of the backend of the season. With Trey Lance looking like a gunslinger and somebody who could strap a rocketship to the back of a player, if Deebo and Kittle get tied up, chances are, a year later, the year could be Brandon Aiyuk's.

Pick 109: The Bristol Buccaneers Select Robert Woods, Wide Receiver, Tennessee


Points Last Year: 137.2 Points
Average Per Game: 15.2 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 51st
Last Year Rank NFL: 133rd

Is this the steal of the draft? Getting cruelly injured before week 10, Robert Woods was on for a blockbuster season with the Rams and Matthew Stafford. However, with Odell taking the reigns, a superbowl and then a trade to Tennessee, he may be a must watch player with Treylon Burks expected to be WR2 in the early stages to Robert. I don't know how many WR1's get to fly off the board in the first round but this screams to me like Bristol pulling a rabbit out of the hat here.

Pick 110: The Cardiff Dragons Select Jarvis Landry, Wide Receiver, New Orleans


Points Last Year: 133.0 Points
Average Per Game: 11.1 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 52nd
Last Year Rank NFL: 135th

Jarvis Landry was a very boom or bust style player last season at Cleveland. This year, I'm not sure how much that moniker will be changing. Primerally used as a slot guy, the way Jarvis in the past has bolstered his numbers has been fixated on the targets and getting roughly a quarter of them per game. May not happen as much with Jameis Winston and the Saints but what can be said is that the core around New Orleans is very underrated. If he can hit the ground running and find a couple of boom weeks, Cardiff may have stolen the world.

Pick 111: The Dublin Brewers Select Jakobi Meyers, Wide Receiver, New England


Points Last Year: 186.3 Points
Average Per Game: 11.6 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 29th
Last Year Rank NFL: 69th

There was a time where it seemed statisticly impossible for Jakobi Meyers to not have a touchdown, yet he managed two last season and became the most reliable target New England have at their disposal. He doesn't go for a lot of points but he is the sort of metronomic player that could dominate the flex spot for Dublin all season long. Another huge plus for him will be that he was a former quarterback, meaning on trick plays, he could be in for some large scorings if that one play New England runs magically gets open for the 9434th time.

Pick 112: The Aberdeen Oilers Select Kenny Golladay, Wide Receiver, New York Giants


Points Last Year: 89.1 Points
Average Per Game: 6.4 Points
Last Year Rank Position: 79th
Last Year Rank NFL: 195th

He only missed 3 games to injury last season and yet, so ineffective last season were the giants moving the ball forward that Kenny Golladay looked incredibly circumspect when it came to fantasy football. The two zero's against Dallas and Chicago may be the most glaring red flag warnings about what he is capable of but there are two plusses. New coaching system, and Danny Dimes on a contract year. If danny puts a firecracker up his you know what and starts performing, Golladay could skyrocket in fantasy.

As we reach the end of round 7, let's go back to the well and see the breakdown of who and where everyone has gone.

Round 7 By Position:
Wide Receiver: 5
Running Back: 5
Tight End: 4
Quarterback: 2

Round 7 By NFL Team:
Miami: 2
Seattle: 2
New York Jets: 1
Jacksonville: 1
Los Angeles Rams: 1
Las Vegas: 1
Philadelphia: 1
Arizona: 1
Pittsburgh: 1
San Francisco: 1
Tennessee: 1
New Orleans: 1
New England: 1
New York Giants: 1

Overall By Position:
Wide Receiver: 51
Running Back: 37
Quarterback: 13
Tight End: 11

Overall By NFL Team:
Tampa Bay: 5
Dallas: 5
Las Vegas: 5
Philadelphia: 5
Arizona: 5
Buffalo: 4
Los Angeles Chargers: 4
Baltimore: 4
Kansas City: 4
Cincinnati: 4
Denver: 4
Miami: 4
Seattle: 4
New York Jets: 4
Los Angeles Rams: 4
Pittsburgh: 4
San Francisco: 4
New Orleans: 4
Minnesota: 3
Atlanta: 3
Cleveland: 3
Green Bay: 3
Detroit: 3
Jacksonville: 3
Tennessee: 3
New York Giants: 3
Carolina: 2
Indianapolis: 2
Washington: 2
Chicago: 2
New England: 2
Houston: 1

Houston become the worst drafted team so far as naturally, the resources start to fill up nicely with more variety coming from the picks. Artwork was illustrated by Althea Charlie. Keep your eyes on this space as the 8th round will be coming up shortly!