We have now seen all 32 NFL teams on the field at least once in the 2022 NFL preseason. With Week 1 now behind us, let’s take a look at who were our fantasy football players of the week. Which players racked up the highest PPR fantasy scores, and will any of the performances translate to relevance in your 2022 fantasy drafts?
Preseason Week 1 fantasy players of the week
A cautionary note when it comes to preseason performances. While we are shining lights on stand-out performances from the week, there is limited relevance in translating these into the regular season. Every year we have players who stand out in preseason, only for them to fade into irrelevance when the season begins. Those of you who drafted Ty’Son Williams and Darwin Thompson in recent years will know what I mean.
With that said, let’s take a look at the performances that stood out in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL preseason and crown our first players of the week for the 2022 season.
Bryce Perkins, Rams | 25.22 FPts
Bryce Perkins drew plaudits for some of the plays he made with his legs on his way to leading the QB position in terms of fantasy points. One play, in particular, had social media alight as he bounced off tacklers and made positive yards. Unfortunately, for Perkins, the throwing part of his game was somewhat more mixed. Yes, he threw two touchdowns and 133 yards, but he only completed 10 of his 17 pass attempts during the game.
This performance did stake a claim for Perkins having a shot at the QB2 role with the Los Angeles Rams. We did not see John Wolford in this game, which could be an indicator that the Rams are more worried about Matthew Stafford’s elbow injury than they are letting on. Perkins will be looking for a couple more strong performances this preseason, and then if Stafford does miss time, he could have streaming fantasy relevance if he draws the start.
Lance McCutcheon, Rams | 27.7 FPts
The Rams sat basically their entire first and second-string WR units in this game. However, that gave young players a chance to shine, and Lance McCutcheon did exactly that. His two-touchdown and 87-yard performance on five receptions sees him named as our offensive skill position player of the week.
McCutcheon has an uphill battle to make the roster, but the rookie did his part. If the Rams play any of their second-string receivers next week, then another strong performance from McCutcheon could put him in 53-man roster contention. However, he remains a long way from fantasy relevance, barring a spate of WR injuries in Los Angeles.
Jason Sanders, Dolphins | 18 FPts
Jason Sanders is a metronome of kicking stability. The veteran kicker did what he does best in Week 1 and converted four field goals and two extra points. He’s pretty much locked in as the Miami Dolphins kicker, but his week-to-week fantasy value is going to depend on whether Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ coaches can get this team clicking near the end zone. If not, then Sanders could be a very valuable fantasy commodity.
Tanzel Smart, Jets | 15.2 FPts
It was a tight battle between Tanzel Smart and Jack Sanborn for our IDP player of the week. Smart takes the honor by just 0.2 fantasy points over Sanborn.
Smart had two sacks, three tackles, and three QB hits as he terrorized the Eagles’ offensive line when he got into the game. Smart is buried on the depth chart and has no IDP fantasy relevance right now. It would take something significant to change that, but he’s off to the right start.
Sanborn’s performance could have more significance. The rookie had seven tackles, one for loss, and an interception for the Bears. If Roquan Smith is traded, Sanborn could find himself starting in 2022. Additionally, he’s made a great start in terms of putting pressure on Matt Adams, Nicholas Morrow, and Joe Thomas for those other starting LB roles.