For the ninth season, my College Fantasy Football All-American sleepers column will assist readers to uncover undervalued players. I adore this hobby and want to avail CFF managers to build better rosters.
I am a firm believer that CFF championships are won in the later rounds and on the waiver wire every season. Therefore, I dug into College Fantasy Football ADP from Campus2Canton.com to reveal 11 players who can provide a nice return on draft capital in 2022.
After you’re done here, take a look at my CFF player rankings with all of the sleepers listed below.
2022 College Fantasy Football Sleepers
QB Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 15, overall 182
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 20 ppg. (118)
Passing: 219.7 ypg. (77)
2021 Fantasy Points: 19.1 ppg. (Cordeiro)
The Spartans are one of the G5 teams that I always fondly recall. In 2012-13, quarterback David Fales decorated my CFF rosters and was the idyllic No. 2 signal caller on CFF teams. He passed for over 8,000 yards and posted a 66-22 TD:INT Ratio in back-to-back campaigns. It has been a while since San Jose provided a CFF starter behind center.
In 2022, astute CFF diehards are interested in new Spartans’ quarterback Chevan Cordero, who transferred from Hawaii—among a mass exodus of players who left the Rainbows. At Hawaii, the junior dual-threat became the first quarterback to accumulate 6,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards during their tenure on campus. San Jose coach Brett Brennan also acquired receivers Elijah Cooks and Justin Lockhart in the transfer portal to reignite the passing game.
In the spring game, over 6,000 fans witnessed the potential of the Spartans’ new leader: He totaled three touchdowns with two passing and one rushing. After a poor offensive performance by the Spartans, scoring only 20 ppg., last year, Brennan expects Cordero, Cooks, and Lockhart to dramatically improve the aerial assault, which provides nice value for CFF managers.
2022 Projections
Passing Yards: 3,400
Rushing yards: 400
Total Touchdowns: 29
Fantasy PPG: 25.2
QB John Rhys Plumlee, UCF
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 8, overall 102
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 31.9 ppg. (37)
Passing: 206.2 ypg. (91)
2019 Fantasy Points: 24.5 ppg. (Plumlee)
In 2013 and 2014, coach Gus Malzahn guided the Auburn Tigers to a 20-7 record behind dual-threat quarterback Nick Marshall, who scampered for 1,866 yards and 23 touchdowns. Malzahn left Auburn in 2020, and UCF scooped up the former Tigers’ coach after losing Josh Heupel.
Last year’s starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel played in only three games, and freshman Mikey Keene started the final 10 contests for Malzahn. Unfortunately, Keene does not profile as the ideal quarterback in Malzahn’s scheme. The Knights dipped into the transfer portal to pluck John Rhys Plumlee to compete for the starting job.
In 2019 as a freshman, Plumlee played in nine games for Mississippi and produced one of the more interesting stat lines: He rushed for more than 1,000 yards but passed for less than a 1,000. Plumlee also rushed for 12 touchdowns, yet tossed a paltry four aerial strikes. Over the past two seasons, he attempted only eight passes while logging 59 plays—34 rush attempts and 25 receptions—from the line of scrimmage.
Transferring to Orlando, Florida, the move provides Plumlee an opportunity to line up behind center again. “Amazing. That’s where my heart’s always been. Growing up, it’s what I loved to do. To be able to do it again and get back behind center, it’s truly a blessing. Something I love to do.” Plumlee stated in regard to playing quarterback again (ucf.rivals.com).
According to ADP data on Campus2Canton, CFF managers are confident that Plumlee will earn the starting nod. I like the Knights’ playmaker as a No. 3 quarterback, who has a tremendous ceiling playing in the AAC.
2022 Projections
Passing Yards: 1,800
Rushing yards: 850
Total Touchdowns: 24
Fantasy PPG: 23.1
QB Jaren Hall, BYU
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 12, overall 147
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 33.1 ppg. (29)
Passing: 264.1 ypg. (31)
2021 Fantasy Points: 20.3 ppg. (Hall)
Believe it or not: Jaren Hall is older than Zach Wilson, who played his professional rookie season in New York last year, and Hall enrolled at BYU before Wilson. At 24-years old, Hall’s journey has been long to Saturday stardom: redshirted in 2018, received a medical redshirt in 2020, and served in the California Roseville mission.
Hall finally earned the starting assignment last year in Provo, Utah. The fifth-year signal caller passed for 2,583 yards, rushed for 307 yards, recorded a 20:5 TD:INT ratio, and scored three times on the ground. He missed three games with an injury last season and looks to impress NFL scouts with an even better crusade in 2022.
“This one may shock some, but if we’re speaking of toolsy, athletic quarterback prospects, Jaren Hall should be involved. Hall is a dynamic athlete with true dual-threat ability. He’s fantastic at throwing on the run, and while his arm strength isn’t elite, it’s certainly not a hindrance on most occasions. His game reminds me of Kyler Murray…I think he could take steps forward and end up a surprise riser,” asserted Christian Williams who bestowed Hall with a first-round grade after scouting the Cougars’ quarterback (deseret.com).
For DEVY diehards like myself, Hall will be interesting to watch, and scout, throughout the upcoming season. Nevertheless, CFF fanatics look forward to another productive campaign. BYU returns 18 of 22 starters, including three along the offensive line. The schedule has three difficult matchups—Baylor, at Oregon and Notre Dame—before the season kicks off while the rest of the games look favorable for fantasy production. A dual-threat signal caller, Hall is a great No. 3 quarterback on CFF teams.
2022 Projections
Passing Yards: 3,250
Rushing yards: 260
Total Touchdowns: 32
Fantasy PPG: 24.3
RB Tyjae Spears, Tulane
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 10, overall 120
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 27.6 ppg. (74)
Rushing: 164.8 ypg. (60)
2021 Fantasy Points: 12.9 ppg. (Spears)
In 2020, Tyjae Spears’ campus tenure began in record-setting fashion: He scampered for over 100 yards in each of the first two games, becoming only the fourth Tulane freshman to surpass the century mark in consecutive outings. With high expectations, I plucked Spears off the CFF waiver wire. Regrettably, he suffered a torn ACL in the third game against Southern Mississippi, missing the final nine games of the campaign.
Last year, it was a difficult journey to regain his faith and skills. In the first five games, the Tulane runner only garnered 19 carries for 51 yards. Over the final seven contests, Spears earned 110 carries for over 800 yards and eight scores, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Against undefeated Cincinnati, he exceeded the 100-yard mark for the third time in his tenure with 106 yards on a season-high 19 carries. And closed the campaign with 264 yards against Memphis with two touchdowns.
During the season, he totaled 863 rushing yards, scored nine touchdowns, and secured 19 passes for 145 yards. It is clear that the Tulane ball carrier has recovered from the ACL injury and is capable of assisting CFF managers in 2022.
2022 Projections
Rushing yards: 950
Total yards: 1,195
Total Touchdowns: 12
Fantasy PPG: 17.2
RB Dedrick Parson, Hawaii
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 10, overall 128
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 28.8 ppg. (63)
Rushing: 142.8 ypg. (84)
2021 Fantasy Points: 11.1
I am not ego-driven, or narcissistic, to deny crediting a CFF analyst, who enlightens me with a player. In last week’s CFF Eliminator best ball draft, Jared Palmgren selected Dedrick Parson in the seventh round, and immediately, I had to take a deeper look. Well, Jared was correct on the potential value of the Rainbows’ runner, and I moved him up my position rankings.
In 2021, he played in all 13 games and started three: He lined up at running back and returned kicks and punts. The senior finished as Hawaii’s second-leading rusher with 618 yards on a team-high 118 carries and tied for the lead with eight rushing touchdowns. For fantasy purposes, especially in PPR-scoring formats, he logged 28 receptions for 279 yards and another score.
Before he joined the Rainbows, Parson played at Howard in Washington D.C. for two seasons. He was the team’s leading rusher in back-to-back campaigns, and in 20 career games, accumulated 1,553 rushing yards, 409 receiving yards, and 12 total touchdowns. At 5’8” and 205-pounds, Parson is difficult to bring down and will clearly benefit from new coach Timmy Chang’s wide-open running lanes.
2022 Projections
Rushing yards: 900
Total yards: 1,200
Total Touchdowns: 11
Fantasy PPG: 17.2
RB/WR Blake Watson, Old Dominion
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 8, overall 95
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 27.6 (73)
Rushing: 158.3 ypg. (72)
2021 Fantasy Points: 15.5 ppg. (Watson)
League rules are so important to understanding player values. In 2021, Blake Watson’s fantasy impact was a little dependent on the structure of the CFF league. In standard scoring formats, Watson finished as the No. 49 CFF running back with 170.7 fantasy points. In PPR-scoring leagues, the Monarchs’ ball carrier fell to the No. 60 ball carrier with 179.9 points.
Last season, Watson established a new school record with 215 carries and became only the second player in the history of the program to exceed the 1,000-yard mark, rambling for 1,116 yards and nine scores. He also posted six 100-yard performances, registering five straight games at one point in the crusade.
In 2019 as a freshman, he paced Old Dominion with 828 all-purpose yards and led C-USA with 26.4 yards per kick return, earning C-USA All-Freshman Team kick returner. Watson did not play football in 2020 as the Monarchs’ program remained sidelined during the Pandemic.
At 5’9” and 193-pounds, Watson was a two-sport athlete in high school who earned All-American honors in track-and-field. Coming out of Green Hope High School, he only garnered two stars as a gridiron prospect and landed at Old Dominion. Do not overlook the dynamic runner in CFF drafts this summer. Watson warrants a fourth running back selection on your roster.
2022 Projections
Rushing yards: 1,200
Total yards: 1,300
Total Touchdowns: 11
Fantasy PPG: 17.0
RB E.J. Smith, Stanford
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 12, overall 150
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 20.4 (113)
Rushing: 86.9 ypg. (126)
2021 Fantasy Points: 3.6 ppg. (Smith)
The Cardinal running game produced a cornucopia of fantasy ball carriers from 2008-2017: Bryce Love, Christian McCaffrey, Stephan Taylor, and Toby Gerhart. Woefully, since Love’s 2,000-yard campaign, coach David Shaw’s rushing attack has been buried behind poor blocking and not produced a viable CFF runner.
E.J Smith, the son of the NFL’s rushing leader Emmitt Smith, has not reached expectations in Stanford during two seasons. He has gained only 133 yards on 26 carries and scored once. Is Smith the answer to Shaw’s challenges? According to PFF, the junior ball carrier might be the solution.
“The 2020 four-star recruit produced an 81.2 rushing grade from his 26 carries in 2021 while totaling 14 broken tackles, five explosive runs of 10-plus yards, and 4.62 yards after contact per attempt, showing excellent vision, patience, and elusiveness as a runner. Smith was also fairly productive in the passing game with 1.31 yards per route run. Don’t be surprised if the Stanford running back ends up being the West Coast’s most productive ball carrier in 2022—he has that kind of potential,” (si.com)
I have acquired Smith, 6’0” and 213-pounds, in four of my eight CFF drafts this year. He is my No. 4 or 5 runner, who has 1,000-yard potential if the offensive line can improve and return to its halcyon days of yesteryear. All five starting O-linemen return with a plethora of experience. I’m willing to gamble on Smith to find enough open lanes to propel the ground game among the best in the PAC-12.
2022 Projections
Rushing yards: 1,100
Total yards: 1,200
Total Touchdowns: 10
Fantasy PPG: 15.1 ppg
WR Tyrese Chambers, Florida International
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 7, overall 88
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 20.3 ppg. (114)
Passing: 264.6 ypg. (30)
2021 Fantasy Points: 13.5 ppg. (Chambers)
As mentioned earlier in the article, scoring format can greatly influence the value of a player: Tyrese Chambers ranks much higher in standard scoring formats than ppr-leagues. Among CFF wide receivers, he finished as the 35th most productive wideout in standard scoring (161 points) and 49th in PPR-scoring (206.4 points) leagues last year. The Panthers’ home run hitter recorded 45 catches for 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging a whopping 23.9 yards per catch.
A Baltimore native, the 6’1” and 185-pounder enrolled at Fort Scott (JUCO) in 2018 after being named to USA Today’s Maryland First Team All-State as one of the two receivers. He transferred to Sacred Heart in Connecticut the following year and set numerous school records for a Pioneers’ freshman with 50 receptions for 811 yards and eight scores in 11 games. He earned FCS All-American and was named a Jerry Rice Finalist, Northeast Conference Offensive Rookie of the Year, and First Team All-Northeast Conference.
Former coach Butch Davis appeared to have turned the Florida International program around after recording a 17-9 record and earning consecutive bowl berths in 2017 and 2018. The bottom collapsed during the Pandemic as the Panthers won only once in 17 games over the past two seasons.
The school did not extend the contract of Davis and hired Mike MacIntyre to take the wheel of the program. The new coach embraced the transfer portal, and there are many new players on the roster. Chambers is the team’s unquestioned playmaker, and MacIntyre will continue to rely on the speedster to make catches deep down the field.
2022 Projections
Receptions: 55
Receiving yards: 1,200
Total Touchdowns: 10
Fantasy PPG: 19.6
WR Tyler Harrell, Alabama
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 11, overall 132
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 39.9 ppg. (6)
Passing: 338.2 ypg. (7)
2021 Fantasy Points: 7.4
As a child in the Seventies, my grandfather always talked about size and strength when discussing football. Of course, he lived in Detroit, Michigan, and enjoyed Big 10 football. By the mid-Eighties, I became obsessed with the Miami Hurricanes and coach Jimmy Johnson. I remember an interview with Johnson in which he stated “speed kills.” Johnson’s quote changed my entire perception of football. Give me speed at every position.
It has become evident over the past five years that coach Nick Saban seeks uber speed on the outside to threaten safeties deep. While Jermaine Burton rightfully deserves the attention of CFF diehards, sprinter Tyler Harrell might be just as impactful on the gridiron for the Alabama offense.
In high school, Harrell outpaced all sprinters in the 200-meter race and was a member of the 400-meter relay team that won the Florida 4A championship. He bypassed a track scholarship at Miami to play football at Louisville. At the Cardinals pro day, he clocked an official 4.24 in the 40-yard dash.
“He wants to catch some touchdowns from Bryce Young and carry the legend the receivers have built through the years. He wants to be the next great receiver to come through Alabama,” Harrell’s former high school track coach James Hardwick stated (tuscaloosanews.com).
In 2021, the former Louisville speedster burned opponents for 18 catches for 523 yards and six touchdowns while averaging an eye-popping 29.1 yard per catch. If Harrell improves those numbers with the Heisman winner, he becomes a weekly starter in CFF lineups. Both Jameson Williams and John Metchie—last year’s starting receivers—are no longer on campus, and Harrell joins Jermaine Burton in the Crimson Tide’s explosive passing game.
2022 Projections
Receptions: 60
Receiving Yards: 1,100
Total Touchdowns: 10
Fantasy PPG: 19.2
WR Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 14, overall 178
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 34.6 ppg. (21)
Passing: 392.6 (2)
2021 Fantasy Points: 13.3
During the offseason, I have been shocked that Keytaon Thompson has slid so far down draft boards. Finally, in my most recent league, an astute CFF owner selected the Cavaliers’ playmaker in the sixth round with pick No. 78 overall. It was the earliest that Thompson was chosen among my eight drafts so far. Secretly, I hope that he continues to be under the radar.
At 6’4” and 217-pounds, Thompson originally enrolled at Mississippi State to play quarterback but only played in 20 games over three seasons. He did earn a degree in Kinesiology Sports Administration before transferring to Virginia in 2020.
Last year, Thompson finally dazzled on the gridiron. He logged at least five receptions in eight games and concluded the season with five straight contests of at least seven receptions. He seized a career-high 11 passes for 126 yards against Pittsburgh and finished the season with three 100-yard games. Leading the Cavaliers with 78 receptions, his 990 yards put him 10 yards shy of becoming the sixth single-season 1,000-yard pass catcher in program history. He also rushed for 247 yards and found the end zone four times.
“He’s just a battler. He loves football, everyone knows that. Everyone calls him the ‘Football Player,’ he’s just that guy. His voice is very much appreciated on the offensive side, and for the whole team,” Cavaliers’ quarterback Brennan Armstrong proclaimed last year (nbc29.com).
Thompson is a starter on one of the more prolific passing attacks in the nation. Why is he available in Round 14? Do not let your opponents acquire a stupendous CFF receiver at an underappreciated value.
2022 Projections
Receptions: 70
Rushing yards: 1,000
Total Touchdowns: 8
Fantasy PPG: 18.2
TE Isaac Rex, BYU
Campus2Canton ADP: Round 17, overall 212
Team Offense (Rank)
Scoring: 33.1 ppg. (29)
Passing: 264.1 ypg. (31)
2020 Fantasy Points: 10.4
Uncovering a potential Top Ten tight end after Round 15 is priceless in CFF drafts. It is easy to overlook Isaac Rex after a disappointing season. He only recorded 18 catches for 192 yards and three scores. Against USC late in the campaign, he broke his ankle and missed the bowl game versus UAB.
In 2020, Rex was named to the All-American Freshman team after making 37 receptions for 429 yards and 12 touchdowns. A three-star recruit, the 6’6” and 247-pounder appears recovered and healthy for the opening of training camp.
If QB Jaren Hall takes the expected leap forward, Rex is the likely candidate on the roster to benefit the most. The draft capital required to obtain the BYU tight end is so low that it is a no brainer to select him late.
2022 Projections
Receptions: 55
Receiving yards: 650
Total Touchdowns: 8
Fantasy PPG: 14.0