Breece Hall showed flashes but an ACL injury cut short his 2022-2023 NFL season. The rookie out of Iowa State gained a good amount of buzz going into his first year and the fantasy world was on notice. Hall was considered one of the most talented running backs in the draft. His pre-draft ranking was #11 RB per FantasyPros ECR and he ended up with 105.6 FP (Half PPR) on the year. It’s important to note that he reached 105.6 FP in just seven games. Let’s take a closer look at what to do with Breece Hall dynasty shares going forward.

2022

Like fellow rookie Dameon Pierce, Hall had a quiet start to his rookie campaign. He struggled in his first game against the Baltimore Ravens and ended up with just 7.1 FP in the game. He also fumbled in that game and many of his fantasy owners were nervous about the slow start. The good news is that was his only fumble in the seven games he played. Things started to click for Hall in his second game against the Browns. He scored his first NFL touchdown (receiving) and ended up with 12.5 FP on the day. Hall’s best game of the year came against the Dolphins in week 5. The dynamic young running back had 97 yards on the ground and an additional 100 yards receiving. It was an impressive day for Hall as he finished with 26.7 FP.

Hall kept the momentum going in his final two games. In week 6 versus the Packers he had another impressive stat line rushing for 116 yards and 19.1 FP. Next up was the Broncos and things couldn’t have started any better. Hall broke free and scampered for an impressive 62-yard touchdown run.

Unfortunately, things took a turn as Hall went down with a knee injury in the first half. It ended up being a season ending ACL injury that cut Hall’s impressive season short. Many fantasy owners couldn’t help but wonder what numbers he would’ve put up if he stayed healthy all season.

2023

Looking ahead to next season the first question to ask is when will Hall return from his ACL. Early indications are that Hall is recovering very well from his injury. According to Jets head coach Robert Saleh “Breece looks fantastic” which is exactly what Hall’s dynasty owners want to hear. I am cautiously optimistic that Hall will return in time for week 1 next year. Just be sure to grab Michael Carter in case he is not fully recovered yet.

Breece Hall’s Dynasty Value

Where do I rank Breece Hall dynasty value going forward? Very high and you can see that reflected in our dynasty football rankings. I have him ranked 3rd only behind Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor. The addition of Aaron Rodgers will be huge for Hall (picture an Aaron Jones role). The injury is somewhat concerning but I am not worried about Hall making a full recovery. Breece Hall is a BUY for me but it’s very tempting to take advantage of the hype if you can get a solid trade in return.

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PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS

After being drafted by the Houston Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft, many identified Dameon Pierce as a rookie running back to watch out for. With Houston most likely in a losing season, they would give Pierce touches and hopefully be their RB 1 of the future.

DRAFT EXPECTATIONS

Dameon Pierce had hype as the rookie was sensational in the preseason. He had been rising up draft boards and in the end, he reached mid-round value. He was the 35th RB taken and that’s good value. There was a logjam as the Texans had split work for three RBs. If owners stayed patient, Pierce could show off his value.

OVERALL SEASON PRODUCTION

It was a season of hope for the Texans as Dameon Pierce looks like the future RB 1. He had his moments where he looked unbelievable but sadly injuries got in the way and he missed the last four games of the season. Pierce ran for 939 yards and four TDs and caught 30 passes for 165 yards and a TD. With more offensive weapons coming next season, Dameon Pierce is due for a breakout season.

CRITICAL MOMENTS DURING THE SEASON

Week 3 vs Chicago Bears

In Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, Pierce finally recorded his first-ever career rushing TD. In the second quarter, he rushed to the left for a one-yard TD. He ended the game with 80 rushes through 20 carries. He also caught two balls for 21 yards.

Week 4 vs Los Angeles Chargers

Dameon Pierce’s best game of the season came against the Chargers in Week 4. The Texans rookie ran for 131 yards, including a 75-yard TD in the second quarter. He also caught a season-high six passes for just eight yards. This performance gave him 25.90 FP and he looked like a steal for owners who had him in the middle rounds.

Week 9 vs Philadelphia Eagles

In a game against the reigning NFC Champions, everyone was expecting Houston to just be blown out. Dameon Pierce, however, had his best-rushing game against an elite defense. The rookie ran for 139 yards and 27 carries. His longest run for the game was a 36-yard run. This shows how capable Pierce is against one of the top defenses in the NFL.

The post 2022-2023 Fantasy Football Review: Dameon Pierce appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Dameon Pierce had the fantasy world buzzing coming into the 2022-2023 NFL season. The rookie out of Florida was somewhat undervalued in terms of the NFL draft but many in the fantasy world saw his potential. He started rising steadily up mock drafts in early August and was a rookie preseason standout. His pre-draft ranking was #19 RB per FantasyPros ECR and he ended up totaling 151.4 FP in Half PPR leagues. Ultimately a late season ankle injury cut his season short but there was still plenty of highlights in the rookie’s first year. Let’s take a closer look at what to do with Dameon Pierce dynasty shares going forward.

2022

Dameon Pierce started his 2022 campaign slowly as he adjusted to the pro game. His first two games were quiet and he totaled 4.4 and 8.2 FP with zero touchdowns. In Week 3 things started to click for Pierce as he racked up 17.1 FP in a loss against the Chicago Bears. The following week against the Chargers was when Pierce really started to turn heads. He had his season high in FP with 22.9 as he rumbled for 131 yards and a touchdown. We always knew pierce had breakaway speed and it was on full display as he burst through for a 75 yard touchdown.

Unfortunately the Chargers game was the peak for Pierce in his 2022 campaign as he did not break 20 FP the rest of the way. His season was ultimately cut short due to his injury but he showed plenty of promise along the way. Pierce displayed toughness in his running style as he was 4th in the league breaking tackles with 27. This trait along with his speed make him a dangerous weapon moving forward.

2023

Coming into the 2023-2024 season there are still a bunch of unknowns for Pierce. A new coaching staff in Houston dampers some of the buzz that he racked up throughout the year. We just don’t know yet if the new coaching staff will A.) keep using him as the bellcow or B.) try to trade him for a RB that better fits their offensive style. If I’m the Texans I no doubt keep him as my #1 RB.

Dameon Pierce’s Dynasty Value

Where do I rank Dameon Pierce dynasty value going forward? Well I still have him as a top 20 RB on my board. The injury to end the year was somewhat concerning but he was a workforce for the Texans. I expect this new coaching regime will use Pierce more in the passing game to get him out in space and utilize his explosiveness. Going into next year he is a BUY for me.

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By: Jeremy Trottier, Jake Rajala, and Faustino Felix

The 2022 NFL Draft was loaded with offensive talent, as potential 2022 starters were picked in the third round and beyond. The NFL Draft, also known as a football holiday, is finally over. Nonetheless, it’s time for fantasy football gurus to begin scouting talent for their beloved rosters. With that said, we’re going to untwine seven fantasy sleepers that sleeping with Mr. Sandman.

Jeremy’s sleepers:

Jalen Tolbert – WR – Dallas Cowboys

One of the most notable players coming out of round 3 or beyond is Jalen Tolbert, the 6’3” receiver out of South Alabama.  Tolbert has received little to no recognition coming out of this class primarily due to his competition being FBS players.  The part about him that makes me think he could break out is the fact that the Dallas Cowboys already moved on from two of their receivers this offseason (Amari Cooper & Cedrick Wilson). 

Combined they leave 165 targets and 113 receptions on the table for someone to take, and with the receiver room shifting significantly this offseason, Tolbert could seek to snag the 2nd or 3rd receiver spot early in the season.  It is also worth noting that starting receiver Michael Gallup will likely miss the early part of the season due to his torn ACL, which gives Tolbert a direct route into a starting role alongside CeeDee Lamb and James Washington.  Jalen had a great final 9 games in 2021 and will seek to continue that level of play in the NFL for Dallas.

Dameon Pierce – RB – Houston Texans

The other sleeper of mine is Florida Gator Dameon Pierce, who was taken at pick 107 by the Houston Texans.  Pierce is another player who has an immediate shot at the starting role on his respective team, with the Texans RB room pretty much up in the air at the moment.  Last year’s starters David Johnson (current free agent) and Mark Ingram (traded to Saints) are presumably both gone or are at least for the moment.  The backs on the roster that he will be competing with are Rex Burkhead, Marlon Mack, and Dare Ogunbowale, who he should be able to at the bare minimum get rotational minutes with.  His size and power as a running back give him some solid upside as a roster-bound player on any dynasty team.  

Faustino’s sleepers:

Alec Pierce – WR – Indianapolis Colts

There’s a lot of upside to Alec Pierce’s game, and he was drafted to an ideal situation after a solid college career with the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Colts’ depth chart is wide open after third-year wide receiver Michael Pittman, so Pierce, with 2nd round draft capital, should start on 3-WR sets right away. He could become a favorite of new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan, who has produced top fantasy wide receivers before such as Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, proving he can sustain good fantasy WRs. Ryan’s arrival should allow Frank Reich to open up the offense and pass the ball more often than he did with Carson Wentz.

Pierce has elite speed and burst, along with a huge catch radius. He’s a speed threat that has the potential to become a complete force at the perimeter, thanks to that athleticism and his 6’3” size. He averaged 17.5 yards per reception at Cincinnati. I fully expect Pierce to shoot up draft boards as the offseason progresses since this combination of talent, opportunity and draft capital at a solid team expected to compete for a playoff spot don’t come that often. It should be a matter of time before fantasy managers catch on, so get ahead of the curve and get Pierce in your rosters as soon as you can.

Zamir White – RB – Las Vegas Raiders

White’s arrival to the NFL was a roller-coaster, to say the least. He tore his ACL in his senior season of high school but nevertheless was recruited by Georgia as a top-five recruit for his position. He then suffered a second ACL before what was supposed to be his freshman season. Three years later, he was drafted in the fourth round by the Las Vegas Raiders, after being the leading rusher for two years in a row in a Bulldogs backfield that included fellow rookie James Cook. He won a National Championship along the way.

Nicknamed “Zeus”, White is a powerful runner who is bound to score a lot of touchdowns in his career. He also possesses breakaway speed, and he is more elusive than you would expect from power back such as him. His only knock is that he doesn’t have a lot of receiving production, so that limits him to being a two-down back in the NFL. He will join a crowded Raiders backfield that includes Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. Jacobs just had his 5th year option declined, and Drake is on the last year of a two-year contract. With both being players from a previous regime, there’s a solid chance neither of them is on the Raiders’ roster in 2023.

New Raiders GM and Head Coach Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels both come from the New England Patriots, whose approach to the RB position is having a committee of cheaply acquired running backs. That bodes well for White’s playing time opportunity in 2023 if he manages to make a good impression in his rookie year. This is more of a dynasty pick, but one that has the potential to have a huge rise in value in the short term.

Jake’s sleepers: 

James Cook – RB – Buffalo Bills

I believe that the former Georgia stud with a popular football name has a legitimate chance of starting in a talented Bills offense early on. The brother of Dalvin Cook unveiled a personal best of 1,012 total yards and 11 total touchdowns in 2021. Similar to the prime version of Le’Veon Bell and former Georgia RB Todd Gurley, he displays excellent quickness and patience. He has a unique ability to be a receiving stud, as well. According to PFF, he ran the third-most routes from the RB position. He reminds me a lot of Kenyan Drake, but he can be a more talented pure RB. 

Isaiah Spiller – RB – Los Angeles Chargers

Isaiah Spiller might be a bit in the shadow of Austin Ekeler in the Chargers RB room, but he is the second talented RB on this list in the perfect location. Spiller was one of the most accomplished CFB RBs to enter the draft: 3,578 total yards and 26 total touchdowns. Bucky Brooks has already stated that Spiller is one of the “10 perfect rookie team fits”. In fact, Brooks feels that Spiller could be the potential 1A RB in Justin Herbert’s offense, while the scatback Ekeler returns to a “change in pace” ball-carrier. The former Texas A & M RB ran a poor 40-yard dash (4.63), but he could still soon be leaned on as the bell-cow RB in LA. 

Velus Jones Jr. – WR – Chicago Bears

Todd McShay has started to really praise the outlook for Velus Jones Jr. The ESPN analyst stated that he was the “Bears best draft pick” and that he has a great ceiling in Chi-town. It’s easy to see why Jones Jr. is a fascinating profile given his 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He can be an effective chess piece in the Justin Fields-led offense, as he can be dangerous with screens, deep routes, and quick slants. I absolutely expect Jones Jr. to be a security blanket for his second year QB frequently.

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