2020-2022 Combined Dynasty Rankings

This “2020-2022 Combined Dynasty Rankings” article was inspired by some of the conversations I’ve been a part of and seen from various Dynasty and Devy forums from around the Internet asking which of the past draft classes have been strongest and how upcoming draft classes might stack up in comparison. 

Having the combined dynasty rankings, I think, offers a unique perspective in our quest to value assets on our dynasty teams, both current and future. Clearly, this isn’t a precise, highly scientific method. It’s more just for the sake of discussion and for fun, but it does lend some context to the 2022 class, which is helpful as we look ahead to 2022 (hey, some of us are 0-7 in our dynasty leagues!). 

This is also helpful when judging draft classes as a whole as it pertains to making trades involving future draft picks. If I think the 2022 class is particularly weak in certain areas or weak overall, perhaps that affects how I approach trades involving 2022 draft picks in dynasty, for example. 

The combined dynasty rankings below are according to how I would rate the players as dynasty assets today. Raw talent, upside, ceiling/floor, age, contract and team situation could all factor in here. 

Thank you for reading, and please let us know if you have any thoughts about our “2020-2022 Combined Dynasty Rankings” article or any of our content at Extrapointff.com!

QUARTERBACKS

1. Justin Herbert (20-LAC)
2. Trevor Lawrence (21-JAC)
3. Trey Lance (21-SF)
4. Joe Burrow (20-CIN)
5. Justin Fields (21-CHI)
6. Malik Willis (22-Liberty)
7. Matt Corral (22-Ole Miss)
8. Mac Jones (21-NE)
9. Zach Wilson (21-NYJ)
10.  Sam Howell (22-UNC)
11.  Jalen Hurts (20-PHI)
12.  Tua Tagovailoa (20-MIA)
13.  Kenny Pickett (22-Pittsburgh)
14.  Jordan Love (20-GB) 
15.  Carson Strong (22-Nevada)
16.  Kedon Slovis (22-USC)
17.  Kellen Mond (21-MIN) 
18.  Davis Mills (21-HOU) 
19.  Jacob Eason (20-IND) 
20.  Kyle Trask (21-TB)
21.  J.T. Daniels (22-Georgia)
22.  Tanner McKee (22-Stanford)
23.  Sam Ehlinger (21-IND)
24.  Desmond Ridder (22-Cincinnati)
25.  Phil Jurkovec (22-BC) 

Justin Herbert obviously tops this list, showing so far in 2021 that his rookie season was no fluke. He is an elite dynasty quarterback no matter which draft class. 

Trevor Lawrence has often struggled this season, throwing plenty of interceptions so far during his rookie campaign, but despite the Jags’ real life issues, Lawrence has looked the part if you excuse him for the situation and coaching. His outlook (and dynasty trade value) is still good, especially if Jacksonville brings in a competent coaching staff and offensive line help in the near future. 

For my combined dynasty rankings, I’ll take the upside of Trey Lance over what we’ve seen from Joe Burrow. Don’t get me wrong, Burrow is good, but I think Lance, with his rushing floor, has a chance to be an elite fantasy quarterback. This is more about Lance than it is about Burrow, though, because Burrow’s long term outlook with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on his side is pretty good in his own right. I’d maybe favor Burrow over Lance in leagues that do full six-point passing scores rather than four. 

Liberty’s Malik Willis slots in at No. 6, ahead of the likes of Mac Jones and Zach Wilson in part because of rushing ability as well. The improvement Willis has shown as a passer so far in 2021 helps as well. His stock seems to be on the rise recently, if for no other reason than Spencer Rattler and Sam Howell have struggled so far this season. 

Matt Corral of Ole Miss comes in at No. 7 in my rankings, which sounds great, but it has more to do with the fact that there just aren’t that many overly exciting quarterback options from the 2020 and 2021 classes. Corral offers as much or more upside than a lot of those quarterbacks, especially if he lands in a favorable situation on draft night.

Jalen Hurts, while he is producing very well in fantasy so far in 2021, is not proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the right man to lead the Eagles to Super Bowl contention, so his real life future is in doubt past this season. It’s difficult to be a top ten dynasty option if you might not be starting in the NFL past this season. 

The same goes for Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love. Fast forward to 2022… imagine Willis, Corral or Howell is taken No. 1 overall and is locked in as the future of the Texans, Giants or Lions. His stock in Superflex is going to ascend well above that of Hurts or Tagovailoa (or even Mac Jones or Zach Wilson for that matter) on their current trajectories, and that goes for any number of QBs taken in Round One of the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Overall, a lot will depend on the remainder of the season — both NFL and college — but there is room for several of the 2022 quarterbacks to leapfrog their way into the top ten of this list. 

And again, it’s too early to say for sure, but it feels as though this year’s quarterback class lacks that top-tier stud on the level of Herbert, Lawrence or Burrow, but there might be as many as five or six quarterbacks from this 2022 class who will eventually be vying for starting jobs early in their careers. 

For now, we wait and see. 

RUNNING BACKS

1. Najee Harris (21-PIT) 
2. Jonathan Taylor (20-IND) 
3. D’Andre Swift (20-DET)
4. Javonte Williams (21-DEN) 
5. Antonio Gibson (20-WFT)
6. Isaiah Spiller (22-Texas A&M)
7. J.K. Dobbins (20-BAL)
8. Kenneth Walker (22-Michigan State)
9. James Robinson (20-JAC)
10.  Travis Etienne (21-JAC)
11.  Breece Hall (22-Iowa State)
12.  Clyde Edwards-Helaire (20-KC) 
13.  Zach Charbonnet (22-UCLA)
14.  Cam Akers (20-LAR)
15.  Eric Gray (22-Oklahoma)
16.  A.J. Dillon (20-GB)
17.  Michael Carter (21-NYJ)
18.  Zamir White (22-Georgia)
19.  Chuba Hubbard (21-CAR)
20.  Kyren Williams (22-Notre Dame)
21.  Kenneth Gainwell (21-PHI)
22.  Khalil Herbert (21-CHI)
23.  C.J. Verdell (22-Oregon) 
24.  Elijah Mitchell (21-SF) 
25.  Jerrion Ealy (22-Ole Miss) 
26.  Trey Sermon (21-SF)
27.  Zack Moss (20-BUF)
28.  Rhamondre Stevenson (21-NE)
29.  Chris Rodriguez (22-Kentucky)
30.  Chris Evans (21-CIN)
31.  Brian Robinson (22-Alabama) 
32.  Zonovan Knight (22-N.C. State)
33.  Jaret Patterson (21-WFT)
34.  Larry Rountree (21-LAC) 
35.  Tyler Goodson (22-Iowa)

Najee Harris, Jonathan Taylor and D’Andre Swift are my top three from the combined dynasty rankings of the 2020-2022 classes, and I could make arguments for all three as the RB1 on this list. 

Taylor has come on in recent weeks, and might be the most talented pure runner of the three, but the presence of Nyheim Hines and the Colts heavy use of him in the passing game slightly caps the upside of Taylor in my eyes. 

Swift is sort of the opposite in that he is heavily involved in the passing game, but finding consistency on the ground with the Lions typically partaking in negative game scripts week in and week out does not help matters. 

In the end, Harris just receives such high volume in that Steelers offense, that he comes in at RB1 on this list for me. The sub-4.0 yards per carry for Harris for the season isn’t great, but it’s at least partly a product of Pittsburgh’s poor offensive line and inconsistent passing offense in general, both things that I believe Pittsburgh — perennially one of the NFL’s best run franchises — will work to fix starting this upcoming offseason. Imagine plugging Harris’ usage into a high-powered NFL offense… it would push Harris up towards the top of the overall RB rankings regardless of class. Hopefully the Steelers can find a franchise quarterback and improve the blocking up front early in Harris’ career. 

If Harris (or Swift or Taylor) is the benchmark, where does the RB class of 2022 fit in on this list? 

To me, A&M’s Isaiah Spiller is still the RB1 in the 2022 class despite the current tear Kenneth Walker is on at Michigan State so far this season. Both backs have throwback, prototypical lead back size, and both profile as players who could handle a heavy NFL workload. Landing spot will be key. 

I still have both 2022 backs slotted behind Javonte Williams. He has yet to really explode this season, but everyone can plainly see the future is bright for the former Tar Heel once Melvin Gordon is out of the picture in Denver (likely) after this season.

At this point in the year, I think I would also take Antonio Gibson ahead of any of the 2022 backs. I know it’s disappointing whenever J.D. McKissic steals Gibson’s touches in the passing game, but I think over the next two to three seasons Gibson will flourish if Washington finds a franchise quarterback and their offense can come together. 

After that point, I’m fine taking whichever of the 2022 backs you prefer whether that’s Spiller, Walker or Breece Hall from Iowa State. 

The remaining 2020 and 2021 RBs all have question marks about injuries or timeshare issues. Ideal landing spots in the 2022 NFL Draft could easily result in any number of the 2022 RBs leapfrogging the likes of Zack Moss, Michael Carter, Clyde Edwards-Helaire or even James Robinson or Travis Etienne in terms of dynasty value. We will just need to see what happens in the draft come springtime. 

In terms of sheer RB talent, I think the 2022 class is a little bit behind the classes of 2020 and 2021, especially at the top. However, as in any year, landing spots will determine how “deep” this 2022 RB class will end up being as NFL teams are really prioritizing youth (and cheap contracts) at the real-life RB position. 

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Justin Jefferson (20-MIN) 
2. CeeDee Lamb (20-DAL) 
3. Ja’Marr Chase (21-CIN) 
4. DeVonta Smith (21-PHI) 
5. George Pickens (22-Georgia)
6. Jerry Jeudy (20-DEN)
7. Rashod Bateman (21-BAL)
8. Garrett Wilson (22-Ohio State)
9. Treylon Burks (22-Arkansas)
10.  Chase Claypool (20-PIT)
11.  Drake London (22-USC)
12.   Jaylen Waddle (21-MIA)
13.  Tee Higgins (20-CIN) 
14.  Michael Pittman (20-IND)
15.  Elijah Moore (21-NYJ)
16.  Henry Ruggs (20-LV) 
17.  Justyn Ross (22-Clemson) 
18.  Chris Olave (22-Ohio State)
19.  Darnell Mooney (20-CHI)
20.  Rondale Moore (21-ARI)
21.  David Bell (22-Purdue) 
22.  Kadarius Toney (21-NYG) 
23.  Jahan Dotson (22-Penn State)
24.  Laviska Shenault (20-JAC)
25.  Brandon Aiyuk (20-SF)
26.  Terrace Marshall (21-CAR) 
27.  Romeo Doubs (22-Nevada) 
28.  Marquez Callaway (20-NO)
29.  Bryan Edwards (20-LV) 
30.  Dyami Brown (21-WFT) 
31.  John Metchie (22-Alabama)
32.  Jalen Tolbert (22-So. Alabama)
33.  Amon-Ra St. Brown (21-DET) 
34.  Van Jefferson (20-LAR) 
35.  Zay Flowers (22-Boston College)
36.  Jalen Reagor (20-PHI) 
37.  Jameson Williams (22-Alabama)
38.  Gabriel Davis (20-BUF) 
39.  Quintez Cephus (20-DET)
40.  Nico Collins (21-HOU)
41.  Ainias Smith (22-Texas A&M)
42.  Josh Palmer (21-LAC) 
43.  KJ Hamler (20-DEN) 
44.  Quez Watkins (20-PHI) 
45.  Anthony Schwartz (21-CLE) 
46.  Denzel Mims (20-NYJ) 
47.  D’Wayne Eskridge (21-SEA) 
48.  Tutu Atwell (21-LAR) 
49.  Jaelon Darden (21-TB) 
50.  Tyler Johnson (20-TB) 

If I was adding tiers to these combined class rankings, I would definitely have Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase in their own tier at the top together. 

The good news for WR-needy dynasty managers is that this 2022 class is loaded at the top in terms of receiver talent, and after the Jefferson-Lamb-Chase trio, there are some prospects coming out that are good enough to potentially join that next tier right away in my opinion. 

Georgia’s George Pickens is someone with the talent to be a true alpha receiver in the NFL, but the story during the pre-draft process regarding Pickens will be the torn ACL he suffered last spring. He has yet to suit up this season, but if healthy, he is an electric, physical talent. 

Garrett Wilson from Ohio State is someone who fits the mold of “modern” NFL receivers who win with separation and route-precision as opposed to physicality in contested catch situations. Wilson isn’t identical to receivers like Stefon Diggs or Calvin Ridley in terms of exact skill set, but they consistently win with their footwork and craftiness in how they run their routes just like Wilson has routinely shown in college. 

Arkansas’ Treylon Burks and Drake London of USC are two more first round talents at receiver coming out in 2022. Both have the size and contest catch ability to make big plays and absorb heavy target shares if their eventual NFL offenses allow it. Both Burks and London also possess surprising open-field athleticism as well, giving them a higher upside in my opinion than similarly framed prospects like Michael Pittman and Tee Higgins (who are very good players). 

Like the other positions, 2022 NFL Draft landing spots will help determine the eventual hierarchy of these receiver prospects and ultimately where they fit in the overall league rankings, but the level of talent at the position in 2022 is impressive even compared to the very good 2020 and 2021 classes. There are as many as seven 2022 receivers that I could see deserving a first round selection, and many more should get early chances to contribute. Wide receiver is definitely the strong suit of the 2022 draft as it pertains to fantasy football both in terms of high-end talent and overall depth. 

TIGHT ENDS

1. Kyle Pitts (21-ATL) 
2. Pat Freiermuth (21-PIT) 
3. Cole Kmet (20-CHI) 
4. Jalen Wydermyer (22-Texas A&M)
5. Trey McBride (22-Colorado State)
6. Adam Trautman (20-NO) 
7. Sam LaPorta (22-Iowa)
8. Jahleel Billingsley (22-Alabama) 
9. Tommy Tremble (21-CAR)
10.  Harrison Bryant (20-CLE)
11.  Hunter Long (21-MIA)
12.  Isaiah Likely (22-Coastal Carolina)
13.  Tre’ McKitty (21-LAC) 
14.   Jeremy Ruckert (22-Ohio State) 
15.  Austin Stogner (22-Oklahoma) 

There is no Kyle Pitts in this 2022 tight end class, but A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer is intriguing. He’s an imposing physical specimen at 6-5, 255 pounds and is an obvious red zone threat due to his frame and high-pointing skills. Where Wydermyer excels compared to the rest of this class is that he’s a willing and able blocker, giving him more pathways to higher snap-share at the next level. Obviously, Wydermyer (or any of the prospects) will need to land on a team where he is afforded an opportunity to produce fantasy numbers, but with how lean the past few tight end classes as been (aside from Pitts), I like Wydermyer as the No. 4 guy on my list. 

I love Pat Freiermuth. I loved him as a prospect coming out of Penn State, and I love him as a future TE1 in Pittsburgh over the long term once Eric Ebron and Juju Smith-Schuster move on this off-season. I still take Freiermuth and Cole Kmet over Wydermyer or any of the 2022 tight ends for that matter. Putting together combined dynasty rankings is especially tough when it comes to tight ends because they typically take a few years to develop, and both Freiermuth and Kmet’s clocks have already begun.

Trey McBride of Colorado State is one of my favorites from this 2022 class. He is a natural pass catcher who tracks the ball well and is more polished as a receiver than the typical big-bodied college tight end lumbering across the middle as a dump-off option against overmatched, future-insurance salesman linebackers. I think McBride’s skill set will translate to the NFL, but again, landing-spot will determine to what degree he can produce for fantasy. 

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Andrew Scherber

Your typical know-nothing wannabe who never played American football growing up, Andrew grew up playing the REAL football, dreaming of being the next Ronaldo (the Brazilian one).

One fateful day in 1998, Andrew was introduced to one, Randy Moss, who would almost singlehandedly vault American football to the forefront of a young twelve-year-old’s flimsy attention span.

Twenty-some years later, Andrew, now a father, coach and rabid Tottenham supporter, still loves both footballs.