After a brief retirement earlier this offseason, Tom Brady is returning for his 23rd NFL season. In the blink of an eye, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went from staring down the barrel at a potential rebuild, to reestablishing themselves as one of the top teams in the NFC. Brady is one of the few players in the NFL who can cause fortunes to be changed that quickly.
Fantasy owners will be overjoyed to know that there will be another top tier quarterback available on draft day as well. Brady is about as consistent as they come in terms of fantasy football production for quarterbacks, and you can count on solid performances from him on a weekly basis.
But as quarterbacks become more valuable for their rushing abilities, the 45-year old Brady obviously lacks in this area. How much does it truly limit his fantasy impact, though? Let's take a closer look at Brady's fantasy outlook for the 2022 season, including where he should be drafted.
Tom Brady's 2022 fantasy football outlook
Brady proved in 2021 that he simply does not age. He put together one of the best seasons of his career (485/719, 5316 YDS, 43 TD, 6 INT) and very nearly walked away with his fourth career MVP award. This was all despite him having a fairly limited supporting cast of playmakers after Antonio Brown forced his way out of Tampa, and Chris Godwin tore his ACL.
Heading into the 2022 season, Brady has a beefed up supporting cast that should help him guide the Buccaneers on a deep playoff run again. Godwin is back from his ACL injury, and Russell Gage and Julio Jones have been added to the equation at wide receiver. Mike Evans is still around and figures to be Brady's top target, and Leonard Fournette remains a dangerous pass catching option out of the backfield.
Brady has all the tools to succeed in 2022 after making due with a fairly limited offense last season. With that in mind, Brady still finished as the third best quarterback from a fantasy perspective last season. Even as quarterbacks continue to establish their value on the ground as dual-threat fantasy options, Brady's prowess in the air continues to be extremely valuable for fantasy owners.
Chances are that won't be any different in 2022. At this stage of his career, there's really no sense predicting a drop in performance from Brady, as he seems immune to age. He very nearly won MVP in his age 44 season; if he's still that productive now, there's really no telling when he will hit that wall, or if he will hit that wall.
Brady's value in terms of fantasy production does get limited by his inability to contribute anything on the ground. He will occassionally find his way into the end zone on the ground, but that's not exactly consistent production. Dual-threat options are going to go ahead of Brady, but for folks who like to wait before pouncing on a quarterback, Brady is the perfect option.
Heading into 2022, Brady is surefire top 10 fantasy football quarterback who will help any team he ends up on. He's still at the top of his game when it comes to passing, and unlike some of his fellow quarterbacks, he almost never misses games with injury. If you are looking for a consistent quarterback option, Brady is your guy.
In terms of risk associated with drafting Brady, there isn't much. He's in an offense built to allow him to succeed. The playmakers at his disposal are lethal, and his offensive line is among the best in the NFL. The only downside to Brady is that he offers nothing in terms of rushing, and compared to other quarterbacks, that can be a bit of a gamechanger.
Brady will be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in a lot of leagues based on his reputation alone. Chances are Brady is almost always going to be drafted too early, which means sane fantasy owners aren't going to get their hands on him. In fantasy drafts where quarterbacks are often less valuable than running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends, Brady should probably not get picked until rounds 8-10.
Brady may slip in some drafts where owners decide Brady isn't as valuable as other quarterbacks because he offers nothing on the ground. If he's still on the board in the tenth round and you can nab him, Brady would be an absolute steal. Most of the time he will be gone long before he should be because he is Tom Brady, but if he falls to a reasonable round, Brady still is one of the most consistent fantasy options at quarterback available, and will be a solid quarterback option for those who end up with him.
Follow Us
Subscribe