Fantasy football 2022 - what you need to know before you draft

Nobody has a more stacked lineup of fantasy football analysts and NFL team reporters than ESPN. It's the rare «backfield by committee» that is actually a good thing for fantasy managers.

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Throughout the preseason, our NFL Nation reporters have answered the most pressing fantasy questions. This column is designed to close the loop on things as you make final preparations for your fantasy draft.

If you are a little late getting started on your draft prep or simply didn't have time to sift through every training camp report and review the all-22 film from every preseason game this summer, don't worry. We've got you covered with the most fantasy-relevant developments around the NFL over the past five weeks to get you caught up.

Let's start with the best news first. We've had nothing but glowing reports on the health and «explosiveness» of elite fantasy running backs, like the Carolina Panthers' Christian McCaffrey, Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry and New York Giants' Saquon Barkley, as they recover from significant injuries. Of course it's fair to be scared off by their recent injury histories and career mileage. But if you wanted an excuse to bet on their tremendous upsides, you got it this summer.

The news has been mostly positive with Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, too (despite their signing of veteran RB Kenyan Drake). But his status for Week 1 is still undecided, so it might take a few weeks before he's back to a full workload. Jacksonville Jaguars RB James Robinson is also expected to be eased back into action in Week 1.

There is a tad more uncertainty surrounding the recovery status of New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas