Early 2022 Rankings, Donating Winnings, and Gerald Everett's Exclusive Fantasy Insights

The Fantasy Football season is officially over, but Fantasy players are already looking ahead to the new campaign. Those who play in seasonal formats are thinking about and who to draft in the first round or the first few rounds later in the summer of 2022. People who participate in keeper and dynasty leagues are beginning to consider how they may change the core of their rosters in advance of next season. Many dedicated Fantasy players will also participate in the NFL playoff leagues, including the NFL.com Playoff Challenge. Before we start to take an advance look at next season, though, we should stop to thank the players who make our game possible. Each year as we wrap on Seahawks Fantasy Insider, we encourage Fantasy players who won their league championships or finished among the top teams to donate to the selected charities of the guys that helped propel their squads to success. It is the most appropriate way to show appreciation for the players that boosted your team to a title. In Week 17 of the 2021 Fantasy Football season, three prominent Seahawks were key performers on many Fantasy championship teams. Here are their highlighted results and the charities they represent.-Rashaad Penny – led all running backs with 32.5 points on NFL.com, as he rushed for 170 yards and two TDs. – Autism Speaks. -DK Metcalf – Caught three TD passes and finished with 30.9 points – Prison Fellowship. -Russell Wilson – Topped all NFC quarterbacks and was second overall at QB with 27.8 points, as he was one of two with four TD passes – Why Not You Foundation. To show your gratitude to the players who made your Fantasy success possible, consider donating to their selected causes from your league winnings, as I have done and will do again this year. It is the best way to say “thank you” to the players who led us to Fantasy championship glory. Gerald Everett Helps Us Scout the Seahawks for Fantasy Football in 2022 Seahawks tight end Gerald Everett joined Fantasy Insider to give us his thoughts on many of his teammates in advance of the 2022 Fantasy Football season. In Week 16, Everett caught four passes for 68 yards and a TD, scoring a season-high 16.8 Fantasy Points. His performance was Top 3 among Fantasy tight ends for the week, sending many of those who started him into their league championship games. Everett was a Top 8 Fantasy TE on NFL.com in the final four weeks of the season. Fantasy players who want to thank Gerald Everett for helping them earn a spot in a Fantasy Super Bowl can consider making a donation to the Gerald Everett Foundation, which works closely with organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “It means a lot for Fantasy players to show some love to me, and for me to be one of the top Fantasy tight ends in recent weeks. It is a big deal to me and I couldn’t be more grateful,” Everett said. “My foundation revolves around the communities that don’t have the resources to have a chance of thriving in society, whether it’s children, minority races or anyone from any ethnic background that really struggles with having things accessible to them so they can be successful in the business world or in school.” Everett said his foundation was very prominent in the Los Angeles community, and when he became a Seahawk, he became very active in the Tacoma area. “I’m still looking for opportunities to give back to the community and my foundation is pivotal in doing that.” Everett is now firmly entrenched with the Seahawks after coming off the best season of his career, as he caught 48 passes for 478 yards and four TDs. Between Weeks 12 and 16, he caught TD passes in three games and had a pair of consecutive 60-plus yard outings. “That’s exactly what I saw coming over here,” Everett said of signing with the Seahawks, where he expected to be more involved in the passing game. But he also stressed that he wants to improve on his production with the team next season. “That’s what I continue to aim to do, to eclipse my stats and be the best tight end I can be.” Working in a passing game with wide receivers such as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Everett said, should continue to help him perform well. “We definitely complement each other as receivers and teammates. They specifically draw double coverages or different brackets. That allows me to be isolated on linebackers and lower-playing safeties, which makes me able to get a mismatch and man-to-man matchups.”Seahawks Fantasy Insider Spin: Between Weeks and 10 and 16, Everett had five double-figure PPR outings and emerged as a viable Fantasy starter. He can be even more comfortable in his second season with the Seahawks in 2022 and will likely be drafted as a Top 12 to 15 player at the position in many leagues. Like most Fantasy players, Everett was incredibly impressed by the late-season surge of Penny, who was the highest-scoring running back in Fantasy Football from Weeks 14 through 17. He scored 85.2 PPR points during that stretch, as he averaged 21.3 Fantasy Points Per Game. “Watching him from the moment I came in and playing against him for years, even going back to college, I saw what kind of work ethic he had. I saw his true burst and true speed up close and in person,” Everett said. Penny attended San Diego State and Everett went to South Alabama. “Even when he was battling injuries and on injured reserve he continued to battle and work.” Everett said Penny continued to persevere and the arrival of Adrian Peterson certainly helped Penny significantly when he returned to the field. “Having AP in his corner was nothing but a positive,” Everett said. “He’s definitely been pivotal in his success. Even myself, being a tight end, I’ve learned from Adrian about being a ball carrier. Adrian has been a big asset to us.”Seahawks Fantasy Insider Spin: Penny came on strong at the most important points of the Fantasy schedule and was a key performer on many championship teams. He will likely be drafted higher than ever in 2022. Penny has the upside of a Fantasy RB1. and we project him to be taken as a very promising Fantasy RB2 pick next season. Penny flashed explosive Fantasy form that has many excited about his potential for next year. He will certainly be a popular trade target in dynasty leagues after his tremendous finish to the 2021 NFL regular season. Through 17 weeks, DK Metcalf finished as WR13, just on the Fantasy WR1/WR2 cusp. Everett said that Metcalf’s three-TD day in Week 17 against Detroit could have been a four-TD outing. “I know it was definitely gratifying and satisfying for him. We see him make climb after climb, after each game, after each season. He’s getting better and better.” Everett said Metcalf is already an elite WR in the league, and he has continued to improve as an all-around receiver, as he can make plays at any point in the game, whether it’s downfield or even without the ball in his hands as a blocker. “Attracting two defensive players opens up windows for somebody else. He’s fast, strong, big, physical, and aggressive.” Everett said Metcalf is a “complete pro.”Seahawks Fantasy Insider Spin: Metcalf caught a career-high 12 TD passes in 2021. He has solidified himself as a top-end Fantasy WR2. When you consider that Metcalf is just 24 years old, it is very possible we may have not seen his best Fantasy season yet. Everett also told us to keep a watch on two teammates, TE Colby Parkinson and WR Dee Eskridge. “Colby’s definitely one of the bigger TEs that can run and block. He’ll take the next steps moving forward and will be someone to take note of.” On Eskridge, he said ‘the guy has all the tools it takes to be successful. Year one was a good-eye opener for him to get warmed up to how fast the game is, and the speed of everything.” Parkinson and Eskridge should both be on the radar of savvy dynasty league players. Parkinson has TD potential and Eskridge has promise as a playmaker who can challenge defenses in a variety of ways. Russell Wilson finished the 2021 season with seven TD passes in his final two games, and will be back in the conversation as a Top 10 Fantasy QB in 2022. It should also be noted that Jordyn Brooks finished second in the NFL with 183 tackles, as he emerged as a top performer in leagues that feature Individual Defensive Players. Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams should be among the prime players selected at their positions in IDP leagues next year.First Look: The Seahawks Fantasy Insider Fantasy Early Top 30 for 2022 Jonathan Taylor Austin Ekeler Cooper Kupp Davante Adams Derrick Henry Alvin Kamara Justin Jefferson Najee Harris Dalvin Cook Christian McCaffrey Tyreek Hill Joe Mixon Ja’Marr Chase Deebo Samuel Nick Chubb D’Andre Swift A.J. Brown Mark Andrews David Montgomery Travis Kelce Stefon Diggs Diontae Johnson Ezekiel Elliott Antonio Gibson George Kittle DK Metcalf CeeDee Lamb Javonte Williams Josh Allen Keenan Allen

Early 2022 Rankings, Donating Winnings, and Gerald Everett's Exclusive Fantasy Insights

Fantasy Insider Scott Engel reflects on the 2021 season and looks ahead to 2022.