After researching all 32 teams over the past two months (you can find all 32 of my team outlooks in our fantasy football draft kit), it’s time to find some potential players with previous success that fall into the comeback category.
In my sleeper and deep sleeper articles, I wrote about Jameis Winston and Mitchell Trubisky. Both players fall into the comeback category as well.
QB Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers
After a trade to the Panthers, Mayfield falls into his best passing opportunity in his fifth year in the NFL. In his time with the Browns, his completion rate (61.6) came in well below his expected accuracy in college (68.5%) while playing in a run-first offense. With a high-volume pass-catching at his service with Carolina, he will complete more passes and make more significant plays.
DJ Moore already has an established floor in receiving yards over the past three seasons (1,175, 1,193, and 1,157), but Mayfield needs to squeeze more scoring out of him (12 career touchdowns in 63 games). Robbie Anderson helps at WR2, and Terrace Marshall has the talent to add another dimension to the Panthers’ passing attack in his sophomore season.
A healthy Christian McCaffrey is a must for Mayfield to reach starting quarterback consideration in the fantasy market. He is +1,400 at SI Sportsbook in late July. Based on his receiving talent, Mayfield should outperform his QB3 status in the early draft season in the high-stakes market. I expect him to pass for over 4,000+ yards for the first time in his career with a run at 30 touchdowns.
RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
The only thing McCaffrey needs to do to win the comeback player of the year award (+1000) is to stay healthy for at least 15 games. He is a beast in the Panthers' starting lineup, with exceptional value in yards, catches, and scoring. In the fantasy market, McCaffrey would be a stronger consideration for the first overall pick if he didn’t miss 23 games over the last two years. When your starting point is the best in the game, 10-to-1 odds seem almost too good to be true. CMC is my bet to win the award in 2022.
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