Pump or Dump 2022 – AFC NORTH

Draft Season is here! Bestball Leagues are flowing! The NFL Preseason is upon us. Drafthustle is here to get you ready to dominate your drafts and get to the money and the trophies! This is part of a series I am titling "Pump, Stump and Dump". From each team, I will be choosing one player I am high on (Pump), and one player I am avoiding in fantasy drafts for the 2022 season (Dump). You can check out my rankings here!

Baltimore Ravens

PUMP – Rashod Bateman, WR

Underdog ADP – WR25, #54 Overall

DH Rank – WR22

Rashod Bateman is in a dream spot in terms of opportunity. Marquise Brown leaving opens up about 25% of the Ravens target share in a very narrow passing tree, which we love in fantasy. I am not a huge fan of him in the 5th round unless I nab Lamar Jackson in the 4th and can completed the Ravens stack. I do miss the early days when he was going in the 7th round, though.

DUMP – J.K. Dobbins, RB

Underdog ADP – RB21, #55 Overall

DH Rank – RB22

Of the 5 Baltimore Ravens who currently have a 5th round ADP, J.K. Dobbins is my least favorite. He is coming off an ACL tear for starters, and the rumors or the Ravens easing the RBs back in slowly doesn’t sit right with me. I prefer to be in on RBs in the 2nd year after an ACL tear, so I will be all in on Dobbins in 2023, but for now I prefer to pass on him.

Cincinnati Bengals

PUMP – Hayden Hurst, TE

Underdog ADP – TE24, #181 Overall

DH Rank – TE22

Hayden Hurst is yet another TE2 that is connected to an elite QB, and those are my favorite targets in drafts. Hayden is no longer under the shadow of Kyle Pitts, and he should get a decent target share as he replaces C.J. Uzomah in the high-powered Bengals offense. He in the mix of several other late round TEs to pair together and hope for a weekly starter.

DUMP – Tee Higgins, WR

Underdog ADP – WR10, #24 Overall

DH Rank – WR19

When it comes to Tee Higgins vs Ja’Marr Chase, I’m firmly on #TeamChase, so the current 2nd round ADP for Higgins is something I cannot get behind. Chase showed in one year (after taking a full year off) that he is the better prospect as well as the superior player to Higgins. Unless the ADP for Higgins drops significantly, I will only be able to acquire him in auctions leagues because the 2nd round is too rich for my blood.

Cleveland Browns

PUMP – Nick Chubb, RB

Underdog ADP – RB13, #26 Overall

DH Rank – RB9

Nick Chubb is arguably the best “pure runner” in the league, but that doesn't make him an elite RB in the fantasy community. The current state of affairs around the Cleveland Browns team is partly the reason for the current ADP of Chubb, and I love it. Having a top 10 caliber RB fall to the third round makes it easier to draft a WR or 2 in the 1st few rounds. The Browns still have one of the best offensive lines in the league, and if the Browns are without Deshaun Watson for a lengthy time, he will get carries early and often.

DUMP – Amari Cooper, WR

Underdog ADP – WR30, #60 Overall

DH RANK – WR30

This one is pretty self-explanatory. With Deshaun Watson most likely set to serve a suspension, all of the Browns’ pass catchers take a hit. Amari Cooper being drafted as the WR30 sounds about right and may even be a little low. But going at the 5/6 turn is way too high given the uncertainty of the Browns QB situation.

Pittsburgh Steelers

PUMP – Diontae Johnson, WR

Underdog ADP – WR19, #40 Overall

DH Rank – WR14

I have doubted Diontae Johnson for the past two years, and I have learned my lesson. Whether his QB has been noodle arm Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, or Duck Hodges, Diontae has found a way to produce. I see no reason for that to change this year with either Mitchell Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett under center. I find myself taking Diontae Johnson a lot in the third round as my WR1 when I start RB/RB, and I am perfectly fine with that start.

DUMP – None

Underdog ADP – N/A

DH RANK – N/A

After 100+ bestball drafts so far, I find myself with quite a few Steelers on my teams because they are all able to be drafted a good value. Najee Harris will get the workload to justify him being drafted as a top 5 RB. Pat Freiermuth has shown the TE upside to be drafted as a quality low end TE1. Chase Claypool’s big play ability makes him an ideal WR4 with WR3 upside any given week.

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