super-1400-us.jpg
USATSI

Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts were the two best players in Super Bowl LVII. And just like Mahomes got the better of Hurts in the Chiefs' 38-35 victory over the Eagles on Sunday, Mahomes was also better for Fantasy managers as well, although both were fantastic.

Mahomes and Hurts had the highest win percentage of all players for Fantasy managers in 2022 on CBS Sports leagues. They were among four quarterbacks in the top 12 overall players, along with Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, and that should strengthen the argument for those Fantasy managers who want to draft quarterbacks early in 2023.

We will address that topic more this offseason. For now, let's focus on the win percentage data on CBS Sports leagues for 2022. It is based on players rostered in 60 percent or more of leagues on CBS Sports, which came to about 120 players when factoring in kickers and DSTs, and shows total wins and not Fantasy titles. Only commissioner leagues were considered with at least eight Fantasy teams or more.

Mahomes and Hurts were amazing this past season. Mahomes was the No. 1 Fantasy quarterback at 28.4 points per game, and Hurts came in at No. 3 behind Josh Allen (28.1) at 27.3 points per game.

While Mahomes was expected to be great -- he was the No. 14 overall player selected based on CBS Sports Average Draft Position data -- Hurts was somewhat of a bargain. He was the No. 5 quarterback drafted in Round 4 based on ADP, but he had a breakout campaign, which helped many Fantasy managers have a successful 2022.

The Super Bowl is now over, and we're all ready to move on to 2023. But first, let's examine the best players based on win percentage on CBS Sports leagues in 2022. We removed kickers and DSTs from this data, but here is how the other positions finished this past year. 

Quarterbacks

1. Patrick Mahomes 0.578
2. Jalen Hurts 0.576
3. Joe Burrow 0.558
4. Josh Allen 0.546
5. Justin Fields 0.519
6. Trevor Lawrence 0.504
7. Daniel Jones 0.503
8. Kirk Cousins 0.503
9. Jared Goff 0.503
10. Deshaun Watson 0.502
11. Geno Smith 0.498
12. Dak Prescott 0.497

The top four quarterbacks should come as no surprise. They were expected to be good Fantasy options this season based on their CBS Sports ADP (Mahomes was No. 14 overall, Hurts was a Round 4 pick, Burrow was a Round 5 pick and Allen was No. 8 overall). The rest of this group, however, were significant surprises.

Fields (No. 137), Lawrence (No. 125) and Goff (No. 150) were all drafted after pick No. 100 overall. And Jones, Watson and Smith weren't drafted at all. Cousins was Pick No. 97, and Prescott was No. 77.

While Fields didn't end the season on a high note -- he had one game with more than 19 Fantasy points after Week 11 -- he helped many Fantasy managers during the season. And he was likely on many rosters that made it to the Fantasy playoffs. The same goes for Watson, who was a late-season addition after his suspension ended in Week 13. 

Another big surprise were the quarterbacks who had losing records this season. The four worst quarterbacks who qualified for this study were Tua Tagovailoa (0.495 win percentage), Aaron Rodgers (0.469), Justin Herbert (0.467) and Tom Brady (0.465). This illustrates even more how much of a bust guys like Herbert, Brady and Rodgers were based on their ADP (Herbert was No. 22 overall, Brady was a Round 4 pick and Rodgers was a Round 6 pick).

Running Backs

1. Josh Jacobs 0.574
2. Austin Ekeler 0.550
3. Christian McCaffrey 0.547
4. Tony Pollard 0.540
5. Saquon Barkley 0.540
6. Jerick McKinnon 0.538
7. Derrick Henry 0.537
8. Nick Chubb 0.535
9. Kenneth Walker III 0.532
10. Rhamondre Stevenson 0.529
11. Miles Sanders 0.525
12. Tyler Allgeier 0.523

One of the players I was most wrong about this season was Jacobs. I thought he would share carries for new coach Josh McDaniels, but instead Jacobs led the NFL in rushing at 1,653 yards and was the No. 3 running back in PPR at 18.3 points per game. He definitely rewarded Fantasy managers who selected him in Round 4.

Ekeler (No. 4 overall), McCaffrey (No. 5 overall), Barkley (No. 22 overall), Henry (No. 2 overall) and Chubb (No. 17 overall) were all drafted in the first two rounds based on CBS Sports ADP, and all of them fulfilled their expectations as standout Fantasy options. Ekeler (20.8 PPR points per game) was the No. 1 running back, McCaffrey (20.1) was No. 2, Henry (18.1) was No. 4, Barkley (16.9) was No. 5 and Chubb (15.8) was No. 7.

Pollard was the No. 9 running back at 14.8 PPR points per game, and he was fantastic for the majority of the season as the best running back in Dallas. Stevenson also proved to be the best running back in New England, and he finished as the No. 11 running back in PPR at 13.8 points per game.

Walker (12.7) wasn't the best rookie in terms of his points per game because of Breece Hall (15.7), but he did have the best rookie campaign for all running backs in terms of total points. And Sanders rebounded from a dismal 2021 (9.7 PPR points per game) to help Fantasy managers in 2022 at 12.2 PPR points per game.

The other two running backs on this list were two of the top waiver wire additions in 2022. McKinnon proved to be the best Chiefs running back for Fantasy managers, and he scored at least 22 PPR points in three of his final five games, as well as catching a touchdown in six games in a row to close the regular season. 

And Allgeier took over as the lead running back in Atlanta, and he closed the season with at least 13 PPR points in each of his final four games. He could have a breakout campaign in 2023 if he remains the lead running back for the Falcons.

Some of the worst running backs in this study further illustrated the struggles of some of the best players prior to the season. The bottom five guys were Leonard Fournette (0.487 win percentage), David Montgomery (0.486), D'Andre Swift (0.485), Alvin Kamara (0.468) and Najee Harris (0.452). Dalvin Cook (0.496), Aaron Jones (0.496) and Joe Mixon (0.492) were also in the bottom 12 running backs for win percentage in 2022.

Cook (No. 8 overall), Harris (No. 9), Kamara (No. 13), Fournette (No. 21) and Swift (No. 24) were among the biggest busts this season based on their CBS Sports ADP. All of them averaged fewer than 13.3 PPR points per game. The only real surprise of this group was Mixon, who finished as the No. 5 PPR running back this year at 16.4 points per game.

But Mixon's numbers were skewed this year. He only had two games all season over 17.0 PPR points, which were Week 1 and Week 9 when he scored 54 PPR points against Carolina. Down the stretch, Mixon averaged just 13.0 PPR points per game in his final five outings.

Wide Receivers

1. Justin Jefferson 0.568
2. Tyreek Hill 0.564
3. A.J. Brown 0.552
4. Davante Adams 0.547
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown 0.541
6. Stefon Diggs 0.538
7. DeAndre Hopkins 0.532
8. CeeDee Lamb 0.524
9. Zay Jones 0.523
10. Ja'Marr Chase 0.521
11. Jaylen Waddle 0.520
12. DeVonta Smith 0.515

I love it when players deliver based on expectations. And that's what happened for Jefferson, Hill, Brown, Adams, Diggs and Chase. All of them were selected by Round 3 based on their CBS Sports ADP, and all of them finished in the top eight in PPR points per game. Jefferson (21.1) was the No. 2 receiver, Hill (19.9) was No. 3, Chase (19.7) was No. 4, Adams (19.4) was No. 5, Diggs (19.3) was No. 6, Lamb (17.2) was No. 7 and Brown (17.1) was No. 8. 

Hopkins was right behind that group at No. 9 at 16.3 PPR points per game. He came back from his six-game suspension and dominated, scoring at least 18 PPR points in five of his first six games. St. Brown also had a big season at 15.9 PPR points per game, and he was the No. 11 receiver in 2022. He was another player I didn't expect to produce as well as he did, but I'm glad I was wrong because I love his game.

The biggest surprise on this list is clearly Jones, and he had some huge moments for the Jaguars and Fantasy managers. He only averaged 11.9 PPR points per game for the season, but he scored at least 21 PPR points in three of his final seven games. Even if he didn't start for Fantasy managers during the playoffs, he was likely on a lot of successful rosters, which is why he's No. 9 here.

Some of the receivers who ended the season as busts are in the bottom 12 of the win percentage data as well, including Gabe Davis (0.494), Michael Pittman (0.493), JuJu Smith-Schuster (0.493), D.J. Moore (0.484), Mike Evans (0.483), Adam Thielen (0.478) and Deebo Samuel (0.472). Keenan Allen (0.480) also had a low win percentage, but that wasn't because of his performance. He averaged 15.9 PPR points per game, but he missed seven games due to injury.

Samuel, Evans, Pittman and Moore were among the more disappointing receivers this season since all of them were drafted in the first five rounds. Samuel was one of the biggest busts regardless of position since he averaged just 12.2 PPR points per game despite being selected at No. 22 overall based on his CBS Sports ADP.

Evans actually averaged 14.7 PPR points per game, but that's skewed by his 48-point outing in Week 17. Prior to that, he scored 10 PPR points or less in eight games during the year.

Pittman was one of my favorite breakout candidates prior to the season, but he averaged just 13.2 PPR points per game. He struggled with inconsistent quarterback play in Indianapolis, but hopefully he can rebound in 2023 with a more stable coaching staff.

And Moore averaged just 11.1 PPR points per game despite scoring a career-high seven touchdowns. He was great once Sam Darnold took over at quarterback, scoring at least 18 PPR points in three of his final four games. But prior to that, he had eight games with nine PPR points or less.

Tight Ends

1. Travis Kelce 0.566
2. Dallas Goedert 0.540
3. T.J. Hockenson 0.524
4. Evan Engram 0.523
5. Darren Waller 0.517
6. George Kittle 0.515
7. Mark Andrews 0.509
8. Dalton Schultz 0.503
9. Pat Freiermuth 0.502

There were only nine tight ends who qualified for this study, and Kelce was the No. 5 overall player in win percentage. Chances are if you had him on your roster you made it to the Fantasy playoffs and had a good chance to compete for a title. Kelce was significantly better than the tight end field at 18.1 PPR points per game compared to Kittle at No. 2 (12.9).

Kittle didn't really take off until the end of the season when Brock Purdy took over at quarterback for the 49ers in Week 13, and Kittle scored seven touchdowns in his final five games of the regular season. Andrews (12.3) was actually the No. 3 Fantasy tight end in points per game, but he felt more like a bust given his CBS Sports ADP at No. 26 overall. He struggled once Lamar Jackson (knee) got hurt in Week 13.

Goedert missed five games with a shoulder injury from Weeks 11-15, but he still managed 11.4 PPR points per game and remained on many successful Fantasy rosters. Just another Eagles player at the top of each list along with Hurts, Sanders, Brown and Smith, which is a big reason why Philadelphia played in the Super Bowl.

Hockenson averaged 12.1 PPR points per game for the season, but he was at 13.7 PPR points per game with the Vikings if you remove Week 18 when he didn't play much against Chicago. He was the No. 4 tight end in points per game and No. 3 here.

Engram was one of the best free agents in Fantasy and reality with his 2022 campaign in Jacksonville. He only averaged 9.9 PPR points per game for the season, but he scored at least 14 PPR points in four of his final six games to help Fantasy managers during the playoffs.

I'm surprised Waller had a successful win percentage since he only played in eight games this season due to a hamstring injury. Still, he scored at least 11 PPR points in four of those outings, including two during the Fantasy playoffs. Most likely, Fantasy managers with winning rosters stuck with Waller, which is why he finished in the top five at his position.

Overall Win Percentage Data

1. Patrick Mahomes 0.578
2. Jalen Hurts 0.576
3. Josh Jacobs 0.574
4. Justin Jefferson 0.568
5. Travis Kelce 0.566
6. Tyreek Hill 0.564
7. Joe Burrow 0.558
8. A.J. Brown 0.552
9. Austin Ekeler 0.550
10. Christian McCaffrey 0.547
11. Davante Adams 0.547
12. Josh Allen 0.546
13. Amon-Ra St. Brown 0.541
14. Tony Pollard 0.540
15. Dallas Goedert 0.540
16. Saquon Barkley 0.540
17. Stefon Diggs 0.538
18. Jerick McKinnon 0.538
19. Derrick Henry 0.537
20. Nick Chubb 0.535
21. DeAndre Hopkins 0.532
22. Kenneth Walker III 0.532
23. Rhamondre Stevenson 0.529
24. Miles Sanders 0.525
25. CeeDee Lamb 0.524
26. T.J. Hockenson 0.524
27. Tyler Allgeier 0.523
28. Zay Jones 0.523
29. Evan Engram 0.523
30. J.K. Dobbins 0.523
31. Ja'Marr Chase 0.521
32. Jaylen Waddle 0.520
33. Justin Fields 0.519
34. Darren Waller 0.517
35. Travis Etienne 0.516
36. D'Onta Foreman 0.516
37. DeVonta Smith 0.515
38. Tyler Lockett 0.515
39. George Kittle 0.515
40. Amari Cooper 0.513
41. Christian Kirk 0.513
42. Zonovan Knight 0.513
43. Brandon Aiyuk 0.512
44. Ezekiel Elliott 0.510
45. Christian Watson 0.509
46. Cam Akers 0.509
47. Mark Andrews 0.509
48. DK Metcalf 0.508
49. Garrett Wilson 0.506
50. Terry McLaurin 0.506
51. Chris Godwin 0.506
52. Rachaad White 0.506
53. Isiah Pacheco 0.505
54. Tee Higgins 0.505
55. Jamaal Williams 0.505
56. Chris Olave 0.504
57. Trevor Lawrence 0.504
58. Daniel Jones 0.503
59. Kirk Cousins 0.503
60. Jared Goff 0.503
61. Dalton Schultz 0.503
62. Deshaun Watson 0.502
63. Brian Robinson Jr. 0.502
64. A.J. Dillon 0.502
65. Donovan Peoples-Jones 0.502
66. Pat Freiermuth 0.502
67. Raheem Mostert 0.501
68. Marquise Brown 0.501
69. Drake London 0.499
70. James Conner 0.499
71. Geno Smith 0.498
72. Mike Williams 0.498
73. Dak Prescott 0.497
74. Latavius Murray 0.497
75. Jerry Jeudy 0.497
76. Dalvin Cook 0.496
77. Aaron Jones 0.496
78. Cordarrelle Patterson 0.495
79. Tua Tagovailoa 0.495
80. Jeff Wilson 0.494
81. Allen Lazard 0.494
82. Gabe Davis 0.494
83. Michael Pittman 0.493
84. JuJu Smith-Schuster 0.493
85. Joe Mixon 0.492
86. Devin Singletary 0.489
87. George Pickens 0.488
88. Darius Slayton 0.488
89. Leonard Fournette 0.487
90. David Montgomery 0.486
91. D'Andre Swift 0.485
92. D.J. Moore 0.484
93. Mike Evans 0.483
94. Tyler Boyd 0.481
95. Keenan Allen 0.480
96. Adam Thielen 0.478
97. Deebo Samuel 0.472
98. Aaron Rodgers 0.469
99. Alvin Kamara 0.468
100. Justin Herbert 0.467
101. Tom Brady 0.465
102. Najee Harris 0.452