Dynasty 3rd-Year Breakout Candidates 2.0

I covered one quarterback and three running backs in Part 1 of my Dynasty 3rd-Year Breakout Candidates, now I’ll get into some other positions. Here I’ll cover three wide receivers and one tight end who all have a chance to take a step forward in 2022. Let’s get right into it with Dynasty 3rd-Year Breakout Candidates 2.0.

Michael Pittman Jr. – Colts

Here’s the first wide receiver and one of my favorites, Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman had flashed his rookie year with Phillip Rivers catching 40 of 61 targets for 503 yards and a touchdown in 13 games. Last season the Colts traded for Carson Wentz and Pittman was a fantasy name everyone quickly knew as he more than doubled all of his stats from the previous year. He led the Colts in targets with 129, 88 receptions, 1,082 yards, and six touchdowns. He paced the receivers and the next wideout was 698 yards behind him. 

Now, this season Pittman will be on his third quarterback in three years with Matt Ryan and will be his best quarterback to date that he’s played with. With Zach Pascal now in Philadelphia, there is at the moment, no competition for targets, and Pittman has a chance to put up at the very least high-end WR2 numbers. Not to mention, there really wasn’t anyone as the Colts WR2 to compete with even with Pascal. I love the addition of Ryan to the offense and am banking on a true breakout from Pittman himself. 

Darnell Mooney – Bears

Next up is Darnell Mooney, another wide receiver who surpassed Allen Robinson as the WR1 for a bad Chicago Bears offense. Mooney was tied for 10th in the league in targets last year. He finished the season as the WR25 in PPR scoring. Mooney had a very up-and-down season with rookie quarterback Justin Fields, but by season-end, they had a connection, and that connection looks to continue going into the 2022 season.

Does Mooney have the opportunity to be a WR1 in fantasy? Absolutely! With the 4.38 speed and the arm of Justin Fields, this could be the junior version of Patrick Mahomes to Tyreek Hill. This off-season will be the building of a true relationship between Fields and Mooney. Currently the WR29 in dynasty right now, he has me ecstatic for what could be the next step in his career. If Mooney can continue to rise, there could be another WR1 added to the fantasy landscape. 

Brandon Aiyuk – 49ers

After a stellar rookie year, Brandon Aiyuk was put more on the back burner to begin last season. We were all excited about him last year and were drafting Aiyuk over Deebo Samuel, and that hurt us this year. We were told Aiyuk wasn’t ready for football and just wasn’t performing until the second half of the season, showing us a bit of what we saw from his rookie year. The San Francisco 49ers have a trend of third-year breakouts in George Kittle, some defensive players, and last year’s breakout wide receiver in Samuel. This year would only make sense for it to be Aiyuk right? We all saw it last season as Samuel was getting the ball and being used more in the backfield than a wide receiver. How long will it last before he gets hurt? Will he get hurt? I hope not, but defenses tend to trend and catch on to what teams do.

Aiyuk has the YAC ability to post some meaningful fantasy lines in 2022 and carry his playoff momentum into the season. Also, because of starting in Shanahan’s doghouse for the first half of last season, he is being drafted after Kittle and Samuel and has the chance to be a contributing receiver in this offense and for years to come.

Cole Kmet – Bears

The top tight end drafted in this class, we all had an idea of what kind of player Cole Kmet could be as we scout nuts knew he was a hell of a blocker and an important part of the passing game. Crazy enough that the Chicago Bears used their first 2020 pick, which was 43rd overall in the second round on Kmet. They knew what they were getting, and we have seen many improvements over the first two seasons that he is due for a breakout. More than doubling his targets from his rookie year, he became a significant part of this offense. As long as Jimmy Graham doesn’t return, the red zone targets should increase for Kmet. He had no receiving touchdowns last year, and that will change as Fields will be the starting quarterback going forward. 

The hype around Kmet is heard, but it’s not as loud as someone like Albert Okwuegbunam. I like the player, but there are so many options around him, that he will at best be the fifth option in the Denver Broncos offense. We all had Adam Trautman high in our tight end rankings last season, and he showed flashes, but he was far from consistent. With Jameis Winston at the helm of the offense and Michael Thomas coming back, Trautman should be a bench piece and held on to. Most of this class can be dropped, but in deeper leagues, hold on to Josiah Deguara and Harrison Bryant as they could be bye-week replacements. Everyone else can be dropped.

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