The 2022 fantasy football season is underway as drafts fire off across the nation, meaning now is the time to dive into Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White’s ADP to determine whether or not fantasy managers are receiving a value in their fantasy football drafts. Stepping into a powerful offense, can White carve out a significant role as the No. 2 RB in 2022?
Rachaad White ADP | Is he worth his current price in fantasy drafts?
Coming into the prime of fantasy draft season as the RB53, White has an ADP of 186 in PPR, coming off the boards around the middle of the 16th round, according to FantasyPros ADP. For reference to his teammates, White is being drafted around 14 rounds later than the RB13 Leonard Fournette (ADP 24) and is 88 spots higher than the RB76 Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
In PFN’s 2022 fantasy football redraft rankings, White is ranked as the RB48 with an overall rank of 126. However, this does not reflect being down on Fournette, who is still the RB9. White is a very talented RB who can help in not only the rushing game but also the receiving game, which is where he is likely to find his most value for fantasy managers.
White is not going to come in and steal the job away from Fournette. He was sensational last year as the RB6 overall and RB4 in points per game at 18.3. Instead, White should be a complementary piece to Fournette, subbing in on early downs at times and taking reps in the passing game out of the backfield.
On a team that led the NFL in pass rate (67%), that’s a role worth coveting come draft day for fantasy. Those who select Fournette as one of their first two picks might want to reach up a round early to ensure they have the proper handcuff in White as protection.
Rachaad White’s projected fantasy value in 2022
White has a pedigree and body of work that suggests he should quickly get up to speed in the NFL. White rushed for 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns on 183 carries (5.5 ypc) this past season. Adding to his résumé, he caught 43 of 48 targets for 456 yards and another score. His 16% target share was the second-highest in the 2022 class. Accounting for 1.97 yards per team play in his two seasons, White was one of the more impactful RBs in the Pac-12.
He was one of my first draft crushes of the last cycle, as I loved what he had on film … all but his contact balance. White went down far too much on light contact for someone his size. However, that is absolutely coachable, and all reports from OTAs and training camp have been glowing for White.
As far as his impact, White will play second fiddle to Fournette. He is one of the few workhorse RBs in the NFL. From Weeks 4-14, Fournette played less than 61% of the team’s snaps in only two games. Over that same stretch, he averaged 19.7 touches and 103 total yards per game as the RB5 in fantasy. Fournette also led all running backs in targets (63) and was fourth in receiving yards (344).
White is not taking that away. What he will do is give the Buccaneers an NFL-ready RB2 to take the place of Ronald Jones, who failed to latch onto the job but did see a 31.6% rush share last year (129 carries). I’d set that as the floor for White in 2022 but with the possibility for 30 or more targets.
Amongst the mid-range group of RBs in drafts, the landing spot plus potential role pushes him slightly higher for me than the consensus. As an RB4/5 in a PPR league, White is a perfect upside pick at his current ADP for fantasy in 2022.
