How the 2022 Wolverines stack up from a fantasy football perspective

Last season, I played in my first-ever college fantasy football league. Some of you reading this may have actually been in the league (shoutout Jim). It was a chaotic and fun experience that left me with an unshakable feeling. What would the Michigan Wolverines look like as a fantasy football team? Would the fantasy production match the eye test?

I decided to crunch the numbers of a standard Michigan fantasy football lineup to see how the production would shake out on an average per game basis based on fantasy scoring metrics.

All scoring was calculated using a half-PPR scoring system under the guidelines from Fantasy Pros.

QB (1) J.J. McCarthy: 18.03

McCarthy bolstered his fantasy presence in large part due to his ball security and rushing ability. McCarthy only accounted for five interceptions during his first year as a starter and chipped in 306 rushing yards (most among Big Ten quarterbacks), and five rushing touchdowns.

RB (2) Blake Corum (11 games): 24.71; Donovan Edwards (11 games): 16.55

Corum shouldered a massive workload throughout the first 11 contests and was a lock to find the end zone at least once a game. Despite his season prematurely ending, Corum only finished two off the national lead for rushing touchdowns.

Edwards battled through injuries all season to still post respectable fantasy numbers. Although he touched the ball 100 fewer times than Corum, Edwards only finished 352 total yards off his pace.

WR (2) Ronnie Bell: 10.87; Cornelius Johnson: 7.14

As expected, Michigan’s receivers struggled to make a dent in fantasy production. Bell made the most significant impact because of his massive target share. Of Michigan’s three leading wide receivers, Bell accounted for 51 percent of the receptions.

Johnson was second to Bell at The position in terms of receptions and yards, but led the group with six receiving touchdowns.

TE (1) Luke Schoonmaker (12 games): 6.44

This was surprising for several reasons: 1) It feels too low, and 2) It is somehow still higher than Colston Loveland, even if you only factor in Loveland’s final six games. Schoonmaker was the ultimate safety blanket and a sneaky dynamic player with the ball in his hands.

FLEX (1) Roman Wilson (12 games): 7.50

Wilson has to be the front-runner among the receivers to take a leap in 2023. Last season, Wilson was a feast-or-famine player who excelled at making the big plays, but struggled to garner much volume. He barely averaged two catches per game.

K (1) Jake Moody: 11

It is only right that Money Moody was a double-digit scorer. While he only put up mediocre numbers from beyond 50 yards, Moody did blast a 59-yarder in the College Football Playoff and was DEADLY accurate inside 40 yards. He should receive bonus points for saving Michigan’s season against Illinois.

DEF/ST (1): 19.23 (factoring in the 10-point safety net)

The Michigan defense held 10 of its 12 regular season opponents to less than 20 points and only allowed one team all season to score more than 27. The defensive/special teams’ numbers were significantly increased due to touchdowns, interceptions and a plethora of sacks.

Total: 121.47 points

Can Michigan surpass this total in 2023?

Nationally, Team 143 ranked No. 6 in scoring offense and No. 24 in total offense. The defense ranked No. 7 in scoring and No. 6 in total defense. If the Wolverines incorporate a little more balance and explosion into their offense, Michigan could easily rise into the 130s this season.