Running Back 21 – Dameon Pierce HOU
D. Pierce took the NFL world by storm and was one of the hottest waiver adds of early 2022. He more than delivered for fantasy football managers and finished as running back (RB) 31, despite being injured the last five games. He had 1,104 scrimmage yards, 30 receptions, and 5 touchdowns… not bad for a rookie. He also had a six week stretch of scoring 12.50 or more points, which is reliable even for RB1 standards. Pierce finds himself with a new Head Coach (DeMeco Ryans), new Offensive Coordinator (Bobby Slowik), and new quarterback (CJ Stroud). That much change will require studying a new playbook, learning new terminology, and getting a new rhythm. Although once the ball is in Pierce’s hands, it’s something as familiar as breathing for him.
Pierce also benefits from the one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Three first round picks, a second round pick, and a two time Superbowl champion will pave the way for Pierce… thats a lot of big man talent. On top of that newly signed tight end (TE) Dalton Schultz is a good ‘on the line’ TE which will help with outside running schemes. Pierce could finish higher, but fellow RB D. Singletary is also in the ‘Mano y Mano Top 40’ and he will ‘eat’ into Pierce’s 250 touches from last year. Pierce’s ADP is currently between RB 15-20. Accurately valued, depending on how your draft goes. Draft him as a dependable RB2.

Linebacker 21 – Ernest Jones LAR
E. Jones has shown flashes of brilliance in his young NFL career. Playing alongside Bobby Wagner for a year proved to be immensely helpful as his tackling numbers almost doubled. Jones finished with 114 tackles and dotted the stat board with 1s in other categories. Essentially, Jones was asked to be a tackling machine. With Wagner now back in Seattle (Gold and Blue didn’t look good on him anyway), Jones should be el jefe of the defense. To have 114 combined tackles is a great season, but he still finished outside the top 50 LBs. He will need to improve his overall playmaking skills, but particularly his pass coverage/reading. He has 3 interceptions and 6 passes defended in his career, with only 1 sack. The athleticism is there, and he is just entering his third year in the NFL. He is still learning, improving, physically growing, and benefits from being with Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris another year.
The Rams did not address their poor offensive line, and lost key playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. They will likely not be able to control the clock and will rely on a healthy Matthew Stafford to play superbly every week, which he is more than capable of. This benefits the defense as the L.A. Rams could have more defensive snaps than offensive. Jones is all over the place in professional rankings, but a LB2 seems like an appropriate end of season ranking, draft him late.

Thank you for reading Mano y Mano. Check in tomorrow for RB & LB #20. TOP TWENTY!!
Bet Smart, Be Lucky – Iggy

*Stats come from FantasyPros, Pro Football Reference, Sleeper, and NFL/Next Gen.
*Rankings are based on .5 PPR format and FF7s.