Want some bold fantasy football predictions for the 2023 NFL season? Then look no further. The season is almost here, so it’s time to have fun. I look into my Crystal Ball and tell you what will happen when the season ends.
The Sun God Breaks Records
Amon-Ra St. Brown is now tied with Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas with the most catches of any NFL player in their first two seasons combined. The 23-year-old crossed the 100-catch level last season and seems destined for a lot more. This year, he looks to take on an even more prominent role in what should be a highly productive Detroit Lions offense. While Detroit has a lot of talent, they are littered with brand-new faces.
Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Sam LaPorta will all be on the field a ton this year. When you combine the talent, production, and familiarity with quarterback Jared Goff, St. Brown has a great chance of catching the 129 receptions needed to set a three-year record. He will do it, catching 135 passes and finishing as a top 3 WR.
Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, and now Garrett Wilson
Much like St. Brown, Wilson has been a summer riser in ADP. He is routinely selected at the end of the first round and in the early second round of fantasy drafts. Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year last season despite the choppy quarterback play he had to deal with.
He goes from catching passes from a mash crew in 2022 to being the preferred target of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. No WR has a more significant upgrade at QB than Wilson does with Rodgers.
Last season, Wilson had 147 targets, a massive number for a rookie. This year, look for him to continue seeing an impressive target total but also thriving in another stat fantasy managers love: TDs. Wilson will be the next in a long line of WRs thriving in a Rodgers-led offense. Davante Adams had a 13-touchdown catch season and an 18-touchdown catch season. Jordy Nelson posted seasons with 13, and 14 TD touchdown catches. Wilson has next.
Wilson will catch 14 of them and lead the NFL while tying Brandon Marshall for most TD catches ever from a Jet. Wilson will be a top-five pick in fantasy drafts a year from now.
Justin Herbert Leads the NFL in Passing Yardage and Touchdown Passes
We saw Justin Herbert pass for more than 5,000 yards two seasons ago, so this is not a significant stretch. Last season, Herbert was drafted as the QB2 overall but failed to deliver the smash season drafters were banking on. This offseason has been nothing but positive vibes for Herbert.
LA added a significant upgrade at offensive coordinator with Kellen Moore arriving from Dallas. The Chargers drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round, adding him to a healthy Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The ever-reliable Austin Ekeler– last season’s RB1 overall- is also back. Most importantly, Rashawn Slater returns from an injury-riddled 2022 season, giving Herbert his most talented lineman.
Herbert has league-winning potential.
Look for the 25 year-old Herbert to have his finest season as a Pro, finishing first in three QB Categories- passing yards, pass attempts and TD passes.
Bonus: Kellen Moore will be a head coach after one season as Chargers OC.
Year Two WRs are Cheat Code: The 2022 Class is Special.
Wilson is not the only Year 2 WR set to impact the 2023 season significantly. Last season’s rookie class of WRs exceeded expectations. This year, look for them to ascend even further. Multiple players are in fantastic situations, and they will rise to the occasion and thrive. Six Year 2 rookie WRs will finish as WR24 or better (Wilson, Chris Olave, Christian Watson, Drake London, Jahan Dotson, George Pickens). Treylon Burks will nearly make it seven, as he finishes as WR30.
Rookie TE SZN: Kincaid and Friends Make Immediate Impacts
They told us not to draft rookie TEs since the dawn of time. The “I told you so” wing of fantasy has had season after season of success with this rule. In the NFL, rules are made to be broken if you wait long enough. This year, look for multiple rookie TEs to hit.
Dalton Kincaid will outscore 2021 Kyle Pitts, finishing with 180 PPR Points. Kincaid will receive 95 Targets and catch 7 TD passes. He will finish as a top 6 fantasy TE and crush his ADP. He will not be the only rookie TE to break out immediately. Sam LaPorta will finish inside TE1 land as TE11 Overall, and Luke Musgrave will finish as TE15. Michael Mayer will be a second half of the season waiver wire add and make an impact late. This class is legit.
The Curse of the Year 7 RB. Start Spreading the News about this year’s RB1 Overall
No RB in their 7th season in the league has finished as the RB1 Overall for two decades, and this season will not be any different. Neither Austin Ekeler nor Christian McCaffrey will finish inside of the top 3 RB scorers in fantasy and keep the streak alive. Look for new challengers for their first RB1 overall finish to emerge, as Bijan Robinson, Nick Chubb, Tony Pollard, and Jahmyr Gibbs will all return value at ADP. Ultimately, a two-time RB1 finisher will emerge in the end, as Saquon Barkley holds off the challengers to finish as the overall winner for the first time since his Rookie campaign.
