The NFL off-season is in full swing, and good gracious it is dizzying. Every new day means more confounding trades, more questions creeping into our minds and more fantasy managers left trying to make sense of it all.
Luckily, I’m already convinced the following players are going to have stellar 2023 fantasy seasons. To be clear, I’m not talking about players that are unanimous top selections, like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, Travis Kelce or others in the highest echelon. I’m talking about ascending players who deserve your vote of confidence.
Trevor Lawrence (QB-JAX)
Trevor Lawrence is entering his third year in the league, his second with current Jaguars Head Coach Doug Peterson, and expectations couldn’t be higher. After a trying rookie season, during which Lawrence finished as the QB23, he followed up with a solid sophomore year and posted an overall QB8 finish. He increased his completion percentage from 59.6% to 66.3% and improved in nearly every statistical category. He’ll enter the season with more weapons than ever, including his top 3 targets from 2022: Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram. He’ll also have a healthy Travis Etienne, with a year of pro experience under his belt, and an upstart Calvin Ridley joining the crew. I’m expecting a QB8 finish to be his floor this season.
Chris Olave (WR-NO)
Olave is now the undisputed WR1 in the Big Easy. He had an unbelievable rookie season, despite playing with sub-par QBs in Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. The Saints signed Derek Carr this off-season. While Carr won’t solve every issue, he’ll certainly provide Olave with more opportunity to blow this league away. If he can finish as the WR24 in 2022, Olave can enter the top-15 in 2023. There’s virtually no competition for targets and Olave finished as the WR24 with only 4 TDs in just 15 games. If he can increase his total TDs, there’s little chance he doesn’t continue his ascension this season.
Terry McLaurin (WR-WAS)
Scary Terry has been in the league long enough to both win and lose the confidence of fantasy managers. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a WR who has done more with less. After a season with Taylor Heinecke and Carson Wentz under center, McLaurin posted his best fantasy finish ever in 2022. The Commanders are reportedly excited to go into the 2023 season with Sam Howell under center. The truth is that it really doesn’t matter who the QB is for Washington, and you should use the tepidness of other managers against them. McLaurin finished as the WR18 in .5-PPR leagues and is currently the WR24 in pre-draft rankings. In my opinion, there’s no reason to doubt that McLaurin will beat his current ranking, and there’s certainly an argument to be made that he’ll surpass even the loftiest of expectations.
David Montgomery (RB-DET)
Montgomery has never been a player than anyone has wanted to take early in fantasy drafts. He’s just not exciting, but that’s partially because he’s always played for the nauseatingly bad Chicago Bears, who’ve been nearly devoid of fantasy studs until this past season with Justin Fields. Montgomery left the Windy City for Detroit this off-season and he’ll look to take over the Jamaal Williams role in the Lions offense. That role, in case you missed it, led to 1,066 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs for Williams. Williams’s next best marks were 601 rushing yards in 2021 and 4 TDs in 2017. In other words, opportunity trumps talent. Williams now plays for the New Orleans Saints. The Lions offense is ascending and Montgomery now has a massive opportunity in front of him. Forget what you think of him from his time in Chicago, he’s going to go off in 2023, even if he doesn’t match Williams’s efforts. Yes, he’ll have to hope D’Andre Swift continues his streak of injuries, but Montgomery will see plenty of touches no matter what. I’m not expecting 17 TDs, but at RB24 in pre-draft rankings, it’s illogical to pass on him in drafts.
Miles Sanders (RB-CAR)
Miles Sanders had a career year in 2023, rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 rushing TDs. He also did that while competing against Jalen Hurts for goal-line touches. Sanders now plays for the Carolina Panthers, a team that helped the forgotten D’Onta Foreman revive his career with just under 900 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs over 11 games as a starter. The Panthers brought back their entire offensive line and they’ll get their choice of rookie QBs with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Sanders is the RB21 in pre-draft rankings but he could truly finish with some absurd numbers. Chuba Hubbard is a non-threat and Head Coach Frank Reich helped Jonathan Taylor become the overall RB1 in fantasy drafts. After tallying 259 rushing attempt in 2022, Sanders is more than capable of handling the workload that’s going to be asked of him. Of all the RBs in his draft range, he’s the only one who truly has the chance of finishing in the top-5 at the position.
T.J. Hockenson (TE-MIN)
Hockenson isn’t just a player I’m sold on in 2023, he’s a player I’m sold on to finish atop his position group. Travis Kelce has been the unquestioned top TE for almost a decade, but Hockenson’s time has come. He’s in his mid-20s and has the right amount of NFL experience to make him truly in his prime. He’s also got the opportunity to take the next step. After being dealt to the MInnesota Vikings last season, he averaged 8.6 targets a game. He finished the season as the TE2 overall. His value to the Vikings will only grow this season. Long-time stalwart Adam Theilen is now a Carolina Panther and Hockenson is the best bet to take on any vacated red zone targets. With Kelce already considering the end of his career, and with Hockenson currently sitting as the TE4 in pre-draft rankings, I’m passing on TE until I get to Hockenson in every draft. He’s the future undisputed TE1.