Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates: Kadarius Toney, Chris Olave, Christian Watson

Welcome to another installment of our Featured Pros series here on FantasyPros.com. This time, we’re zeroing in on a group of gridiron warriors who may not have made many headlines yet, but we believe they’re on the cusp of stardom. Get ready to ride the wave of potential with our carefully handpicked 24 Breakout Candidates.

Our collection of fantasy experts is here to give you an edge in your fantasy football league by identifying the hidden gems and rising stars before anyone else. We’re talking about players who could very well be the unsung heroes of your team this year, the ones who might transform from a last-minute draft pick into your top point scorer.

They’ve combed through stats, analyzed performance trends, and predicted potential opportunities for these promising players. From high-risk, high-reward gambles to those poised for steady growth, these 24 candidates have the potential to make a substantial splash in the 2023 season.

Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates

Here are players on the precipice of breaking out in 2023.

“It’s probably too easy to choose Chris Olave, but he is my pick. Last year, he was one of only seven wide receivers to average a 60-percent catch rate and over 14 yards per catch with over 100 targets. He did all of that with mediocre quarterback play. Derek Carr is an upgrade to the Saints’ 2022 quarterbacks and certainly throws a more accurate deep ball. Expect 2023 to be the first of many top-10 fantasy seasons for Olave.”
– Ryan Weisse (Club Fantasy FFL)

“Chris Olave topped the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie but scored only four touchdowns and finished WR25 in PPR scoring. There’s a good chance we’ll get a full breakout from Olave in 2023 and a finish in the WR1 range. Olave has blazing speed and is already one of the NFL’s better route runners. He gets a QB upgrade, going from Andy Dalton to Derek Carr, who should be able to leverage Olave’s wheels better. Last season, Carr averaged 9.1 intended air yards per pass attempt last season, according to Pro Football Reference, the fourth-highest in the league. Dalton averaged 7.9 intended air yards per pass attempt last season. Expect Olave to quickly become Carr’s go-to guy and start finding the end zone more often.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

“This is close between Chris Olave and Christian Watson, but since Olave gets drafted a lot higher on average, let’s roll with Watson here. Watson has the makings of a Deebo Samuel. He’s 6-4, runs a 4.28 forty, runs the football like Deebo, and Aaron Rodgers just fast-tracked Watson last season, essentially making him schooled to the tune of a second or third-year player. I actually really like Jordan Love this year, and I think he and the Packers will turn heads (considering the expectations). Watson could be a 1,300+ receiver with well over 10 total scores in 2023.”
– Smitty (TheFantasyFootballShow)

“After two disappointing, injury-ravaged seasons, it’s time Kadarius Toney finally produced as the first-round talent he was drafted as. The Chiefs have a major lack of receiving weapons, but that didn’t hurt them last year. With JuJu Smith-Schuster out the door, it’s fair to expect Toney can transition into that WR1 role and be central to Patrick Mahomes alongside Travis Kelce. A strong WR2 season is on the cards if the youngster can stay healthy and make the most of his opportunity.”
– Ben Wasley (The Fantasy First Down)