The first formal step toward preparing for the 2023 fantasy football season is always going to be completing your personal rankings. I say formal because there really is never a true beginning or end. Instead, it is just one ongoing cycle of following the news and staying up to date. But before you truly move forward, your 2023 fantasy football ranks must be complete.
It is important to remember that there will be multiple iterations and your rankings will be an ever-evolving entity, but you have to start from somewhere. When drafting, it is important to stay up to date with what the market is doing as it also allows you to evaluate your rankings against the ADP to find both potential value and pitfalls. With that being said, let us take a look at three quarterback values when looking at their current ADP (as of 6/26 via Fantrax).
ADP vs. Ranks – 3 Quarterbacks Values
DeShaun Watson, Cleveland Browns, 74.29
Once we get into this territory from a quarterback perspective, it is really one step above streaming. You likely will be drafting a second quarterback and playing the matchup game on a weekly basis and while Watson is the 10th quarterback off the board, there is a clear path for him to finish the season in the top five.
If things do not work out where you end up drafting one of the top quarterbacks, Watson currently only requires an early seventh-round selection, and by that point, your nucleus of running backs and wide receivers should already be formed. By the same token, Watson is not an easy quarterback to evaluate and there are a lot of different factors in play.
For better or worse, but certainly for the sake of simplicity, let us just focus on the action on the field. After not playing in 2021, Watson returned to action for six games last season and he looked like a player who had missed a year and a half of playing time and was joining a new team mid-season. To say there was rust would be an understatement as Watson completed just 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Watson did pick up 175 yards on the ground so that will continue to be a factor in his game and it certainly is a good thing for his fantasy value. Previously, Watson was durable and in the three full seasons he has played, has never passed for less than 3,852 yards and 26 touchdowns.
With Nick Chubb in the running game and strong receiving threats in Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and David Njoku, we should see a resurgence from Watson. He offers as much upside as an of the quarterback values I cover in this article.
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets, 99.21
I want to be excited about Rodgers in New York and I am not the only one. Far from it in fact, but we have seen this story with the Jets too many times to count. But, I digress. This is supposed to be about the facts as they relate to fantasy football and not my own demons as a Jets fan.
We know that Rodgers’ career is going to end in Canton and he is not that far removed from winning an MVP, so do we truly believe there are 13 quarterbacks better?
In a 2022 season that was almost doomed from the start for Rodgers, he still managed to throw for 3,695 yards and 26 touchdowns without much in the way of receiving threats. Things should be very different for the veteran signal-caller this year as he, very clearly, wanted to be in New York for the 2023 season and is also highly motivated.
While the offensive line does come with some questions, Rodgers has legitimate weapons in the passing game, starting with Garrett Wilson who is coming off an amazing rookie season. Rodgers has been reunited with Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb while Corey Davis provides stability along with the explosiveness of Mecole Hardman. And we did not even get into the expected return of Breece Hall in the backfield.
From a coaching perspective, Rodgers has a level of comfort with new (to the Jets) offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett so he is truly in an optimal position to succeed. There are no physical issues in play here and a motivated Rodgers is not someone I’d be willing to count out.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals, 133.55
As the 21st quarterback coming off the board, Murray might as well be forgotten after previously being buzzworthy. At this point in the draft, it is all about drafting for potential, upside, and sleepers and your starting quarterback should be long secured by this point.
Prior to tearing the ACL and meniscus in his right knee in Week 13, things were not truly going according to plan as Murray had 2,368 passing yards with 14 touchdowns while rushing for another 418 yards and picking up three touchdowns. While there are questions swirling around Murray’s mental state and dedication, there are no questions about his ability, talent, or tools.
While there are other teams more talented than Arizona, Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore do offer up explosiveness while Greg Dortch could be a valuable safety blanket in the slot with Zach Ertz and Trey McBride being strong options from the tight end position.
The most important thing to remember though is that health is still not working fully in Murray’s favor. He is still going through the rehab process with his timeframe yet to be truly determined or finite. Even if Murray does not return for the start of the season, it should not be a lengthy wait. What we do have to watch for though is how much Murray runs, at least early in his return, but at this price, I am willing to find out.
Got a few quarterback values of your own? Drop some knowledge in the comments below. For more great rankings and analysis, make sure to check out our 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit!
I will be hosting a month of best ball leagues this summer; sign up to @Fantrax today and get ready for the best fantasy football season ever! #fantrax #fantasyfootball https://t.co/YtLEhMoo5J pic.twitter.com/ffSt00FY9R
— Lisa Ann (@thereallisaann) May 6, 2023