2023 Fantasy Football: Adam Thielen, Lamar Jackson Highlight BestBall's Top Risers & Fallers
A lot has already happened this offseason and BestBall never stops. Here are some guys who have seen their value climb up or take a tumble so far this offseason.
Risers
QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The biggest riser at QB this offseason so far has to be Mayfield. Not many expected him to get a starting job. Now not only is he a projected starter, but he’s looking like the starter on a team that has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Baker obviously isn’t Tom Brady, nevertheless, this system has proven that it’s at least possible to produce a ton of fantasy points in it. Beyond Brady, we also saw Jameis Winston have a ton of success for fantasy owners. The fact that anyone is even considering drafting Mayfield shows his stock and rising and if he has a decent preseason he could raise as high as a low-end QB2. That’s a far cry from where he was before he got traded to the Rams last season. We weren’t sure he’d even still be in the league at this point.
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RB Samaje Perine, Denver Broncos
After an impressive 2022 campaign, Perine has slid into the perfect situation for his fantasy value. Javonte Williams is the expected RB1 in Denver, however, he had a major knee injury last year and it’s looking like he may not be ready for Week 1 or beyond. This is shaping up to be a similar situation to what JK Dobbins’ owners dealt with last season. That means Perine has a legitimate chance to at least start the season out with the backfield to himself. Not only can he have big games early, but he will get an opportunity to showcase himself for a larger role even when Williams is ready to return. Perine has already proven to be a solid runner and a good pass-catcher. We also know that both the Broncos organization and Sean Payton have shown they prefer to use a multi-back system for a long time. It’s doubtful Perine just goes away at any point next season.
WR Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers
While we don’t necessarily agree with it, the perception surrounding Thielen seems to be that he will be the WR1 in Carolina and that he is still good. Granted, he may end up being the WR1 by default after the team shipped DJ Moore to Chicago, but he’s not very good anymore. Also, we have no idea who the quarterback is going to be. Odds are they have a rookie starting Week 1 unless they go with Andy Dalton. We wouldn’t be at all surprised to see another wideout emerge as the top guy whether that be DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall, or another option entirely. Still, Thielen is a recognizable name viewed as a WR1 so his stock is on the rise. This does not mean that you should buy in.
Fallers
QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Uncertainty is a stock killer. What this comes down to is the fact that we have no idea where Jackson will be playing in 2023. It’s looking more doubtful by the day that it will be Baltimore though. Injuries have also become a growing concern with Jackson over the past few seasons. However, we don’t necessarily agree that his stock should be down because of this uncertainty. It’s not like the Ravens have surrounded him with talent. All he is going to have out there in Baltimore is Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, and Mark Andrews. Yes, Andrews is a proven stud, but that’s it. What are the odds he lands on a team with a worse supporting cast on offense? Stop shying away from him because of his contract situation unless you believe he’s going to hold out all year. If anything, getting out of Baltimore should help is stock.
RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Kamara has just about everything working against him heading into this season. There is a looming suspension that seems inevitable. It would be a surprise if he doesn’t miss at least a quarter of the season. On top of that, the team just signed Jamaal Williams who will undoubtedly be the goal-line back and is the best back they’ve paired with Kamara in a long time. Combine that with a significant decline in fantasy production each of the past two years and owners are moving off of him.
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WR Juju Smith-Schuster, New England Patriots
This is a simple concept. Juju went from potentially being the WR1 for the best quarterback in the world to having the ball thrown to him by noodle arm McCorkle Jones. He essentially went to a similar receiver room but is now in an offense with much less passing volume and a bad quarterback. He may be the WR1 in New England, but where is that getting you? There is no upside in New England at the position and it certainly isn’t anywhere close to an offense run by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
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