Fantasy Football 2023 Draft Coverage: High-Risk, High-Reward Quarterbacks
There are a lot of boom-or-bust players in fantasy football. However, these aren't your typical guys who are boom or bust from week to week. These are high-risk, high-reward guys. They have the upside to be league winners, nonetheless, they come with the risk that they can be essentially useless for you in 2023. We will be covering each position but will start with the QBs.
High-Risk, High-Reward Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson is more than capable of being the No. 1 fantasy QB in the NFL. We have seen him do it during his MVP campaign of 2019. There isn't a more dynamic runner at the position and his passing ability, while erratic at times, is far better than many would lead you to believe. He is absolutely electric on the field and he has added some weapons this season. The Ravens drafted Zay Flowers in the first round who has the skill set to be the next Tyreek Hil, and they will enter the season with a healthy J.K. Dobbins and Rashod Bateman. They also signed Odell Beckham Jr. who could have something left in the tank if they are lucky. With a lucrative new deal signed and ready to go, Jackson and Baltimore are on the same page and ready to roll.
The concern here is the injury risk. Over the past two seasons, Jackson has missed 10 games which includes the playoffs last year and he has never played 16 games as the starter since entering the league in 2018. In the past two seasons, his injuries have both been to his left leg including a PCL injury in 2022. This is concerning for a quarterback who relies on the run more than any other in the league. He is still just 26 years old, regardless, running quarterbacks who aren't elite passers don't tend to get better or healthier with age. There is also the fear of a steep cliff ever looming. If you draft Lamar, you could be getting a game-changing league winner. You may also be streaming QBs by the time you reach the home stretch.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
From a health perspective, Tua essentially mirrors Jackson when it comes to time missed over the past few years. He's stayed a bit healthier but dealt with concussions and various minor injuries rather than lower leg issues. This can be viewed through multiple lenses. Concussions will not linger into this season, however, another one could be catastrophic. That doesn't change the fact that when healthy last season Tua was one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league and piled up big play after big play. The Tribal Chief has the most explosive weapons in the league and a young head coach with an incredible offensive mind. Still, injuries have been a concern for Tua going back to his days at Alabama. If he stays healthy and plays like last season he could be a legitimate MVP candidate in 2023. The issue is we have never seen him play an entire season in the NFL or even while in college.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Just a year removed from a Super Bowl championship, there is a real chance Stafford is all but done as a relevant quarterback. He was limited to just nine games last season and wasn't very good when he was out there. Chronic elbow and back issues are a real threat to permanently derail his NFL career. The injuries he's dealing with a scary. The kind of injuries that make you worry about his quality of life after football, so this is a major concern. However, he has a superstar wideout to throw too and he also has an offensive guru for a head coach. We've seen his potential because in 2021 he threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns as Cooper Kupp broke all types of records. With that said, it's a real possibility he never returns to form or even close to it. Even when on the field.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
This one is really simple and we will even put the fact that he is a rookie aside for the sake of the argument. If you watched Richardson at the 2023 NFL Combine or at this Pro Day you can make a case that he is the most physically gifted athlete to ever be drafted at his position. This gives him an unfathomable upside the likes we may have never seen before. Conversely, if you watch his actual film he is an atrocious quarterback who doesn't even look like he shouldn't have even entered the draft this year. He is going to be one of the most polarizing players this year and fantasy owners are going to have to weigh the risks and the rewards and go with their guts on this one. We expect him to be a real wild card in drafts who may be drafted drastically above and below his ADP from draft to draft. You need to know how you feel about him going into your draft and have a game plan for how you want to approach drafting him.
#nfl-draft-2023
