It's that time of the year when love is in the air. The card stores are an explosion of red and pink hearts with little dudes in diapers shooting arrows. Flower bouquets are everywhere, and dating website subscriptions increase as single folks look for love. Well, I'm looking for love too. But I ain't talkin' 'bout that kind of love. Instead, it's the love of players who'll help me win a fantasy championship next season.
I won't be labeling these players "sleepers" or "breakouts," but I have faith that these 10 players could be massive stat-sheet stuffers (most of them in their second NFL season). So, sit back with a loved one and check out my 2023 fantasy crush list!
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Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Longhorns: I love Robinson so much that I can't even explain it enough in this article. He rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in his last season with the Texas Longhorns and had 29 rushing scores in his final 22 games. No matter where he lands in the draft, I'm going hard after Robinson.
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets: Hall showed some major flashes of potential in his rookie season, averaging nearly six yards per rush attempt and 16.4 fantasy points per game. That ranked eighth among runners who played in at least seven games. Assuming he has no setbacks from his ACL repair, Hall could be an RB1.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks: The runner-up in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, Walker finished 18th in fantasy points among running backs (and he did it while starting just 11 games). The Seahawks have used featured backs in the past with Marshawn Lynch and Chris Carson, and Walker is next in line.
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets: I can’t believe I have two Jets on this list! But Wilson was the Offensive Rookie of the Year with a hodgepodge of quarterbacks. Imagine if the Men in Green bring in a veteran like Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo? Wilson could push for WR1 value in a best-case scenario.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints: Olave is coming off a 1,000-yard season, but he still finished just 25th in fantasy points among wide receivers. To me, he has a much higher ceiling and could be the Saints' No. 1 wideout if the team decides to move on from Michael Thomas. New Orleans should also improve at quarterback.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Allgeier broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark as a rookie, but he still ranked outside the top 25 runners based on fantasy points. I think he can shatter that next season, especially with Cordarrelle Patterson entering his age-32 season. I can see Allgeier being a top-60 pick in 2023 drafts.
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Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions: Williams barely played as a rookie due to his injured knee, but he'll have no limitations heading into his sophomore season. The Lions could decide to let D.J. Chark walk as a free agent, opening up even more targets for Williams in what figures to remain a high-octane offense.
K.J. Osborn, WR, Minnesota Vikings: Osborn had a hot finish to the season, as he posted 14-plus fantasy points in four of his last five games. He’ll be motivated to produce in a contract year, and Osborn’s value would increase even more if the Vikings decided to cut ties with veteran Adam Thielen during the offseason.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
