Payne's Perspective: QB Targets for 2023

The next few weeks I will focus on players to target in the coming fantasy football season. I won't consider early ADP, as with free agency and the draft a lot can change over the next month or so. This week, I'll start with the quarterbacks.

Justin Fields, CHI - Fields ranked fifth among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game last season, and the Bears have done a lot this offseason to help out Fields and continue his development. Chicago gave Nate Davis a three-year, $30 million contract to bolster the offensive line. It's likely the Bears use a high pick in the upcoming draft to strengthen the line even more. They also traded for DJ Moore from the Panthers, giving Fields an immediate upgrade in the passing attack. Moore has never played with a legit quarterback and could easily put up a career year in Chicago. Darnell Mooney is still a decent receiver who has a 1,000-yard season under his belt. Chase Claypool is coming off a disappointing season, but he's another young receiver at only 24. Claypool will be a big target for the Bears in red zone along with Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan. Those might be the sexiest choices is a tight end, but Kmet is coming off a seven-TD season while Tonyan had 11 touchdowns in Green Bay in 2020. It's scary to think that Fields had 1,143 rushing yards last season and still didn't hit his ceiling as he missed two games. Injury is something of a concern with Fields given his propensity to run, so perhaps draft someone like Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers in the late rounds as a backup.

Daniel Jones, NYG - There's always the opportunity for downside with Jones, but a new four-year suggest the Giants believe in him. Coach Brian Daboll helped turn Josh Allen into an elite quarterback and there's no reason to think that Daniel Jones couldn't be 60, 70 maybe even 80 percent of what Allen is.  Jones rushed for 708 yards last year with seven touchdowns and his 3,205 passing yards were a career high. Jones has also cut down on the mistakes since entering the league, going from  12 to 10 to seven to only five interceptions last season. The Giants brought in Darren Waller to give him a legit option at tight end while Isaiah Hodgins has been a pleasant surprise. Darius Slayton is another good option as well and Wan'Dale Robinson will contribute once he's healthy. Sterling Shepard is also in the mix, giving Danny Dimes a plethora of options to throw to, though no one really stands out. Saquon Barkley got the franchise tag, it's worth noting, after 76 targets last year, the most since his rookie season when he had 121 for 721 yards. Jones is a bit of a wild card but could pay off handsomely given his rushing upside and a continued passing-game improvement.

Trevor Lawrence, JAC - Lawrence had a remarkable turnaround in his second year in the league, improving from a 12/17 TD/INT to 25/8. And unbeknownst to some, he tied for fifth among quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns and rushed for almost 300 yards. He likely hasn't hit his peak as a quarterback and this season he gets back all the weapons he had last year (sans Marvin Jones) plus Calvin Ridley. Going from Marvin Jones to Calvin Ridley is a huge upgrade as Ridley has a season of nearly 1,400 receiving yards under his belt. I would bet on Ridley, who does not have a lot of mileage with only playing three and a half years, making an immediate impact. Travis Etienne will help keep defenses honest and could see an uptick in targets in the passing game. Evan Engram finally seemed to reach his potential last year and had two 100-yard games in his last five. If Lawrence takes another step in his development, he could finish  the season as a top-8 fantasy quarterback.

Desmond Ridder, ATL - OK, you might have to stick with me a little bit for this one. As of now, Ridder is the Falcons' starter and appears to have something of a leash despite the signing of Taylor Heinicke. Ridder's attraction is his running ability, though he only did it 16 times in four games last season. However, at the University of Cincinnati he rushed for 2,180 yards with 28 scores. While his four games started last year weren't anything spectacular at least he got a little experience. His receiving options aren't terrible, though they're not elite. Everybody still loves Kyle Pitts and he has the upside to be a top-3 tight end. Jonnu Smith joins the team, though he'll probably be used more as a blocker. Drake London still has a ton of potential given his skill set and provides Ridder a No. 1 wide receiver. Mack Hollins isn't the worst second wide receiver in the league, and Frank Darby might be a little bit underrated. Cordarrelle Patterson is capable of putting up big receiving numbers at the running back spot. Tyler Allgeier's 4.9 yards per carry as only a rookie that should help keep Ridder run a lot of play-action. If I drafted a guy like Joe Burrow, who you'd expect to play a full season, it's not the worst idea to take a guy like Ridder in the late rounds and possibly use him as trade bait during the season if he shows some fantasy consistency.