Fantasy Football: 2023 bounce-back candidates

• Expect Lamar Jackson to return to form: There are no more barriers for the Baltimore Ravens’ star to get closer to his MVP form in 2023.
• Targets that matter in Pittsburgh: Diontae Johnson is poised to deliver over expectations thanks to his high-end target-earning ability.
• Top-12 tight end locks: After injury-riddled seasons last year, both Kyle Pitts and Darren Waller are ready to get back on track in 2023.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Injuries and inefficiencies are the plagues of the fantasy football world, but for those fantasy managers that are willing to forgive and forget, there are several options ready to make things right in 2023.

Left off the list are some of the bigger names, such as Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Kupp, as they stand out as some of the more obvious choices. That being said, there are still going to be a few better choices here to talk about.

QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Kicking things off with a fairly obvious bounce-back candidate, Jackson finally received the extension that he was looking for this offseason, is healthy and should have nothing holding him back as he looks to get back to the elite fantasy quarterback that we’ve come to expect. 

Not only is Jackson back, but he is surrounded by more offensive weapons than he ever has been in his career with the team signing Odell Beckham Jr., drafting Zay Flowers in the first round, and getting a healthy Rashod Bateman to pair with his already favorite target in Mark Andrews. New offensive coordinator Todd Monken figures to veer toward more passing for this Ravens’ offense than they have been in prior years and with better options in the passing game, there’s room for Jackson's passing production to improve while still remaining a significant threat to run the ball.

Even after a down year in 2022, Jackson averaged 0.65 fantasy points per dropback, which was third among all quarterbacks and a strong representation of what he brings to the table when fully healthy. After finishing as QB14 and missing five games, Jackson couldn’t be in a better position to return to form in 2023 and comes in ranked as QB4 overall.

QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams