Fantasy Football New Year’s Resolutions (2023)

The 2023 fantasy football season is winding down. Week 17 will wrap up before the New Year’s ball drops in New York City. After that, the fantasy football community begins working on the offseason and the 2024 season.

This year has had several surprise performances. Unfortunately, we also saw many star players suffer season-ending injuries. However, learning from what happened this year is critical to improving as a fantasy player.

Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions. Therefore, here are five fantasy football resolutions to help you succeed next year.

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Fantasy Football New Year’s Resolutions (2023)

The Quarterback Position Is No Longer Safe or Simple

The fantasy community believed the quarterback position was simple this season. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, and Joe Burrow were labeled can’t-miss draft picks in July and top-50 selections. Meanwhile, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields were popular mid-range QB1 options as breakout candidates. Unfortunately, nothing went the way fantasy experts predicted at the quarterback position.

Mahomes hasn’t been the superstar QB1 we’ve become accustomed to seeing. Allen and Hurts have struggled with turnovers but remain fantasy superstars because of their legs. Jackson might win the NFL MVP award but has had several massive disappointing performances. Meanwhile, Herbert and Burrow will end the year on injured reserve because of finger and wrist injuries. If the season ended after Week 16, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, and Jordan Love would finish higher than Mahomes in total fantasy points scored.

Third-Year QB + New Star WR Doesn’t Always Equal Breakout Success

Over the past few years, we’ve seen young quarterbacks have massive third-year breakouts after their team acquired a new shiny weapon. Josh Allen went from the QB6 in 2019 to the QB1 in 2020 after the Buffalo Bills traded for Stefon Diggs. Similarly, Jalen Hurts went from the QB9 in 2021 to the QB3 in 2022 after the Philadelphia Eagles made a blockbuster move to acquire A.J. Brown. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out the same way for Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.

Last season, Lawrence was the QB7, while Fields was the QB6. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Calvin Ridley during the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears acquired DJ Moore in a blockbuster deal for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, neither former first-round quarterback has taken the third-year jump. Lawrence has battled inconsistencies on offense and is the QB12 entering Week 17. Fields is the QB19 after missing four games with a thumb injury, scoring under 14.8 fantasy points in 54.6% of the contests this season.

The Rookies Are Ready To Play!

We have had a few talented rookie classes over the past several years. However, you could argue that the 2023 class is among the best of all time. C.J. Stroud is the QB6 on a points-per-game basis among quarterbacks, with at least five starts entering Week 17. Anthony Richardson has a higher fantasy points per game average than Patrick Mahomes (18.2 vs. 17.9) despite leaving multiple games early with an injury. Meanwhile, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and De’Von Achane have been impressive running backs as rookies.

More importantly, the rookie wide receiver class has been outstanding, especially by players drafted outside the first round. Jordan Addison is among the league leaders in receiving touchdowns. Meanwhile, Zay Flowers has been the top wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens all season. However, the star of the rookie draft class is Puka Nacua. Despite being a fifth-round pick and sharing targets with Cooper Kupp, Nacua has been a top-12 wide receiver. Tank Dell, Jayden Reed, and Rashee Rice have also been productive rookies despite being Day 2 NFL Draft picks.

Never Doubt Proven Star Wide Receivers Again

The FantasyPros experts had Mike Evans as their 41st-ranked wide receiver entering the year. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver has been outstanding in his first season without Tom Brady. The former Texas A&M star is the WR3 after 16 weeks of action, averaging 15.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. While he is the WR6 on a points-per-game basis, Evans has a higher average than several first or second-round fantasy draft wide receivers, including A.J. Brown (15.3), Ja’Marr Chase (14.5), and Stefon Diggs (13.5).

Unfortunately, the fantasy community didn’t learn from this mistake in 2022. When the Seattle Seahawks traded away Russell Wilson during the 2022 offseason, everyone wrote off D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Metcalf was the WR7 in 2020 and the WR12 in 2021 with Wilson, while Lockett was the WR9 and WR13. Despite everyone ranking them outside the top 30, both Seattle players were top-20 wide receivers in 2022. Hopefully, the fantasy industry doesn’t make the same mistake for the third consecutive year.

The Tight End Position Is No Longer Shallow

Travis Kelce is arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and the top fantasy football tight end ever. Unfortunately, his production has drastically dropped from last season to this year. Some believe he is playing hurt, while others blame Taylor Swift. More importantly, Kelce could retire after the 2023 season, leaving fantasy players without a clear-cut option as the new TE1 during next year’s draft season. Furthermore, T.J. Hockenson will likely miss most of next year after tearing an ACL and MCL in Week 16.

Thankfully, the tight end position has never been deeper for fantasy players. Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid have been fantasy stars as rookies. Meanwhile, Luke Musgrave and Michael Mayer could be potential second-year breakout candidates. Mark Andrews and George Kittle are still two of the top tight ends in the NFL. There were also multiple breakout tight ends this season, including Trey McBride, Jake Ferguson, and David Njoku. Fantasy players will have several appealing options to draft as a TE1 in 2024.

Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.