Why Deshaun Watson Biggest Deal in 2023 Fantasy Football Draft
Why Deshaun Watson Biggest Deal in 2023 Fantasy Football Draft
If you want to argue that Deshaun Watson’s current average draft position of QB11 is overly generous, then you’re probably not wrong to do so. Watson was a terrible NFL quarterback last season.
It would have been great if he had excelled in football last season, but he did not.
In a sample of six games, Watson had a passer rating below 60%, completed less than 60% of his throws, and threw nearly as many interceptions (5) as touchdowns (7).
His quarterback rating was a dismal 79.1 and his yards per attempt average was just 6.5.
Watson, of course, also sat out 11 games for multiple violations of the NFL’s personal conduct rules, an awful scenario for which he is solely accountable and which would have ended the careers of many players if it had occurred.
There is little doubt that Watson’s name should be dragged into the do-not-draft list and left out of future fantasy plans for a variety of good reasons. Absolutely comprehensible.
In our game-within-a-game, though, it becomes very obvious that Watson is also a brutally obvious fantasy bargain if we evaluate only his statistical floor and ceiling.
He gets drafted last among quarterbacks who could potentially end up as a QB1 in the league.
Reasons Deshaun Watson is an incredible draft pick in 2023
Watson is still young (27), but he has already had some of the best seasons ever in the NFL. In 2020, he threw for 4,823 yards, had a league-best Y/A of 8.9, completed 70.2% of his passes, and rushed for 444 yards.
For the prior two years, he ranked among the best fantasy quarterbacks. We are not in a scenario where Watson needs to be envisioned as achieving a new level of performance, as he is already among the best quarterbacks in the league.
After what seems like the first normal offseason Watson has had in years, he benefits from continuity in both coaching and offensive system in 2023.
It’s been exciting to watch Elijah Moore, who has been a star in training camp, make plays out of the backfield. Later, head coach Kevin Stefanski compared the 23-year-old to Percy Harvin.
Assuming Moore stays healthy, his modest ADP of 119.8 is going to prove to be a dirty steal. Moore’s potential impact in a passing offence with Amari Cooper and David Njoku could be considered unfair.
Assuming, of course, that Watson retains the same characteristics as his earlier self.
The early returns have been positive, with him completing all three of his passes and rushing for 20 yards in limited action in the first preseason game.
However, Watson is a dual-threat quarterback with considerable upside who is part of an improving offence and is still available in the later rounds of drafts.
Players who meet that profile have been important, game-changing fantasy contributors in recent years. Watson is the obvious late-round pick if you’re not sold on taking one of the elite quarterbacks in Rounds Two through Four.
