Ever since he entered the NFL as the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, CeeDee Lamb seemed set for stardom, and sure enough, he has managed to find that with the Dallas Cowboys. In just three quick seasons in the league, Lamb has managed to turn himself into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and at only 24 years old, he is likely just scratching the surface of his potential.

After the Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper last offseason, Lamb had the reins to be the Cowboys top wide receiver on offense. It seemed like a steep jump for him to make, especially with the lack of help he had around him, but sure enough, Lamb proved that he was more than ready for the role, and had an excellent 2022 campaign.

For fantasy football owners, Lamb ended up being one of the top value picks in the entire league. Heading into 2023, though, Lamb has sizable expectations now, and will be looking to improve on his very good 2022 campaign. So with that in mind, let's take a closer look at what should be expected of Lamb in 2023 by fantasy owners now that he has developed into a full-fledged star.

CeeDee Lamb's 2023 Fantasy Football outlook

After a Pro-Bowl campaign in 2021, Lamb took his game to a new level with an increased target share in the Cowboys offense last year. Lamb set career-highs across the board (107 REC, 1359 YDS, 9 TD) to help power Dallas' aerial attack, and he managed to do so while receiving a lot more attention from opposing defenses along the way.

In terms of fantasy football scoring, Lamb finished 2022 as the fifth-highest scoring wide receiver using standard PPR scoring. Lamb managed to suit up for all 17 games, which is always great for fantasy owners, and after a bit of a slow start, he ended up putting together some monster outings to help lead fantasy teams to wins.

From a fantasy perspective (as well as an actual football perspective) there isn't much to dislike when it comes to Lamb. He's already proven himself to be one of the five best wide receivers in the NFL, and as previously mentioned, he's only 24 years old. Lamb is already so good, but it's not a stretch to say that there's another level he can take his game to.

Lamb's availability (he's only missed one game over the first three seasons of his career) is a huge plus, and he is an elite playmaker who can create separation at all three levels of the field. The concern last season was that Lamb would falter without having much help alongside him at wide receiver, but Lamb proved he can be a volume-heavy wideout who can make plays in the short, intermediate, and deep passing game.

This isn't to say that there aren't concerns about Lamb's status, however. Against elite secondaries, Lamb can get wiped out from a game thanks to the amount of attention he's receiving. His quarterback in Dak Prescott also isn't the most reliable guy either; Prescott can have big games, but he's prone to interceptions and struggles with injuries often.

The biggest thing to note here is that the Cowboys went out and traded for Brandin Cooks this offseason to work alongside Lamb. Cooks has been the top wide receiver in offenses before, but he will be the 1B to Lamb's 1A in the Cowboys offense in 2023. However, the drastic jump in Lamb's 156 targets to Dalton Schultz's 89 targets (the second-highest target total for Dallas last year) likely won't exist this season.

Still, Lamb's draft stock entering the season likely won't be impacted too heavily by Cooks' arrival. Lamb and Prescott have a very strong rapport, and while some of Lamb's big downfield plays will go to Cooks, he still will be the guy Prescott turns to the most. Lamb could be in store for a minor regression, but even then, he's still going to be one of the best players at his position in the league.

Lamb won't be one of the first picks in the draft, but he almost certainly is going to be off the board by the time the second round is over. He has a tremendous floor as a high-volume receiver in an offense that has the capability to put up some big numbers. If they do put up big numbers, Lamb is usually going to be the guy responsible.

As we saw last year, Lamb is one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, and there's no reason to expect that to not continue in 2023. The addition of Cooks is a bit concerning, but it should not be enough to deter fantasy owners from trying to get Lamb. If you can pick up Lamb in the second round of your draft, your fantasy football team will benefit greatly from having him on board.