All eyes are on the AFC East and the New York Jets as they head into Year 1 with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback. With Garrett Wilson leading the way at wide receiver, your fantasy football rosters should benefit from this QB-WR pairing.

With Zach Wilson firmly in the backseat after a disastrous start to his professional career, Garrett Wilson should see an uptick in an offense led by new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. While Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and others are also in the receiver room, Garrett Wilson is the clear favorite to lead this group for the 2023 NFL season.

2022 Season in Review

147 targets, 83 receptions, 1,103 yards, 4 TDs

Even in his rookie year, it was pretty evident that Garrett Wilson would be special – even if there were some QB concerns holding him back. With Zach Wilson not having the best accuracy, Garrett Wilson only caught 56 percent of passes thrown his way last year.

It was a rough year for the entire offense as a whole for the Jets, but Garrett Wilson was probably the lone standout that put on a full season’s worth of work. With Breece Hall going down during the season with his torn ACL, more of the work offensively fell on the shoulders of the two Wilson’s, which ended up showcasing Garrett’s talent while putting the lack of for Zach on full display.

2023 Season Preview

Last year’s season in review is pretty brief, mostly because of the fact that Garrett Wilson had a standout rookie campaign, but the rest of the team certainly struggled. Knowing the kind of talent that Garrett Wilson is certainly raises the bar for this Jets’ offense this year, and that was even before Rodgers was acquired from the Green Bay Packers.

It will be an uphill battle in the AFC East this season for the Jets, as the Buffalo Bills are the favorites to repeat as divisional winners. With the Miami Dolphins right on the doorstep of being a postseason regular and the New England Patriots still unsure what kind of team they want to be, the Jets are the toughest competition for the Bills this season.

Rodgers has a penchant for having a true alpha wide receiver, and Garrett Wilson absolutely fills that role. A smooth route runner with sticky hands and crisp cuts, Garrett Wilson has a lot of people in the fantasy football industry speaking very highly of him.

Second-year receivers don’t usually receive the kind of publicity and push that Garrett Wilson is, but as was put on full display by Chris Olave and other members of the 2022 NFL Draft Class, there is plenty of talent yet to come.

With the uncertainty surrounding the rushing attack for the Jets, Rodgers may be thrust into a heavier passing role than originally expected. Wilson is the clear clubhouse leader for targets, but Rodgers’ history with both Lazard and Cobb certainly could result in some vultured work for Wilson this year.

Projected Stats

129 targets, 96 receptions, 1,284 yards, 7 TDs

Fewer targets but more receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns makes a lot of sense of Garrett Wilson – after all, with Rodgers slinging the pigskin around, there is a better chance that the ball actually gets to where it is supposed to go.

Hackett and Rodgers have a history together, dating back to when Hackett joined the Packers as their offensive coordinator. This mostly means that Rodgers will have Hackett’s ear, meaning that the offense likely will resemble exactly what Rodgers wants it to be.

With the amount of input that Rodgers likely will have in play calls, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the passing game will evolve around feeding Garrett Wilson. But it is important to note that Garrett Wilson’s training camp ankle injury could slow him down to start the season.

Unless more reports surface about Garrett Wilson’s health, you should be entering your fantasy football drafts this year with a ton of optimism surrounding the top receiver for the Jets. As long as Rodgers remains healthy and a healthy understanding of the offensive game script occurs, Garrett Wilson could very well be a league-winning player for your fantasy football rosters this season.

If Garrett Wilson were to hit these projected stats, he would earn 18 fewer targets, 13 more receptions, 181 more yards, and 3 more touchdowns than last season. Going from a part-time player to a league-leader over the course of his rookie season should excite fans of both the Jets and winning their fantasy football leagues, especially since that paints an optimistic picture for how he should perform this year.