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Is Justin Jefferson the consensus No. 1 pick or could Ja'Marr Chase overtake him in the 2023 fantasy football season? Ja'Marr Chase had a historic rookie season in 2021, setting the NFL rookie record for receiving yards (1,455) and receiving touchdowns (13). He was also named to the Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro selection.
Who Is The No. 1 Overall Pick For 2023 Fantasy Football? Making The Case For Ja'Marr Chase https://t.co/tjCFnQAD4Y pic.twitter.com/tUzQcehMvm
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) July 7, 2023
Even with a bit of a regression in 2022 due to some nagging injuries, Ja'Marr Chase is right up there with Justin Jefferson as one of the best wide receivers in this sport as well as one of the players in fantasy football for the upcoming 2023 season. In his first two seasons in the league, Chase has put up impressive numbers, finishing as the WR11 overall in PPR scoring in 2022. As we look ahead to the 2023 season, let's take a closer look at Ja'Marr Chase's fantasy outlook.
Ja'Marr Chase's 2022 Season Recap
Ja'Marr Chase had an impressive sophomore season, finishing with 1,046 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns on 87 receptions. While it was a down year from his big rookie performance in 2021 he is still one of the top wide receivers in stats on the season. The decline was due to injuries that bothered him all season long as he only played in 12 of 17 regular season games.
In those 12 games, he still out-targeted and was only 409 yards and four touchdowns off his rookie campaign while playing in five fewer games. He was a consistent performer throughout the season, with double-digit fantasy points in all but three games. He was also a big-play threat, with 20 receptions of 20 or more yards and six receptions of 40 or more yards.
Ja'Marr Chase's 2023 Fantasy Outlook
Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Ja'Marr Chase is projected to be one of the top wide receivers in fantasy football. We project him to be the second-best receiver in fantasy, just behind Justin Jefferson. However, Chase is projected to finish ahead of Jefferson in targets per game and end-zone targets, which are important indicators of fantasy success.
This is in large part due to the offense that Chase is currently on with the Cincinnati Bengals. Having one of the best quarterbacks in the league Joe Burrow throwing him the ball and a fantastic head coach in Zac Taylor's game planning on getting Chase the ball certainly helps his cause. Let's also not forget the wide receivers opposite Ja'Marr Chase Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd who take a ton of the double coverage away from Chase which only helps him progress especially from an injury-riddled 2022 season.
However, The Bengals have a tough schedule in 2023, which could limit Ja'Marr Chase's production. The Bengals will face some of the best pass defenses in the NFL, such as the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers. If Ja'Marr Chase struggles against these defenses, it could hurt his fantasy value. Even with that, Ja'Marr Chase should have a high floor that will make him one of the safest picks in the early portion of all fantasy football drafts. In Full-PPR leagues you will see a mix of Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase at the top of the draft boards.
