Garrett Wilson Is Ready to Join Fantasy's Elite in 2023

One of the most exciting parts of preparation for fantasy football drafts is identifying the players who are going to break out.

Enter Garrett Wilson.

The wide receiver is ready to make waves for a New York Jets team that has incredibly high expectations heading into the season. Wilson will not only be the top option for the Jets but should be for any fantasy owner who wants to win.

Here's a look at Wilson's fantasy football projections and outlook for what should be a very exciting season.

Garrett Wilson Fantasy Football Projection

(Projections via numberFire)

2023 Projected Stats: 96.5 receptions, 153.5 targets, 1,186.9 receiving yards, 9.3 receiving TDs
2023 Projected Points: 221.7 points
numberFire Positional Projection: WR11

Garrett Wilson Fantasy Football Outlook

Dazzling Rookie Year Without Help

What Garrett Wilson was able to accomplish in his rookie season is all the more impressive considering the quarterback carousel he and the Jets were dealt. And it was, mind you, a carousel that featured a lot of underwhelming QB play to begin with.

Wilson showed why he was drafted 10th overall in the 2022 draft when he reeled in 83 receptions for 1,103 receiving yards and 4 TDs -- good for 174.2 fantasy points and a WR19 finish.

And consider this: his 83 receptions ranked 16th, while his 147 targets were 6th. That's a lot of balls going his way that he couldn't haul in for one reason or another.

But if you watched the Jets' offense last season, you can probably figure that one out. Wilson had a catchable target rate of 63.9% ranked 92nd in the league. Not great.

What is far better for Wilson is his true catch rate that, as explained by PlayerProfiler, is the reception percentage based solely on catchable targets. That is up at 88.3%, good for 28th.

The QBs who were throwing Wilson the ball were Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, Mike White, and Chris Streveler. Wilson, Flacco, and White all had under a 60% completion percentage. The four quarterbacks who started combined for 14 touchdowns on the year.

There's a lot of room for Wilson's numbers to improve. Based on what the Jets made sure to go and get, we should have a good feeling that improvement is coming.

Insert Aaron Rodgers

After a year of next-to-dreadful QB play, the Jets went and made the move to get Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.

The future Hall of Famer is now a member of Gang Green, and that should mean bright days are ahead for Wilson, who slots in as Rodgers' next favorite target -- a great spot for fantasy value over the past decade.

Whether it's Davante Adams or Jordy Nelson, Rodgers has always been able to find his guys and make them fantasy stars.

Here's a look at how Rodgers' No. 1 options (and others) have fared over the years:

*Rodgers missed multiple games **Receiver missed multiple games

While there are some outliers in there due to one reason or another, Rodgers has usually been a quarterback who boosts the fantasy value of his top wideouts. Not a surprise.

Last season was an up-and-down one for the Packers overall after trading Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. If we take away that decision and a rather grueling season, it's hard not to be excited about the potential of what the Rodgers-Wilson connection can become.

There's an argument that he's one of the most talented receivers Rodgers has ever thrown to, but we will have to wait and see if that is in fact the case.

Training camp is giving us a pretty good look early that it very well may be.

And another one.

So, if Rodgers can be the quarterback who can support a top-five wideout, it's easy to figure out the potential here for the Ohio State product.

Final Verdict: Limitless Potential

Wilson had a WR19 finish while barely knowing what kind of QB play he was going to get in a given week. And his new quarterback has aided a top-three fantasy football wide receiver seven times, including a WR1 finish only three years ago in 2020.

Wilson's potential is limitless this season with a top-five finish seriously in the conversation.

All the pieces have fallen into place for him to go nuclear on the field and in the stat sheet. It's safe to temper some expectations by not selecting the 23-year-old too early because there are many gifted receivers, but maybe none of them have the ceiling/upside that Wilson does right now.

numberFire has Wilson as the WR11 heading into drafts, following the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Waddle.

Wilson has an ADP of 19.0 on FantasyPros, putting him ahead of St. Brown and Waddle while trailing Adams and A.J. Brown at the WR position. FanDuel best ball leagues have Wilson at a 21.2 ADP.

There's an overall consensus of him being a late second-round selection who -- especially if you roll with an RB early -- could still be a big value if his ceiling is at all reached in 2023.

There isn't much risk with Wilson. He showed he can be QB-proof and is one of those talents who can get it done no matter what he's dealing with. That's why he's going to be such a star for fantasy football teams in 2023.

If Wilson is available anywhere in the second round and beyond, don't overthink it. He's going to be a game changer who can join the cream of the crop very, very soon.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.