Last season saw the next-level breakout of Justin Jefferson as he established himself as the best wide receiver in football.

The Minnesota Vikings superstar walked away with the AP Offensive Player of the Year award, but here's the thing -- there's a real chance Jefferson has even more in him.

Let's dive into why Jefferson not only should be considered as the first overall pick but why he is the odds-on favorite.

Justin Jefferson Fantasy Football Projection

Projections via numberFire.

2023 Projected Stats: 125 receptions, 189 targets, 1,677.7 receiving yards, 10.4 receiving touchdowns
2023 Projected Points: 296.77 points
numberFire Positional Projection: WR1

Justin Jefferson Fantasy Football Outlook

A Great Season... with Room to Grow

For fantasy owners who boldly went with Jefferson over Cooper Kupp in the first round last season -- or "settled" for Jefferson when Kupp was off the board -- you won.

JJettas was simply outstanding in his third NFL season and has the hardware to prove it. The 24-year-old could not be stopped in his 17 games. He finished 2022 with 128 receptions and 1,809 receiving yards -- both of which led the league. Jefferson added 8 touchdowns while averaging 13.9 scrimmage yards per touch, another statistic that led the NFL.

The connection with quarterback Kirk Cousins has only become stronger, and it has led Jefferson to take over as the top wide receiver in the league. Seeing that Kupp's record-breaking season was only a year before this one, that's saying more about Jefferson's talents than anything to do with Kupp.

Now, when we say there's room to grow -- there is. The age-23 season for Jefferson was sensational and one of the best a wide receiver has had in the history of the NFL. His 2022 season received a 90.4 player grade from Pro Football Focus, best for third after Tyreek Hill and Amon-Ra St. Brown. There's room to improve -- and that's scary.

Jefferson is now one year older and possibly one year better. The best has yet to come for the league's best wideout.

Year of the Receiver Returns

History of Wide Receivers Going 1.01

The history of wide receivers going number one overall in fantasy football isn't a long list. Only once has a wide receiver had an average draft position (ADP) of 1.01, and that was Antonio Brown in 2016.

Brown came off a 314.2-fantasy-point season in 2015 as he totaled 136 catches, 1834 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns -- good for a 19.6-point average. Brown finished with 34.3 more points than the RB1 that season (Devonta Freeman).

When he was drafted as the first overall selection in 2016, he didn't have the same success, and it is what likely led to running backs becoming the first overall selection in drafts since. Brown had a good season with 254.3 points in 15 games, but this was over 100 points fewer than the top scorer, David Johnson. He was the WR3 on the year but saw six total running backs finish ahead.

Brown still had a 3.0 ADP, per FantasyPros, the following season in 2017. The major difference between Brown in 2016 and Jefferson in 2023 is that Brown was going into his age-28 season, whereas Jefferson is just going into his age-24 campaign. That matters. Big time.

Where Other Top Receivers Are Going

What is so familiar with the 2016 and 2023 drafts isn't just the first selection being a receiver, but much of the first round includes wide receivers, as well.

Out of the top 12 in 2016, six of the average first round picks were wide receivers. Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and Allen Robinson all joined Brown in PPR formats (half-point PPR ADP wasn't measured in 2016).

The same is set to take place and then some as seven of the top 12 are receivers. Jefferson is joined by Ja'Marr Chase (2.7), Cooper Kupp (5.0), Tyreek Hill (6.0), Stefon Diggs (10.3), CeeDee Lamb (11.7), and A.J. Brown (12.7). The premium is there on the position, and it plays a big part as to why the top dog is going first overall rather than later.

It's the year of receiver yet again, and Jefferson is leading the way.

Final Verdict: He's Worth The Top Selection

Ultimately, it will come down to your draft strategy when deciding who you want to take first overall. That being said, there's no player other than Jefferson in fantasy drafts who have as much upside and an already proven track record.

Looking past the surface statistics, consider this: Jefferson had a 28.5% target market share and a 28.3% red zone target market share a season ago. That was with Adam Thielen still on the team, who had long been a favorite of Kirk Cousins prior to Jefferson's arrival. Thielen had a respectable 19.5% red zone target market share, and while many of those looks will likely go to someone like T.J. Hockenson and rookie Jordan Addison, there's a real likelihood that Cousins looks Jefferson's way even more.

If touchdown luck is on his side, double digits should be back in his outlook after the eight he scored last year.

numberFire ranks Jefferson as the No. 1 receiver, projected to score 296.77 fantasy points, which is 20.01 more points than the second-ranked receiver, Ja'Marr Chase. Jefferson has a 1.0 ADP on FantasyPros, a sign that few drafters are swaying on picking anyone over the Vikings wide receiver. And the same goes for FanDuel's best ball leagues, as Jefferson is the top choice there, too, holding a 1.8 ADP in drafts.

There will be drafters who select Christian McCaffrey and some other running back options at the one spot, but if you want the best of the best -- with room for more -- Jefferson is the best option to go with.

JJettas is well worth the 1.01 pick.

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.