Roundtable: Early 2023 Fantasy Predictions

Photo: Scott Galvin, USA Today Sports

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Welcome to Week 16 of the 2022 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. Topics are now split into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

• Early 2023 Fantasy Predictions: Fill in the Blank (see below)
• 2022 Fantasy Daydreams and Nightmares
• Gutsy Week 16 Lineup Decisions
• Difficult Week 16 Calls

Fill in the Blank: Early 2023 Fantasy Predictions

Matt Waldman: Fill in the Blank of the following statements, put a player (or teams) in the blank, and explain your answer.

• "_________ will be the most productive rookie WR from the 2023 class."
• "_________ will be on a new team and remain a fantasy stud."
• "__________ will be on a new team and be a fantasy flop."
• "__________ will be a rejuvenated team in 2023."

Go!

Dave Kluge: “Saquon Barkley will be on a new team and remain a fantasy stud.”

This feels like the obvious layup, but Barkley will headline a loaded 2023 running back free-agency class. The Giants have had plenty of time to get a long-term deal done. At this point, the best option for both parties is to amicably part ways. Still just 25 years old, Barkley should be a lucrative deal. And teams don’t pay running backs the type of money Barkley will command without having big plans for him. Miami, Chicago, and Buffalo are just a few teams that will likely be in the running for Barkley. And with his talent, he can land in a less-than-perfect situation and still be a viable fantasy asset.

“Devin Singletary will be on a new team and be a fantasy flop.”

I don’t think anyone has been particularly excited about Devin Singletary for many reasons outside his current situation. He’s a slow, undersized back who is fed volume on one of the league’s best offenses. With a slew of talented running backs available through free agency and the Draft, Singletary is likely brought in somewhere as a change-of-pace back. Buffalo signed and lost J.D. McKissic last off-season. They were in the running for Christian McCaffrey. They drafted James Cook. They traded for Nyheim Hines at the deadline. Their moves have made it apparent that they don’t trust Singletary as a long-term option. After Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Miles Sanders, David Montgomery, and Damien Harris sign, Singletary will be a cheap consolation prize for another team.

“The Chicago Bears will be a rejuvenated team in 2023.”

Is my Homerism showing? Going into this season, I pegged the Bears as a three-win team, and that’s where they are trending. Their moves in the 2022 offseason pointed to a multi-year plan that should kick in starting in a few months. In addition to an expected top-three pick in the draft, they go into this offseason with nearly $125M in available cap space. Justin Fields has already shown promise as a franchise quarterback.

Despite the offensive line struggles early in the year, they have developed into a competent corps. Khalil Herbert looked like one of the league’s most efficient running backs before his injury. Although the 2023 free agent wide receivers don’t look all that appealing, let’s not forget that A.J. Brown, Davante Adams, and Tyreek Hill were all unexpectedly traded last off-season. The Bears have the draft capital and salary cap to bring in a legitimate WR1. There are still some question marks about Fields’ ability as a passer, but a beefed-up receiver group could help him and the offense take a massive step forward in 2023.