Anthony Richardson could have one of the highest ceilings in fantasy football this year, and you should definitely consider him as a top-five QB option.
Richardson entered the NFL last season as the most athletic quarterback in history. With a Relative Athletic Score of 10.00, prototypical height and weight, and explosion and speed grades surpassing those of Cam Newton, the deck was stacked in his favor almost immediately.
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Remembering the golden rule of fantasy football is always important: it isn't real football. Even if your quarterback isn't the most accurate or polished passer yet, he can still accumulate a ton of fantasy points in other ways.
Richardson only played four games, with just two being full games, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. What we saw in that short time span, though, left fantasy managers with an intriguing question: When Richardson is healthy, just how high is his ceiling?
Anthony Richardson: Monster or Mirage?
| YR | WK | OPP | OSNAP | CMP | ATT | YD | TD | INT | RSH | YD | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | JAX | 69 | 24 | 37 | 223 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 40 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 | HOU | 18 | 6 | 10 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 35 | 2 |
| 2023 | 4 | LAR | 64 | 11 | 25 | 200 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 56 | 1 |
| 2023 | 5 | TEN | 22 | 9 | 12 | 98 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 | 173 | 50 | 84 | 577 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 136 | 4 |
Richardson may have entered the NFL looking like a unicorn prospect from an athleticism and workout perspective, but on the field, people had questions. They saw his below-average 54.7% completion percentage at Florida and asked, "How does this happen with SEC weapons?" Ricky Pearsall and Justin Shorter were two of his wide receiver weapons, and both are currently on NFL rosters.
The Indianapolis Colts, after drafting Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, were clearly not deterred by his completion percentage. Last July, Chris Ballard, the Colts' GM, noted that he wanted Richardson to "be able to handle the highs and lows of the position because you have to." He knew that there could definitely be some growing pains from the young QB, and they were there almost right away when, four games into the season, Richardson hurt his shoulder on a running play bad enough that he needed season-ending surgery.
Fast-forward eight months, and Richardson has embraced his rookie-year struggles. He handled the situation professionally and with a level head, and he knows that this year, he has a chance to really show what he can do.
In the works. pic.twitter.com/2ALWcxNMb5
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 6, 2024