Big things are expected from Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson during the 2023 season. After getting off to a slow start as a rookie, he finished the 2022 campaign with a bang, building a ton of momentum into Year 2.
It is something that he has spoken about this offseason, saying that his rookie season ended perfectly and he is looking forward to picking up where he left off. The opportunity to take things to the next level will certainly exist.
With Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb leaving in free agency, and no veterans being signed in their place, the No. 1 spot in the Packers’ passing offense is up for grabs. Christian Watson is expected to compete for that spot along with Romeo Doubs, who is also heading into Year 2 of his career.
This is a situation that Fantasy Football managers will be keeping an eye on as there could be immense value found in Green Bay. A potential No. 1 option in any passing offense will also have some intrigue and there are some major predictions on Christian Watson.
One comes from Mike Clay of ESPN. He recently put together a Fantasy Football article about which players can replicate some of the major breakouts we witnessed in 2022. Christian Watson, in Clay’s opinion, is set for a breakout like DeVonta Smith had with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.
Smith was a first-round pick in 2021 that exploded onto the fantasy scene in 2022, his second season in the NFL. Clay expects the same from Christian Watson, building off of his strong finish last season and because of the opportunity that lies ahead.
“There are quite a few great candidates for this, including some sleepers, but I’m rolling with Watson as the favorite because of his strong 2022 showing and his favorable situation as Green Bay’s clear top wide receiver. Watson first played an every-down role in Week 10 last season and was fantasy’s No. 10-scoring WR from that point forward. Watson’s TD rate (eight TDs on 35 touches) is unsustainable, but his target share was strong, as was his efficiency (85th percentile or better in YPT, RAC and YPRR). Even if new QB Jordan Love struggles, Watson will soak up tons of targets (and some carries) with Romeo Doubs and a host of rookies as his top competition for targets.”
As Clay points out, a lot of this will be determined by Jordan Love’s level of play. But, even if he struggles, there will be chances for Christian Watson to put up some major numbers during the upcoming season.
We have seen plenty of Fantasy Football managers squeeze value out of teams that struggle on the field, especially at the wide receiver position. Given the efficiency that Christian Watson showed as a rookie and the projected increase in usage, big things could be on the horizon in 2023.