Who Is The No. 1 Overall Pick For 2023 Fantasy Football? Making The Case For Ja'Marr Chase

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Chase had an outstanding college career, totaling 107 receptions for 2,093 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in two years at LSU.

While the former LSU star skipped the 2020 season, he didn't miss a beat in his rookie season. Chase had 81 receptions on 128 targets for 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie. Furthermore, he finished fourth in the NFL in receiving yards and third in touchdowns.

More importantly, Chase was the WR5, averaging 15.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game in 2021. Following his excellent rookie season, fantasy players had high expectations for the former LSU star last year.

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What Did Ja'Marr Chase Accomplish In 2022?

The second-year receiver was the WR12 in 2022, averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game. Unfortunately, Chase missed five games with a hip injury. Yet, he was the WR5 on a points-per-game basis last season.

Furthermore, the former LSU star had 87 receptions on 134 targets for 1,046 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last year. Despite playing five fewer games last year than as a rookie, Chase set career highs in receptions and targets.

Should Ja'Marr Chase Be The No. 1 Overall Pick In 2023?

After having an excellent rookie season, the former LSU star was labeled one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. While fantasy players had high expectations for Chase last season, the hip injury limited his fantasy production. However, is the third-year star the best wide receiver in the NFL and worthy of the first overall pick?

Despite missing nearly a third of the contests last season, Chase finished among the league leaders in every category. The former LSU star finished 14th in receptions, 15th in targets, 17th in receiving yards, and eighth in receiving touchdowns.

More importantly, he would have put up massive numbers if it wasn’t for the hip injury. Chase would have totaled 123 receptions on 190 targets for 1,481 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last year over a 17-game pace. He would have finished top five in all four categories with those totals.

However, the one thing that keeps me from considering the former LSU with the top overall pick is Tee Higgins. Unlike Justin Jefferson and Cooper Kupp, Chase has a legit No. 1 caliber wide receiver on his team, which limits his receiving upside.

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