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Jackson Sparks discusses QB Justin Fields as one of the top dynasty fantasy football risers for 2023 after a stellar 2022 fantasy season.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields was drafted behind Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft, but after a breakout 2022 fantasy campaign, he's arguably more valuable than any signal-caller in his draft class. Fields flashed tremendous upside in his two seasons as the Ohio State Buckeyes QB on the collegiate level, but question marks on his profile led him to slip out of the top 10 selections.
In Chicago, he has continued to flash his elite traits like mobility and arm strength, but there are still concerns about his accuracy and if he can be a high-level passer in the era of prolific offenses and ridiculously-talented quarterbacks. Either way, his dynasty value has taken a significant surge, especially in two-QB/Superflex leagues, which have become more popular with each passing season.
How did Fields play in 2022, what is his current market in dynasty circles, and how does he project for 2023? Let's dive into it all below!
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2022 Season In Review
Through the first five weeks of the 2022 season, Fields looked to be headed toward a disastrous season as a "real life" and fantasy quarterback. During that stretch, Fields scored as just the fantasy QB24, completing 55.7 percent of his passes (49 of 88) for 679 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and four interceptions. On the ground, he totaled 194 yards and one touchdown. All in all, he scored 11.7 fantasy points per game, finishing behind the likes of Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota, and Russell Wilson.
Hopefully, Fields' dynasty managers didn't panic, as his next eight performances would be nuclear and electric. Starting in Week 6, Fields still struggled as a passer, throwing for just 190 yards on 14 completions, but he rushed for 88 yards -- which would foreshadow things to come moving forward.
From Week 7 to Week 10 (four games), Fields ranked first among QBs with 33.4 fantasy points per game. That's not a typo -- THIRTY-THREE POINT FOUR points per game. Fields' completion percentage leaped to 64.1 percent during that stretch, as he totaled 620 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns, two interceptions, 467 rushing yards, and five rushing scores. Sure, his passing numbers were still below average considering raw yardage, but the Bears' offense as a whole picked up, and he delivered 13 touchdowns in just four games.
Ultimately, Fields established himself as an elite rushing QB, becoming just the third quarterback in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards on the ground. He surpassed Michael Vick for the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season with 1,143. He trailed only Lamar Jackson's 1,206 rushing yards from 2019.
His final passing statistics in 15 games were 2,242 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 60.4 completion percentage. While his passing game still left a lot to be desired volume-wise, he was tasked with covering up for a bottom-of-the-barrel offensive line and his pass-catching group of Darnell Mooney (broken ankle in Week 11), Chase Claypool (traded to Chicago on November 1), and Cole Kmet was viewed as one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL.
It's important for Fields to become a high-level volume passer to keep his job long-term, but his rushing upside is more than enough to place him among the elites in fantasy scoring. He posted nine top 10 weekly finishes and five top five weekly finishes among QBs in his sophomore season despite the limited surrounding talent.
Justin Fields Dynasty Value/Market
While all dynasty leagues vary and Fields' market value could be different from league to league, Keeptradecut.com is a rankings database where the pecking order is crowdsourced by the readers who use it. After an awful start to the year, Fields fell to the QB20 range. As of March 20, he sits as the 11th-most valuable player in Superflex/two-QB leagues -- eighth among quarterbacks. However, if he can take the leap as a passer similar to the likes of Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, he could skyrocket up to a top-five spot in all of dynasty fantasy football.
If he's going to take that step, the addition of former Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore surely will help. Fields' dynasty value rose a bit when the Bears traded away the No. 1 overall pick for a huge haul of picks plus a bonafide No. 1 wideout in Moore. Allen and Hurts each got WR upgrades when their franchises traded for Stefon Diggs and A.J. Brown, respectively. It appears Chicago is trying to follow that formula with Moore in 2023.
At this point, it'll likely take multiple first-round picks plus additional assets to acquire Fields from a dynasty manager. However, this time next year, that could look like a bargain. His 2023 season will greatly impact how he's viewed moving forward.
2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
As of mid-March, Fields is coming off the board at the QB4 spot in Underdog's Best Ball ADP via 4for4.com. He is being taken behind only Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts. Needless to say, he is fully expected to build on his breakout fantasy campaign and establish himself as a full-fledged elite fantasy quarterback next season.
At the time of this article, the Bears have added wide receiver DJ Moore, running backs Travis Homer and D'Onta Foreman, tight end Robert Tonyan, and offensive guard Nate Davis. While some of these guys are just average players, they should provide a nice boost to the depth of the overall team. Moore and Davis will step in as immediate starters and upgrades for Fields and the Chicago offensive attack.
Moore will step into the X-receiver role, meaning Darnell Mooney can move to his natural Z-receiver role as Fields' No. 2 wideout, and Chase Claypool can operate as a big-slot flanker. That said, they're all largely versatile, so they have more ways to attack defenses next season. Moore has found a ton of success with subpar quarterback play, so he's a big boost for Fields.
Chicago has four picks inside the top 64 for April's draft and should further attack its offensive line issues early and often. Chicago needs legitimate stud tackles so there isn't a repeat of 2022 -- when Field was sacked a league-high 55 times.
Ultimately, it will be a disappointing season if Fields doesn't finish as a top-five fantasy QB. His weaponry is improving and he's proven to be an elite scrambler. There's nowhere for the passing offense to go but up, so it won't be surprising if Fields is viewed in the same light as Jalen Hurts in relation to his fantasy value when the 2023 season concludes.
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