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Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson are two quarterbacks looking for legitimacy. Lawrence led the Jacksonville Jaguars to a playoff appearance last season. But delivering the same, if not a better outcome, is expected from a No. 1 draft pick.
Meanwhile, Watson wants to re-establish his legitimacy after missing nearly two years of football due to off-field issues. He got his feet wet again late last year but is far from the quarterback who led the league in passing yards three seasons ago.
However, both play-callers are legitimate fantasy football options, given the situation they are currently in. But one seemingly has an edge for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, fantasy-wise.
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Is Trevor Lawrence a good fantasy pick?
The former Clemson standout showed his superstar potential in year two of his NFL career. With Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson at the helm, Trevor Lawrence finished with 387 completions for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also improved his completion percentage from 59.6 to 66.3.
More importantly, he learned how to lead the Jaguars to victory. They ended the 2022 regular season with a five-game winning streak while defeating the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets defensive units.
Lawrence also engineered a magnificent come-from-behind win during the 2022 Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Results like these will help Lawrence’s confidence for the better. Aside from stable coaching from Pederson, he gets additional help after the Jaguars acquired Calvin Ridley.
Having Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne and Evan Engram gives Jacksonville a solid offensive core.
No wonder fantasy football websites predict an increase in his numbers. FantasyPros projects his regular season stats at 4,100 yards and 27 touchdowns, while RotoBaller puts him at 4,625 yards and 32 TDs.
Aside from his passing, he can add some fantasy points with his feet, as proven by his five rushing touchdowns last year.
Therefore, he is worthy of being the starting quarterback of your fantasy football team, especially if you prioritized selecting a premiere running back or wide receiver before him.
Also Read: Trevor Lawrence Fantasy Outlook
Is Deshaun Watson a good fantasy pick?
To answer the question plainly, Deshaun Watson is still a good fantasy football option at quarterback, even if he looked rusty coming back last season.
Remember that he sat out nearly two years of football after his off-field sexual misconduct issues surfaced.
But he did have some solid performances after serving an 11-game suspension last year. In his second game back, he had 26 completions for 276 yards and a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
He closed out the Cleveland Browns regular season with 19 passes for 230 yards and two TDs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Watson will have weapons in Cleveland, especially Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and David Njoku. He can also buy time in making his throws behind a solid offensive line.
However, two questions linger regarding Watson’s 2023 performance. First, will he manifest the mobility that enabled him to score 20 rushing touchdowns throughout his career? Second, will he be the same quarterback that terrorized defenses from 2018 to 2020?
Showing his old form makes him a draft steal, even if he might fall behind Trevor Lawrence stats-wise.
Also Read: Deshaun Watson Fantasy Outlook
Trevor Lawrence vs. Deshaun Watson: Who Should I Start for 2023 Week 1?
Per Sportskeeda’s Start/Sit Optimizer, Trevor Lawrence is a better option than Deshaun Watson for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. Lawrence can deliver 18.5 fantasy points playing against the Indianapolis Colts, while Watson is at 17.2 versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
The optimizer predicts they will finish with 240 passing yards, 17 rushing yards, and two touchdowns on the road against the Colts. While Indianapolis finished 11th in passing yards allowed last season, losing Stephon Gilmore might be a big blow to their pass defense.
Meanwhile, Watson is projected to have 209 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, and a touchdown versus the Bengals. The Browns will be enjoying home-field advantage during the season-opener. But giving Nick Chubb his touches possibly diminishes Watson’s opportunity to collect more passing yards and touchdowns.
