Saquon Barkley missed 18 games over the course of the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Going into the 2022 campaign, some fantasy managers pegged him as a late first-round draft pick – but there was certainly no guarantee he would return to the form that made him a fantasy star as a rookie in 2018. Barkley had over 2,000 scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns that season.
Sure enough, Barkley produced 1,650 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns last season, helping the Giants return to the postseason. It also earned Barkley Comeback Player of the Year in Michael Fabiano’s Fabby Awards.
Who will earn that title this season? We asked SI Fantasy’s panel of experts, and here are the names that came up:
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Michael Fabiano, SI Sr. Fantasy Analyst: Taylor was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in 2022 fantasy drafts. He went on to finish 33rd in fantasy points, behind the likes of Latavius Murray and Jeff Wilson Jr. I like him to rebound this season though, as the Colts improved at the quarterback position and should be better on the offensive line. Taylor, who was also banged up last season, is 24 and not even in his prime. Look for the old Taylor to re-emerge.
Jennifer Piacenti, SI Fantasy/Betting Analyst: Wilson will be the Comeback Player of the Year. Coming off a career-worst 2022 season, Sean Payton’s offense should work well for Wilson, who has the mobility to move in and out of the pocket. Wilson remains one of the top deep-ball passers in the league despite the lackluster 2022 season, and a vastly improved offensive line puts Wilson in a much better spot.
Kyle Wood, SI Fantasy/Betting Writer: It’s been a while since Ridley was last seen tearing it up on an NFL field. He was suspended for the entirety of the 2022 season and he played just five games in 2021. But back in 2020, Ridley finished as the WR5 and was top 10 in receiving yards (1,374) and receiving touchdowns (nine). He’s joining an ascending offense led by one of the game’s best young quarterbacks in Trevor Lawrence, who just got career-best years out of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram. The Jaguars took a bit of a leap trading for Ridley last fall while he was still suspended, and I believe Doug Pederson has a plan in place that will allow the former first-round pick to return to form.
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Matt Verderame, SI NFL Writer: Kupp earned a receiver's triple crown in 2021, leading the league in receptions, yards and touchdowns. He was limited to just nine games last year due to an ankle injury, but still managed 75 catches for 812 yards and six scores. Now healthy, the 30-year-old Kupp should be one of the league's best pass-catchers once more. And judging by the Rams' depth chart, he'll be seeing plenty of targets from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Bill Enright, SI Fantasy/Betting Analyst: I’m a follower of the principles outlined by Occam’s razor, and thus I’m shocked Kupp isn’t the selection for every contributor to this list. He’s the most obvious choice and instead of playing coy, I’m going all in on the Offensive Player of the Year from 2021. I don’t care about the Rams being upset with Matthew Stafford. I don’t care how bad their offensive line is. I only care about getting as many studs on my fantasy team as possible and Kupp is in the upper echelon of the stud wide receiver group. If you pick anywhere after fourth overall, Kupp should strongly be considered as your selection.
Gilberto Manzano, SI NFL Writer: Samuel is a good bet for a bounce-back season because he can rack up yards in multiple ways and has a coaching staff that knows how to get him the ball in space. It’s also good news that quarterback Brock Purdy is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a throwing arm injury and could be ready to go for the start of the season. Look for Samuel to return to what he did in his All-Pro 2021 season, when he had 77 catches for 1,405 yards along with 365 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns. Many were disappointed last season with Samuel’s 632 receiving yards, 232 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.
Craig Ellenport, SI Fantasy/Betting Sr. Editor: It’s hard not to take Cooper Kupp here. If Matthew Stafford stays healthy, Kupp is almost a lock for Comeback Player. But if Stafford gets hurt… Bateman was only healthy for the first three games last season, in which he caught two TD passes and averaged 28.25 yards per catch. Lamar Jackson already has a rapport with him and I don’t expect Odell Beckham Jr. to make much of an impact. Bateman will have a career year.
