Jared Goff Is One of This Year's Best Late-Round Quarterback Options

The trend of waiting on a quarterback in fantasy football drafts is slowly going away. However, that is still a viable strategy, at times, especially in one-QB formats.

In 2023, Jared Goff is looks like one of the better late-round quarterback options out there.

The Detroit Lions were one game away from making it to the playoffs in 2022, and one of the reasons they made such a huge leap is because of the play of Goff. He's not going to be a superstar fantasy option this year, but he has the weapons and coaching to make him a force for those who want to wait on a passer.

Let's take a look at Goff's fantasy football outlook for the upcoming season.

Jared Goff Fantasy Football Projection

(Projections via numberFire)

2023 Projected Stats: 4,449 passing yards, 30.8 passing TDs, 12.9 interceptions, 90 rushing yards, 1.1 rushing TDs
2023 Projected Points: 287.3 points
numberFire Positional Projection: QB16

Jared Goff Fantasy Football Outlook

Revival Season

Last season, the former first overall pick reminded many of the talents he possesses -- so much so that it felt like a revival for Goff, who entered 2022 looking like a middling quarterback who was fighting for his future in Detroit.

Goff finished as the QB10 last year, racking up 4,438 passing yards, 29 TDs, and just 7 interceptions. He added 73 yards on the ground.

By advanced stats, Goff fared even better -- ranking seventh in passer rating (99.3), fifth in QBR (61.1) and fourth in adjusted net yards per attempt (7.4). Dude balled out.

It's clear that Goff works well in the current Lions' system, one that has been crafted toward his skillset by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who will be back with the Lions for 2023 after generating some interest in the head-coach market this offseason. That's good news for Goff.

Goff being a QB1 (top 12) while rushing for 4.3 yards per game and no touchdowns is impressive. With that said, his lack of running ability is absolutely a detriment to his fantasy prospects -- particularly with how many dual-threat QBs there are now.

Goff was also in a pretty dope fantasy situation last year as he benefitted from the Lions' defense being bad -- the worst in the league by yards per play (6.2) -- and that resulted in Detroit getting into a lot of shootouts where Goff and company kept their foot on the gas all game. The Lions' D might be a little better in 2023 after some off-season additions (namely Cameron Sutton and C. J. Gardner-Johnson), but it still figures to be a below-average unit barring a crazy one-season turnaround.

All in all, Goff has a chance to put up a very similar season to what we saw from him in 2022, and if he does that, he'll be awfully useful for fantasy.

Still Not Getting Love

A year ago at this time, Goff was an afterthought in fantasy football, going as the QB27 -- per FantasyPros' average draft position data (ADP) -- and he wound up outplaying several of the big-name signal-callers who were selected ahead of him.

Goff's average of 16.7 fantasy points per game last year was better than that of Justin Herbert, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Dak Prescott. Considering their ADPs compared to Goff's, the Lions' signal-caller was a massive value in 2022.

Goff still isn't getting much respect in fantasy and has a chance to be a smashing value once again. Despite Goff's excellent 2022 campaign, people aren't beating down the door to get him as he owns an ADP of QB16 for 2023.

Some of the same guys who he went behind and then outproduced last year are being taken in front of him again this season -- the likes of Dak (ADP of QB10) and Herbert (QB7). Goff is joined by Kirk Cousins (QB12), Geno Smith (QB15), Anthony Richardson (QB14), Aaron Rodgers (QB17) and Daniel Jones (QB13) in the late-round QB territory in one-quarterback formats.

Should you prefer Goff to that group?

Final Verdict: A Superb Late-Round QB Target

The weapons and situation are there for Goff to be really good again in 2023.

Goff's combination with Amon-Ra St. Brown has become one of the best in the NFL. ARSB has proven to be a top-notch receiver, and his 106 catches last year ranked sixth among all players.

Jameson Williams is a guy the Lions went and got in the first round of the 2022 draft because of what he could be. Coming off an ACL injury, Williams was brought along slowly last season, but he did show enticing burst and play-making ability in limited snaps. While Williams will miss the first six games of this coming season because of suspension, the Lions backed him up with veterans Marvin Jones and Josh Reynolds.

First-round selection Jahmyr Gibbs -- a running back who caught 79 passes over his final two college seasons -- and the signing of David Montgomery make up a whole new backfield at Goff's disposal. Gibbs should be a force in the passing game, as those college numbers suggest.

Goff also benefits from six games against the NFC North. With the caveat that defensive stats aren't always super sticky year to year, the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers were all bottom-five defenses last season by yards per play allowed. Goff gets 12 indoor games, too, which is no small matter for a guy who tossed just five total passing touchdowns across six outside games in 2022.

It's all working toward Goff being a value once more. He's not going to be a guy you can trot out there every week in lineups -- four games with fewer than 10 fantasy points last year -- but depending on your league's setup, he can be useful for you.

In deeper one-quarterback formats, Goff is someone you can pair with another late-round passer and play matchups throughout the season. If you are in a shallower one-quarterback league and prefer to stream -- keeping only one QB on your roster -- Goff can be your guy at the start of the year thanks to a schedule that begins with the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Packers and Carolina Panthers over the first five games. In two-quarterback leagues, Goff has the potential to be, at worst, a quality QB2 option.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.