Mark Andrews’ 2023 fantasy football outlook is as promising as ever. The star tight end remains the Baltimore Ravens’ top receiving option as Todd Monken seeks to revolutionize the Baltimore air attack. For this reason, Andrews projects to have a big year. However, there are concerns attached to him too.
2023 Fantasy Football Profile: Mark Andrews
Mark Andrews 2022 Recap
In 2022, Andrews secured 73 passes for 847 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games. While this was a regression from 2021’s 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns, it was still a respectable year.
Much of the regression was down to the offense finding other avenues. 2021 was an injury-plagued year for Lamar Jackson, meaning Tyler Huntley was thrown into the starting role. Huntley, a less mobile quarterback than Jackson, benefitted from Andrews’ big-bodied presence and ran much of the offensive air attack through Andrews.
It is worth noting that, in 2021, the Ravens’ banged up running back room alongside Jackson’s injury meant that the short-to-intermediate passing game was Baltimore’s only offensive threat. This is Andrews’ bread and butter.
However, with Jackson healthy for more of 2022, Andrews’ usage declined. Jackson’s rushing ability limits the upside of the passing game. His arm talent also meant that he was able to get more of a variety of receivers involved. At the start of the year, both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay took away a lot of Andrews’ targets.
The diversified offense under Jackson naturally meant that Andrews saw fewer opportunities. Despite that, the All-Pro tight end was still Baltimore’s best receiver to finish the year.
Mark Andrews 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
In 2023, it is hard to know what to exactly expect. Jackson’s presence may mean that Andrews’ upside is largely capped. However, Monken’s new offensive scheme could change everything.
The Good
The main thing going for Andrews is his own ability. 2022 was likely Andrews’ floor. He had a few drop issues and also had a bit more limited usage (relative to 2021). But, even if Andrews replicates 2022, he is still a bonafide TE1 who has never been an injury risk for fantasy managers.
The key is this: whatever happens, Andrews is a top tight end. He is also Baltimore’s top receiver. No team circumstance really changes this.
Andrews’ floor is very high and that means that, in a volatile position, he will be a valuable asset that produces at a high level consistently. The fact that Andrews has been impressing at camp is merely reassurance that he remains a top tight end.
His upside could, however, be even higher than expected due to Monken’s system. The new offensive playbook has sparked a new level of excitement in Baltimore. So much so that Jackson is currently exuding confidence.
The former MVP recently said that he wants to throw for 6,000 yards. If he can even get close to that, Andrews will likely have had a historic season.
Part of the reason that Monken’s new scheme could favour Andrews in particular is due to Monken’s valuing of the tight end position. At Georgia, Monken did a wonderful job with Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington. The tight end tandem was fundamental to the Georgia offense and received a lot of love from Monken.
If Monken is looking to replicate the tight end tandem system in Baltimore, Andrews will be a key beneficiary. He would be able to form a strong partnership with either Isaiah Likely or Charlie Kolar. This could even take some defensive attention off Andrews.
Reasons to Worry
While Andrews seems unsusceptible to busting, there are reasons to be cautious of any proposed upside.
Many have sung the praises of Monken’s new system, but it could prove to be a double-edged sword. As with any new offensive system, it could take longer to implement than expected. For this reason, Andrews could start the season slowly.
The tight end committee approach could also be damaging to Andrews’ 2023 fantasy football prospects. The 28-year-old has been Baltimore’s primary receiver for so long meaning any form of committee would just detract from his volume.
The same could be said for Monken’s desire to use receiving backs. By using running backs as receivers, Andrews will have more competitors in the short-to-intermediate passing game. This is not something that he has faced before.
The arrivals of Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers is another cause for concern. While some may argue that the new receivers will stretch the defense and open things up for Andrews, they will likely just detract from his targets. Flowers thrives in the short-passing game in particular, making him a direct rival to Andrews.
And, on top of all of this, the Ravens run game returns to full strength in 2023. This was something that had laboured the Baltimore offense in 2021 and 2022, meaning Andrews got more targets.
However, with J.K. Dobbins back to full health, a strong running game will mean that Andrews’ usage will decrease. He may also be used more as a blocker in both the run and pass games given the plethora of weapons at Monken’s disposal.
Mark Andrews Average Draft Position in Fantasy Football Drafts
Currently, Andrews is ranked as the TE2 according to FantasyPros. He is ranked as around the 30th best player for fantasy. That seems to be a good ranking, placing him just behind Travis Kelce.
However, the reasons to worry about Andrews’ upside are really palpable. Andrews is more of a risk this year than he has been in the past two years. Most of that is down to the new offensive scheme. Enthusiasts will say that Monken will elevate Andrews. Realists will prefer to wait and see.
Given the factors, Andrews can be expected to achieve close to 1,000 receiving yards and around eight touchdowns this year. That would place him comfortably in the top-five of all tight ends (at worst).
If managers are looking for fantasy players with more upside, Darren Waller and T.J. Hockenson could be better choices. Waller, in particular, looks like he could be a huge success in Brian Daboll’s offense.
However, while Andrews’ upside may be limited, he is not a risky asset when it comes to his floor. His consistency and availability means that he is a justifiable selection as TE2. Neither Waller nor Hockenson can offer the same guarantee.
Lamar Jackson to Mark Andrews 🎯
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— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 16, 2022
Main Photo: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
