Can Haason Reddick Rebound in 2023?

Photo: USA Today Sports

Fantasy football has a long history of recency bias. This means the masses usually look too hard at what happened last year and expect those stats and performances to carry over to the current season.

That's not always the case. Sure, players who put up good seasons generally put up good seasons. And players who generate bad stats often put up bad stats.

But a lot of players have ups and downs. To excel as a fantasy football player, determining which downs are anomalies and identifying players who will rebound is vital.

That's what this weekly series is all about. Each Sunday, we'll give you a player who will bounce back from a subpar 2022 and turn in better numbers for you this season. These are the players you should target in your upcoming drafts.

Related: Can Shaquille Leonard Rebound in 2023?
Related: Can Cole Holcomb Rebound in 2023?
Related: Can T.J. Watt Rebound in 2023?

This Week's Rebound IDP: DE Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles

Picture this. You are a contracted employee for a company that is down on its luck. You are a top performer at the company, achieving high praise through your efforts, and the results show on paper and in your field. Suddenly, an opportunity arises to go to a bigger company in your field, and they’re willing to pay handsomely. But your competition is fiercer. You accept the position, and while you may be doing the same job, your role and your surroundings are much different than before. Your results, although still considered good, just aren’t what they once were in your first year here. This scenario directly reflects the trajectory of Hasson Reddick. Reddick, who was a top edge rusher in 2021, finished as a top-10 talent on his second team in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers. His first stint with his third team, the Philadelphia Eagles, was far from this elite performance. He finished outside of the top 20 players and seemingly lost all the capital he had built up. This was the outlier year. Reddick is poised for a comeback this year, and here is why.

Positional Disparity and Decreased Statistics

It finally felt like Reddick was going to live up to his draft spot, pick 13 overall by the Arizona Cardinals. Then, the positional disparity that affected much of the IDP landscape happened. He went from a DE to an LB, which may seem nominal, but this heavily shifted the landscape of IDP fantasy football, most notably in dynasty leagues. As a linebacker, you are not worth a starting spot if you don’t contribute 70+ tackles. These tackle numbers are the soul of any quality linebacker in IDP. As a defensive end, 50-60 tackles are elite! Pair these numbers with a healthy amount of sacks, and you have yourself a top talent at defensive end. Unfortunately for Reddick, he moved from DE to LB in his first season as an Eagle. This wasn’t the only sudden change that affected Reddick’s value. Reddick also had his worst season tackle total since his rookie year. This dip in tackles made him a sack-dependent spot starter at linebacker. If you’re a fan of these articles, you’ll not my consistent message in linebackers. If you aren’t putting up heavy or consistent tackle numbers, you can’t be trusted as a player to build around. As a defensive end, you must be able to sack the Quarterback. Reddick has always had the ability to do the latter and continued to prove why even in his down season.