The 2023 NFL season is so close that we can taste it! This means that fantasy football managers are going to be heading into their final drafts of the offseason, and we need to be prepared.
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Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football This Year?
This is a 12-team mock draft, with my team selecting from the fifth spot with no third-round reversal. Each player receives one full point per reception, and touchdowns are worth six points for rushing and receiving. Quarterbacks receive four points per passing touchdown.
Here is the full roster breakdown:
- 1 QB
- 2 RB
- 3 WR
- 1 TE
- 1 FLEX (W/R/T)
- 1 DST
- 1 K
- 5 BENCH
Round 1
1.01) Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers 1.02) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings 1.03) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals 1.04) Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs 1.05) Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers 1.06) Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins 1.07) Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams 1.08) Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants 1.09) Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons 1.10) Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns 1.11) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys 1.12) Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
Pick Analysis: It would’ve been nice to be able to secure one of the top two WRs this year, but they were off the board by the fifth pick. Ekeler is far from a consolation prize, though, due to his involvement in the receiving game combined with his red-zone usage. He could easily push McCaffrey in for the RB1 title at the end of the year.
Round 2
2.01) Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders 2.02) A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles 2.03) Patrick Mahomes II, QB, Kansas City Chiefs 2.04) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions 2.05) Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans 2.06) Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets 2.07) Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills 2.08) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins 2.09) Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts 2.10) Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints 2.11) DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles 2.12) Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Pick Analysis: Waddle typically isn’t the way I would go for a full-PPR format, but there’s no denying his upside and big-play ability if Tua can stay healthy this year. With WRs flying off the board, it was a priority to scoop up someone of Waddle’s talent level here in the second round.
Round 3
3.01) Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders 3.02) Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals 3.03) Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens 3.04) Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles 3.05) Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys 3.06) Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers 3.07) Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens 3.08) Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars 3.09) Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers 3.10) DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks 3.11) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions 3.12) Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Pick Analysis: An RB tandem of Ekeler and Pollard in a full-PPR format simply isn’t fair. As Pollard assumes the RB1 title in Dallas this season, we should see him handle a significant workload and be even more involved as a receiver than he has been in years past.
Round 4
4.01) Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals 4.02) Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers 4.03) Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars 4.04) T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings 4.05) Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers 4.06) Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders 4.07) Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets 4.08) Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears 4.09) Ken Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks 4.10) George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers 4.11) Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns 4.12) Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Pick Analysis: Fields is an automatic selection every single time here in the fourth round. We’ve seen the advantage that Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts have been in years past when they experienced their breakout campaigns, and all signs point to Fields taking that leap in 2023.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 5
5.01) Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles 5.02) Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans 5.03) DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears 5.04) Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings 5.05) DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans 5.06) Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants 5.07) Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars 5.08) Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos 5.09) J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens 5.10) Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers 5.11) Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons 5.12) Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Pick Analysis: As mentioned earlier, WRs are flying off the board in this draft, which signals that I need to lock up one of the final top-20 players I have in my rankings for the position. After Hopkins, there are major question marks with the next several players in ADP, but Hopkins presents substantial upside in 2023.
MORE: 2023 PPR Fantasy Football Rankings
If Treylon Burks misses time to start the season with his injury, we could see Hopkins handle 10-12 targets each week, and we know he still has the talent level to make those opportunities count.
Round 6
6.01) Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints 6.02) D’Andre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles 6.03) Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6.04) Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts 6.05) James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals 6.06) Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs 6.07) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers 6.08) Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers 6.09) Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars 6.10) Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams 6.11) Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles 6.12) Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Pick Analysis: Williams’ ADP astounds me. He’s shown ridiculous upside for fantasy football in the past, and that was in an offense that wasn’t even best suited for his skill set. Now in 2023, Kellen Moore is coming into town, and he’s going to allow Justin Herbert to push the ball deep downfield.
This is where Williams shines, and we could see some big performances from him this season. As a WR3 on my roster, it’s a cheat code to add him here in the sixth round.
Round 7
7.01) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks 7.02) Dalvin Cook, RB, New York Jets 7.03) Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7.04) Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals 7.05) David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions 7.06) Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders 7.07) Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7.08) George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers 7.09) Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos 7.10) AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers 7.11) Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers 7.12) Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick Analysis: It was incredibly tempting to add Johnson here at the 7.05 selection, but RB depth dries up quickly, and there are some other WRs to scoop up just a bit later on.
Montgomery is firmly poised for a monstrous campaign in 2023 with this new landing spot in Detroit as he inherits the former Jamaal Williams role. He’s an incredible value in drafts right now.
Round 8
8.01) James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills 8.02) Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys 8.03) David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns 8.04) Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns 8.05) Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers 8.06) Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers 8.07) Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings 8.08) Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills 8.09) Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs 8.10) Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders 8.11) Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins 8.12) Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders
Pick Analysis: Davis actually had a productive season last year and returned value on where he was going in drafts … all while dealing with an ankle injury. Now, Buffalo has only added a rookie TE to be target competition in this offense, and Davis is going significantly later than he was in 2022. Sign me up for the discount.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 9
9.01) Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks 9.02) Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans 9.03) Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys 9.04) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots 9.05) Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns 9.06) Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens 9.07) Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens 9.08) Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets 9.09) Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans 9.10) Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints 9.11) Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints 9.12) Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Pick Analysis: Death, taxes, and Kyle Yates selecting Elijah Moore in the ninth round of fantasy drafts. The hatred for Moore in the fantasy football community has gone too far now, and he’s a ridiculous value.
Round 10
10.01) Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears 10.02) Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos 10.03) Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets 10.04) Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts 10.05) Rashaad Penny, RB, Philadelphia Eagles 10.06) Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers 10.07) Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills 10.08) Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears 10.09) Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks 10.10) Samaje Perine, RB, Denver Broncos 10.11) Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions 10.12) Tyler Bass, K, Buffalo Bills
Pick Analysis: There’s the potential that Jonathan Taylor will find his way to Chicago here in the coming days, but in the meantime, Herbert’s an incredible value in drafts.
While D’Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson linger behind him on the depth chart, Herbert should have the first crack at this starting job. He’s shown that he’s too talented to completely lose this job, and I expect him to be the starter for the full year.
Round 11
11.01) Philadelphia Eagles, DST 11.02) Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs 11.03) San Francisco 49ers, DST 11.04) Evan McPherson, K, Cincinnati Bengals 11.05) Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs 11.06) De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins 11.07) Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans 11.08) Dallas Cowboys, DST 11.09) New York Jets, DST 11.10) Buffalo Bills, DST 11.11) Harrison Butker, K, Kansas City Chiefs 11.12) Daniel Carlson, K, Las Vegas Raiders
Pick Analysis: One Moore has already been added to the roster, so let’s make it two now. Skyy Moore wasn’t able to make much of an immediate impact in Year 1 coming out of Western Michigan, but all signs point to him being a big factor in this passing game in 2023.
Round 12
12.01) Miami Dolphins, DST 12.02) Ezekiel Elliott, RB, New England Patriots 12.03) Younghoe Koo, K, Atlanta Falcons 12.04) Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia Eagles 12.05) Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens 12.06) Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions 12.07) Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens 12.08) Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers 12.09) New England Patriots, DST 12.10) Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants 12.11) Pittsburgh Steelers, DST 12.12) Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Pick Analysis: We’ve seen through the preseason that this backfield may be more of a split than fantasy managers are hoping for, and Warren’s ADP is laughably low. There’s still time to scoop him up for dirt cheap.
Let’s check in to see if the Jaylen Warren hype is slowing down… pic.twitter.com/qVC1Perx4E
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 24, 2023
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 13
13.01) Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs 13.02) Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams 13.03) Jason Myers, K, Seattle Seahawks 13.04) Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons 13.05) Baltimore Ravens, DST 13.06) Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders 13.07) Damien Harris, RB, Buffalo Bills 13.08) Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers 13.09) Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears 13.10) Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns 13.11) Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins 13.12) Jalin Hyatt, WR, New York Giants
Pick Analysis: This is the earliest that I will personally consider taking a DST. The Ravens have the star power to be near the top of the league this year, and the offense improving under Todd Monken should only help this unit out.
Round 14
14.01) Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals 14.02) Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers 14.03) Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos 14.04) D’Onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears 14.05) Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions 14.06) Jason Sanders, K, Miami Dolphins 14.07) Kansas City Chiefs, DST 14.08) Justyn Ross, WR, Kansas City Chiefs 14.09) Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills 14.10) Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Chargers 14.11) Devin Singletary, RB, Houston Texans 14.12) Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos
Pick Analysis: The final rounds of a fantasy league are about taking chances on upside. If these players don’t hit, you simply drop them to your waiver wire. In a league with a kicker, there is no reason to draft one this far away from the start of the regular season.
Instead, as long as your league allows it, forego the position and take a chance on a WR or RB that could become incredibly valuable for fantasy football in the week and a half until the start of the regular season. If Ross can emerge as a starter in the Kansas City offense, his value skyrockets.
If he’s relegated to fourth or fifth on the Chiefs’ WR depth chart, I can simply drop him then and go pick up a kicker before the start of Week 1. Play chess, not checkers, friends.
Round 15
15.01) Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans 15.02) Brandon McManus, K, Jacksonville Jaguars 15.03) Jonathan Mingo, WR, Carolina Panthers 15.04) Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars 15.05) Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots 15.06) Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers 15.07) New Orleans Saints, DST 15.08) Graham Gano, K, New York Giants 15.09) Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns 15.10) Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints 15.11) Green Bay Packers, DST 15.12) Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears
Pick Analysis: This may be a player that I leave every single draft with this year. While so many other fantasy managers are chasing after the early-round TEs, I’m perfectly willing to load up on RBs and WRs in that range and instead draft Henry with my final selection.
Henry is now in a much-improved offensive structure with Bill O’Brien compared to last season with Matt Patricia. He is also the clear lead option in this TE room simply based on contract amount, and O’Brien has consistently featured the position historically.
You don’t have to reach for Henry in the final round of your drafts, but he’ll be a hot waiver wire add in Week 1. I’m calling my shot here now.