Introduction: Welcome back, as I hope you all are doing well! The NFL season is upon us and that means it is time for yet another season of Fantasy Football. Below, you will find some of my favorite players that I targeted in drafts over the last two weeks. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy reading my article!
Wide Receivers:
Jahan Dotson: Washington Commanders
Usually I do not begin with receivers, but I could not contain my excitement surrounding Jahan Dotson!!!
The second year Penn State product seemed to be "my guy" to target in drafts this year.
Dotson scored at least 13 fantasy points in three out of the first four weeks last season. After coming back from injury later in the year he shined as he received 9 targets in two of the last five games, as it is worth nothing he put up four double digit fantasy performances during this span in PPR formats.
Dotson seemed to have good chemistry with quarterback Sam Howell during the preseason, catching 7 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown over two games.
To begin the year Dotson is a solid WR3 option with WR2 upside, as he is a major breakout candidate for the upcoming 2023 campaign. With that being said, I would not be surprised if he was ahead of Terry McLaurin on the depth chart and took over as Washington's WR1 by the end of the season.
Jordan Addison: Minnesota Vikings:
Jordan Addison is at the top of this year's wide receiver rookie class, as his route running is superior. With Adam Thielen now in Carolina, this leaves Minnesota with a boatload of potential targets to go around. To put this into context, Thielen ranked near the top of the NFL with most routes ran last season, as he was peppered with 107 targets and finished as the WR29 in PPR formats.
Addison is quite the upgrade from the 31 year-old Thielen, as I think he has a good chance at leading all rookie receivers in fantasy points this year.
The landing spot for the USC alum could not be more perfect, as he already slots in as the Vikings WR2, opposite Justin Jefferson. Minnesota is a pass-heavy team, as their defense is horrendous, resulting in them playing from behind the majority of the time.
Opposing defenses will be focused mostly on JJettas as this will leave Addison open for targets, as he should go up against their opponents second best cornerback.
Although Addison will never be the top option for Captain Kirk, I believe the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff award winner benefits in a huge way nonetheless with Jefferson being on the field.
With that said if you have any Jordan Addison shares this year, I would not be surprised if he was a starting option in fantasy lineups by week 3-5.
Elijah Moore: Cleveland Browns:
Moore was in a horrible situation during his rookie season last year, as the Jets did not seem too thrilled to have him. Now on the Browns, Moore is Deshaun Watson's second option behind only veteran receiver Amari Cooper in Cleveland's offense.
Personally I was able to draft Moore in every league this year, as I took him over guys like Gabriel Davis and Juju Smith-Schuster.
When getting into later rounds I always try to look for players with upside. Sure, drafting JuJu is great, but we already have a good idea of what his ceiling is. Although his floor is solid, he will be nothing more than a flex option most weeks. Moore is an underrated breakout candidate on the other hand and enters the year as a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 with the potential for more.
Other Wide Receivers I Targeted in Drafts:
Drake London: Atlanta Falcons:
London is a second-year breakout candidate and has all the talent in the world if he can just see enough volume in a run-heavy Atlanta offense.
George Pickens: Pittsburgh Steelers:
Pickens has impressed in camp with his insane athleticism. QB Kenny Pickett looked amazing in preseason which could mean a lot of Pickett to Pickens connections in 2023.
Zay Flowers: Baltimore Ravens:
Flowers steps in as arguably Baltimore's WR1. OBJ and Rashod Bateman are both question marks given their injury history. Only tight end Mark Andrews is the superior threat in the Ravens offense. With the impression that Baltimore wants to throw the ball more this year, Flowers is an exciting pick with a lot of upside.
Marvin Mims: Denver Broncos:
With Jerry Jeudy nursing a hamstring injury, Mims is Denver's WR2 for however long Jeudy is sidelined. The Oklahoma alum should play a big role early in the year alongside Courtland Sutton. Mims is a great value pick late in drafts specifically if Jeudy's hamstring injury lingers further into the year, as the rookie should be considered a potential flex play if it does fall that way.
Rashee Rice: Kansas City Chiefs:
Aside from Travis Kelce, who is Patrick Mahomes going to throw the ball to? Ka'Darius Toney seems to always be hurt and I do not like Skyy Moore given his ADP price in drafts. Rice, the second round pick out of SMU could become Patrick's second favorite weapon, as he could pay off huge if he were to emerge as a receiving threat week after week. Honestly it is a guessing game at who is going to be that consistent receiving option in KC.
Nico Collins: Houston Texans:
Collins is easily Houston's WR1 entering the year with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud at the helm. Houston figures to be one of the worst teams in the league, which would open up the passing game a little more, allowing Collins to build off a solid second season
Justyn Ross: Kansas City Chiefs:
Similar to Rice, the Clemson product has a lot of upside in the Chiefs offense, it is just going to come down to receiving the opportunities and playing time.
Running Backs:
Jahmyr Gibbs: Detroit Lions:
Bijan this, Bijan that, Bijan Bijan Bijan. We get it, Bijan Robinson is at the top of the rookie class, but do not forget about Jahmyr Gibbs.
Jahmyr reminds me of Alvin Kamara, as he is a great pass catcher who can also run the ball very well. Personally I had Gibbs ranked ahead of guys like Travis Etienne and Najee Harris in my rankings this year, as I was really excited when I was able to draft him.
To begin the season I believe the Lions backfield will almost be like the Packers in that David Montgomery will also be there getting touches. As the year progresses I believe Gibbs will get stronger though, as he has a realistic chance of finishing as a top 10-15 running back. Jahmyr joins an exciting Detroit offense that features Amon Ra St. Brown who could very well lead the league in receptions this year. When they get Jameson Williams back in Week 7 from suspension, the Lions offense could become even more explosive.
Roschon Johnson: Chicago Bears:
Roschon Johnson is a running back who I loved getting late in drafts. The former Texas running back was the backup to generational talent Bijan Robinson, meaning he never had an opportunity to fully shine in his college career.
When he had his chance though, he made it count, as he rushed for over six yards per attempt. His value would be much higher if he played for any other team in college, as he is my RB4 among rookies.
Roschon will not juke you out or break your ankles, instead he will run right through you, as he is terrific at breaking tackles and running through contact.
The Bears do not have a ton of competition in their backfield (Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman) as the 220 pound Johnson is the most talented.
Personally I am very confident that Johnson will take over Chicago's backfield by mid-season. He definitely has an easy path to becoming the RB1 in Chicago, as opposed to other rookie running backs such as Miami's De'von Achane (his size worries me) and New Orleans Kendre Miller (who is buried in a crowded backfield.)
That said, if you have room to grab Johnson in your leagues, I would suggest picking him up as a guy to stash for later on in the season.
Other Running Backs I Targeted in Drafts:
James Conner: Arizona Cardinals:
A rather boring pick to say the least, Conner is the workhorse in Arizona's offense and should be a main focal point. Take into consideration that Conner was a top 5 fantasy RB in the last seven games of 2022, as he scored nearly 17 fantasy points per game. His usage will be very high this season as he has no other competition in the Cardinals backfield.
Cam Akers: Los Angeles Rams:
Remember last year when Cam Akers had one of the worst fantasy performances ever during Week 1? Yep, I do, because I played him! Nonetheless, it was an up and down season for Akers last season until late in the year when he decided to finally turn it on.
Finishing as the RB4 over the final six games, I drafted Akers with confidence this season. No more Darrell Henderson Jr. means that Cam has the Rams backfield all to himself.
James Cook: Buffalo Bills:
Man, I wish I had more of James Cook in my leagues. A potential breakout RB, the primary pass-catching back in Buffalo with the Damien Harris signing, Cook is in a great offense with a lot of weapons around him. Expect him to take a big step this year.
Antonio Gibson: Washington Commanders:
A cheaper version of James Cook in my opinion, Gibby gets a slight boost in PPR formats over running mate Brian Robinson Jr. because of his pass-catching ability. Former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy is now in Washington which is exciting, as I am looking forward to seeing how he uses Gibson in the passing game.
Tank Bigsby: Jacksonville Jaguars:
Bigsby in my opinion will play a part in Jacksonville's offense right from the start. Tank was getting first team reps in preseason games alongside Travis Etienne Jr.. Bigsby is a bench stash for now if he is available in your leagues, as I expect him to take away goal-line work from Etienne.
Simply put, the rookie out of Auburn has a lot of upside entering 2023 and you better grab him now before it is too late.
Quarterbacks:
Trevor Lawrence: Jacksonville Jaguars:
Lawrence has a great chance to take another step this season, as he has even more weapons around him. Calvin Ridley emerges as the clear WR1 in Jacksonville after missing all of last year because of gambling, Christian Kirk is a solid WR2, and tight end Evan Engram also will make his presence felt.
Ranked as my QB8 entering 2023, I project a big year for TLaw as he has 30 touchdown upside and is set up for a career year.
Geno Smith: Seattle Seahawks:
Smith came out of nowhere last season, as he had his best season of his career, throwing for 4,282 yards, leading the league in completion percentage (69.8%) and compiling 30 passing touchdowns.
Seattle could have one of the best receiving cores in the league with rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett also in the mix. Combined with Kenneth Walker and rookie Zach Charbonnet in the backfield, Seattle's offense is as high-powered as ever.
Geno is a great value in drafts if you chose to wait on the quarterback position. With an ADP at around 123, Smith is well worth the investment in my opinion, as he could put up similar numbers again this year. Although he most likely will not finish as the QB2, a top 10 QB finish is well within reach.
Other Quarterbacks I Targeted in Drafts:
Tua Tagovailoa: Miami Dolphins:
Tua could outperform his ADP of 92 if he can stay on the field this season, With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the outside, Tua's left arm will be key to Miami's success. Tua Tags is a fine low-end QB1/high-end QB2 as he has a lot of upside, he just needs to stay healthy.
Kirk Cousins: Minnesota Vikings:
Cousins has another weapon at his disposal this year in rookie reciever Jordan Addison. With Minnesota you know they like to sling the pigskin around. Whether it be to Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, or the aforementioned Addison, this is an offense to be really excited about. Kirk is a good bet to throw for over 4,000 yards and around 30-35 touchdowns yet again this season and we all like that!
Tight Ends:
Darren Waller: New York Giants:
Waller was ranked as my TE4 in drafts this year, as I have him ranked above George Kittle, Dallas Goedert, and Kyle Pitts entering 2023. This season, I almost consider Waller as a receiver because of the target share that he is going to receive. Aside from Saquon Barkley, Waller is the top option for Daniel Jones on a team that lacks receivers. The only risk with Waller is his health, but if he can stay on the field, he should be set for a monster season.
Pat Friermuth: Pittsburgh Steelers:
Friermuth was the tight end I targeted if I could not grab Waller. Muth has good upside in an up and coming Steelers offense. 60-65 receptions with 4-6 touchdowns is a stat line I would like to see from him at the end of the year. Anything else on top of it is just icing on the cake.
Other Tight Ends I Targeted in Drafts:
David Njoku: Cleveland Browns:
Njoku now has his best quarterback of his career throwing him the ball in Deshaun Watson. History shows us that Watson's tight ends from his Texans days did not fare well. This year I tend to ignore this trend, as Njoku looks to be more consistent this year and improve his fantasy stock.
Dalton Schultz: Houston Texans:
Schultz has top 10 TE upside, considering he has a rookie QB to work with. Projecting him to run routes more than block like he did in Dallas last season would seem to be more accurate. With this I could see a lot of short passes over the middle or in the flat.
A Few More Sleepers:
QB: Anthony Richardson: IND
RB: Jaylen Warren: PIT
WR: Romeo Doubs: GB
TE: Luke Musgrave: GB
Final Thoughts: I hope you all have enjoyed reading about some of my favorite players for the 2023 Fantasy Football season, as I cannot wait for the opening kickoff!
See you on the Gridiron
Adam
Comments