Our fantasy football draft cheat sheet is now live. Check out rankings at each position, value plays and tiers for every top-end fantasy football option.
We’ll break down pretty much everything you need to know heading into draft season with analysis, advanced stats and much, much more.
Is new Green Bay Packers starter Jordan Love an option as a late-round QB1? What about San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy? At running back, there are several players that might be flying under the radar. Without further ado, here’s our fantasy football draft sheet for the 2023 NFL season.
Fantasy football quarterback value plays
- Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (ADP: 108): Leading up to the 2022 campaign, Rodgers had been a QB1 option each of the previous four years and seven of the past eight. He has the talent in New York to recover from performance that had him as the 13th-best fantasy quarterback in his final season as a member of the Packers.
- Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (ADP: 156): In typical 12-team leagues, adding someone of Love’s ilk as a QB2 option makes sense. The upside is there, both through the air and on the ground, for Love to have a breakout performance. With young receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs looking every bit the part, that’s magnified further.
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (ADP: 170): Let’s look at Purdy’s fantasy performance as a rookie a season ago. He finished with at least 16 fantasy points in each of his five regular season starts. With Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk at his disposal, a QB1 performance is not out of the question.
- Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (ADP: 184): Howell was absolutely tremendous during the preseason, earning QB1 honors over veteran Jacoby Brissett. With several stud skill-position players, including wide receiver Terry McLaurin and working in a quarterback-friendly scheme under new coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Howell could be a breakout fantasy football quarterback in 2023. Get him as a late-round QB2 and enjoy.
- Mac Jones, New England Patriots (ADP: 211): Speaking of new offensive coordinators, Bill O’Brien is going to work wonders for Jones after last season’s dumpster fire of an offensive scheme. New England also added wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back Ezekiel Elliott to the mix in the offseason. With an ADP in the 18th round (undrafted), Jones could be a steal.
Fantasy football quarterback tiers
Tier 1
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Colts
3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Tier 2
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
4. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Tier 3
1. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
3. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
4. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Related: Fantasy football draft cheat sheet, quarterback rankings
Fantasy football running back value plays
- Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans (ADP: 44): Pierce finished his rookie season as a FLEX option in 12-team leagues despite missing four games to injury. The former fourth-round pick averaged 4.3 yards per rush while catching 30 passes. The only issue here is the four fumbles he had in 250 touches. But with C.J. Stroud likely to start as a rookie, expect Houston to rely a lot on Pierce.
- Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 56): Now that Dalvin Cook is a member of the Jets, Mattison will take over RB1 duties. Given he has an ADP in the fifth round, Mattison will be a solid RB2 option. In part-time action through four seasons, Mattison has tallied 2,196 total yards and 14 touchdowns at a clip of 4.6 yards per touch. If we were to extrapolate this to take into account 250 touches, that would put him at 1,150 total yards and nine touchdowns. Not too shabby.
- D’Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles (ADP: 62): Acquired from the Detroit Lions during the 2023 NFL Draft, Swift has been injury plagued through three seasons. In no way should this discount his upside in the Eagles’ offense with the dual threat Jalen Hurts at quarterback. This former Georgia star is averaging a resounding 5.5 yards per touch throughout his career. He’s also scored 25 touchdowns on 520 touches. Give him 200 touches this season, and we’re looking at 1,100 total yards and 10 touchdowns. That’s RB2 territory.
- Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders (ADP: 92): Despite literally getting shot months before his rookie season, Robinson Jr. was able to put up 857 total yards on 214 touches in 12 games. He’s now set to work under the aforementioned Eric Bieniemy. We know very well how running back friendly his scheme was with the Kansas City Chiefs. Look for a breakout sophomore season from Robinson Jr.
- Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots (ADP: 135): With an ADP at the top of the 12th round, you can easily insert Zeke in as a FLEX option in 12-team leagues. Sure, he’s a shell of his former self, but the dude continues to get into the end zone. During his final two seasons with Dallas, Elliott scored 24 touchdowns on 532 touches. Meanwhile, Pats RB1 Rhamondre Stevenson had just five touchdowns on 279 touches last season. Adding Elliott late in the draft would also prevent an opponent from handcuffing Stevenson with him. It’s a great strategy in our fantasy football cheat sheet.
Fantasy football running back tiers
Tier 1
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Tier 2
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
2. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
4. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Tier 3
1. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
2. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
3. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
4. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Related: Fantasy football draft cheat sheet, running back rankings
Fantasy football wide receiver value plays
- Drake London, Atlanta Falcons (ADP: 61): It’s always hard to rely on a young wide receiver. That’s especially true with Atlanta set to start second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder. Even then, the advanced stats are there for London. The former first-round pick recorded 72 receptions for 866 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. He caught 62% of his targets with a mere 2.6% drop rate. With London likely to see north of 160 targets in 2023, it would not be a surprise to see him reach the triple-digit catch plateau.
- Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers (ADP: 71): Speaking of advanced stats, Aiyuk was absolutely brilliant in 2022 in this regard. Despite having to work with three different quarterbacks, the former first-round pick caught 78 passes for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns. He put up a studly 68% catch rate with quarterbacks posting a 115.9 QB rating. Aiyuk is now San Francisco’s WR1 over Deebo Samuel. With an ADP in the sixth round, he’d be a steal. Take our fantasy football cheat sheet and run with it.
- Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (ADP: 95): Just how productive has the underrated Cooks been throughout his nine-year career? He’s averaging 70 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards and five touchdowns per year. Cooks, 29, has found himself as a WR1 three times and a solid WR2 option another two times. That’s a 75% succcess rate. Now on Dallas, he’d be an absolute steal with an ADP at 95.
- Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (ADP: 112): We saw Flowers stand out big time for Baltimore during the preseason. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and makes defenders miss. Imagine how awesome that’s going to be with Lamar Jackson tossing him the rock. Slated to be Baltimore’s starting slot guy, Flowers is going to eat big time as a rookie.
- Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP: 138): First off, we know how much Jimmy Garoppolo likes to utilize both checkdowns and his slot guys. Secondly, Meyers proved to be a PPR stud over the course of his final two seasons with the Patriots (150 catches, 68% catch rate). He should see north of 120 targets in Josh McDaniels’ system, making Meyers a solid FLEX option.
Fantasy football wide receiver tiers
Tier 1
1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Tier 2
1. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
2. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
3. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
4. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
Tier 3
1. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
2. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
3. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
4. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Related: Fantasy football draft cheat sheet, wide receiver rankings
Fantasy football tight end value plays
- Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (ADP: 90): Now firmly entrenched as Pittsburgh’s TE1 and with Kenny Pickett tossing him the rock, this former Penn State star is set to break out big time in 2023. Freiermuth put up 63 receptions for 732 yards and two touchdowns while catching 64% of his targets as a sophomore. If he’s able to get in the end zone more like he did as a rookie (seven touchdowns), the youngster will be a top-10 fantasy tight end.
- Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (ADP: 137): Outside of Cooper Kupp, the Rams lack options in the passing game for Matthew Stafford. That’s where the underrated Higbee comes into play. He tallied 72 receptions with a 67% catch rate a season ago. Despite scoring just three touchdowns and averaging 8.6 yards per catch, Higbee still finished as a top-end TE2 in 12-team leagues.
Fantasy football tight end tiers
Tier 1
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Tier 2
1. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
2. Darren Waller, New York Giants
3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
4. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Tier 3
1. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
2. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Fantasy football cheat shet: Top defenses and special teams
- Dallas Cowboys
- San Francisco 49ers
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Baltimore Ravens
Fantasy football cheat sheet: Top fantasy kickers
- Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
- Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders
- Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons
- Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills
- Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals
Related: Fantasy football draft cheat sheet, tight end rankings
Top 2023 fantasy football rookies
- Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons (Round 1)
- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions (Round 2)
- Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts (Round 10)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks (Round 8)
- Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens (Round 8)
- Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings (Round 8)
- Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers (Round 15)
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans (Waiver)
- Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints (Waiver)
- Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions (Waiver)
Fantasy football dynasty mock draft (6th pick)
| Round | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | QB | Chiefs |
| 2 | Josh Jacobs | RB | Raiders |
| 3 | Najee Harris | RB | Steelers |
| 4 | Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 49ers |
| 5 | Jahan Dotson | WR | Commanders |
| 6 | Quentin Johnston | WR | Chargers |
| 7 | James Cook | RB | Bills |
| 8 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | Seahawks |
| 9 | Pat Freiermuth | TE | Steelers |
| 10 | Dalton Kincaid | TE | Bills |
| 11 | Bryce Young | QB | Panthers |
| 12 | Alec Pierce | WR | Colts |
| 13 | Cedric Tillman | WR | Browns |
| 14 | Philadelphia Eagles | D/ST | |
| 15 | Harrison Butker | K | Chiefs |
Fantasy football draft cheat sheet must haves
- Fantasy football cheat sheet: Top 200 rankings
- 2023 fantasy football mock draft
- Top fantasy football running back handcuffs
- Ranking all 32 NFL defenses, impact on fantasy football
- Ranking all 32 NFL starting QBs
- Top 10 NFL running backs of 2023
- Ranking the top NFL wide receivers of 2023
- Fantasy football dynasty rankings
- Top fantasy football names for 2023