Fantasy football draft cheat sheet

By Vincent Frank

·Updated: October 14, 2024

Aug 19, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) on the sideline against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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

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.