Who are the top fantasy football sleepers? What about the top fantasy football busts? With draft season now firmly upon us, fantasy football buzz is trending everywhere.
Which fantasy players enter 2023 as potential sleepers? And which players already look doomed to bust according to their fantasy outlook down the stretch?
We have some fantasy football insight here as to who to target and who to avoid when NFL fantasy drafts get underway. But we start with fantasy football sleepers before moving on to fantasy football busts below.
Fantasy Football Sleepers 2023
Quarterbacks
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Sam Howell might just surprise as a late-round QB sleeper to stash. Thus far in training camp, Howell is looking pretty sharp working with his receiving duo of Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. He definitely sports some appeal in 2QB league formats.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson’s rushing upside makes him a sneaky fantasy sleeper right out of the gate. He’s a mobile quarterback who last rushed for 654 yards and nine touchdowns at Florida. With Jonathan Taylor frustrated and seeking a trade, Richardson may be running plenty more than expected this fall.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Tannehill just received a major upgrade when the Titans inked DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins is the stud fantasy WR Tannehill has been missing on offense for years. In Super Flex leagues, Tannehill might slide nicely in as your QB2 for a cheap spend.
Related: Fantasy football rankings by position
Running Backs
Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
Gibson could see an uptick in touches with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in Washington. Bieniemy last worked in Kansas City when we saw top fantasy production from both Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon. Gibson is a late-round sleeper RB who could far surpass his current ADP at RB33. This makes him a fantasy football sleeper.
Evan Hull, Indianapolis Colts
Hull is a dark horse to keep on your radar with the aforementioned Taylor and the Colts at a stalemate. As a rookie, Hull could be heavily involved especially with Zack Moss sidelined due to a broken arm.
Deneric Prince, Kansas City Chiefs
With Isiah Pacheco nursing his way back to the field, Prince has been receiving first-team reps in training camp. Keep an eye on the situation with Prince perhaps emerging as a fantasy football sleeper who can be drafted for nearly free at this stage.
Related: Top running back handcuffs in fantasy football
Wide Receivers
Skyy Moore, Kansas City Chiefs
With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman gone, and Kadarius Toney constantly banged up, Moore could be the guy to command targets behind Travis Kelce. Currently WR 57, Moore is a major fantasy football sleeper playing with the best QB in the league in that of Patrick Mahomes.
Corey Davis, New York Jets
Finally pairing up with a legit quarterback, Davis may just surprise as a sleeper wide receiver who may go undrafted in most fantasy leagues. Keep in mind, Davis is a former No. 5 overall pick from 2017 who has sadly received the short stick at QB since entering the NFL. That won’t be the case with Aaron Rodgers in Jersey.
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings
Osborn seems to fall to later rounds as the slot receiver on an offense now without both Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. The potential for more targets from Kirk Cousins seems inevitable. Don’t sleep too long should Osborn fall your way.
Related: 2023 NFL offense rankings
Tight Ends
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
This rookie is generating heaps of preseason hype as a sleeper tight end who sports tremendous upside. With wide receiver Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games, LaPorta — highly selected 34th overall in 2023 — could be in line for plenty of targets playing on an offense that ranked No. 8 in passing last year.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Signed to a squad with a lackluster wide receiver group and a rookie quarterback, Schultz might be heavily leaned upon to help move the sticks in Houston. Schultz was a very productive fantasy tight end over his last three seasons in Dallas, recording 2,000 total yards and 17 TDs.
Related: 2023 NFL defense rankings
Fantasy Football Busts 2023
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Drafting Mayfield just because he’s now suiting up with stud WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans has QB bust written all over it. Mayfield’s two best fantasy seasons came in 2018-19 and he’s been on an avalanche ever since. And, this preseason things already are looking grim.
Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders
Despite pairing up with a fantasy beast in Davante Adams, Garoppolo has no business headlining your fantasy roster. Wildly inconsistent and injury-riddled throughout his career, Jimmy Garoppolo even landing a starting gig at this point is mind-boggling.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
With the Falcons selecting the top RB in this year’s draft in that of Bijan Robinson, they will remain a run-first offense. Rather than break out in his second season, Ridder is more destined to be one of the biggest fantasy football busts who will have very little to offer those thinking he will surpass his current ADP of QB31.
Running Backs
Devin Singletary, Houston Texans
Singletary could not have landed in a worst place than Houston as far as his fantasy projection goes. The Texans ranked 31st in rushing last year. And with Dameon Pierce operating as the lead back, Singletary’s chances to be fantasy relevant are plummeting.
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
Between injury-proneness (eight games past two seasons) and having a mobile QB in that of Lamar Jackson running and stealing plays, Dobbins could go bust in 2023. As of now, the Ravens have placed him on the PUP list, so his availability to start the season as a dependable RB1-2 is in question.
Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, Miami Dolphins
Both of these Dolphins RBs could be fantasy football busts with the current hype over rookie Devon Achane looming overhead preseason. Keep an eye on how things progress in the upcoming weeks to determine the best RB fantasy value here.
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
The Broncos could ease Williams back into his workload for longer than anticipated. The club signed Samaje Perine as insurance and he’s a capable three-down back. With a lightened load and working in tandem with Perine, Williams might not live up to his draft day expectations after suffering a torn ACL last season.
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Wide Receivers
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Let’s be real. The stud season when Thomas piled up a league-leading 1,725 yards and nine TDs was in 2019 with Drew Brees. It represented somewhat of a fluke. With only eight game starts since then, Thomas could be a huge fantasy football bust in 2023. Derek Carr is fresh to the scene and Chris Olave is as hot as grease heading into the new season.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Behind TE Mark Andrews, it’s really difficult to draft a reliable Ravens fantasy WR who will be start-worthy on a regular basis. Bateman is a talented receiver, but easily a bust fantasy player strapped to an offense that ranked fifth worst in passing last season. He’s also coming off a significant injury that limited the former first-round pick to six games as a sophomore.
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Suspect quarterback play on an offense that averaged only 20 points per game in 2022 makes Brown a sketchy fantasy WR to roster this year. Even with DeAndre Hopkins out of his way, Brown should be faded while he waits for Kyler Murray to return healthy to the field from a torn ACL.
Related: Sportsnaut’s 2023 NFL power rankings
Tight Ends
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts might need a new team before he ever breaks out as a top fantasy TE. Sadly, he could be one of the biggest fantasy football busts again after producing only 356 yards and two touchdowns in 2022. With the Falcons drafting Bijan Robinson to dominate the run game, the Desmond Ridder/Kyle Pitts duo looks about as appealing as a burnt TV dinner.
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Despite the presence of Knox, the Bills tripped all over themselves to draft rookie Dalton Kincaid 25th overall. If you roster Knox in dynasty leagues, he’s trending down with Kincaid garnering all kinds of positive hype on film clips flooding social media.