Week 1 of the NFL preseason is now behind us, and we already have some news that has shaken up the fantasy football rankings!
As you get prepared for your fantasy football drafts, there’s a ton of movement throughout ADP with players like Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook signing. How do these moves impact our strategies? Where will players like Rhamondre Stevenson and Breece Hall be drafted?
In this mock draft, we’re going to answer those very questions as we go through a 10-team league on ESPN.
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2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Settings
ESPN’s default scoring is full-PPR and 1QB formats. Additionally, their roster sizes are as follows:
- 1QB
- 2 RB
- 2 WR
- 1 TE
- 1 FLEX
- 1 DST
- 1 Kicker
- 6 Bench spots
In this mock draft, we will be drafting from the 1.01 spot. It’s a snake format, which means that teams at the end of the round will immediately select again for the following round.
Round 1
1.01) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
1.02) Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
1.03) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
1.04) Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
1.05) Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
1.06) Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
1.07) Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
1.08) Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
1.09) Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
1.10) A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Pick Analysis: There’s not much to say about Jefferson that hasn’t already been said! He’s a dominant fantasy WR that should see an absurd level of work yet again this season. Draft him with confidence at the 1.01 spot in a full-PPR league.
Round 2
2.01) Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
2.02) Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
2.03) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
2.04) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
2.05) Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
2.06) Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
2.07) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
2.08) Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
2.09) Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
2.10) Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Pick Analysis: 10-team leagues are incredibly fun due to the player combinations that you can secure. In a 12-team league, there’s virtually no chance that you would be able to get Jefferson and Wilson on the same roster, but here we are!
Wilson has overall WR1 upside in fantasy football this year connected to Aaron Rodgers. As long as Rodgers can prove that his play last season wasn’t an indication of what’s to come this year, Wilson should put up some fantastic numbers in 2023 as the alpha WR in this offense.
Round 3
3.01) Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
3.02) Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
3.03) Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
3.04) Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
3.05) Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
3.06) Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
3.07) Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
3.08) DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
3.09) Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
3.10) Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
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Pick Analysis: Pollard’s one of my favorite running backs to target in the early rounds due to the upside he presents. He’s simply one of the most talented RBs in all of football, and he now has the lead role in Dallas’ backfield, which is an offense that is going to want to run the football this year.
Particularly in full-PPR formats, Pollard’s absolutely worth drafting to be the RB1 for your roster in 2023.
Round 4
4.01) Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
4.02) Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
4.03) Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
4.04) Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
4.05) DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
4.06) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
4.07) T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
4.08) Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
4.09) Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
4.10) Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
Pick Analysis: It doesn’t feel like Jones necessarily met expectations in 2022, but the yardage totals were actually pretty solid. Unfortunately, Jones scored just two rushing touchdowns on his 1,125 rushing yards last season, and that prevented him from pushing his way up into the top five.
However, he still managed to end the season as the RB9 in half-PPR scoring formats and be a solid fantasy asset. Moving into 2023, Jordan Love will need someone of Jones’ caliber to lean on this season — especially as a receiver out of the backfield — and he’s worth drafting as a borderline top-12 option this season.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 5
5.01) Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
5.02) Ken Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
5.03) Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
5.04) Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
5.05) Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
5.06) DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans
5.07) Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
5.08) Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
5.09) Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
5.10) George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Pick Analysis: The stars are aligning for Fields to end the season as the QB1 in all of fantasy football. We’ve seen the potential due to his rushing ability already, but we haven’t truly been able to see what he can do as a passer yet.
Now with the additions of DJ Moore as a receiver, plus Darnell Wright and Nate Davis on the offensive line, Fields is set up to succeed in 2023. If he \takes a step forward as a passer, plus keeps his explosive playmaking ability as a runner, he could truly be atop the fantasy rankings when it’s all said and done.
Round 6
6.01) DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
6.02) Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
6.03) Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
6.04) Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings
6.05) Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
6.06) Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
6.07) J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
6.08) Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
6.09) Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
6.10) Dalvin Cook, RB, New York Jets
Pick Analysis: Cook is now a member of the Jets, which means, for the time being, you have the opportunity to take advantage of his lower ADP! This signing signals that the Jets are all-in for 2023 and are willing to ride Cook on a one-year deal while Breece Hall rehabs and works his way back slowly off of the injury.
Dalvin Cook to the New York Jets reaction! pic.twitter.com/SsmkONGHiE
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Round 7
7.01) Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7.02) Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
7.03) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
7.04) Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
7.05) Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
7.06) D’Andre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
7.07) Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants
7.08) James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
7.09) Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
7.10) Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Pick Analysis: I’m not in love with Tampa Bay’s offense this year, but in a full-PPR setting, Godwin should continue to see a solid amount of targets each week that will give him a reliable floor for fantasy.
Round 8
8.01) Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
8.02) Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
8.03) Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
8.04) Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
8.05) Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
8.06) Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8.07) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
8.08) Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
8.09) George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
8.10) Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick Analysis: There are many mouths to feed in Pittsburgh’s offense, but Johnson should easily be the team’s clear target leader in 2023. With positive regression certainly coming in the touchdown department, Johnson’s a fantastic buy at his current ADP.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 9
9.01) David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
9.02) Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9.03) Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans
9.04) James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
9.05) AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
9.06) Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
9.07) Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders
9.08) Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders
9.09) Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
9.10) Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
Pick Analysis: Montgomery’s set to surprise some people in 2023. While he didn’t have a great 2022 campaign in Chicago, there were a few reasons why things didn’t work out the way that he had hoped.
However, he’s now set to inherit the lead RB role for a high-powered offense with a great offensive line while Jahmyr Gibbs moves around the formation as a receiver. As an RB3 or RB4 on your roster, Montgomery’s a fantastic addition.
Round 10
10.01) Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
10.02) Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
10.03) Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
10.04) Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys
10.05) Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints
10.06) Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
10.07) Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
10.08) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots
10.09) Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
10.10) Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Pick Analysis: Flowers is receiving rave reviews coming out of Baltimore this training camp. His speed and explosiveness are too much for NFL DBs to handle, and he could easily be the lead option in this WR room just a few weeks into the season.
Round 11
11.01) Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears
11.02) Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
11.03) David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
11.04) Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
11.05) Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
11.06) Rashaad Penny, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
11.07) Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
11.08) Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks
11.09) Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
11.10) Samaje Perine, RB, Denver Broncos
Pick Analysis: Herbert is first in line to be Chicago’s starting RB this season, and we could be in line for a big breakout campaign from the talented player. He fits this scheme perfectly, and he has big-play potential that could help put your lineup over the top any given week.
Round 12
12.01) Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens
12.02) Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
12.03) Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
12.04) Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
12.05) Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
12.06) Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets
12.07) Damien Harris, RB, Buffalo Bills
12.08) Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens
12.09) Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
12.10) Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Pick Analysis: Moore appears to be in line to be the WR1 in this Kansas City offense sooner than later. He struggled to make the leap from Western Michigan to the NFL in his rookie season, but all signs are that he’s ready to be a trustworthy target for Mahomes in 2023.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 13
13.01) San Francisco 49ers, DST
13.02) De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
13.03) Philadelphia Eagles, DST
13.04) Evan McPherson, K, Cincinnati Bengals
13.05) Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
13.06) Daniel Carlson, K, Las Vegas Raiders
13.07) Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
13.08) Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
13.09) Buffalo Bills, DST
13.10) Harrison Butker, K, Kansas City Chiefs
Pick Analysis:Â With essentially everyone in the mock draft waiting on a DST, I was able to scoop up one of the top units for cheap. There’s very little incentive to waste a mid-round pick on a DST when you can wait and secure a solid option still later on.
Round 14
14.01) Dallas Cowboys, DST
14.02) Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
14.03) Jake Elliott, K, Philadelphia Eagles
14.04) New York Jets, DST
14.05) Baltimore Ravens, DST
14.06) Tyler Bass, K, Buffalo Bills
14.07) Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
14.08) Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
14.09) Younghoe Koo, K, Atlanta Falcons
14.10) Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams
Pick Analysis: A starting TE still had not been added to my roster, so I went with a player who should be a target vacuum this season yet again.
Did you know that Higbee finished with the fourth-most targets in the NFL at the TE position in 2022? With Kupp currently battling an injury, plus a wide open WR room behind him, Higbee could easily see over 100 targets yet again this season.
Round 15
15.01) Jason Myers, K, Seattle Seahawks
15.02) Miami Dolphins, DST
15.03) Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
15.04) Pittsburgh Steelers, DST
15.05) New England Patriots, DST
15.06) Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
15.07) Brandon McManus, K, Denver Broncos
15.08) Kansas City Chiefs, DST
15.09) Jason Sanders, K, Miami Dolphins
15.10) Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos
Pick Analysis: There’s a conversation to be had about completely waiting to add your kicker until right before Week 1 of the NFL season. Instead, it’s worth taking a chance on a high-upside handcuff RB or WR that could shoot up the rankings if an injury were to happen above them on the depth chart.
If they don’t end up rising up the rankings, they’re the player to release for your kicker right before the Lions and Chiefs kick off on Thursday, Sept. 7.
