Wide receiver has become the dominant position in all of fantasy football, as young players like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb (to name a few) are lighting up the stat sheets. Unfortunately, NFL teams looking to make a major splash at the position will find it difficult to accomplish as the free agent market is a bit weak heading into the 2023 offseason. With that said, making a big splash trade these days can help fill a void. Look at what Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill did for their respective new teams. Oh, and let’s not forget about the A.J. Brown impact.
One of the bigger names that could be on the market this offseason is DeAndre Hopkins. A long-time fantasy superstar, he missed eight games last year due to a combination of suspension and injuries. When he was active, though, Nuk rattled off 717 yards with three touchdowns and averaged 16.9 fantasy points per game.
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Here are five teams that could have a need at wide receiver and would be interesting spots for Hopkins to land next season. Let’s start things off with the NFL champs.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Super Bowl champions lack an alpha wide receiver (not that it mattered), but imagine acquiring Hopkins in the offseason? With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman slated to become free agents, Kansas City could land Nuk in a “the rich get richer” move. Imagine Hopkins catching passes from Patrick Mahomes in an Andy Reid offense? It’s enough to give Chiefs and fantasy fans statistical chills.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys traded away Amari Cooper last offseason hoping that Michael Gallup would pan out as a No. 2 wideout. It didn’t happen. If Dallas truly wants to help Dak Prescott and improve their offense in a division that proved to be one of the NFL’s best last season, grabbing another playmaking receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb is a must. I’m not sure the Cowboys would do this, but it would be a fun addition in Big D.
Top Five Fantasy Landing Spots: Aaron Rodgers | Jimmy Garoppolo | Saquon Barkley | Tony Pollard | JuJu Smith-Schuster | Miles Sanders | Derek Carr | Lamar Jackson | David Montgomery | Josh Jacobs | Jamaal Williams | Kareem Hunt
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens always seem to need a wide receiver, right? If Hopkins is available, they’d be foolish not to inquire about the fantasy star. The jury is still out on Rashod Bateman as a pro, and their top wideout from 2022, Demarcus Robinson, is a free agent. Assuming the team retains Lamar Jackson, Hopkins would push for WR1 value in an offense that might not be so run heavy under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
New England Patriots
The Patriots could lose Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor as free agents, so they might be looking to acquire a wideout. Hopkins could come right in and be that No. 1 option in the passing game for Mac Jones and would pair pretty nicely with DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton. There are questions about Jones and the quarterback position, but the Patriots have a big need at wideout to fill for 2023.
Chicago Bears
Is there any team in the NFL more needy at wide receiver than the Bears? Their “No. 1” wideout, Darnell Mooney, is coming off an ankle injury and isn’t a true alpha. N’Keal Harry and Byron Pringle are slated to become free agents, leaving the team with Mooney, Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown. If Chicago added Hopkins, it would give Justin Fields a true playmaker in the pass attack.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
