The 2023 fantasy football draft season is starting to heat up now that we’ve gone through the height of free agency and all of the chosen rookies have been assigned to their professional home cities.
The landscape has changed a great deal for many franchises after a whirlwind offseason, and our divisional preview series will help you stay on top of all of the changes to date.
AFC divisional previews
East | North | South | West
NFC divisional previews
East | North | South | West
Baltimore Ravens
2022 record: 10-7
Notable coaching and system changes
Despite a track record of success, Year 16 feels like a critical one for head coach John Harbaugh, who has just one playoff victory in the past eight years. Following the resignation of Greg Roman, Georgia’s Todd Monken was hired as offensive coordinator. Monken won’t abandon the run, but he also figures to employ a more diverse attack that should stress defenses vertically and horizontally. Mike Macdonald’s charges finished with the third-ranked scoring defense in 2022, and he returns for a second season as DC.
Key free-agent additions
Key free-agent departures
- RB Kenyan Drake (unsigned)
- WR Demarcus Robinson (unsigned)
Key draft additions
- WR Zay Flowers
Quarterback preview
Since being named MVP in 2019, Lamar Jackson has averaged 2,627 yards passing, 845 yards rushing, and 24 TDs (20 passing, 4 rushing) while missing 11 games due to injury. Initially unable to reach an agreement, the Ravens used the franchise tag on Jackson before inking him to a new five-year deal on the eve of the draft. The team continued to invest in shoring up the receiver position, and it’s incumbent on Monken to return Jackson to an elite level. Jackson enters 2023 as a high-upside, moderate-risk QB1.
Running back preview
Coming off a torn ACL that cost him all of 2021, J.K. Dobbins lasted just four games upon his return before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. He missed nearly two months but looked more like himself down the stretch, rushing for 397 yards on 57 carries (7.0 YPC) in his final four games. Dobbins enters 2023 as a strong No. 3 fantasy back, and if he can stay healthy, he could provide a nice return on investment for fantasy owners.
Like Dobbins, Gus Edwards was rehabbing from a torn ACL heading into last season. He returned Oct. 23 and played in two games before a hamstring injury put him on the shelf for a month. Edwards appeared in nine games, and his numbers projected out to 164-818-6, which would’ve been slightly above career norms. He’s a nice complementary piece for Baltimore and could be targeted as an RB4/RB5.
Despite just 119 carries in four seasons, Justice Hill was re-signed, likely as insurance against more injury woes. If pressed into a larger role, he’d have some appeal.
Wide receiver preview
After watching Demarcus Robinson lead the team’s receivers with 458 yards a season ago, the Ravens dipped into free agency to sign Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor, and then drafted Zay Flowers to pair with a returning Rashod Bateman. The most intriguing name (and biggest X-factor) is Beckham, who hasn’t played since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI. Once considered among the NFL’s best, OBJ is three full seasons removed from his last 1,000-yard effort and has dealt with major injuries. Entering his age-31 campaign, OBJ is a risk/reward WR4.
Bateman’s first two years in the NFL have been marred by injuries that limited him to 19 games. A year ago, it was Lisfranc surgery that cut his season short. While he’ll still be recovering during OTAs, Bateman is expected to be ready when camp arrives. The Minnesota alum has shown flashes. Now he needs to stay healthy and deliver consistency. The bloom is likely off the rose in fantasy circles, making Bateman someone with upside available in the final rounds.
Flowers was taken in the first round, and the 5-foot-9, 182-pound wideout should push for playing time in the slot. Still, with a pair of veterans on one-year deals, there’s no reason to rush him. Agholor resurrected his career with the Raiders in 2020, but during two years with New England he logged just 835 yards and five TDs combined. At 29, Agholor is a capable pro whose snaps are likely tied to the injury statuses of OBJ and Bateman along with readiness of Flowers. Hold off on selecting either of them.
Tight end preview
Heading into 2022, you could argue that Mark Andrews had surpassed Travis Kelce as the NFL’s top receiving tight end. His numbers slipped, however, falling from a 107-1,361-9 line to 73-847-5. Inconsistency at the quarterback position and a lack of playmakers outside were factors, and Andrews remains an upper-tier TE1. He’s just not Kelce.
The team likes second-year pro Isaiah Likely, who finished fourth on the club in receiving yards (373) and tied for second in TDs (3) as a rookie. Although Likely is, ahem, unlikely to get enough looks to hold draft-day appeal, he’s a name for your watch list.
Sleeper/breakout candidates
In larger leagues, Isaiah Likely could be worth stashing as your No. 2 tight end ahead of numerous teams’ starters based on upside. He caught 36 of 60 targeted balls as a rookie and averaged 10.4 yards per catch. On paper, this is a deeper group of pass catchers, but there are durability concerns.
Bust potential/overvalued players
Forget the name Odell Beckham Jr. for a moment and just look at the numbers. Over the last three years, he has played in 21 of 49 games and averaged 34 receptions, 428 yards, and 4 TDs. His last truly impactful season was 2016. Perhaps he’s worth the risk, but only very late in drafts.
Cincinnati Bengals
2022 record: 12-4
Notable coaching and system changes
While the Bengals fell short of a return trip to the Super Bowl in 2022, head coach Zac Taylor showed their run was no fluke as Cincinnati came painfully close to knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Given their recent success, it’s a bit surprising that offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo are both back, providing the Bengals with a fifth straight year of continuity at the top.
Key free-agent additions
- TE Irv Smith
- OL Orlando Brown
Key free-agent departures
- TE Hayden Hurst
- RB Samaje Perine
Key draft additions
- WR Charlie Jones
- RB Chase Brown
Quarterback preview
If leading the team to a Super Bowl berth in Year 2 didn’t convince you that Joe Burrow was a superstar in the making, his follow-up performance should’ve done the trick. Burrow endured a brutal beginning to 2022 with an appendectomy costing him most of the preseason before 13 sacks in the first two games, both losses. He didn’t get rattled. Instead, Burrow led the team on a 10-game winning streak, finishing with 4,475 yards passing, 35 TDs, and 12 INTs. He even showed heretofore unseen running ability as a pro, scampering for 257 yards and five scores. Burrow is a steady QB1.
Running back preview
For just the second time in five seasons, Joe Mixon failed to eclipse 1,000 yards, settling for 814 yards and seven TDs on 210 carries. He added value with a career-best 60-441-2 effort as a receiver, but his week-to-week effectiveness was all over the map, and with 1,500-plus touches on his odometer it’s possible the 27-year-old is starting to wear down. Mixon was also involved in an off-the-field incident for which he pleaded not guilty. Whether he’ll face league discipline is unknown, though Taylor gave him a vote of confidence, saying Mixon’s future is with the Bengals. Add it all up, and Mixon is looking like a middling RB2.
With Samaje Perine gone, the team drafted Chase Brown on Day 3. Brown, a Doak Walker Award finalist, has a nice blend of speed and power that should give the rookie a leg up on holdovers Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans for the No. 2 role.
Wide receiver preview
A revelation as a rookie, Ja’Marr Chase was in the midst of shaking off a relatively slow start in October when he suffered a hip injury that sidelined him for six weeks. He appeared in 12 games, hauling in 87 passes for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns. With defenses determined not to let him get deep the way he had in 2021, Chase settled into more of a possession role, catching six more balls in five fewer games but watching his yards-per-catch drop from 18.0 (second in the NFL) to 12.0. He remains Cincy’s focus offensively and is a high-end WR1.
On many teams, Tee Higgins would be the No. 1 receiver. In Cincinnati, however, he’s firmly behind Chase, finishing with 25 fewer targets and 13 fewer receptions despite appearing in four more games than his teammate. Higgins had too many statistical no-shows last season, posting less than 50 yards receiving in a game six times, and is best viewed as a WR2 by fantasy owners.
Tyler Boyd had a handful of good games and ended with a respectable 58-762-5 line. He’s a veteran presence that Burrow trusts, but he’s just not anywhere near as dynamic as the duo in front of him, making Boyd a tertiary target that’s no more than fantasy depth.
Tight end preview
With Hayden Hurst (52-414-2) signing in Carolina, the Bengals will be hoping newcomer Irv Smith can take over as the starting tight end. Smith was a second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, but injuries limited him to eight games over the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy, Smith could hold some late-round appeal. If not, Drew Sample and Devin Asiasi could get a look.
Sleeper/breakout candidates
Irv Smith caught 66 passes for 676 yards and seven TDs during his first two seasons in Minnesota. Then the injuries started. He missed 2021 with a knee injury. He had thumb surgery last August. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in October. If he can turn the page and integrate in this high-powered passing game, there’s a lot to like.
Bust potential/overvalued players
With Chase and Higgins around, Tyler Boyd had already been pushed down the depth chart. The question now is could he drop further? Boyd is reliable, no doubt. Cincinnati drafted two wideouts, though, and Trenton Irwin scored four TDs over the final seven games. If they chip away at his production, Boyd might not even be WR5 worthy.
Cleveland Browns
2022 record: 7-10
Notable coaching and system changes
After the 2020 season, it felt like the Browns had hit on head coach Kevin Stefanski with Cleveland pushing eventual AFC Champion Kansas City to the brink. Two sub-.500 seasons later, Stefanski might be coaching for his job. On offense, he’ll stick with Alex Van Pelt as coordinator for a fourth campaign, and that duo will be tasked with getting Deshaun Watson back to form. Defensively, Jim Schwartz takes over for Joe Woods, a marked improvement on paper.
Key free-agent additions
- WR Elijah Moore (trade)
- TE Jordan Akins
Key free-agent departures
- QB Jacoby Brissett
- RB Kareem Hunt (unsigned)
- RB D’Ernest Johnson
Key draft additions
Quarterback preview
It’s hard to classify Deshaun Watson‘s first year in Cleveland as anything other than a disaster. Acquired from Houston for multiple picks and handed a massive contract, Watson was suspended 11 games for off-the-field conduct, and when he returned Dec. 4, he looked exactly like someone that hadn’t taken a meaningful snap in almost two years. Clearly, Cleveland will be expecting much more in 2023, something reminiscent to the Watson that passed for 4,823 yards and 33 TDs in his last full season. There’s QB1 upside here. Just make sure you have a solid backup.
Running back preview
The one-two punch of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt was supposed to be one of the league’s best. It wasn’t. Chubb held up his end, setting or matching career highs in carries (302), yards (1,525), and touchdowns (12) while averaging at least 5.0 yards per carry for the fifth time in as many seasons. Hunt struggled, however, and he saw his role shrink as the season wore on. He won’t return. Chubb’s lack of involvement in the passing game keeps him a notch below the elite fantasy backs, but he’s still a top-10 option.
Minus Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson, second-year back Jerome Ford is currently in line to back up Chubb. The former Bearcat has good burst and can be a checkdown option, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Browns look to add a veteran before the season.
Wide receiver preview
For a second straight offseason, the Browns swung a trade to augment their receivers room. In 2022, they nabbed Amari Cooper from Dallas, and he led the team in receptions (78), yards (1,160), and TDs (9). They hope the deal for Elijah Moore goes as smoothly. Moore was a forgotten man with the New York Jets, posting a 37-446-1 line and requesting a trade inseason. He flashed serious upside as a rookie, however, and if Moore plays to his potential, he should represent a significant upgrade. While Cooper sits as a high-end WR3, Moore is more of a WR4/WR5 with juice.
Moore’s arrival pushes Donovan Peoples-Jones down a peg. DPJ fashioned a 61-839-3 line in his third year, but his increase in volume led to a major reduction in big plays. Don’t be surprised if he works vertically more often in 2023, leading to more big plays but less reliable weekly involvement. David Bell (24-214-0), last year’s third-round pick, and Cedric Tillman, this year’s third-rounder, will also push for playing time. Nobody here holds much fantasy appeal.
Tight end preview
When David Njoku signed a massive four-year contract, the thought process was that his role in the offense was about to take off. Not so fast. Njoku did catch a career-high 58 balls, but it only went for 628 yards and four TDs. Those are modest numbers. He showed marginal chemistry with Watson down the stretch, so hopefully a full offseason together puts them on the same page. Perhaps people were a year early on a Njoku breakout. Perhaps not. At a shallow position like tight end, though, Njoku could be a worthwhile TE1 risk after the position’s marquee names run dry.
Sleeper/breakout candidates
Is there a better recipe for a sleeper than a talented quarterback coming off a down year teaming up with a talented young wideout that was shipped out of town by his original team? Elijah Moore found himself lost in the Jets QB vortex a year ago, but he’s a talented slot receiver that should get plenty of looks from Watson.
Bust potential/overvalued players
The arrival of Moore, the presence of Bell/Tillman, loss of Brissett, and perhaps an evolving role for Njoku could all conspire to push Donovan Peoples-Jones into more of the deep-ball specialist role he filled during his first two seasons. He feels like a long shot to even reach his production from a year ago.
Pittsburgh Steelers
2022 record: 9-8
Notable coaching and system changes
No franchise changes head coaches less often than the Steelers with Mike Tomlin entering his 17th season in charge — during which he’s never had a losing record. The decision to retain offensive coordinator Matt Canada had plenty of critics, but the team exceeded expectations, so it was unsurprising. Look for Canada to ask more of Kenny Pickett this season. Teryl Austin is back for a second season as defensive coordinator.
Key free-agent additions
- WR Allen Robinson (trade)
Key free-agent departures
- RB Benny Snell
Key draft additions
Quarterback preview
Pittsburgh treaded water with Mitchell Trubisky for a short while before turning the offense over to then-rookie Kenny Pickett, who started 12 games last year. Pickett came out gunning, passing for 327 yards in his first start, but it came with three interceptions in a 35-point loss. After he tossed eight picks in his first five games, the team dialed things back considerably. While the offense should be expanded for Pickett in his second season, projecting him to be more than a fringe QB2 for fantasy purposes feels optimistic.
Running back preview
Najee Harris totaled 381 touches as a rookie and 313 last year, firmly establishing him as one of the NFL’s most heavily utilized and durable backs. That’s the good news. The bad news is he hasn’t been explosive, averaging 3.9 yards on 579 carries, and 6.1 yards on 115 receptions. That those per-touch averages didn’t improve when his usage dipped could be seen as mildly concerning. A stronger offensive line and better production from the passing game should loosen things up, but the presence of Jaylen Warren could offset that if they look to get the latter more involved this year. Harris looks like a decent RB2 at this point.
Speaking of Warren, he went from undrafted free agent to rotation piece over the course of his rookie year. During the final four games, all of which Pittsburgh won, the Oklahoma State product totaled 43 touches, 220 yards, and a score. He could serve as late-round depth.
Wide receiver preview
Ben Roethlisberger‘s retirement did little to change Pittsburgh’s short passing game in 2022, and Diontae Johnson was the poster child for it. Always more chain mover than deep threat, Johnson set an NFL record for most receptions in a season (86) without a touchdown. He’ll enter 2023 as the No. 1 receiver for Pittsburgh, though George Pickens is hot on his heels — he led Pittsburgh in receiving TDs (4) and finished just 81 yards behind Johnson despite catching 34 fewer passes during an encouraging rookie campaign. Both wideouts should rate somewhere in the WR3 range with Johnson being the safer choice, and Pickens featuring more upside.
With the team having moved on from Chase Claypool at the trade deadline last season, it engineered a deal with the Los Angeles Rams to pick up veteran Allen Robinson. A-Rob had back-to-back 1,000-yard efforts with Chicago in 2019-20, but he has underwhelmed the past two years, managing 71 catches, 749 yards, and four TDs combined with the Chicago Bears and Rams, respectively. He should have the edge on Calvin Austin, who missed his rookie year with a foot injury, but there’s no reason to draft Robinson in 2023.
Tight end preview
Pat Freiermuth has been a nice find for the Steelers, following up a 60-497-7 line as a rookie with 63 grabs, 732 yards, and a pair of touchdowns in 2022. The decline in red-zone production is concerning, but remember that Pittsburgh had just 12 passing touchdowns on the season. Freiermuth’s bigger issue is concussions, which serve as a medical red flag for an otherwise steady looking TE1.
Those head injuries likely played a part in drafting Darnell Washington, a 6-foot-7, 264-pound behemoth with big-time potential as both a blocker and receiver. He’ll likely be eased in, as long as Freiermuth stays healthy, but if pressed into a bigger role Washington could hold inseason value.
Sleeper/breakout candidates
Last year, the Steelers felt their best path to victory was limiting what they asked of Kenny Pickett. Expect the training wheels to come off a bit this season, which combined with Pickens’ development and the Robinson addition could help Pickett step onto fantasy radars as an inseason matchup play.
Bust potential/overvalued players
Pittsburgh has piled a lot on Najee Harris over his first two seasons. Don’t be surprised if they dial that back in 2023, featuring Warren more, particularly on passing downs, and putting more on Pickett’s right arm. With Harris’ value stemming from volume usage, any meaningful reduction could push him down into RB3 territory.
