Best Fantasy Football Landing Spots for Top Offensive Playmakers in 2023 NFL Draft
Fantasy football managers spend countless hours searching for the next rising star, and they could find several gems among the headline prospects in the 2023 NFL draft.
Of course, a rookie must land in an ideal spot for optimal fantasy production. With a pathway to a starting role, a high volume of touches or targets and an average-to-above-average supporting cast, a first-year playmaker can vie for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Based on fantasy upside, let's identify the best team fits for eight of the top offensive players in the 2023 draft, with quarterbacks included for leagues with a "superflex" roster spot.
We've emphasized position need, roster makeup and schematic fit to highlight the most ideal landing spot for each prospect.
QB Bryce Young to the Carolina Panthers
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Bryce Young will likely hear his name called first or second in this year's draft, which means he's headed to a rebuilding squad. With that said, the Alabama product has the skill set to make a fantasy impact with solid playmakers around him.
Young won't provide much as a ball-carrier. As a two-year starter with the Crimson Tide, he recorded 185 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. However, the 5'10", 204-pound signal-caller moves well in the pocket, shows an innate ability to read coverages and throws with great anticipation, which translates to the pro level.
Because of Young's mobility, he's less reliant on his offensive line, making him a slightly better fantasy option than C.J. Stroud, who's more of a pure pocket passer.
Though teams that pick atop the draft usually have suboptimal fantasy situations for quarterbacks, the Carolina Panthers have assembled a decent supporting cast for a rookie signal-caller.
This offseason, the Panthers signed wideouts DJ Chark and Adam Thielen and tight end Hayden Hurst.
Chark can stretch the field, averaging 16.7 yards per catch with the Detroit Lions in 2022. Though past his prime years, Thielen has racked up at least 716 receiving yards in each of his previous three terms and caught 30 touchdown passes in that period. Hurst has caught 52 or more passes in two of his last three terms.
In Carolina, Young would be a potential late-round fantasy flier with moderate upside.
Alternative landing spot: Houston Texans
QB Anthony Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts
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Drawing comparisons to Cam Newton, Anthony Richardson will garner a lot of attention from fantasy managers if he has a clear pathway to start in 2023.
Richardson easily offers the most fantasy upside among the quarterbacks in this year's draft. He has a big arm and could add a dimension to a team's ground attack. The Florida product rushed for 1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns over his last two collegiate terms.
Despite his concerning 53.8 completion rate and modest passing numbers of 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his first and only year as a full-time collegiate starter, Richardson made strides at the end of the 2022 season. In his last four outings, he threw 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Fantasy managers should root for the Indianapolis Colts to draft Richardson.
This offseason, the Colts hired a new head coach in Shane Steichen, who served as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers when Justin Herbert won 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year with record-breaking passing numbers. He also helped develop Jalen Hurts into an MVP candidate.
Under Steichen, Hurts significantly improved his completion and touchdown passing rates between 2021 and 2022 from 61.3 percent to 66.5. On top of that, he racked up 1,544 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in that stretch.
Based on his track record with Herbert and Hurts, Steichen knows how to get the most out of an athletic or physically gifted quarterback.
In Indianapolis, Richardson may struggle early but pick up steam in the second half of the season while posing a threat to defenses with his legs in the run game. He has booming fantasy potential.
Alternative landing spot: Atlanta Falcons
RB Bijan Robinson to the Buffalo Bills
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Bijan Robinson should be able to handle a three-down role. In our Bleacher Report big board rankings, he's the only running back listed as a top-10 prospect and Year 1 starter.
At 5'11", 215 pounds, Robinson has the body frame to absorb a high volume of hits in a featured ball-carrying role. Moreover, he's a viable pass-catching tailback, hauling in 60 passes for 805 yards and eight touchdowns as a collegian. Our B/R scouts think the Texas product has the best vision and hands and is most ready to play on third downs among the rookie running backs.
Robinson will have top-five fantasy scoring potential at his position in point-per-receptions leagues if the Buffalo Bills draft him. With the No. 27 overall pick, the Bills would probably have to move up several spots, perhaps in the teens, to select Robinson, though they have a need at the position.
James Cook will take on an expanded role, and the club signed Damien Harris. However, the former hasn't registered more than 113 carries in a single season going back to his years at Georgia, and the latter signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal, which indicates he's not a lock to play a big role out of the backfield.
In Buffalo, Robinson can win the starting job to replace Devin Singletary, who signed with the Houston Texans this offseason, and see a fair number of pass-catching opportunities in a high-scoring offense that finished with the second-most yards and points per game last season.
Alternative landing spot: Philadelphia Eagles
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RB Jahmyr Gibbs to the Arizona Cardinals
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As the No. 2 running back in the latest B/R rankings, we've projected Jahmyr Gibbs to go in the second round of the draft, but he can post high-end RB2 or flex numbers with plenty of opportunities to touch the ball.
Unlike Bijan Robinson, Gibbs isn't a near lock to handle a three-down role on the pro level. Offensive coordinators may prefer to use him in a change-of-pace capacity because of his 5'9", 199-pound frame. In size, he compares closely to Austin Ekeler, who's listed at 5'10", 200 pounds.
Gibbs isn't going to squeeze out a lot of yards after contact, which may hurt his chances of eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards in a single season, but similar to Ekeler, quarterbacks will be able to rely on him in the passing game. As a collegian, he caught 104 passes for 1,217 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Arizona Cardinals may operate in dink-and-dunk mode with quarterback Colt McCoy or David Blough for several weeks into the 2023 season. Kyler Murray is recovering from a torn ACL, and head coach Jonathan Gannon has refrained from putting a timeline on the signal-caller's return.
If McCoy opens the season under center, expect the 36-year-old, who turns 37 in September, to move the ball in a conservative offense with a ton of dump-offs. For his career, he averages 6.5 yards gained per pass attempt. Gibbs could see six-to-eight targets per game in Arizona's offense.
Furthermore, Gibbs would split carries with James Conner, who's missed at least two games in all six of his pro seasons and logged more than 183 carries in just two campaigns. Because of Conner's injury history, fantasy managers would be able to count on Gibbs starting in the backfield at some point in Arizona.
Alternative landing spot: Los Angeles Rams
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the Houston Texans
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Fantasy managers may want to temper their expectations for the incoming wide receiver class.
According to the executive director of the Reese's Senior Bowl and former NFL scout Jim Nagy, the league isn't as high on the 2023 crop of rookie wideouts as the media has projected in mock drafts, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba seems like the clear-cut WR1.
"One thing has become clear on calls around league past couple weeks: NFL isn't nearly as high on this year's WR class as media. Frequently seeing 4-5 wideouts in mocks. Have spoken to numerous teams that have only one first round grade at the position. That guy is JSN," Nagy tweeted.
Though Smith-Njigba missed all but three games this past year because of a lingering hamstring injury, he posted impressive 2021 receiving numbers at Ohio State, hauling in 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns despite sharing targets with a couple of first-round picks from last year's draft in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.
Smith-Njigba had a solid showing at the NFL Scouting Combine in March, which showed that he's recovered from his injury.
As a Buckeye, Smith-Njigba lined up mostly in the slot, though he could see a lot of targets with the Houston Texans in a featured role. Remember, analysts labeled Justin Jefferson as a "slot guy" during the 2020 draft cycle, and he's blossomed into a complete wideout who primarily lines up on the outside with the Minnesota Vikings.
Whether Smith-Njigba takes most of his snaps from the slot or on the perimeter, he could become the Texans' top pass-catching option because of his ability to separate from defenders with his detailed routes. The Ohio State product knows how to create throwing windows for a quarterback.
In March, the Texans traded Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys, which will open up targets for a rookie wide receiver. Tight end Dalton Schultz should have a vital role in the passing attack, but Smith-Njigba could lead the team in targets, catches and receiving yards with third-year pro Nico Collins, who's yet to catch more than 37 passes in a single season, in the No. 2 receiver role.
Alternative landing spot: Minnesota Vikings
WR Quentin Johnston to the Tennessee Titans
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Fantasy managers will salivate at the idea of a 6'3", 208-pound wide receiver in a featured pass-catching role. At that size, Quentin Johnston will become an intriguing late-round fantasy draft option if he lands with a team that's desperate for production out of its receivers.
Johnston must learn to use his body frame as an advantage on contested catches and 50-50 balls, but he's a big-play receiver with his speed and the ability to haul in the "wow" catches downfield. The TCU product isn't a physical pass-catcher, but he's more of a flash playmaker with above-average athleticism.
While the Tennessee Titans may select an offensive lineman with the 11th overall pick, they would grab the attention of the fantasy football community with a receiver who can take the top off a defense.
The Titans have more than enough room for a rookie receiver to make an impact if they throw the ball a little more and rely on running back Derrick Henry a little less in the upcoming season. In 2022, Tennessee finished with the third-fewest pass attempts, while Henry led the league with 349 carries.
In 2022, rookie first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks battled injuries and posted modest receiving numbers, recording 33 catches for 444 yards and a touchdown. Tennessee cut wideout Robert Woods, and tight end Austin Hooper signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Johnston could see a high target volume opposite Burks on the perimeter. With that said, he would need quarterback Ryan Tannehill to stay healthy and perform at a level closer to his 2019-20 stretch (55 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions) under former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Alternative landing spot: New York Jets (if they acquire Aaron Rodgers)
WR Jordan Addison to the New York Giants
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Jordan Addison will come into the NFL as an accomplished wide receiver, having won the Fred Biletnikoff Award with 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns as the focal point of Pittsburgh's passing attack in 2021. He transferred to USC and led the Trojans in catches (59), receiving yards (875) and touchdown receptions (eight).
Based on his collegiate production, Addison has shown he's a capable No. 1 receiver. While critics may knock his size (5'11", 173 lbs), he can beat cornerbacks downfield with his speed or run away from defenders on short completions.
In terms of fantasy impact, Addison could flourish as a WR2 with the New York Giants.
Daniel Jones hasn't thrown for more than 15 touchdowns in a single season since his 2019 rookie campaign, but he showed improvement under head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka with a bottom-tier pass-catching group in 2022. Last year, Richie James, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, led Big Blue's wide receivers in receptions (57), while wideout Darius Slayton finished with a team-leading 724 receiving yards.
Jones could see a spike in his passing production with a three-level playmaking wide receiver in Addison, which would make both players solid fantasy options.
Alternative landing spot: Kansas City Chiefs
TE Michael Mayer to the Green Bay Packers
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Fantasy managers know that rookie tight ends seldom make a significant impact right out of college. In 2021, Kyle Pitts came out of Florida as one of the top pass-catchers in the class. Though he racked up 68 receptions for 1,026 receiving yards, the 6'6", 246-pounder only caught one touchdown pass, which frustrated fantasy managers.
In our most recent Bleacher Report draft rankings, Michael Mayer is the only tight end with an immediate impact grade (8.7).
At 6'4", 249 pounds, Mayer has the prototypical body frame of an NFL tight end, and he's a pro-ready inline blocker, which will keep him on the field for all three downs.
In each of his last two terms at Notre Dame, Mayer registered at least 67 catches, 809 yards and seven touchdowns, which shows some consistency as a go-to target in an offense. He could see a high volume of looks in the passing game with the Green Bay Packers as well.
The Packers lost wideout Allen Lazard and tight end Robert Tonyan in free agency. Mayer could serve as the No. 2 pass-catching option behind Christian Watson in Green Bay's aerial attack as wideout Romeo Doubs works through his drop issues (nine in 2022).
Assuming the Packers eventually trade quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, Jordan Love will take over the offense, which may scare fantasy managers away from this scenario. The 24-year-old signal-caller has only thrown 83 regular-season passes in three seasons.
On the flip side, Love could use Mayer as a security blanket in the offense, which would elevate the rookie tight end's target volume and perhaps his production for the 2023 season.
Alternative landing spot: New Orleans Saints
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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