Fantasy Football Expert Analysis After 2023 NFL Draft Day 2

A host of offensive skill position players found NFL homes during Day 2 of the NFL draft, which featured 71 picks over the second and third rounds.

Five tight ends and four wide receivers went in the second round alone, and a few of them should find themselves under serious consideration to be drafted in fantasy football. A quarterback (Will Levis to the Tennessee Titans) and running back (Zach Charbonnet to the Seattle Seahawks) also were picked Friday.

The third round saw Heisman Trophy finalist Hendon Hooker go to the Detroit Lions at No. 68. A run of wide receivers occurred afterward, starting with the next pick as Houston's Tank Dell stayed in town and went to the Texans.

The Tennessee duo of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman went 73rd and 74th to the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, respectively. Other notable picks included Tulane running back Tyjae Spears to the Tennessee Titans, TCU running back Kendre Miller to the New Orleans Saints and UNC wideout Josh Downs to the Indianapolis Colts.

Here's a look at each group position and notes on who should get serious looks to be drafted in fantasy this year.

Quarterbacks

This one is pretty simple: Levis is going to back up starter Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee, and Hooker is doing to do the same in Detroit with Jared Goff. Unless one of those teams collapses midseason and decides to rebuild for the future, those rookies will be spending the year on the sidelines.

In dynasty leagues, both are worth a look because it's possible both start in 2024. However, they should be left off draft boards for now.

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Running Backs

Here's where things get a little interesting.

Two of the three teams who chose running backs Friday already have productive veterans in place in Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints) and Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans).

The other one, the Seattle Seahawks, employs second-year running back Ken Walker III, who rushed for 1,000 yards in his rookie year.

On paper, where will the carries come from for any of those talented backs to be relevant, barring injury or ineffectiveness?

The name to really watch is Devon Achane out of Texas A&M. The Miami Dolphins have good backs in Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., but it's possible to see head coach Mike McDaniel riding a hot hand and deciding Achane is the way to go.

Miami didn't give any one back significant preference last year and it's possible the same happens this year, but there's an opening for Achane to get his looks.

Simply put, the speed will be a problem, and Achane is worth a late-round flier.

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Tight Ends

Simply put, Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer looks like the best fantasy football prospect in this year's class. He should become the Raiders' second most-targeted pass-catcher behind superstar wideout Davante Adams.

Mayer is slated to become the top tight end in Vegas after the team traded Darren Waller to the New York Giants in March. Among those picked on Day 2, he stands as the greatest value at a position that's lacked consistent production of late.

It's not impossible to see Mayer, who had 138 catches for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns in 24 games for Notre Dame over the last two years, become a potential top-five tight end in fantasy. Yes, the Raiders have Austin Hooper in place, but Mayer is ready to ball in the NFL right now.

There are a few other open doors at tight end in the NFC North. Sam LaPorta should walk right into Detroit's TE1 spot. There are a ton of mouths to feed on that offense with three running backs (first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, D'Andre Swift) and a star wideout in Amon-Ra St. Brown, but LaPorta should get his fair share of snaps and targets.

Luke Musgrave of Oregon State could walk right into the Green Bay Packers' starting lineup. Musgrave is coming off a year when he missed all but two games with a knee injury, so asking a lot of out him right away may be too much. Depending on how training camp proceeds, Musgrave could be worth a late-round add as a backup tight end.

One talented tight end who could be worth a look is Georgia's Darnell Washington, who got first-round buzz before falling to the third.

Washington presents a massive 6'7", 264-pound target for quarterback Kenny Pickett. He likely won't see a ton of looks with Pat Freiermuth working as TE1, but Washington is a name to monitor based off his talent alone. He notably averaged 17.2 yards per catch during his collegiate career.

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Wideouts

On paper, Ole Miss wideout Jonathan Mingo has a tough road to get time given the Panthers' depth chart. Carolina has some veterans (Adam Thielen, DJ Chark) ready to help out rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Terrace Marshall Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. should also get their looks.

But here's the thing: The Panthers are in the middle of a rebuild with a rookie signal-caller. The idea should be for Young and Mingo to grow and develop together and hope for brighter days.

The 6'2", 220-pound Mingo is a big-play machine who averaged 16.9 yards per catch last year (51/861/5). He presents a huge target for Young and could easily be a fantasy-caliber wideout in 2023 if given the chance.

Jayden Reed could easily become a top-three wideout in Green Bay alongside Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. He'll have the same problem as Musgrave in that targets and touches will be hard to come by on a consistent basis, but he proved his value at Michigan State, where he amassed 59 receptions for 1,026 yards and 10 scores in 2021.

Finally, Hyatt looks like he could be WR1 in New York. The Giants don't have a true No. 1 wideout, although they have a collection of talent that complements each other well with different skill sets between Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell and Darius Slayton.

Hyatt could come in and steal the show. His speed and ability to separate could make him a game-breaking threat alongside quarterback Daniel Jones. He lit up the SEC last year and even scored five touchdowns versus Alabama, finishing with 15 on the season alongside 67 receptions and 1,267 yards.

Lastly, keep an eye on Dell in Houston for a similar reason as Mingo with the Panthers. The Texans should give their third-round pick a healthy dose of targets and experience alongside their new rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud.

There's frankly no pressure on the Texans to compete this year given their rebuilding state, and Dell should work into their rotation along with youngsters Nico Collins and John Metchie III.