Fantasy Football 2023: Creative Team Names and Early Keeper Advice

Kristopher KnoxJul 14, 2023

With veterans for most NFL teams set to report to training camp on July 25, the 2023 preseason is right around the corner.

For most casual football fans, this means that regular-season action isn't far behind—the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions will open the schedule on September 7. For fantasy enthusiasts, however, it means that draft season has officially arrived.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy fantasy, from traditional season-long leagues to daily fantasy sports (DFS) games. Here, though, we'll focus on keeper leagues and some strategies that can help provide a championship-caliber roster.

Below, you'll find some proven draft tips for point-per-reception (PPR) drafting, along with updated draft rankings and a few creative team-name ideas focused on this year's rookie class.

2023 Fantasy Rankings, PPR

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49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

2. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

6. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

7. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

8. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

9. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

10. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

11. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

12. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

13. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

14. Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

15. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

16. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

17. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

18. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

19. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

20. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

21. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

22. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

23. Travis Etienne Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

24. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

25. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

26. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

27. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

28. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

29. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

30. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

31. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

32. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

33. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

34. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

35. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

36. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

37. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

38. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

39. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks

40. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings

41. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

42. Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns

43. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

44. D.J. Moore, WR, Chicago Bears

45. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

46. Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

47. Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers

48. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

49. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

50. Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears

Draft Strategy

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Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

If you're brand new to fantasy football drafting, the first step is to know your league's roster and scoring rules. In PPR leagues, players who, well make receptions, tend to be more valuable than those that don't. Knowing how many RB, WR and flex spots are at your disposal can also help guide you through the early rounds.

It's not exactly worth kicking off a draft with three running backs if you can only start two of them, after all.

Since we're looking at PPR scoring, the general rule is to target every-down running backs like Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler early, along with high-volume pass-catchers like Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Travis Kelce.

In keeper leagues, positioning is everything. Did you win your league's championship last year with McCaffrey and Kelce as the centerpieces of your roster? It's probably better to keep them than hope to get similar production out of whoever else is available at the No. 10 and No. 11 slots—the assumed position for a reigning champ in a 10-team snake draft.

If your team didn't fare so well, however, it can be more beneficial to start over and take the top player with the first, second or third pick. Keep in mind that many keepers will be off the board, but a few elite players should slip through the proverbial cracks.

Rookies will also be available, though Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is the only one worth a first-round selection this year. The Texas product will be in a split-backfield situation, but Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith is gearing up to use him in a multitude of roles.

"He uses me everywhere," Robinson said, per ESPN's Harry Lyles Jr. "From receiver to running back."

Other running backs to consider early include Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison.

But don't discount rookies who are trending toward the latter rounds. There's some risk involved because first-year players are completely unproven, but that also means that extreme value can often be found.

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce, a fourth-round pick, didn't receive a ton of fantasy hype heading into 2022 but finished with 30 receptions, 1,104 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns.

Managers should also beware of drafting players entering uncertain situations early. Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, for example, is the reigning rushing champion. However, there's no guarantee that he suits up for Las Vegas in Week 1.

According to Paloma Villicana of Fox 5 Las Vegas, Jacobs won't report to training camp if he doesn't have a long-term deal in place before the July 17 deadline.

Unless you're targeting Kelce or perhaps Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, don't focus on the position too early. There are few truly elite tight ends in the fantasy game. The same is true at quarterback, where there's a noticeable drop-off behind steady producers like Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and rising dual threat Justin Fields.

Make sure to invest in at least three skill players before grabbing a signal-caller, and if you're not completely sold on the available options, don't reach for a quarterback early. Serviceable starters can generally be found late.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff, for example, wasn't in the fantasy spotlight ahead of 2022 but finished with 4,438 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

Be confident in your picks, target upside instead of just blindly filling bench spots late and don't ever reach for a kicker.