Fantasy Football 2023: 2-Round Mock Draft, Top Team Names and League Names

Kristopher KnoxAug 12, 2023

The 2023 NFL preseason officially got underway with the start of Week 1 on Thursday. While early exhibition games aren't always particularly entertaining, they can provide a glimpse of what to expect during the regular season.

The preseason also marks the start of fantasy draft seasons, and like the players on the field, it's time for fantasy managers to prepare.

Mock drafts can help formulate draft strategies and uncover where players are projected to be taken. Below, we'll dive into a 12-team, point-per-reception (PPR) mock formulated through FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator.

We'll also run through a few ideas for team names and league names. After all, while fantasy is serious business for some, it's also supposed to be fun.

2-Round Mock Draft

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AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

Round 1

1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

4. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

5. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

6. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

8. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

9. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

10. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

11. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

12. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Round 2

1. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

2. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

3. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

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

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

6. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

7. Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

8. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

9. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

10. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

11. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

12. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Draft Analysis

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Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase

Unsurprisingly, several high-volume pass-catchers went in the first round of our simulated draft. The NFL is trending more toward the pass and away from every-down running backs, and fantasy is beginning to mirror that.

No. 1 targets like Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyreek Hill are valuable because they rarely have a truly bad weekly performance. Chase, for example, had only one game with fewer than 50 yards in 2022 and caught at least four passes every single week.

Chase did miss four games with a hip injury, and injuries are about the only thing that will hold top-tier receivers back.

This doesn't mean, however, that it's not worth using a first-round pick on a running back. Every-down dual-threat backs like Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler and Saquon Barkley are still worth building a roster around. The goal, though, is to target backs who provide good PPR value.

Bijan Robinson is the rookie from the 2023 class worth grabbing early. He's in a loaded Atlanta Falcons backfield, but projects as more of an all-around offensive threat than just a ball carrier.

Robinson caught 60 passes in his three collegiate seasons, and the Falcons are pushing him to fully utilize his skill set as a pro.

"We want to continue to challenge him to see—can he push himself past a threshold of even what he thinks he's capable of to see what we can unlock in him," running backs coach Michael Pitre said, per Amna Subhan of the team's official website.

Travis Kelce, who serves as the Kansas City Chiefs' de facto No. 1 receiver, is the only tight end worth a first-round pick.

Run-first backs like Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry can generally be targeted in Round 2. Though their value as offensive centerpieces shouldn't be discounted it can be wise to target a receiver first if there's an early run on backs in Round 1,

Because running backs and receivers (and Kelce) are the most valuable commodities in fantasy, it's smart to grab some combination of them through the first two rounds. The possible exception to this is when making an early move for the most consistent quarterback in football, Patrick Mahomes, which we saw in our mock.

League Names to Consider

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Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 27: A view of a Kansas City Chiefs Lombardi Trophy with the NFL Draft logo in the background during first round of the NFL Draft Red Carpet event on April 27, 2023 at Union Station in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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