Fantasy Football 2023: 1st-Round Mock Draft Tips and Latest Consensus Rankings

We've almost made it through the NFL preseason, football fans! Meaningful games will be back on September 7, and when the Kansas City Chiefs battle the Detroit Lions on opening night, fantasy football will return too.

Many managers in season-long redraft leagues have already assembled their teams. Those who haven't still have an opportunity for a little pre-draft prep.

Now is the time to pore over depth charts and get familiar with projected roles and injury reports. It's also the perfect time to run through a few mock drafts to help establish draft-day boards.

Below, you'll find a few helpful tips for successfully running a mock draft. We'll also dive into the latest consensus rankings from FantasyPros, conduct a first-round mock draft and examine a few mock-draft mistakes to avoid.

All rankings and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

First-Round PPR Mock

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Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

Round 1

1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

2. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

4. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

5. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

6. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

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

8. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

9. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

10. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

11. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

12. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Mock Draft Dos and Don'ts

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49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

Mock drafts provide opportunities to try out various strategies before the real thing. Do operate them with a purpose.

The first round is typically focused on ball-dominant receivers like Justin Jefferson and elite dual-threat running backs like Christian McCaffrey. Managers who view tight end Travis Kelce as a top-tier fantasy option, though, can target him in Round 1 and see how the next few rounds fall.

Managers who have the time should run multiple mock drafts, targeting different players and positions in the opening round with each of them.

Do you plan to take a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts early? Try grabbing a signal-caller in Round 2 or 3 and seeing if you still end up with a functional starting lineup.

Thinking of waiting until Round 6 for a quarterback? Run a few mocks and see who's available in that range.

Don't be afraid to switch up strategies if one isn't working.

Do use mock drafts to help set up draft boards. While consensus rankings are a great place to start, managers can elevate or lower specific players on their own boards based on personal views and where players are falling in mocks.

If you don't view Jonathan Taylor as a second-round pick because of his trade request and 2022 ankle injury. Adjust your board accordingly and see who's available in mock drafts instead.

Don't forget to stay up-to-date on player's situations. You're going to find New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis to be draft-eligible, but there's a chance that he doesn't play at all in 2023 after deciding to step away from football.

"I feel that stepping away from the game is the best path for me at this time," Davis said in a statement

Do consider how one player's situation might affect another's. If Davis doesn't play this year, there's a strong chance that Allen Lazard is cemented as New York's No. 2 receiver. If Taylor doesn't suit up for the Indianapolis Colts or isn't at 100 percent to open the season, rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson may have a little more value as a scrambler.

Don't set up mock drafts for the wrong parameters. If you're going to compete in a 10-team standard-scoring league with three starting RB slots, running a 12-team, two-RB, PPR mock isn't going to provide the accurate information you need.

Do pay attention to any players who are seeing big fluctuations in draft position between mocks. If you're seeing a specific quarterback going in Round 4 in one mock and Round 10 in another, try to find out why.

Was there an early run on quarterbacks that elevated that player's stock? Is there some injury news that you missed? Apps like FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator typically work on consensus rankings, so the changes may not be a coincidence.

Don't autodraft once starting lineups are set. While managers are going to put most of their focus on early draft selections, it pays to know where potential sleepers and rookies are being drafted.

For example, Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo currently holds an average draft position (ADP) of 144, according to FantasyPros. Coming off a 450-year, three-touchdown rookie season, Okonkwo might be a viable fantasy starter in 2023. Knowing where he's likely to be drafted is valuable intel.

Do be prepared to pivot. Managers who have the time to fire off multiple mocks should try setting up multiple draft boards based on separate strategies. All of the information in the world won't change the reality that some managers are going to do something unexpected.

Having a plan for, say, an unexpected Round 4 run on tight ends will help maximize your real-world drafts.

Consensus Rankings from FantasyPros

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Chargers RB Austin Ekeler

1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

2. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

4. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

5. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

6. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

7. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

9. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

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

11. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

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

13. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

14. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

15. Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

16. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

17. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

18. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

19. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

20. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

21. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

22. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

23. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

24. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

25. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

26. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

27. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

28. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

29. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

30. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots

31. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

32. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

33. Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

34. Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns

35. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

36. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

37. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

38. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

39. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

40. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

41. Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

42. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

43. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans

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

45. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

46. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

47. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

48. Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

49. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos

50. Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears

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*Rankings and ADP from FantasyPros and current as of 8/25