Fantasy Football 2023: 4-Round Mock Draft, Top Keeper Players and Team Names
On Sunday night, the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints will face off in the final NFL preseason game of the summer. Then, the buildup to the 2023 regular season will truly kick into high gear, with the first game only 11 days away.
Between now and then, each of the league's 32 teams will cut their rosters down to 53 players. That will help fantasy football managers who haven't yet drafted, as they'll know who will have made teams and who will have starting jobs at the beginning of the season.
Many fantasy leagues will be holding drafts within the next 10 days. And because of that, it's time to prep harder, especially for those who haven't done much research during training camp.
Here's a four-round fantasy mock draft (via the FantasyPros simulator), followed by team names to consider and a look at several players who should be retained in keeper leagues.
4-Round Mock Draft
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Round 1
1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
4. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
5. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
6. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
7. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
8. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
9. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
10. Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
11. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
12. Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Round 2
13. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
14. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
15. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
16. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
17. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
18. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
19. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
20. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
21. Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
22. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
23. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Round 3
25. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
26. Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
27. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
28. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
29. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
30. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
32. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
33. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
34. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
35. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
36. DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
Round 4
37. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
38. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
39. Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
40. Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
41. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
42. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
43. Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
44. Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
45. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
46. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
47. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
48. Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Team Names to Consider
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Dak Side of the Moon
Work from Mahomes
Cobra Kyler
Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood
Tuafinity and Beyond
Fresh Prince of Helaire
Catalina Wine Mixon
Zeke and Destroy
McLaurin F1
Silenced by the Lamb
Pop Lockett Drop It
Game of Throws
Turn Down for Watt
Livin' on a Prater
Dalvin and the Chipmunks
Run CMC
Top Keeper Players
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Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
If you're fortunate enough to have Jefferson in a keeper league, don't let go of him anytime soon. The 24-year-old has gotten better every season of his three-year NFL career, and he's still improving as he gains experience.
After leading the NFL in catches (128) and receiving yards (1,809) last year, Jefferson seems poised for a huge 2023 season. That's why he's going No. 1 overall in many redraft leagues.
Jefferson also hasn't missed a game over his first three seasons. So he's proven to be durable while putting up huge receiving numbers in Minnesota. He should be the No. 1 target in new keeper leagues and needs to be retained for a long time.
Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Like Jefferson, Chase has gotten off to a tremendous start in the NFL. Over his first two seasons, the Bengals' top receiver has 168 catches for 2,501 yards and 22 touchdowns in 29 games.
Although Chase was limited to 12 games last year, he's still only 23. And as long as injury concerns don't become a recurring issue, he seems in a great spot to keep putting up even bigger numbers, especially with Joe Burrow as his quarterback in Cincinnati.
It's possible Chase eventually surpasses Jefferson as the No. 1 fantasy wide receiver. For now, Chase is No. 2. But he should also be held onto in keeper leagues, as there's a bright future ahead for the third-year WR.
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Kelce may be 33 at this point, but he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Last year, he played all 17 games for the Chiefs, recording a career-high 110 catches for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns (also a career best).
There are no other tight ends in the NFL putting up those types of numbers on an annual basis. Kelce has finished with more than 1,000 yards in each of the past seven seasons, scoring 59 touchdowns over that span.
Because Kelce is so much better than nearly every other tight end from a fantasy perspective, he should be retained in keeper leagues. It's almost like a cheat code to have him putting up WR-like numbers from the TE spot.
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