Before we know it, our fantasy football drafts will be upon us. There’s no worse feeling than walking into your draft unprepared and not knowing which players you should be targeting. The time to start preparing to dominate your fantasy football league is now, so Pro Football Network has you covered with a full 12-team, 1QB, half-PPR mock draft with analysis for every selection!
Let’s start getting ready to bring home that fantasy football championship right now.
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2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | League Settings
As mentioned above, this is a 12-team mock draft, with our team selecting from the eighth spot. Each player receives .5 points per reception, and touchdowns are worth six points for rushing and receiving. Quarterbacks receive four points per passing touchdown.
Here is the full roster breakdown:
- 1 QB
- 2 RB
- 3 WR
- 1 TE
- 1 FLEX
- 6 BENCH
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 1
1.01) Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
1.02) Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
1.03) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
1.04) Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
1.05) Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
1.06) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
1.07) Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
1.08) Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
1.09) Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
1.10) Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
1.11) A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
1.12) Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
Pick Analysis: Taylor certainly did not live up to expectations in 2022, but this is not a player who forgot how to play football. We need to remember that we are just one season removed from Taylor rumbling for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns!
Since the start of the 2021 season, JT has 10 rushes of 15+ yards up the middle, which is the most among all NFL RBs during that time frame.
Assuming that health is on his side again — and the offensive line’s — for 2023, Taylor should be in line for a major bounce-back campaign.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 2
2.01) Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
2.02) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
2.03) Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
2.04) Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
2.05) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
2.06) Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
2.07) Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
2.08) Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
2.09) Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
2.10) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
2.11) Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
2.12) Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Pick Analysis: The Detroit Lions’ offense shocked the NFL world last year with how dominant their offense was under Jared Goff and Ben Johnson. In fact, the team ran 17% of their total plays in the red zone last season, which was the second-best mark in the entire league.
St. Brown is coming off of a dominant campaign where he reeled in the seventh-most receptions across the NFL and was a reliable fantasy asset week in and week out. With the OC and QB remaining the same going into 2023, plus no other true significant target competition being brought in this offseason, St. Brown’s a slam-dunk selection at this point of the draft.
Round 3
3.01) Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
3.02) Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
3.03) Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
3.04) Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
3.05) Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
3.06) Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
3.07) Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
3.08) Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
3.09) Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
3.10) Ken Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
3.11) Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
3.12) Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Pick Analysis: It’s difficult to find another RB in fantasy that’s going to see the type of volume that Mixon will in 2023 at this point of the draft.
Fantasy managers are concerned about his potential release from the team, but all signs point to Mixon remaining a member of the Bengals for at least this season.
Due to the offense that he plays in, Mixon’s going to continuously be in a position to find the end zone. Since the start of the 2021 season, the talented RB has averaged 3.7 touches per game in the red zone, which is tied for the third-highest among 47 qualified running backs.
Mixon should be going a round higher in ADP (Average Draft Position), so take advantage of fantasy managers’ hesitancy and scoop him up at a discount while you still can.
Round 4
4.01) DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
4.02) DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
4.03) Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
4.04) Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
4.05) Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
4.06) T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
4.07) Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
4.08) Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
4.09) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
4.10) Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
4.11) Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
4.12) Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
Pick Analysis: In prior seasons, QB would not even be on my radar at all in the fourth round. However, Fields’ upside this year is simply too much to pass on. We’ve already seen how dominant his rushing ability can be for fantasy football, but Fields is now set to take a Jalen Hurts-type leap in 2023 due to the offensive reinforcements.
The Bears’ offensive line got a significant overhaul this offseason, which should give Fields enough time to play within the pocket, while Ryan Poles negotiated a beautiful deal to steal DJ Moore away from Carolina. With a bonafide WR1 now in town to throw to, Fields has everything he needs to ascend to the top tier of fantasy football QBs in 2023.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 5
5.01) JK Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
5.02) DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
5.03) Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
5.04) Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5.05) Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
5.06) Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
5.07) Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
5.08) Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
5.09) D’Andre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
5.10) DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Free Agent
5.11) George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
5.12) Dalvin Cook, RB, Free Agent
Pick Analysis: Between Pittman and Swift, this was a tough selection. But the fact that I already have two solid RBs and only one WR broke the tie. Pittman has all the talent in the world to be a top-12 WR for fantasy football, but projecting him for this year is a bit of a pickle.
Anthony Richardson has immense potential in the NFL, but rookie QBs typically aren’t ready to come in and help push WRs into the next tier for fantasy purposes. Pittman should easily lead the Colts in targets this year, but the upside just may not be there in 2023. However, the guaranteed target volume makes him a solid WR2 for fantasy lineups.
Round 6
6.01) Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
6.02) Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings
6.03) Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
6.04) Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
6.05) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
6.06) James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
6.07) Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6.08) Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
6.09) Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants
6.10) Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
6.11) Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals
6.12) Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Pick Analysis: If Aiyuk is there in the sixth or seventh round, he’s an automatic selection for me this season. Last year, Aiyuk took a massive leap forward and asserted himself as one of the better route runners in the NFL.
That translated to fantasy production — despite the QB carousel in San Francisco — and Aiyuk ended the season as the WR15 in half-PPR scoring formats. In fact, on a points-per-game basis, Aiyuk outscored his teammate Deebo Samuel! Yet, Samuel continues to go off the board in the third round of fantasy drafts, while Aiyuk’s ADP is a screaming value.
Round 7
7.01) Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
7.02) Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
7.03) Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
7.04) Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
7.05) Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7.06) Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans
7.07) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
7.08) David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
7.09) George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
7.10) Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
7.11) Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
7.12) Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
Pick Analysis: We’ve already discussed how potent the Lions’ offense is, which makes Montgomery an incredibly intriguing target in fantasy drafts this year at his current ADP.
Jamaal Williams, who had been a career role player up until last season, emerged to score 17 rushing touchdowns and rumbled for over 1,000 yards on the ground in Detroit, but he’s now a member of the New Orleans Saints.
With a completely new backfield in 2023, Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery could be a fantastic thunder-and-lightning combination running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league this season. With Gibbs profiling as more of a receiving back that can move around the formation, Montgomery could be in line for a massive workload on the ground, and he’s now in a much better scheme fit than Chicago.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Montgomery emerges as a league winner this season.
Round 8
8.01) AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
8.02) Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
8.03) Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
8.04) Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
8.05) Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
8.06) Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
8.07) James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
8.08) Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders
8.09) Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
8.10) Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
8.11) Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
8.12) Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Pick Analysis: Toney has all the talent to be a star for fantasy purposes, but his inability to stay on the field makes him an incredibly risky selection for fantasy managers. With that being said, just like with any player, it all comes down to his ADP and whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks.
If Toney were going routinely off the board in the fourth round of drafts, it would be easy to pass on him and let someone else take the chance on him reaching his ceiling. However, in the eighth round, as my WR4, this is a perfect spot to swing for the fences with the potential WR1 for the Kansas City Chiefs.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 9
9.01) Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks
9.02) Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders
9.03) Jamaal Williams, RB, New Orleans Saints
9.04) Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
9.05) Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks
9.06) Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
9.07) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots
9.08) Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
9.09) Samaje Perine, RB, Denver Broncos
9.10) David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
9.11) Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
9.12) Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Pick Analysis: Moore figures to be one of my most highly drafted players in fantasy football this season. While he fell way short of expectations in 2022, he’s in a new situation now and could establish himself as one of Deshaun Watson’s favorite targets from Day 1.
We know how talented Moore is, but the situation in New York last season was absolutely horrific. Here in the back end of the ninth round is a perfect spot to take a shot on a bounce-back campaign from the explosive playmaker.
Round 10
10.01) Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
10.02) Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
10.03) Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears
10.04) Devon Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
10.05) Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
10.06) Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
10.07) Damien Harris, RB, Buffalo Bills
10.08) Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
10.09) Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets
10.10) Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
10.11) Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
10.12) Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Pick Analysis: If you cannot secure one of the top-tier TEs in fantasy drafts this season, load up on one of the other key positions and wait until the later rounds to take a chance on Okonkwo.
Last season, Okonkwo didn’t have a major opportunity, but when he did get featured, he turned heads with his playmaking ability. In this Titans offense, Treylon Burks is Okonkwo’s only significant competition for targets. He could easily emerge as a top-five option by the end of the season.
Round 11
11.01) Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
11.02) Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets
11.03) Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
11.04) Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals
11.05) Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
11.06) Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings
11.07) Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
11.08) Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
11.09) Devin Singletary, RB, Houston Texans
11.10) Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Baltimore Ravens
11.11) Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
11.12) Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos
Pick Analysis: Moore was one of my favorite WRs coming into the 2022 NFL Draft, but he failed to make much of an impact in his rookie season as he struggled with the transition from Western Michigan to the NFL.
Moore’s now receiving significant buzz, though, as the Chiefs’ offseason programs rolls along. And now that JuJu Smith-Schuster has departed, he could ascend into the starting slot role.
There’s more than enough passing volume for both Toney and Moore to be fantasy relevant, but it’s never a bad idea to load up on arguably the best offense in the NFL and see how everything shakes out.
Round 12
12.01) Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams
12.02) Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos
12.03) Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
12.04) Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
12.05) Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
12.06) Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
12.07) Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears
12.08) D’Onta Foreman, RB, Chicago Bears
12.09) Jonathan Mingo, WR, Carolina Panthers
12.10) Tank Bigsby, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
12.11) Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
12.12) Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Pick Analysis: Warren emerged last season as a solid fantasy option, even with Najee Harris in the lineup. There’s the potential going into 2023 that Warren and Harris will both see enough work to be in the top-30 discussion on a weekly basis, which makes Warren’s ADP an incredible value right now and a consensus sleeper for us at PFN.
In addition to the projected standalone value, Warren holds immense upside if something were to happen to Harris from an injury standpoint. As a bench stash that could emerge as more than that in 2023, there’s no downside to drafting the second-year RB.
2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft | Round 13
13.01) Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
13.02) Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
13.03) Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, Miami Dolphins
13.04) Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins
13.05) Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
13.06) Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
13.07) Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Free Agent
13.08) Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
13.09) Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
13.10) Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears
13.11) Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns
13.12) Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Pick Analysis: If you enjoy watching some fantastic football highlights, go watch some of Spears’ Tulane film. His ability to make defenders miss in a phone booth is truly jaw-dropping.
Spears has the potential to make an impact in the NFL right away. With Hassan Haskins going through some off-the-field drama, we could see Spears emerge as the RB2 behind Derrick Henry right out of the gate. He’s worth stashing to see what his workload looks like in Week 1 and then proceed from there.
Round 14
14.01) Leonard Fournette, RB, Free Agent
14.02) Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
14.03) Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
14.04) Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
14.05) Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
14.06) Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
14.07) Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
14.08) Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints
14.09) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
14.10) DJ Chark, WR, Carolina Panthers
14.11) Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
14.12) Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints
Pick Analysis: There’s absolutely no predicting what the Packers’ offense will look like in 2023 with Jordan Love at QB. However, it’s certain that no one knows who Love will lock onto from a target-share perspective.
Reed should be this offense’s starting slot receiver on Day 1, which gives him as good of a chance as Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs to lead the team in targets. Reed’s an incredibly talented and well-rounded receiver that dealt with poor QB play during his time at Michigan State. He could be one of the best value picks in all of fantasy football this season.