The 2023 season is quickly approaching, and fantasy football is fresh on everyone’s mind. Your dynasty leagues may continue all year, but come late August, everyone is paying attention. Now is the time to start making the moves that can give you an extra leg up this year and beyond.
With the season starting in just about two weeks, let’s dig into a few players who are still a bit undervalued in dynasty leagues. These players have the potential to break into the tiers above their current ADPs and give you much more value going forward. There’s no time to wait! Value is out there now!
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Top Players To Buy in Dynasty Right Now
Below are five players currently being undervalued in dynasty. All of them have a chance to not only be a great fantasy asset for their careers but could help right away in 2023.
Remember, even in dynasty, the current success of a player is as crucial as anything to their perceived value. We want assets that can last for years, but they need to find success now for their value to sustain or rise further.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
I’m completely smitten by Brandon Aiyuk and what he offers in his game. The 49ers’ WR is still just 25 years old and has shown that he is an extremely talented route runner and technician.
Charvarius Ward vs. Brandon Aiyuk ⚔️
Charvarius afterwards: “Good route boy” pic.twitter.com/Q1ZjiBRcnn
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 18, 2023
The biggest issue with Aiyuk — and likely why he is currently WR22 in ADP — comes in his situation. San Francisco is jam-packed with talent that includes Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle.
But what has me so interested in Aiyuk is what he has been able to do since being in “the dog house” at the start of his second season in the Bay. Last year, Aiyuk finished with 78 catches on 114 targets for 1,015 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. This was good enough for the most yards among 49ers receivers and WR15 in every fantasy-scoring format.
Despite being 25 and finishing as a top-15 WR, Aiyuk is currently being drafted in dynasty leagues as the WR22. His talent and what he has produced in his career thus far has me betting on the higher side of WR22.
An asset that could be worth quite a bit more if his 2023 is as good as many are predicting, Aiyuk is a player I’m trying to add in all my leagues.
Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
Coming into his sophomore season in Washington, Jahan Dotson is somehow not nearly as hyped as I feel like he should be. This could be due to an injury in his rookie season that lowered his totals, but things get interesting when you look deeper at Dotson’s stats.
In the eight games where Dotson was able to play 70% or more of the Commanders’ snaps, he finished with 30 catches for 453 yards and six touchdowns. If we extend that type of scoring out to a full season, Dotson would have had 62 catches for 933 yards and 12 touchdowns. That would have been WR13 in half-PPR formats.
MORE: Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings
Touchdowns are not a sticky stat and certainly boost his totals, but there’s no denying that Dotson was able to find the end zone a lot for a rookie that missed five full games. And all of this in an offense that had a mix of Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke at quarterback all season.
For me, I’m betting on Dotson staying healthy and connecting with new starter Sam Howell this season. Additionally, lead WR Terry McLaurin is dealing with a turf toe injury, something that can linger throughout the season.
Currently being drafted as the WR26 in dynasty leagues, I love Dotson’s upside and the chances of him finishing well within the WR2 tier for years to come.
David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
One of the more polarizing players on this list, David Montgomery’s stock has shifted up and down all offseason. First, it rose a bit when he signed with the Detroit Lions, a team on the up with a strong offensive line. Then, it took a dip when the Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
While Montgomery’s stock has leveled a bit, I believe he’s still undervalued at RB28 in dynasty drafts.
Montgomery has been a more than solid back in his first four years in the league. He’s a strong runner, solid pass catcher, and has been successful around the goal line.
Nothing elite jumps off the page with Montgomery, but everything is really good. And now he enters Detroit to take over the role of a back very similar to him: Jamaal Williams. Williams’ 2022 was exceptional in Detroit, finishing with 1,066 yards and 17 touchdowns.
While expecting 17 touchdowns in 2023 is not realistic, Montgomery fits right into the Williams role. If Montgomery is going to be getting 200+ touches this year and a majority of the carries inside the 10-yard line, he’s a valuable asset to have. At the very least, Montgomery is worth quite a bit more than his current RB28 ADP.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Chicago Bears
We leave a former Bears running back and go to a guy that could be Chicago’s future. Roschon Johnson was overshadowed in his college career at Texas, with Bijan Robinson ahead of him in the depth chart, but the rookie RB has all the tools to be a successful back in the NFL.
Thus far in the preseason, Johnson is creating all sorts of hype in the Windy City. While his stats aren’t mind-blowing in his two preseason games, watching him run has me extremely intrigued.
Johnson is a hard-nosed back who typically falls forward for extra yards after contact. He has shown the ability to catch out of the backfield and has the patience to let his blocks set ahead of him.
MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie RB Rankings
In Chicago, Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman are the only competition in the RB room. While Herbert looks to lead as the starting back in Week 1, I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson comes close to taking over in 2023.
One of Herbert’s biggest weaknesses is his pass blocking, which happens to be one of Johnson’s biggest strengths. An attribute like that will help Johnson see the field for more.
With a well-rounded skill set and a running back room with no top-grade competition, I fully expect Johnson to get a crack at a significant snap share in 2023. If he’s successful in his opportunities, he could very easily become Chicago’s starter for the next few years. At his current RB38 ADP, I’m investing in him wherever I can.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans
I was actually quite surprised to see how far Dalton Schultz has slid in ADP ever since he changed uniforms. The 27-year-old tight end spent his first five seasons in Dallas and left in free agency this offseason to join the revamping Texans. His final years in Dallas were very successful, giving him finishes at TE3 and TE10, respectively, in half-PPR his last two seasons.
But heading into 2022, Schultz is currently the TE18 in dynasty ADP. Meanwhile, players like David Njoku, Greg Dulcich, Chig Okonkwo, Cole Kmet, and Trey McBride are all being drafted ahead of Schultz.
Every one of these tight ends finished with fewer points per game than Schultz last year and certainly less than his TE3 season in 2021.
The dip in Schultz’s value seems to have come after he signed with Houston, a team that struggled offensively last year. However, I see this as an opportunity for Schultz.
The Texans’ receivers are a mix of unproven, rookie, and aging assets — Robert Woods, Nico Collins, John Metchie III, Tank Dell, and Xavier Hutchinson. Without a proven WR that is a clear target hog, Schultz could be in line to be peppered with passes from his rookie QB, C.J. Stroud.
The TE position can be one of the hardest to predict. But I never have a problem betting on a player who has shown success and proven their worth before. At just 27 years old and with very successful years behind him, there’s no reason that Schultz should be considered the 18th-best TE option in dynasty leagues. I’d be looking to buy him now before his 2023 is full of targets in Houston.