Whether it’s an unexpected injury or a prolonged contract dispute, your fantasy football team may be without one of your superstars to start the season — putting you in a tough spot for your first game.
Fear not. Here are some sleepers to consider starting on your fantasy football roster to start the 2023 NFL season.
Behind in research? Get a trade offer in your dynasty or redraft league? Not sure who to start or sit this week? Leverage PFN’s FREE fantasy tools — our Fantasy Football Draft Kit, Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Calculator, and Start/Sit Optimizer! Put the finishing touch on your A+ draft with 1 of our 525+ fantasy football team names.
Week 1 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Quarterbacks
Derek Carr | New Orleans vs. TEN
The New Orleans Saints felt the need to address the QB situation in the offseason, so they acquired Derek Carr in hopes of giving this passing offense some more juice.
Well, he’ll face an early test against a well-coached Tennessee Titans defensive unit to start the season. Still, this defense struggled against opposing passing attacks in 2022 — they allowed 274 yards passing on a per-game basis last season, which was dead last in the league.
On the flip side, the Titans were the best in the league against opposing rushing attacks — giving up just 76 yards per game on the ground — which bodes well for Carr and the Saints’ passing attack in their attempt to exploit the Titans’ biggest weakness on the defensive side of the football.
Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ MIN
The team that finished right behind the Titans in passing yards allowed last season was the Minnesota Vikings. They just so happen to be playing the team in Week 1 that just set the record for most passing attempts in a single season in NFL history in 2022 — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs may not have Tom Brady under center anymore, but they did throw the ball 751 times in 2022 and should be a pass-happy team again this season with an offensive line that is still a work in progress and a running game that finished last in the league last year.
MORE: 2023 QB Fantasy Football Rankings
Tampa Bay still features one of the best WR duos in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who are going against a secondary that was torched on a number of occasions last season.
Not to mention, the Bucs’ defense could have issues slowing down the Vikings’ passing attack, which could make this a higher-scoring game than some expect and should make Baker Mayfield a streaming option at the QB position for Week 1.
Week 1 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Running Backs
Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia Eagles @ NE
Unfortunately for fantasy managers, we haven’t gotten much clarity as to who the leading running back for the Eagles will be heading into the 2023 season.
Reports from training camp have suggested that Kenneth Gainwell may lead this backfield in carries to start the season. If that’s the case, he should be a flex consideration for lineups in Week 1. This rushing attack produced 32 rushing TDs last season and still boasts one of the best offensive line units in the league.
Sure, the matchup against the Patriots’ defense isn’t exactly thrilling, but Gainwell’s efficiency as a runner and capability as a pass-catching option in an explosive offense could still produce a quality fantasy performance if he does lead this backfield to start the season.
Gus Edwards | Baltimore Ravens vs. HOU
The Baltimore Ravens’ offense is expected to throw the ball a lot more in 2023, but a season-opening matchup against a porous Houston Texans rush defense from a season ago makes me believe this rushing attack can still produce in Week 1.
While his production wasn’t there while working behind JK Dobbins to finish the season in 2022, Edwards still has a lengthy track record of being an occasional fantasy producer in a complementary role.
He will be a TD-dependent option because he doesn’t give you much in the passing game, but a matchup against a Texans squad that could be playing from behind for the majority of the contest makes me believe the game script could favor Edwards on Sunday.
Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks vs. LAR
The Seattle Seahawks recently listed Kenneth Walker as the starting running back to begin the season, but this doesn’t mean the talented Zach Charbonnet won’t have a role in this backfield.
The Los Angeles Rams’ defense still has Aaron Donald but they will also be starting several young players that don’t boast very high draft capital.
If the Rams offense — who is potentially going to be without WR Cooper Kupp — can’t keep pace with the Seahawks in the early quarters of this contest, there might be enough touches for both running backs to be viable fantasy producers in Week 1.
Deon Jackson | Indianapolis Colts vs. JAX
The absence of Jonathan Taylor leaves a starting RB role in this offense completely up for grabs. This leaves both Deon Jackson and Evan Hull as the strong favorites to see an expanded role in their Week 1 showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While Hull is certainly worth a stash on your bench, if you are in desperate need of an RB to insert in your lineup this week, Jackson would be my bet to be the highest-scoring fantasy RB from the Colts’ backfield to start the season.
MORE: News Tracker
Jackson wasn’t great when he saw an expanded role last year, but sometimes a floor of 10-15 touches at the RB position can be enough to get you by in a pinch.
Week 1 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Wide Receivers
Elijah Moore | Cleveland Browns vs. CIN
We are finally going to get a real look at the Cleveland Browns’ offense with Deshaun Watson under center to start the season.
One of the most underrated moves of the entire offseason was the Browns’ trade with the New York Jets to acquire WR Elijah Moore.
He produced 12.5 fantasy points per game in his rookie season with Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco all under center. Watson should be a significant upgrade at QB for Moore, who could benefit as a highly efficient WR2 working alongside Amari Cooper. In a game against the Cincinnati Bengals that could be higher scoring than some might expect, Moore certainly has the big play upside to justify starting him in your flex spot for Week 1.
Treylon Burks | Tennessee Titans @ NO
An LCL sprain earlier this preseason and the signing of DeAndre Hopkins slowed down the hype train for Treylon Burks heading into his sophomore season, but he has returned to practice and has a chance to play in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints if he continues to see his participation in practice expand as the week progresses.
Speaking of the Saints, if lockdown corner Marshon Lattimore is able to play on Sunday, I imagine he will be trying to lockdown Hopkins throughout the contest, which is great news for Burks.
If the former Arkansas Razorback is good to go for Week 1, I see plenty of big-play upside working opposite of Hopkins in the season opener.
Puka Nacua | Los Angeles Rams @ SEA
A report from Sports Illustrated detailed that Rams head coach Sean McVay sees rookie WR Puka Nacua as an ‘immediate contributor’ in this offense.
This proclamation is potentially going to be put to the test in the very near future with WR Cooper Kupp’s status in serious jeopardy for their Week 1 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks.
If Kupp is unavailable, Nacua’s competition for targets includes Tyler Higbee, Van Jefferson, and Tutu Atwell.
If you would rather throw the dart at Jefferson, that’s reasonable, but I see Nacua’s role being similar to Robert Woods’s a couple of seasons ago. Woods’s versatility was constantly on display in this offense by moving all over the formation and regularly receiving a carry or two a game.
You could also make a case that if Kupp is unavailable for Week 1, Nacua may be the best option on this roster to do some of the things in the passing game that we’ve seen from Kupp over the last six years.
Week 1 Fantasy Football Sleepers | Tight Ends
Juwan Johnson | New Orleans Saints vs. TEN
The Tennessee Titans gave up more than 12.0 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends last season. As previously mentioned, the Titans’ defense as a whole struggled to slow down opposing passing attacks.
Reports from Saints camp have suggested that Juwan Johnson has been one of Carr’s favorite targets throughout the preseason. If you are looking for a sleeper tight-end option, Johnson is certainly worth a look in Week 1.
Sam LaPorta | Detroit Lions @ KC
The plethora of talented rookie tight ends landing in favorable fantasy situations is lengthier than usual this season, but perhaps no rookie tight end is in a better situation to produce in Week 1 than Sam LaPorta.
The Lions will be without WR Jameson Williams to start the season, and we don’t know what the snap share will look like for their dynamic RB Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit will be facing off against the always-potent Kansas City Chiefs offense in what could be a very high-scoring affair on Thursday night.
The Chiefs’ defense wasn’t great against opposing tight ends last season and will potentially have issues pressuring QB Jared Goff if the team is without DT Chris Jones in Week 1.
LaPorta has flashed during camp and certainly feels like he could finish second in targets behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in a potential shootout. Consider me optimistic enough to take a chance on LaPorta finding the end zone in his NFL debut.