Several years ago, fantasy football managers could not draft enough running backs in the first round of their drafts. However, lately, we’ve seen a shift towards the safety and security that the top-tier wide receivers offer due to the influx of incredibly talented players entering the NFL from the college ranks.
With that in mind, here are my top WRs to target in fantasy football drafts this season.
Be sure to check out our other top fantasy players to draft here: QBs | RBs | TEs | DSTs
Best WRs To Draft for Fantasy Football in 2023
It would be very easy for me to write an article highlighting the top seven WRs in ADP (average draft position). Anyone can write an article telling you to draft Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, but that’s not exactly helpful, is it?
In this article, I’m going to walk through my top players to target at the WR position starting at the bottom of ADP and work my way up toward the top to help give you players to highlight as your draft moves along.
Let’s get to it.
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua comes into the NFL as a fifth-round rookie, but he’s set to make an immediate impact right away. With his skill set and ability, Nacua slides into the vacated Robert Woods role for this offense that has proved to be incredibly valuable in recent years.
With smooth route-running ability and consistent hands at the catch point, Nacua could quickly climb this wide open depth chart and be the No. 3 receiving option in an offense that figures to throw the ball a ton in 2023.
With an ADP of WR93 off the board right now, you can get Nacua in the final round of your draft…or simply keep an eye on him on your waiver wire to start the season.
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
Jayden Reed also enters the NFL this year after playing his collegiate football at Michigan State, but he was selected 127 picks earlier than Nacua. The rookie wideout profiles as a perfect fit for the slot role in this Green Bay Packers offense that is now going to look a whole lot different than it did at this time last year.
Jordan Love will be captaining this Packers offense now, and there’s simply no telling who he’s going to lock onto in this WR room. While Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs showed flashes in 2022, they’re going off the board well before Reed.
At a WR74 price tag right now, Reed can be your final selection in drafts and could easily wind up being the main target leader in this offense right out of the gate.
Skyy Moore, Kansas City Chiefs
Asking Skyy Moore to take the jump from Western Michigan to the NFL and produce right away may have been a bit unrealistic. While he’s an incredibly talented WR that could dominate at the NFL level out of the slot with his route-running acumen, the hype for Moore may have gotten a bit too out of control in his rookie season.
However, heading into 2023, all reports coming out of Kansas City are centered around how solid Moore is looking and how he’s a lock for a starting WR role this year. If that’s the case, his current ADP is an absolute crime.
A WR48 price tag for potentially the second target in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense is absolutely ridiculous. With a full offseason under his belt going into Year 2, Moore should be much better equipped to handle that workload this season, and he needs to be a primary target in your draft.
Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns
Just like with Skyy, another Moore didn’t exactly live up to the hype in 2022. Elijah Moore’s ADP rose to a ridiculous level last offseason, and it’s fair to say that he didn’t live up to those lofty expectations.
Poor QB play and a benching for requesting a trade all played a part in Moore reeling in just 37 catches all of last season. Going into 2023, fantasy managers are certainly holding that against Moore, despite him no longer being a member of the New York Jets.
Moore now finds himself with a massive QB upgrade in Cleveland and in an offense where he should easily assert himself as the No. 2 WR right out of the gate. At WR44 off the board, fantasy managers are able to get a screaming value if they can get the bitter taste from last season out of their mouths.
Elijah Moore makes a move every day that just makes your jaw drop #DawgPound. pic.twitter.com/3rI4PFIcql
— Tyler Johnson (@T_johnson_TJ) August 2, 2023
If Deshaun Watson can bounce back to his former self, a top-15 finish is in the realm of possibilities for Moore in 2023.
Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills
Do you sense a theme with some of the names on this list? Yes, players that didn’t live up to expectations the previous season and that are values right now in fantasy drafts.
Gabe Davis wasn’t exactly a consistent option last season, but he wasn’t a terrible fantasy asset the way some people have made him out to be. He finished as the WR27 in half-PPR scoring last season while going off the board as the WR28 in fantasy drafts! And yet, while he still remains the WR2 for the Buffalo Bills, Davis has seen his ADP drop all the way down to WR37 heading into 2023!
Tight end Dalton Kincaid’s addition to this offense should not account for such a dramatic drop in ADP for Davis. At his current ADP, Davis can be added as a boom-or-bust Flex option, which is perfect for his skill set. You’ll be able to live easier with some of the ups and downs.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk established himself as one of the best NFL route runners last season. His ability to get open routinely simply goes unnoticed by the casual fan, and that’s accounted for in his WR28 ADP.
Did you know that Aiyuk actually outperformed Deebo Samuel on a points-per-game basis in 2022? Still, Samuel is routinely being drafted two or three rounds earlier than his teammate. All this does is create a value opportunity for smart fantasy managers to scoop up Aiyuk and get some exposure to this San Francisco 49ers offense.
Yes, questions still remain as to who the starting QB will be this year. However, Aiyuk’s talent level is simply too high to not take a chance on as your WR3 on your fantasy roster this season.
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Yes, Garrett Wilson’s ADP is steadily rising as the offseason moves along, but I may be willing to follow it. We saw just how talented Wilson is last season during a rookie campaign that featured some absolutely abysmal QB play.
In 2022, Wilson saw 147 targets right out of the gate and reeled in 83 receptions for just over 1,100 yards and four touchdowns. That’s incredibly impressive for a rookie, let alone someone dealing with Zach Wilson throwing him the ball.
Do you want to see where Wilson lands in the PFN Consensus Fantasy Rankings? >>>
Now, Wilson finds himself the beneficiary of having a future Hall of Famer throwing him the ball in 2023. Aaron Rodgers has proven in the past that when he locks onto a WR that he feels can help him move the ball, he’ll go to him time and time again, especially in the red zone.
It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Wilson eclipse 10 receiving touchdowns this season to go along with 150 targets. All of that combines to signal that Wilson is worth chasing in the late first or second round of your fantasy football drafts simply for the upside.