You aren’t the Bride or the Bridesmaid, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find true love with your first pick. Who should you take with the third overall pick in 2023 fantasy football drafts?
Let’s dive in and take a look at some of the top options on the board and who you should target when you’re on the clock.
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Who Should Be the Third Pick in 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts?
Sure, it doesn’t have all the glitter and shine that the first and second picks have, but the third pick is crucial in its own way. You will still have a long wait before the draft comes back to you, but you are also at the point in the draft where you can zig where others have zagged.
Let’s look at some readily available options at the No. 3 overall draft spot.
There has usually been a consensus first and sometimes second pick in past seasons, but the landscape has shifted. We no longer live in a world where you must draft an RB first, opening up many variations of the first few picks.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Assuming CMC goes with the first or second pick, which is a reasonable assumption, Austin Ekeler would be the next RB up for the taking. He is a fantastic pick, especially in any form of a PPR league.
He is currently the consensus RB2 over on FootballGuys, and it is easy to see why. Ekeler was the RB1 in fantasy in 2022 with 915 yards rushing and 13 TDs on the ground. But he made his money in the passing game, where he was targeted 127 times for 722 yards and five TDs.
With a new OC in Kellen Moore, hopes are high for an even more high-flying offense, and Ekeler will continue to be an integral cog in the machine. The Chargers didn’t even add any big-name rookie RBs in the draft, so the backfield is Ekeler’s again, in addition to around 100 targets.
Perhaps you have been burned by RBs before. No worries. May I interest you in a WR in the third spot? After a combo of CMC and one elite WR in the first two draft spots, you will have at least one league-winning WR available.
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson is the consensus first pick with his current ADP, so if he is still on the board at No. 3, consider yourself blessed. What bad things are there to say about JJ? He had the most targets of any player last year and the sixth-most receiving yards ever, with just over 1,800.
His YAC was also the best among WRs, with 632 yards. Kirk Cousins loves JJ, and that’s the end of it. Expect more of the same this season. Jefferson might find one spot to improve in: his TD capability.
In 2022, he only walked away with eight receiving TDs, even with that enormous amount of yardage accumulated. If Cousins connected with Jefferson for a few more scores, he would have a season for the books.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
If Jefferson has been drafted, or the tie-breaking aspect of Cousins is enough for you to look elsewhere, Ja’Marr Chase is the pick for you. Sure, he only finished as the WR12 last year, but he missed four games and had two games where he was the WR1.
He was on a 13-TD pace for the season, and you are drafting him knowing any in game, he can have a huge breakaway TD.
Another thing on Chase’s side is being tied to QB Joe Burrow. The connection is palpable, with Chase getting over 19% of his targets from Burrow in the red zone.
Expect another incredible year from Chase, as he should lean more toward his 2021 yardage than 2022 on a team with a pass-heavy offense and Super Bowl aspirations.
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
All about throwing caution to the wind in 2023? Why not zag hard?
There is an argument that the No. 3 spot is too early to draft Travis Kelce, but the domination of a onesie spot in fantasy is worth its weight in gold. Couple this with a solid strategy in the rest of the draft, including a strong contingent of later-round QBs with upside to target, and you might have a recipe for success.
What has Kelce not done for fantasy managers? The ageless wonder has never finished below TE8 and has had six top finishes. And he does not seem to get hurt — knock on wood.
He plays practically the entire year every season, which is almost unheard of in today’s NFL. Last year, we wondered amongst ourselves who the WR1 was in Kansas City when all we had to do was realize it was the man getting an average of 23% of the targets over his career: Kelce.
Sure, if you go TE this early in the draft, you are missing out on some incredible talent, and you have to hope that your later-round gambles hit. However, the weekly comfort you see from Kelce will help wipe away your tears every Sunday.
Are There Any Other Players Worth Mentioning?
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Another WR worth talking about is one that people have forgotten about. Recency bias is alive and well with Cooper Kupp, as we last saw him play a regular-season game in Week 10 of the 2022 season when he suffered a high ankle sprain in a loss to the Cardinals.
Remember, he finished the season with 812 yards and six TDs in only nine games. His 17-game pace? Over 1,500 receiving yards and 11 TDs.
And you shouldn’t forget how dominant he was in 2021. He blew every other WR out of the water, clocking over 1,900 receiving yards and 16 TDs, the best in the league in both categories. Kupp had almost 200 targets from his QB, which is an obscene number, and even though every team knew where the ball was going, no one could cover him.
Matthew Stafford only has eyes for Kupp, and if you want to take him with the third pick, I would not object.
Who Should You Draft in 2023?
There is no tried-and-true answer to this question; it comes down to your desired roster instruction. My best advice is to have more than one plan. It’s like heading downtown to a fancy new dinner spot in the middle of rush hour.
You know the traffic will hit, but you just need to figure out where, so you have planned out multiple exits on the freeway and can take side streets when necessary.
MORE: How To Win Your Fantasy Football League
Two elite WRs go one and two? Great — here comes Plan B, where you get fortunate and snag CMC. Two RBs go early? Perfect, execute Plan C and pull the trigger on potentially the WR1 of 2023.
Where you would look at maps to plan out your driving strategy, you can do the same thing with fantasy football drafts. Mock drafts are your maps. Jump in the PFN Discord and experiment — that is what mocks are for.
Between you and me, I think Ekeler is poised for an incredible year in an offense that is ready to explode.
Who Should You Draft In Other Slots?
Have another league where you’re drafting in a different slot? Want to see what options might be available before or after your pick? We have you covered.
- Who Should Be the First Pick?
- Who Should Be the Second Pick?
- Who Should Be the Fourth Pick?
- Who Should Be the Fifth Pick?
- Who Should Be the Sixth Pick?
- Who Should Be the Seventh Pick?
- Who Should Be the Eighth Pick?
- Who Should be the Ninth Pick?
- Who Should be the 10th Pick?
- Who Should Be the 11th Pick?
- Who Should Be the 12th Pick?