2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (2024)

  • Fantasy Staff

Sep 2, 2023, 08:00 AM ET

This page will be updated throughout the summer, so please continue to check back for the latest content.

Summer is in full swing and that means fantasy football draft season is upon us.

Whether you play in a casual redraft league, a serious, deep dynasty format or somewhere in between, we at ESPN Fantasy are here for you.

This draft guide will serve as a one-stop shop for all of our best material to ensure you make the best fantasy football picks you can in every draft you're in: rankings and cheat sheets for PPR and non-PPR, player projections, mock drafts for various league types, sleepers and busts for this season, and plenty of helpful information and tips from our expert team of fantasy football analysts.

It doesn't matter whether you have been doing this for years or are a fantasy first-timer. We have everything needed to help you draft a great team and start the season with a shot at a championship.

New to fantasy football, or know someone who is?

Start here with two offerings to help you learn how to play, quickly get up to speed on the basics and how to navigate a full season.

  • Fantasy football beginners guide

  • Field Yates' guide to fantasy football

  • How to stay competitive in 15 minutes per week

Fantasy football cheat sheets, mock drafts, projections

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (1) ESPN+ Cheat Sheet
Get all of our best fantasy intel, compiled on a printable cheat sheet to bring with you to your fantasy football drafts.

Cheat Sheet Central
A collection of downloadable, printable cheat sheets for the 2023 fantasy football season, including PPR, non-PPR, superflex and dynasty/keeper leagues. Perfect for your drafts.

Mock drafts
12-team, PPR (8/30) | 10-team, PPR superflex (8/24)
Fantasy Marathon: 10-team, PPR (8/15)
12-team, 1/2 PPR (8/10) | 10-team, PPR (8/3) | 8-team, PPR (7/27)
10-team, non-PPR (7/7) | 12-team, 1/2 PPR (6/13)

Mock draft trials
Travis Kelce in first round | WR with a top-five pick
Top-tier QB early | Hero-RB approach
Daniel Dopp employs different strategies in multiple mocks and provides top observations on how his rosters turned out.

2023 projections
Mike Clay's projected output for players at every fantasy position, sortable by specific category.

Depth charts: Offense | Defense

Positional rankings

These rankings represent the consensus among our fantasy football analysts for the 2023 season. Each analyst maintains a personal ranking for the top 25 quarterbacks, 50 running backs, 60 wide receivers, 25 tight ends, 20 kickers and 20 defense/special teams units. The players are then ranked by the average of those rankings. Each position can also be sorted by any individual analyst's rankings.

Overall rankings

Tristan H. co*ckcroft: PPR Top 200

Field Yates: PPR Top 150

Eric Karabell: Superflex Top 200

Tiered rankings

Karabell: Running backs | Wide receivers

Eric Moody: Quarterbacks | Tight ends

Mike Clay: "The 192" -- Players who should be drafted in 12-team leagues

Dynasty and keeper rankings

Clay: Dynasty Top 240 and Top 80 rookies

Moody: Keeper Top 200

IDP rankings

Clay, co*ckcroft and Moody: Top 50 DLs, LBs and DBs

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (2) Custom Dollar Value Generator

Input your league's scoring system and roster requirements to generate values for your fantasy football salary cap draft. Custom Dollar Value Generator

Lists and insight

NFL Nation: How will crowded backfields shake out?

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (3) Bowen: 16 favorite draft-day targets

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (4) Adam Schefter's Cheat Sheet: Value picks and sleepers to target

Roundtable: Rookies to watch, sleepers, strategy

Facts vs. Feelings: Liz Loza's biggest fantasy draft takeaways

co*ckcroft: Best picks from each draft slot in 10- and 12-team leagues

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (5) Yates: Field's Favorites for 2023

Fantasy staff: Sleepers, busts and breakouts for 2023

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (6) Karabell: Do Not Draft list

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (7) Karabell: 'Do Draft' list

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (8) Field Pass: Top storylines, rookies, sleepers for 2023

Bell: Injury watch -- Players to keep an eye on

Bowen/co*ckcroft: All-2026 Team: Bijan, Marvin Harrison Jr., more

co*ckcroft: Deep fantasy sleepers to watch

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (9)Bowen: "Have skills, need opportunity" team

Moody: Players who will outperform their ADP

Loza: Finding values in RB dead zone

Loza & Moody: Contract-year players to target

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (10) Bowen: Eight players with surprisingly high ceilings

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (11) Clay: Players who will score more TDs in 2023

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (12) Clay: Players who will score fewer TDs in 2023

Karabell: Players to not give up on yet

Moody: 10 WRs who should see more volume

Clay: Top 10 insurance RBs

Karabell: Players who won't bounce back in 2023

Clay: 2023 versions of last year's breakout players

Bowen: Eight players who benefit most from fantasy-friendly schemes

Clay & Yates: Players to avoid in 2023 drafts

Dopp: Six players being overvalued or undervalued

Bowen: Eight players who could be difference-makers

Karabell: Bounce-back candidates for 2023

Moody: RBs that get a boost from improved O-lines

Moody: 10 veterans to trade away in dynasty before they fall off

Karabell: Six toughest offenses to rank for fantasy

Strategy

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (13) Clay's Ultimate Draft Board: The best picks to aim for in each round

Clay's Playbook: Strategy tips to help you win your league

Dopp: How to get the most out of mock drafts

Karabell: Why it pays to wait to draft your starting QB

Bowen & co*ckcroft: Prioritize mobile QBs in your drafts

Karabell: How superflex differs from traditional standard leagues

co*ckcroft: The best way to draft and stream D/STs in fantasy football

Dopp: Why you should consider making the switch to a salary cap draft

Fantasy staff: Take a TE early or play the waiting game?

Individual player analysis

co*ckcroft: History says Bijan Robinson is worth a first-round fantasy pick

Clay: Which statistics mean the most in fantasy football?

co*ckcroft: At what age do players peak/decline in fantasy?

co*ckcroft: How to value 49ers' pass-catchers

Miscellaneous

co*ckcroft: Numbers you need to know before you draft

co*ckcroft: Will Josh Allen avoid the Madden Curse?

Clay: 13 Taylor Swift songs for 13 NFL players

Liz Loza's Pressing Questions

One fantasy question for all 32 teams, delivered in division-by-division fashion. Featured players listed below.

AFC East: James Cook, Tua Tagovailoa, Rhamondre Stevenson, Breece Hall
AFC North: J.K. Dobbins, Joe Mixon, Deshaun Watson, Diontae Johnson
AFC South: Dameon Pierce, Anthony Richardson, Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley, Chig Okonkwo
AFC West: Javonte Williams, Kadarius Toney, Davante Adams, Justin Herbert
NFC East: Tony Pollard, Daniel Jones, D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Jahan Dotson
NFC North: DJ Moore, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian Watson, Jordan Addison
NFC South: Bijan Robinson, Miles Sanders, Kendre Miller, Rachaad White
NFC West: Deebo Samuel, Marquise Brown, Cam Akers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Create, manage or join a league

Mock draft lobby
Practice makes perfect! Hop into a mock draft and prepare for the real thing against other ESPN Fantasy players.

Sign up for ESPN Fantasy Football
It's free to play! Create or join a league with friends, customize your settings and battle all season for the top spot.

2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide: Rankings, cheat sheets and analysis (2024)

FAQs

What positions to draft first in fantasy football in 2023? ›

But elite RBs and WRs typically get drafted first because you need more starters at those positions and their scoring drops off more sharply. That's why the best way to draft is generally to prioritize RBs and WRs while waiting on QBs and TEs.

Who's the best pick for fantasy football in 2023? ›

Top 2023 Fantasy football QB rankings

Here's a look at SportsLine's top three 2023 Fantasy football QB picks: 1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: Many expected a dropoff from Mahomes after losing wide receiver Tyreek Hill, but he responded with new career-highs in passing yards (5,250) and touchdowns (41).

When to do fantasy football draft 2024? ›

Important Game Dates
SettingValue
Live Drafts Start:Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Live Drafts End:Saturday, Oct 5, 2024
Registration Ends:Saturday, Oct 12, 2024
All Drafts End:Sunday, Oct 13, 2024
10 more rows

What is statistically the best draft position in fantasy football? ›

In 12-Team Non-PPR, the best draft position is pick No. 1. Drafting optimally from the No. 1 spot in 12-team non-PPR drafts nets 301.3 3D Value points. That's a big 11.5% increase over the 270.2 points by picking straight from ADP at the No. 1 spot.

In what order should I draft fantasy football positions? ›

Round 1: 1st Choice: RB, 2nd Choice: WR

A quarterback is usually that player, but there is deeper reasoning as to why I recommend taking a running back in the first round. Running back is the most coveted position in fantasy football because there is usually only one primary back per team.

Who should I pick in the first round of fantasy football? ›

Round 1, Picks 1-3: Draft a wide receiver

Anyone with the top overall pick should take McCaffrey with little hesitation. He scored over 100 more PPR points than any other running back last season and has the perfect combination of talent, opportunity and situation. Anyone missing out needs to pivot to a wide receiver.

When to draft a QB in fantasy? ›

The largest benefit is being able to strengthen the top of your roster. While some of your league mates will draft a QB in the third or fourth round, your waiting until the 10th or 11th can boost your RBs and/or WRs.

Who to pick as fantasy QB? ›

Most fantasy football quarterback rankings will start with Josh Allen at No. 1, then Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson round out a "Big Four" at the position. The Bills' standout has finished as a top QB2 in each of the past four seasons and rushed for a career-best 15 TDs in 2023.

What is the most accurate fantasy football ranking site? ›

The best fantasy football predictors are Draft Sharks. They've won multiple accuracy awards since 1999 – including the Multi-Year Projection Accuracy Award from Fantasy Pros. That's a competition that measures player prediction accuracy over 3 seasons.

When should I draft tight end fantasy? ›

Round 6, Picks 54-57: Draft a tight end or running back

Several players are expected to at least be early down backs. They likely have something capping their upside but should still be fantasy starters more often than not.

How many hours does a fantasy draft take? ›

Realistically, with some people auto-drafting and many picks being made within a few seconds of the draft timer going, you can typically expect a 12-team draft with a default number of rounds to take somewhere in the range of 90 minutes to two hours.

When should I set up fantasy football? ›

Leagues will form every day until the season starts. While there are often pre-draft processes and things to iron out for your league, the fantasy football season truly kicks off when your fantasy draft occurs. The most common time for fantasy drafts is the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September.

What pick usually wins fantasy football? ›

It has taken some time, but wide receiver has officially overtaken running back as the priority position. That's evidenced by ADP trends in recent seasons. Five years ago (2020), 10 of the first 12 picks (and 14 of the top 20) were running backs.

How many running backs should I draft in fantasy? ›

That said, if it's potentially position-leading upside you desire at running back, spending one of your first two picks on RBs was much more likely to result in success: 31% of running backs selected in the top two rounds finished top five at the position in scoring.

What positions do you start in fantasy football? ›

The positions in fantasy football leagues for your starting lineup include one QB, two RB, two WR, one flex, one TE, one team defense/special teams, and one kicker.

How early to draft a QB in fantasy? ›

While some of your league mates will draft a QB in the third or fourth round, your waiting until the 10th or 11th can boost your RBs and/or WRs.

Which positions to draft first in fantasy football reddit? ›

If anyone chooses to start with the fantasy draft, what positions do you target first? DE, DT, QB or CB is my first pick every time. To me those are the most important positions and I can just pick speed everywhere else. Interior o line and LB the least important positions imo.

What is the best NFL fantasy draft strategy? ›

Perfect 2024 fantasy football draft strategy, round by round for 12-team leagues
  • Round 1, Picks 1-12: Draft a wide receiver.
  • Round 4, Picks 37-48: Draft a running back or wide receiver.
  • Round 5, Picks 49-60: Draft a tight end.
  • Round 6, Picks 61-72: Draft a running back.
  • Round 10, Picks 109-120: Draft a wide receiver.
Jul 8, 2024

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