While the 2022 NFL regular season ended, it’s never too early to look ahead to the 2023 campaign. That’s especially true when it comes to fantasy, which never sleeps!
Andrew Erickson, Pat Fitzmaurice, and Derek Brown check in to provide you with their early 2023 fantasy football draft rankings. Take a look at who falls into their consensus early top-10 rankings at the wide receiver position. We’ll provide player notes for each pick, and you can find our full early 2022 redraft fantasy football rankings below.
- Introduction to Best Ball Leagues
- Underdog Best Ball Strategy
- Erickson’s Best Ball Positional Primers
- Best Ball Roster Construction Strategy
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles 
2023 Fantasy Football Draft Rankings: Wide Receivers
Check out our early consensus top 10 wide receiver rankings and player notes courtesy Derek Brown:
1) Justin Jefferson (MIN – WR)
Justin Jefferson was a fantasy monster this season. He was the WR2 in fantasy points per game, ranking first in targets, first in red zone targets, and ninth in deep targets. Jefferson was a top-five-scoring fantasy wideout in 52.9% of his games. He was also eighth in open rate (per FiveThirtyEight). Jefferson will be a top-three fantasy pick in 2023.
Chase followed up a stellar rookie campaign with a banner sophomore season. He was sixth in target share (29.3%), ninth in air yard share (36.6%), and the WR4 in fantasy points per game. Despite only playing 12 regular season games, he finished third in red zone targets and fourth in total touchdowns. Chase is a top-three fantasy receiver in 2023 and a locked-in first-round pick.
Lamb finished with one of the quietest 100 reception (107) and 1,300 receiving yard (1,359) seasons in recent memory as the WR7 in fantasy. The “CeeDee Lamb alpha season” that we have been waiting for finally came to fruition. He was seventh in target per route run rate and sixth in yards per route run as he broke out as one of the league’s elite talents. Even with Mike McCarthy calling plays in 2023, Lamb remains primed for another WR1 campaign.
A.J. Brown was everything the Eagles could have hoped for after making the trade in the offseason. Brown finished as the WR8 in fantasy with career highs across the board. The concerns about Jalen Hurts supporting an elite wide receiver in fantasy quickly dissipated. He was eighth in raw target volume (146), seventh in deep targets, and 12th in red zone looks. Brown is entering his prime (age 26 season) with an ascending elite quarterback in one of the best offenses in football. Brown is a locked-in WR1 in 2023.
Davante Adams might be getting long in the tooth, but he showed no signs of slowing down last year. He finished with at least 100 receptions, 1,300 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns for the fourth time in the last five seasons. He led all wide receivers in target share (32.6%) while also ranking fifth in air-yard share (39.4%) and eighth in fantasy points per route run. While the Raiders look unsettled at the quarterback position with the team moving on from Derek Carr, Adams should be perfectly fine in 2023 as a volume-based WR1.
Tyreek Hill showed no decline with the move from Kansas City to South Beach. Hill was the WR3 in fantasy points per game as he accumulated five weeks with 140 or more receiving yards. He led the league in deep targets while scoring nine total touchdowns (fourth). He amassed a ridiculous 31.6% target share (second-best) while ranking first in yards per route run. If the Dolphins scheme him up more targets in the red zone next season (40th among wide receivers), he could finish as the WR1 overall.
Despite the entire Rams’ offense cratering around him last season, Cooper Kupp was on his way to another fantastic season before being shut down with a high ankle sprain. With the Rams out of the playoff picture and the team in shambles, Los Angeles put Kupp on the shelf. Kupp ranked third in target share (31.0%), fourth in target per route run rate (31.5%), and 12th in air yard share (34.5%). All of this culminated in another WR1 finish in fantasy points per game. With Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford returning for 2023, Kupp should be a top-three fantasy wideout again.
Diggs remains among the elite wide receivers in the NFL. He has now stacked three consecutive seasons with at least 100 receptions, 1,225 receiving yards, and eight receiving scores. Diggs was the WR6 in fantasy points per game while also ranking sixth in open rate (per ESPN analytics). He also finished top-ten in target share (tenth), red zone targets (fourth), and yards per route run (third). Diggs could begin to slow down as he’s entering his age 30 season, but I fully believe he has at least 1-2 more electric seasons as a top 5-10 fantasy wide receiver before the cliff arrives.
Jaylen Waddle enjoyed an explosive sophomore season as the underneath complement to Tyreek Hill in the Dolphins’ high-flying aerial attack. Waddle was the WR12 in fantasy, ranking tenth in YAC, seventh in receiving yards, and 11th in total touchdowns. Waddle was also fourth in yards per route run and third in fantasy points per target. He’s an ascending alpha wide receiver who could easily lead the Dolphins in receiving in 2023 if Tyreek Hill shows any signs of slowing down.
10) Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET – WR)
Amon-Ra St. Brown proved that his sensational rookie season stretch run was no fluke as he stepped up as one of the best young wide receivers in the game. St. Brown finished as the WR10 ranking 11th in target share, third in target per route run rate, eighth in red zone targets, and fourth in YAC. With only six total touchdowns, St. Brown could be even better in 2023 if the volume remains stable. After starting with seven red zone targets over his first four games, he only saw one red zone target over the next four weeks. Over his final nine games, he amassed 15 red zone targets. If that usage remains stable inside the 20 for the entire 2023 campaign, St. Brown could easily be staring at a double-digit touchdown season and a top-five fantast wideout finish.
Consensus 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.
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