Dynasty Rookie Draft Wide Receivers to Target (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and that means dynasty rookie drafts are right around the corner. While landing spots will certainly impact player value and our views of them, it’s important to get a sense of players you’ll want to monitor through the NFL Draft and potentially target in your dynasty rookie drafts. Here are a few rookie wide receivers I’m following closely.

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Dynasty Fantasy Football Wide Receivers to Draft

Here are a few big-bodied wide receivers to target in dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts.

Puka Nacua (BYU)

Puka Nacua might not get the hype of some of his prospect brethren because he attended BYU, but he deserves all the praise. Nacua ranked second and sixth in yards per route run over his final two collegiate seasons (minimum 50 targets, per PFF). He flashes good footwork and a varied release package at the line of scrimmage. Nucua also adds subtle nuances to his routes with pacing in his routes and head fakes. He’s strong after the catch. While he’s not a jitterbug, he’s tough to bring down with the ball in his hands because of his physicality and vision in traffic. He is a magician near the boundary as his film is littered with tough grabs near the sideline with impressive footwork. Those strong hands have also served him well in contested situations. He ranked 17th in contested catch rate in 2021 (minimum ten contested targets per PFF). BYU tried to get the ball in Nucua’s hands in any way possible. He was utilized on jet sweets and the ground in 2022 as the fifth-leading rusher on the team, with 8.4 yards per carry and five rushing scores. Nucaua has that dog in him.

Xavier Hutchinson (Iowa State)

Xavier Hutchinson is a bully with the ball in his hands after the catch. Hutchinson ranked 38th (2022) and ninth (2021) in missed tackles forced over the last three seasons. He was also top-25 in YAC in each of the last two years (minimum 50 targets). Good leg drive and tenacity fuel this man’s contact balance. Hutchinson is a versatile receiver who can also work from the slot. He flashes crisp cuts on short area routes ins and outs. I would love for an NFL team to give him a 60% slot rate and let him push around nickel corners all day. He is patient on screens and in the open field, allowing blocks to set up in front of him before he shoots upfield. Hutchinson puts some acrobatic downfield receptions on tape. He has good ball-tracking skills and body adjustment on back shoulder and bucket catches.

A.T. Perry (Wake Forest)

A.T. Perry understands leverage and route running well overall but needs to continue polishing his routes. He utilizes his size and a quick first step well on slants with a good feel versus zone. His fluid hips help him snap off routes at the top of his stem with average foot speed. His shortcomings in short-area agility show up on comebacks and curls and selling a vertical push. Perry isn’t as physical as his size or frame would lead anyone to believe. He’s not a strong YAC producer, with only 3.1 yards after the catch per reception during his collegiate career. He never ranked higher than 60th in missed tackles forced among wide receivers (minimum 50 targets). Perry does have a quick first step, though, transitioning into a runner after the reception, so while he doesn’t break tackles, he can pick up extra yards and extend plays in space. He can be pushed off his routes and have issues with physical corners that get can into his body. Perry lacks a second gear to stack corners on nine routes easily. Add in that he only secured 40% of his contested opportunities in college, and we’re left with a “prototypical X receiver” type who should be utilized in the intermediate areas of the field. Perry profiles as a chain-moving outside receiver that can beat zone and man coverage, but he shouldn’t be asked to stretch the field often on go routes. His size and skill set are more conducive to success via corner and post routes. Perry dealt with drops at Wake Forest with a 10.4% drop rate. This could be related to technique or his 39th percentile hand size. Only time will tell if NFL coaching can clean this up some or if it lingers at the next level.

Cedric Tillman (Tennessee)

Cedric Tillman will never be described as a “burner,” but that doesn’t mean he’s slow. Tillman has build up speed with the ability to pull away from corners on deep patterns. Tillman also has no problems stacking opposing corners. Tillman runs a full complement of routes with nuanced jab steps and head fakes. His foot speed won’t wow you, but his quick first step allows him to get separation on slants and drive routes. Tillman has a well-developed understanding of how to use his size, especially on slants and above the rim. He flashes nice body control in the air on back-shoulder throws and errant passes. Tillman compensates for average foot speed with a strong upper body that allows him to beat press, but he needs to continue to work on his releases and footwork at the line. NFL corners will offer a stiffer test for him. He has good bend for his size. Tillman’s next quarterback must become accustomed to trusting Tillman to win at the catch point. While he can get early separation on routes, late separation is usually the name of the game for him.

Andrei Iosivas (Pittsburgh)

Andrei Iosivas has easy and immediate speed that jumps off the screen. Last year he had a 24.2% target share while ranking 18th in PFF receiving grade (minimum 50 targets per PFF). Iosivas is a fantastic athlete as a former track star for Princeton. His 6.71 second time in the 60m was an NCAA Indoor Championship meet record, so it’s not surprising to see “run away from you” type of speed on tape. Iosivas displays good ball tracking on deep balls. He does also tend to catch balls with his body. He had trouble in contested situations all week in Mobile, which could be traced to his smaller hand size. Princeton fed him on crossers, where he wove through the defense and then turned on the jets to daylight. NFL teams should look to do the same against zone coverage and get him involved on jet sweeps.