Check out a few of my must-have fantasy football players that I’m targeting in dynasty startup drafts. And you can find all of my must-have dynasty startup targets in this article.
- Dynasty Trade Value Chart
- Dynasty Startup Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR
- Dynasty Rookie Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Dynasty Draft Simulator
Must-Have Dynasty Startup Targets
Here are the fantasy football players I’m targeting in my dynasty startup drafts.
Jordan Love is slated to start for the Green Bay Packers in 2023 after sitting on the bench behind a future HOFer, Aaron Rodgers, for the past three seasons. Love was viewed as a raw prospect – a poor man’s Patrick Mahomes because of his traits and ability to make off-script plays – who needed time to marinate entering the league, so I am cautiously optimistic about his prospects this season and beyond. He played well in limited action in 2022 and possesses athletic traits that could translate to rushing production.
The weapons in Green Bay aren’t exactly elite, but there’s room for this offense to be a surprise if second-year wide receivers like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs take another step. Both guys can deliver downfield splash plays, which Rodgers didn’t necessarily take full advantage of last season. The new Jets quarterback went deep at the seventh-highest rate last season but finished below average in adjusted completion percentage on throws 20-plus yards downfield.
Green Bay also added a plethora of weapons to aid in Love’s first season in the 2023 NFL Draft between Jayden Reed, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
The Packers also have a very favorable schedule to open the 2023 season and the No.1 easiest strength of schedule for fantasy QBs per FantasyPros’ strength of schedule tool. Through seven games, they will face Atlanta, New Orleans, Detroit, Las Vegas, Denver, Minnesota and the Rams.
Therefore, Love has the chance to surprise in fantasy circles early on even if he’s just an average quarterback in real life. He’s a player that I would be looking to buy across all formats because the market just isn’t convinced that he can be a legitimate fantasy quarterback option. But I believe Love can be exactly that, after honing his skills behind Rodgers for the last three seasons. Remember, part of why he wasn’t playing was due to Rodgers playing at an MVP level. Not necessarily because Love is a bad quarterback. His ability at the NFL level remains to be seen, but I am fully invested in finding out at the current price.
Only Travis Kelce saw more red-zone targets among tight ends than David Njoku last season, but he scored just three times. If Deshaun Watson‘s TD rate positively regresses closer to his career rate (5.8%) another year back into football, Njoku will be a top fantasy tight end in 2023 and for years to come.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old could explode, considering his 2022 usage as a full-time player with top-10 route participation. The athletic pass-catcher finished last season sixth in PFF receiving grade and inside the top 10 in several other efficiency metrics, including yards after the catch and yards per route run. It was easily his best professional season since 2018.
Njoku is TE12 per in dynasty league football ADP and TE9 in the dynasty trade value chart but slots in at TE7 in my latest dynasty rankings. Buy the dip that the Elijah Moore trade and the Cedric Tillman draft pick is creating for those fearing the additional target competition. The former Jets WR has yet to eclipse seven red-zone targets in any of the past two seasons. And Tillman will primarily operate on the perimeter away from where Njoku sees the majority of his targets.
Njoku had 20 red-zone targets just last season. Send a 2023 second-round rookie pick, Cole Kmet, or Dalton Schultz to snag the Cleveland tight end.
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