The dust has officially settled on the 2023 NFL Draft and other than the occasional signing or unfortunate injury, we have a pretty good picture of what NFL rosters will look like heading into training camp.
After the annual uncertainty of the NFL offseason, it’s nice to be able to finally dive into some fantasy analysis with at least a semblance of confidence. Below are some early sleepers to consider for your 2023 drafts that feel far away, but will be here before you know it.
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Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers
Akers is ranked 43rd overall and slotted as the RB20 in our Expert Consensus Rankings, but I feel he has as much, if not more upside than several of the players ranked ahead of him. After a terrible start to 2022, Akers came out of Sean McVay’s doghouse to finish the year with three straight 100+ yard performances on a Rams offense that was completely decimated. Assuming Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and the offensive line return to full health, Akers could be the featured back on a resurgent offense. I’m not overly concerned with the threat of Kyren Williams, and the Rams invested just a seventh-round pick on Zach Evans in the 2023 draft. Akers could have a wide-open runway into a strong fantasy campaign.
I was a bit surprised to see Robinson ranked as the RB28 and barely inside the top 75 overall. Robinson feels like a high-floor player because of his usage. He ranked fourth in carries (17.8 per game) and averaged over 70 rushing yards per game. The problem was he didn’t get in the end zone a ton, in fact only twice. Robinson also likely won’t factor into the receiving game much, but I think we’re discounting the safety Robinson can offer. I’m not saying he’s finishing the year as a top-15 running back, but a top-20 finish with more scoring seems feasible. He’s a steady RB3 and flex option for lineups seeking stability.
I never love leading my rationale for a player with the statement “Who else is there?” but I can’t ignore the fact that Tampa’s depth chart behind White plays a role in him making this list. However, it helps that White was successful when he saw more work, finishing as the RB26 from Weeks 10-17 while sharing the workload with Leonard Fournette, who’s no longer with the team. White wasn’t a totally efficient runner, but nobody was behind Tampa’s patchwork offensive line. I think part of White’s rank is due to the market being down on Tampa’s offense altogether without Tom Brady. Although, Baker Mayfield showed he can play competently in Los Angeles and I don’t know if this offense will be as bad as people expect. White’s someone I expect to see move up draft boards as the summer transpires.
I know wide receiver is insanely deep, but WR30? For Mike Evans? That feels a little harsh. I get it, Evans is 29 and will be catching passes from Baker Mayfield instead of Tom Brady, but despite all that went wrong for Tampa last year, Evans still finished as the WR16. Now, Evans could be more boom or bust than he normally is with Mayfield under center, but I’ll be getting him as my WR3 instead of a locked-in starter. And are we really worried about Mayfield’s willingness to sling the ball deep to Evans or feed him in the red zone? Evans’ strengths shouldn’t change even with the QB change. Am I saying Evans is a top-1o receiver in drafts? Absolutely not, but I’d take him before I took Jordan Addison or Jerry Jeudy.
I get the feeling I might be buying low on the Buccaneers’ offense this summer.
The jury’s still out for me on whether I think Geno Smith is capable of backing up last season’s unusually late breakout. Either way the Seahawks seem to think it was legit, as they signed Smith to an extension and didn’t add an eventual heir in the draft. In fact, the Seahawks only made life better for Smith by drafting Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet. To suggest Geno will finish as a top 5 QB is probably a stretch in what wound up being a really down year for QBs. However, QB14 feels kind of low for Smith, which is something I never thought I’d say.
I have a feeling Cooks is going to thrive in Dallas if he can stay on the field. Yes, CeeDee Lamb is the straw that stirs the drink in Dallas, but this is actually a role Cooks has thrived in before. Just look at what he did alongside Michael Thomas in New Orleans, Rob Gronkowski in New England, and Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods in LA. I’ll continue to pound the drum and say that WR47 is just too low for a talented wideout in a drastically better offense.
I’m not sure if the Vikings will be trading Dalvin Cook after a deal didn’t get done in the draft, but June 1 could be the day to watch, as Cook’s cap hit would drop significantly if he gets released as a post-June 1 cut. That would leave Mattison as the clear man in charge of the Vikings’ backfield and while Mattison isn’t as good as Cook was in his prime, he’s shown he’s clearly capable of shouldering the load. Even if Cook does stay, Mattison is probably worth drafting as a top-100 player, just in case.
Sigh. Here I go again on my own, going down the only road I’ve ever known. I’m not sure Michael Thomas can stay intact, but if he does, he’ll have a better QB to work with in Derek Carr. I get not wanting to draft Thomas, but as the WR51 it feels like the market has completely forgotten he exists. I get it.
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