Third is a good place to be in your 2023 fantasy football drafts. With no true consensus top-three this year, there’s a chance you could land your first or second choice on your board at third overall. Plus, you deal with a slightly shorter gap between picks, giving you a bit more flexibility during the draft.
Since you’re still picking early in your draft, my strategy at No. 3 doesn’t differ a ton from my philosophies of picking first or second. But there are certainly some nuances. In this article, I’ll break down my strategy for picking out of the 1.03 draft slot.
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How to Draft from the 1.03 Position in 2023 Fantasy Football Drafts
Here’s a rundown of how to approach the 1.03 position in fantasy football drafts.
What To Do With the Third Pick?
The third pick is where I’d most seriously consider taking Justin Jefferson in half or full-PPR formats. However, I worry too much about the quality of running backs available by the time I’m back on the clock at pick 2.10. The assumption is Christian McCaffrey will probably be off the board within the first two picks. But Jefferson, Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor and even Ja’Marr Chase could be available and make a real case to go third overall.
I ultimately will choose Barkley, as I believe he’s the best player of the bunch and should benefit from an improved Giants offense. But I won’t be stunned if Robinson is the choice for most people, as he presents a ton of upside.
How To Handle Your First Three Picks
I tend to take an RB-WR-RB approach with my first three picks at the third slot. Now, that’s not set in stone, and if value presents itself, I will deviate from that order. But Garrett Wilson is most often available by my second pick, and he’s the last wideout on the board who I could see a top-five season out of. I often choose him over Travis Etienne and Breece Hall. Both would make spectacular RB2s, but I’m seeing that Kenneth Walker often makes it to me in Round three, and I’m willing to bet he could be just as good, if not better, in 2023.
Running back gets ugly awfully quick, while wide receiver has depth. By locking up my starting tailbacks earlier, it allows me to be more flexible and capitalize on the impressive receivers that go off the board in the middle rounds.
When To Target Quarterback
This question depends on who you’re targeting, but I will go into drafts looking to snag either Justin Fields, Justin Herbert or Trevor Lawrence. If I walk out with one of those QBs, I’m pretty happy, as I think there’s a drop-off between that group and Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson, Tua Tagovailoa and Daniel Jones.
In most cases, I will grab either Herbert or Lawrence with pick 6.10 or 7.03.
Rule of Thumb: Use the Depth at Receiver to Your Advantage
As I mentioned, when you’re picking first, you will have to adapt to what the board gives you. And while that might sound like a disadvantage, there are ways to manage it and make it work.
My biggest piece of advice is to remember that receiver is extremely deep. The dropoff simply isn’t as steep as it is at running back. Last year in half-PPR leagues, the difference between the WR27 (Gabe Davis) and the WR46 (Marquise Brown) was 25 points. That’s pretty marginal, and it proves that while you may have players you prefer, it’s easier to find a comparable player a round or two later at wideout than it is at running back.
Obviously, don’t force anything and stick to your board. But when in doubt, don’t be afraid of the tailback.
Example Draft for Picking 1.03
Below is a sample draft I conducted, picking third overall to use as a guide. For what it’s worth, the Draft Wizard gave it a B- grade.
- Pick 1.03: Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
- Pick 2.10: Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
- Pick 3.03: Kenneth Walker (RB – SEA)
- Pick 4.10: DJ Moore (WR – CHI)
- Pick 5.03: Drake London (WR – ATL)
- Pick 6.10: Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)
- Pick 7.03: Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN)
- Pick 8.10: Brian Robinson (RB – WSH)
- Pick 9.03: Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)
- Pick 10.10: Adam Thielen (WR – CAR)
- Pick 11.03: Evan Engram (TE – JAX)
- Pick 12.10: Romeo Doubs (WR – GB)
- Pick 13.03: Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – TEN)
- Pick 14.10: Michael Carter (RB – NYJ)
- Pick 15.03: Dallas Cowboys D/ST
- Pick 16.10: Matt Gay (K – IND)
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