As the NFL offseason presses on and the 2023 fantasy football draft approaches, the key to a championship-winning season may hinge on identifying overrated and underrated players. The data shows that some players are overrated, and some are underrated. Identifying these players can be the difference between winning your league and missing the playoffs altogether, especially if you have that knowledge prior to your draft and can use it to your advantage.
Our featured experts take a closer look at the NFC East’s rosters and discover who might just be the underrated game-changers of the 2023 fantasy football season.
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Most Underrated Player on Each NFC East Team
NFC East
| TEAM | Andrew | Derek | Pat |
| Dallas Cowboys | Brandin Cooks | Brandin Cooks | Jake Ferguson |
| New York Giants | Isaiah Hodgins | Darren Waller | Isaiah Hodgins |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Rashaad Penny | Rashaad Penny | Rashaad Penny |
| Washington Commanders | Jahan Dotson | Jahan Dotson | Jahan Dotson |
Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)
Dallas made a major move during the first weekend following free agency, sending a 2023 5th-round pick and 2024 6th-round pick to the Houston Texans for Brandin Cooks. Cooks saw a reduced role in the Texans’ offense this past season, but he still has plenty in the tank. The soon-to-be 30-year-old earned a 22% target share in 2022 (6.7 targets per game). After re-entering the lineup in Week 16 for Houston, Cooks finished the year as WR18 in points per game. He also averaged 1.64 yards per route run (39th), which was superior to anyone on Dallas last season not-named CeeDee Lamb (Noah Brown, 70th). The former first-rounder is a great fit in Dallas. He finished 9th in the percentage of catches for 20-plus yards (23%) and as PFF’s 7th-highest graded WR on targets 20-plus air yards – highlighting his big-play ability. – Erickson
Isaiah Hodgins (WR – NYG)
Hodgins seems like a completely forgotten WR, despite the fact that he could lead New York in targets in 2023. Once fully entrenched in the offense from Week 12 onward, Hodgins has zero drops on 45 targets and averaged 10.9 fantasy points per game – equivalent to Chris Olave and Deebo Samuel (WR25). He averaged 9.1 fantasy points per game overall on the year. – Erickson
Rashaad Penny (WR – PHI)
Rashaad Penny has arguably been the most efficient running back in the NFL over the last few seasons. Since 2006, Rashaad Penny has been the only running back to eclipse 4.50 yards after contact per attempt in a single season (2021 per PFF). Penny has led the NFL in yards after contact per attempt in each of the last two seasons with insane 4.52 and 4.23 marks. Over that span, he’s also led the NFL in breakaway run rate in back-to-back seasons. Penny’s health concerns will keep his ADP in check all off-season, so the floor is appropriately factored in. However, his ceiling has not, so if he stays healthy, he is being massively underrated. – Dbro
Jahan Dotson (WR – WSH)
As a rookie, Dotson scored 7 touchdowns in 12 games and had five weeks as a top-20 scorer at the WR position. Dotson is fast, a good route runner, great after that catch and is good in contested catch situations for a smaller receiver. There’s a reason Washington drafted him in the middle of the first round a year ago. Dotson has a bright future. – Pat Fitzmaurice
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