We need to look at the wide receiver landscape for the 2023 season. Some players are changing to better and worse situations, others are primed for a breakout year, and as you move along in the draft, you want to find the right guys to help you to a championship.
We know Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, A.J. Brown, and Stefon Diggs are no-brainers, but let’s look at other must-have wide receivers for the 2023 season.
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- Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Expert Consensus Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
2023 Must-Have Wide Receivers
All ADP and rankings are for PPR format.
Garrett Wilson (NYJ): ADP 21 | WR 10
The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year received a monumental upgrade at quarterback, going from a combination of Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco to Aaron Rodgers.
Wilson was heavily targeted in this offense by grabbing 28.4% of the target share, with the next being at 15%. He also made big plays by finishing 19th in yards after the catch. The Jets had the 6th-most passing attempts last season, and with Rodgers behind center, you should expect that to remain the same.
Jaylen Waddle (MIA): ADP 24 | WR 11
Imagine having two of the most athletic wide receivers in the league, the Dolphins know. Alongside Tyreek Hill, Waddle is one of the most explosive and efficient route runners the game has.
Although he had 31 fewer catches last season than in 2021, he finished with 341 more receiving yards and an eye-popping 18.9 yards per catch. This all came with Tua Tagaviola missing time with concussion issues, but Waddle still had five top-ten finishes last season.
DeVonta Smith (PHI): ADP 27 | WR 12
The connection between Jalen Hurts and Brown was a league winner last season, but Smith was not far behind. He only had nine fewer targets, four fewer PPR fantasy points per game, and still finished inside the top ten.
He can go deep and separate from his defender, and his 485 yards after the catch was seventh, and with the fourth-best catchable target rate, he and this Eagles offense will remain efficient.
Chris Olave (NO): ADP 30 | WR 14
Olave shined in his rookie campaign with over 1,000 receiving yards, and that was with Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston as his quarterbacks.
This year, he gets the slinger Derek Carr, who finished fourth in air yards per completion last season. Olave proved he’s a great route runner finishing top 12 in route win rate and can go vertical with a top-15 finish in air yards and yards per pass. Olave is poised for a top-10 finish with the more dependable quarterback.
Amari Cooper (CLE); ADP 39 | WR 17
Cooper was written into fantasy irrelevance with Deshaun Watson being suspended for the first 11 games last season, but he proved everyone wrong.
Last season he had a career-best nine touchdowns and his second-best finish of 1,160 receiving yards. He was a playmaker with Jacoby Brissett and Watson as his quarterback, with multiple top-ten finishes with each. A whole camp to work with Watson will benefit Cooper greatly.
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