Fantasy Football Position Battles to Watch: 49ers, Buccaneers, Colts (2023)

As we move into more “serious” offseason practices, the position battles across offense and defense are heating up as players hope to make a roster to continue playing in the NFL for another season.

The most important position, quarterback, always has a few battles each year to watch for to see who the team crowns as the next signal caller.

Here, we’ll look at three notable battles from a fantasy perspective to suggest where you should draft them.

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2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit

2023 Position Battles to Watch

49ers QBs

Brock Purdy (ADP: 181 | QB25)
Trey Lance (ADP: 185 | QB31)
Sam Darnold (ADP: 280 | QB35)

This is easily the more complex quarterback situation we’ll examine today.

It’s tough, right? You have a top draft pick in Trey Lance, who’s barely played football over the last half-decade due to a COVID college season, sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo, and last year, getting injured.

Then, Brock Purdy eventually comes in and leads them to the playoffs, but he suffered an elbow injury, still leaving his Week 1 status in the air.

Thankfully, most fantasy drafts still have some time, so we’ll have more answers then than now. If you were drafting tomorrow, though, both players are worth an add, but this situation needs more time to figure itself out.

Whoever the starter is in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Conclusion

Target: Trey Lance (if Purdy is out), Brock Purdy (if he starts Week 1)
Risky: Brock Purdy
Dart throw: Trey Lance (if Purdy starts Week 1), Brock Purdy (if he doesn’t start Week 1)
AVOID: Sam Darnold (unless, somehow, both Lance and Purdy are out)

Buccaneers QBs

Baker Mayfield (ADP: 215 | QB33)
Kyle Trask (ADP: 256 | QB37)

Not to be a doomer here, but I’m not interested in either of these quarterbacks. The Buccaneers drafted Kyle Trask when they had Tom Brady, and they still brought in Mayfield, so this tells you how ready they believe Trask to be.

As for Mayfield, there’s essentially no value in having him other than a bye-week option in 2QB leagues.

Don’t draft these quarterbacks.

Conclusion

Target: None
Risky: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
Dart throw: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
AVOID: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask

Colts QBs

Anthony Richardson (ADP: 114 | QB14)
Gardner Minshew (ADP: 270 | QB38)

The addition of Gardner Minshew was excellent all around. If the Colts got a quarterback in the draft, he’ll serve as an excellent mentor. If the Colts didn’t get one, he’d be a solid starter.

Well, the Colts got one in Anthony Richardson. Immediately after he was drafted, there was speculation about him sitting, but that won’t happen. Richardson is quite literally the best athlete at the quarterback position ever, per the testing scores, and he’ll be an immediate fantasy asset, thanks to his rushing upside.

It’s not out of the possibility that Richardson will score double-digit rushing touchdowns. He’s going as the QB14 right now, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him inside the top five by the end of the season-yes, top five.

Target Richardson heavily in your drafts.

Conclusion