7 Mid-to-Late Round Wide Receiver Draft Targets (2023 Fantasy Football)

Is there a way for the wide receiver position to feel incredibly deep but also rather shallow at the same time? Let me explain.

The NFL is a more pass-heavy league than it ever was. And with more throwing comes more personnel groupings with at least three receivers on the field. More receivers have become fantasy relevant because of this. But there are also fewer elite options at wideout as teams are more content to spread the ball around to tertiary weapons.

Last season, 26 points separated the WR6, CeeDee Lamb, and the WR7, Jaylen Waddle, in half-point per reception (PPR) formats. That same 26-point spread also represents the difference between Waddle and the WR13, Tyler Lockett. And there were also 26 points separating Lockett and the WR21, Jerry Jeudy.

All of this is to illustrate that while wide receiver is extremely deep, it’s deepest in the middle tiers.

So how do we navigate the wide receiver position in our fantasy football drafts? I’ll take you through how I’m approaching it.

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Strategy, Tiers, Targets & Fades (2023)

Don’t Feel the Need to Reach in the Middle Rounds

As I said before, wide receiver is really deep in the middle tiers. The WR25 and the WR43 were separated by merely 35 points a season ago. The middle class of wide receivers is filled with players who likely have questions regarding target share, quarterback play or, in some cases, both! While there are definitely players I prefer to land over others, I’m not going too far out of my way to get them. Because they’re all… sort of the same, give or take a few points.

My rule of thumb when filling out my depth receivers is to worry less about opportunities and more about identifying the players with the talent to make the most of their opportunities. Here are some names I like to serve FLEX or depth options.

Speaking of opportunity, Diontae Johnson was targeted 147 times last season. Yet, he finished as the WR39. Why? Because he caught just 86 of those targets and failed to score a touchdown. That’s almost statistically impossible. Johnson is still one of the league’s best route runners. He will far outpace his WR31 ranking so long as Kenny Pickett takes a small step forward. He’s one of my favorite guys to target in drafts.
Brandon Aiyuk is just a player I’ve always liked. His separation skills are outstanding, and he finished as the WR15 a year ago. I get it. The 49ers have so many mouths to feed. But they did last year, too… so why is Aiyuk ranked outside WR2 territory?
Mike Evans finished as the WR16 as everything cratered in Tampa Bay. I get it. Going from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield is… a downgrade. But if there’s one quarterback in the world who will hoist the ball up and hope someone comes down with it, isn’t it Baker Mayfield? Let last year’s Seahawks offense is a cautionary tale of the value that can be had when the sentiment on a player and offense tanks. I’ll buy Evans at this low price.

Going Deep

Lastly, here are some deeper targets that I’m looking to land on my teams.

Courtland Sutton, ranked as the WR42, is being ranked at his floor. He finished as the WR43 last season in what was an abysmal year for Russell Wilson and the Broncos. Maybe I’ll just continue to fall for the mirage of Sutton’s pre-ACL injury performance, but I’m still a believer and think he could overdeliver on this ADP.
I’ll take later-round flyers on both Kadarius Toney (WR49) and Skyy Moore (WR51). Toney’s draft stock is depressed by a training camp injury, while Moore is going low after disappointing fantasy players as a rookie. Something tells me one of these two will emerge behind Travis Kelce. Maybe both.
I’m not sure what to make of the Giants’ receiving room. But I’m willing to take a stab at Isaiah Hodgins being a red zone fixture for Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones.

More Fantasy Football Strategy Guides

NFL CeeDee Lamb Jaylen Waddle Tyler Lockett Jerry Jeudy Diontae Johnson Kenny Pickett Brandon Aiyuk Mike Evans Baker Mayfield Courtland Sutton Russell Wilson Kadarius Toney Skyy Moore Travis Kelce Isaiah Hodgins Daniel Jones