John Supowitz | Mon, Aug 28th 2023, 7:04am EDT

Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Zero Wide Receiver Strategy & Picks (2023)

There are so many different draft styles. All can be helpful in winning a championship as long as you do it the right way.

What if you prioritized the wide receiver last? Are there guys available in the mid-rounds that can potentially become top 10?

In this draft, we went with the Zero-WR strategy. That means we didn’t pick that position until the sixth round.

With the FntasyPros Draft Wizard, we were randomly assigned the fifth pick. Let’s look at how it went.

Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
2023 Fantasy Football Draft Kit

2023 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Strategy Guide: Zero Wide Receiver

Pick 1.05 Travis Kelce (TE – KC)

This was an easy one. Travis Kelce is the epitome of consistency in this league and will again be Patrick Mahomes‘ No. 1 option.

Pick 2.08 Derrick Henry (RB – TEN)

Another no-brainer. Derrick Henry is one of the rare bell cow running backs in the lead. Getting someone that can have 230 touches and 1,500 yards from scrimmage in the second round is a great choice.

Pick 3.05 Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)

If we’re not going with a wide receiver early on, let’s get all of our other positions locked in. Jalen Hurts had a breakout fantasy season with 3,701 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 760 rushing yards, and 13 rushing touchdowns. Having one of the top-rated offensive lines allows him time in the pocket to pass and great running lanes to gain positive yards on the ground.

Pick 4.08 Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU)

Looking at my top available players, it was heavy with wide receivers. We still need to stick with the plan. I went with Dameon Pierce because, through the preseason, he’s getting a ton of work after a successful rookie campaign where he was the RB14 up until his season injury in Week 14. It doesn’t look like the presence of Devin Singletary will hurt his chance of being the top running back in this offense.

Pick 5.05 Darren Waller (TE – NYG)

This will be our last pick before we focus on the wide receiver. Quarterbacks and wide receivers were the top options again, but in between was Darren Waller. This is an incredible value for a guy who will likely lead the Giants in the receiving and could be right behind Kelce in tight end targets. We saw Daniel Jones look for him often in their first preseason game together, and that is what it could be all season. This gives us Kelce and Waller in the tight end and flex positions, or we could trade one of them for a top player in a position of need.

Pick 6.08 Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)

The Vikings are going to be one of the heavier passing offenses in the league. Jordan Addison has the potential to lead all rookies in receiving yards and will essentially replace Adam Thielen in this offense, who had 107 targets last year.

7.05 Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)

Brandin Cooks has the opportunity to finish way better than his WR39 ranking. He’s going to be in a much better offense this year, with a much better quarterback, and last season he was 13th in target separation vs. man coverage. CeeDee Lamb will be the top option in Dallas, but Cooks should get favorable matchups where he can produce.

Pick 8.08 JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – NE)

Ignore New England’s offense last year because a defensive coordinator will not be calling the plays like last year. Bringing in Bill O’Brien, who was the offensive coordinator for Alabama’s previous National Championship and a former Patriots OC, will help Mac Jones. JuJu Smith-Schuster has the potential to be one of his top options, and after a few down years, I see a resurgence.

Pick 9.05 Elijah Moore (WR – CLE)

With Deshaun Watson under center for the whole season, the Browns’ offense will look better and lean more toward the pass. Moore was an excellent pickup for the Browns. Ignore the frustrations of the 2022 season, where he asked to be traded from the Jets because, in 2021, he had three top-ten finishes in his final five games. He and Amari Cooper will thrive in this offense.

Pick 10.08 Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)

Grabbing Kirk Cousins as your second quarter is a great position to be in. The Vikings were third in pass attempts last season, and Cousins was the only quarterback during the previous eight seasons to throw for 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. This also gives us a stack with Jordan Addison.

Pick 11.05 Nico Collins (WR – HOU)

Collins is not getting a fair assessment at WR60. I like him to be the lead receiver for the Texans, and CJ Stroud will need a veteran receiver to depend on.

Pick 12.08 Tank Bigsby (RB – JAC)

People are highly underrating Bigsby’s potential involvement in the offense. He’s already looked great in the preseason and has people impressed. He could see close to 40% of the carries, and with his size and running style, he could be the goal line back.

13.05 Isaiah Hodgins (WR – NYG)

Hodgins came out of nowhere last year and was one of the Giants’ more dependable receivers. He had top-25 finishes in four of the final five games, including one in the top 10.

14.08 Buffalo DST

Buffalo was one of the top defenses last year, and with Von Miller back in the lineup, they will be even better.

15.05 Harrison Butker (K – KC)

When choosing a kicker, I like to find ones that will be in a top-tier offense that gives them an opportunity to get into the opponent’s zone, and the Chiefs are one of the best at that.

16.08 Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)

Nacua is one of my favorite deep-stash rookie prospects. He has an excellent ability to create separation and had 16.3 yards per catch in college. With a healthy Stafford, he could rise up the depth chart very quickly with his big-play potential.

Check out the full draft results here.

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