3 Rookie Draft Picks the Experts Love (2023 Fantasy Football)

Preseason is fun, but we’re ready for the good stuff. Another week or so of fantasy drafts, and then we’ll be watching NFL games that count.

As we enter the home stretch of fantasy draft season, FantasyPros analysts Derek Brown, Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice continue a series of preseason roundtables by discussing players in whom they’ve gained or lost confidence over the last month, how to handle the Buccaneers’ top fantasy performers, favorite late-round targets and more. Here’s the full article, and below we dive into one of the sections.

Who’s your favorite late-round target?

Derek Brown: The player who will crush as a late-round darling in 2023 is Puka Nacua. The Rams’ rookie WR has a clear path to playing time and the skill to take advantage of it. Across his final two collegiate seasons, Nacua ranked second and sixth in yards per route run (per PFF, minimum 50 targets). Nacua has highlight-reel body control and strong mitts. Last year, he ranked 17th in contested catch rate (per PFF, minimum 10 contested catches). Nacua could also get some Robert Woods-esque handoffs this year after amassing 357 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns at BYU. Don’t leave drafts without Nacua.

Andrew Erickson: Marvin Mims. Jerry Jeudy is injured. Courtland Sutton is past his prime. Denver traded up for Mims in the draft as the first pick of the Sean Payton era. Top-24 WR in 2023. Book it.

Pat Fitzmaurice: We all have rookie fever, apparently. My choice is Luke Musgrave. He got rave reviews in training camp and played with the starters throughout the preseason. Get yourself an exciting rookie TE without paying Dalton Kincaid prices.