For 2023 fantasy football, most analysts and forums agreed on a clear core of “must‑target” players at the top, plus a handful of trendy sleepers and league‑winner types across positions.

Big-picture draft approach (2023)

  • In 2023 people generally prioritized elite WRs and “hero RB” (one stud RB early, then wait).
  • Mobile QBs like Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen were worth early‑middle picks in typical home leagues.
  • Tight end was usually either “pay up for Kelce” or wait for midtier options and load up at WR/RB.

Elite first‑round targets (2023)

These were the names you wanted in the top of drafts in 2023.

  • Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings – Frequently the consensus 1.01 in PPR thanks to huge target volume and youth.
  • Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers – Dual‑threat workhorse in an efficient offense, top overall RB on many boards.
  • Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers – TD and reception machine, locked into top‑3 overall in early 2023 rankings.
  • Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals – Elite downfield and red‑zone role with Joe Burrow, usually top‑5 overall.
  • Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams – Coming off historic usage, still drafted early despite injury concerns.
  • Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins – League‑winning spike weeks, often mid‑late first in PPR.

Second–third round building blocks

These names formed the core of many 2023 rosters once the top tier was gone.

  • Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs – First QB off the board in many leagues, usually late Round 2–3.
  • Josh Allen, QB, Bills – Elite rushing + passing ceiling, neck‑and‑neck with Mahomes.
  • Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles – Rushing TDs and sneak usage made him a priority target after the first WR/RB.
  • CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys – Clear alpha target hog, often early second.
  • Amon‑Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions – Volume monster; many experts pushed him into second‑round territory.
  • Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants – Heavy volume on the ground and through the air when healthy.
  • Nick Chubb, RB, Browns – Elite rusher, climbed in drafts with hopes for more passing‑game work.

Mid‑round upside targets (RB/WR)

These were the kind of picks people circled as “I want at least one of these guys.”

  • Breece Hall, RB, Jets – Coming off injury but highlighted as a high‑ceiling breakout if he ramped up.
  • Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots – Strong PPR profile with receiving usage.
  • Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jaguars – Explosive playmaker expected to get majority of touches.
  • Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins – High‑efficiency WR2 on his team but WR1 production range.
  • Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals – Strong secondary option in elite passing offense.
  • DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles – Surging down the stretch in 2022, mid‑round breakout candidate.
  • DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks – Red‑zone and deep‑ball alpha, usually late third to early fourth.

Quarterbacks to target

Analysts emphasized not reaching too far, but there was a top tier and then value pockets.

  • Top tier: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts – worth premium picks in many casual leagues.
  • Strong value: Lamar Jackson (rushing upside in new offense), Justin Herbert (bounce‑back in high‑volume attack), Trevor Lawrence (ascending with better supporting cast).
  • Late fliers: Anthony Richardson (rushing cheat code potential), Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, and Geno Smith often went later but had QB1 upside in 2023 drafts.

Tight ends

Beyond Kelce, people either picked a midtier TE or fully punted.

  • Elite: Travis Kelce (often first‑round in 2023), huge positional edge.
  • Solid midtier: Mark Andrews, T.J. Hockenson, and Dallas Goedert gave you TE1 stability without Kelce’s price.
  • Late stabs: David Njoku, Greg Dulcich, Chigoziem Okonkwo, Dalton Schultz were popular late targets with path to volume.

Sleepers and upside darts

Forum and article chatter in 2023 focused heavily on breakout and sleeper profiles.

  • Rookie/young WRs: Christian Watson, Jaxon Smith‑Njigba, Zay Flowers, Jayden Reed were trendy picks for late‑round upside.
  • Late RBs: Isiah Pacheco (Chiefs lead back buzz), James Cook, Khalil Herbert, Brian Robinson Jr., Raheem Mostert, and Tyjae Spears as contingency bets.
  • “Hero RB” backups: Alexander Mattison and Tony Pollard were highlighted early as potential smash if given lead roles.
  • High‑variance vets: Mike Evans and DeAndre Hopkins appeared in many “value veteran” lists for 2023.

Simple positional plan (what to do if drafting in 2023)

  • First 2 rounds: Aim for at least one elite WR (Jefferson, Chase, Hill, Kupp, Lamb, St. Brown) and one top RB (CMC, Ekeler, Barkley, Chubb, Pollard as he rose).
  • Rounds 3–6: Scoop upside WRs and RBs (Waddle, Higgins, Smith, Etienne, Hall, Stevenson) and grab a top QB if one falls.
  • Later rounds: Take shots at rookie WRs and RBs with clear paths to more work, and pick a TE from the mid or late tiers unless you paid up for Kelce.

Quick HTML table of notable 2023 targets

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Tier</th>
      <th>Player</th>
      <th>Team (2023)</th>
      <th>Reason to pick</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Elite</td>
      <td>Justin Jefferson</td>
      <td>Vikings</td>
      <td>Huge PPR volume, consensus top overall pick.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Elite</td>
      <td>Christian McCaffrey</td>
      <td>49ers</td>
      <td>Top dual‑threat RB in efficient offense.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Elite</td>
      <td>Austin Ekeler</td>
      <td>Chargers</td>
      <td>High TD upside and receptions, top‑3 overall RB.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Elite</td>
      <td>Ja’Marr Chase</td>
      <td>Bengals</td>
      <td>Alpha WR with elite QB and red‑zone role.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>QB top tier</td>
      <td>Patrick Mahomes</td>
      <td>Chiefs</td>
      <td>Consistent top‑end passing production, first QB drafted.[web:1][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>QB top tier</td>
      <td>Josh Allen</td>
      <td>Bills</td>
      <td>Passing plus rushing TD upside, weekly ceiling.[web:1][web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>QB top tier</td>
      <td>Jalen Hurts</td>
      <td>Eagles</td>
      <td>Rushing scores and strong supporting cast.[web:1][web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>WR core</td>
      <td>CeeDee Lamb</td>
      <td>Cowboys</td>
      <td>Clear target hog, strong WR1 profile.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>WR core</td>
      <td>Amon‑Ra St. Brown</td>
      <td>Lions</td>
      <td>High target share in rising offense.[web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>RB upside</td>
      <td>Breece Hall</td>
      <td>Jets</td>
      <td>Explosive talent with three‑down upside post‑injury.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>RB upside</td>
      <td>Rhamondre Stevenson</td>
      <td>Patriots</td>
      <td>PPR‑friendly role with rushing and receiving work.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>TE elite</td>
      <td>Travis Kelce</td>
      <td>Chiefs</td>
      <td>Massive positional edge and red‑zone role.[web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>TE solid</td>
      <td>Mark Andrews</td>
      <td>Ravens</td>
      <td>Top target on his team, TD upside.[web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>TE solid</td>
      <td>T.J. Hockenson</td>
      <td>Vikings</td>
      <td>Reliable volume at scarce position.[web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sleeper WR</td>
      <td>Christian Watson</td>
      <td>Packers</td>
      <td>Deep‑threat and TD upside with expanding role.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sleeper RB</td>
      <td>Isiah Pacheco</td>
      <td>Chiefs</td>
      <td>Lead back potential in elite offense.[web:1][web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Sleeper RB</td>
      <td>James Cook</td>
      <td>Bills</td>
      <td>Passing‑down role with chance to grow touches.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.