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Fantasy Football 2023: Most improved skill position units after NFL free agency

Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

• Two of the offseason's biggest upgrades: The Chicago Bears added WR D.J. Moore as a part of their move down from the No. 1 pick, and the New York Giants traded for star TE Darren Waller

Houston Texans undergo a complete overhaul: The Texans added five skill position players who should all make an impact, and the team may not be done.

• See where the players rank: I updated my fantasy rankings after the first wave of free agency, so you can see where each of these players rank ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes


Click here for more PFF tools:

Top 200 Free Agent Rankings | 2023 NFL Free Agency Deal Grader
Top 100 Available Free Agents |  Fantasy Football Free Agency Analysis
Mock Draft Simulator | 2023 NFL Draft Big Board | 2023 NFL Draft Guide


There was a relatively common theme throughout the 2023 free-agency period, as several teams decided against re-signing their running backs and wide receivers and instead opted to sign replacements from outside the organization.

Here are the three teams that made the most changes at the skill positions and gained more than they lost. We also break down each team and highlight the players who gained or lost fantasy value.

1. Chicago Bears

Additions: RB D’Onta Foreman (Carolina Panthers), WR D.J. Moore (Carolina Panthers), TE Robert Tonyan (Green Bay Packers)

Departures: RB David Montgomery (Detroit Lions), WR Byron Pringle, WR N’Keal Harry

Winners: QB Justin Fields, WR D.J. Moore

Losers: WR Darnell Mooney, TE Cole Kmet

Moore is arguably the best skill-position addition of the 2023 offseason.

Seven wide receivers played at least 150 snaps on offense for the Bears last season, but not a single one of those pass-catchers played more than 650. No Bears receiver finished with a PFF grade above 70.0.

Moore has played at least 750 snaps and earned a 70.0-plus receiving grade in all five years of his NFL career.

Justin Fields is the biggest winner of the trade. Fields finished as QB6 last season entirely because of his rushing production. However, several young quarterbacks have recently taken a step forward with a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, and Fields now has his.

Moore has consistently finished between WR16 and WR25 over the past four seasons.

This will remain Moore’s median ranking heading into fantasy drafts. He will be more of a high-risk, high-reward player compared to recent years.

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