• Nick Chubb poised for his biggest season yet: His efficiency as a runner over the course of his career is well documented, but opportunity in the receiving game could set the Browns star running back up for a top-two RB performance in 2023.
• Alexander Mattison projects as one of the best RB values based on workload: Fantasy managers have been down on Mattison due to inefficiency over the past two seasons, but considering his projected role as a workhorse, he’s a steal in the sixth round of drafts.
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With fantasy football draft season reaching its peak, here are my favorite players to draft in fantasy football this season.
Consensus average draft position comes courtesy of FantasyPros, with draft data averaged from ESPN, Sleeper and RealTime Fantasy.
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys | ADP 8.01 (QB10)
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott isn’t necessarily a fan favorite in fantasy football leagues, especially after his 2022 season, finishing as the overall QB18 after missing five games with a thumb injury. However, over the past two seasons, Prescott ranks ninth among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game. Two quarterbacks ranked ahead of him in that cohort are Tom Brady, now retired, and Kyler Murray, who will miss the start of the season on the PUP list in his return from a torn ACL.
Prescott has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in every season since 2019, including back-to-back finishes in the top five in 2019 and 2020. The Cowboys lead the league in points per game with Prescott under center, while he ranks third — behind Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert — in passing yards per game. Targeting Dak in the eighth round feels like a great value with the cast of weapons around him, including CeeDee Lamb, potential breakout tight end Jake Ferguson and Brandin Cooks, who the Cowboys acquired from the Texans earlier this offseason to inject this receiving corps with some much-needed speed.
RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns | ADP: 1.11 (RB5)
Nick Chubb might be headed into his age-27 season, but he’s still got a lot left in the tank. Cleveland let Kareem Hunt walk in free agency this offseason after he averaged just under 12 touches per game over four seasons with the team, having been involved more heavily as a receiver. Though second-year running back Jerome Ford figures to be the backup, there’s been a clear emphasis on increasing Chubb’s involvement as a receiver throughout training camp.