The Indianapolis Colts have named rookie Anthony Richardson as their starting quarterback for the 2023 NFL season. Richardson is one of the biggest question marks in the 2023 Fantasy football rankings, especially since he appeared in just 24 games in college. Despite his inexperience, Richardson has plenty of upside due to his athleticism. Will Richardson be one of the top 2023 Fantasy football breakouts this season, or should your Fantasy football draft prep include targeting a proven veteran like Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith? According to the latest 2023 Fantasy football ADP, both Richardson and Smith are being drafted in the 12th round on average.
You'll need to target 2023 Fantasy football sleepers and 2023 Fantasy football breakouts in drafts while avoiding 2023 Fantasy football busts. Before setting your 2023 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2023 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was being dramatically overvalued. Samuel was the sixth receiver coming off the board on average, but the model had him ranked outside the top 10. The result: Samuel followed up a season in which he had 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns by producing just 864 yards and five scores.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as another sleeper in 2020 and nailing Jonathan Taylor's enormous season in 2021. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The 2023 Fantasy football PPR rankings and 2023 Fantasy football standard projections update multiple times daily, so you're always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2023, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2023 Fantasy football sleepers
One of the 2023 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Jets running back Dalvin Cook. Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that Cook and running back Breece Hall will both play in the team's season-opener and neither will be on a snap count. Hall is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in Week 7 last year, one reason why the Jets added Cook to their roster.
The veteran logged his fourth consecutive season with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2022, earning Pro Bowl honors every year during that stretch. Cook's upside is sky-high, especially since he'll play alongside star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. SportsLine's model has Cook ranked ahead of running backs like Brian Robinson Jr., Cam Akers and Khalil Herbert, who are all being selected before Cook in most Fantasy leagues. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2023 here.
Top 2023 Fantasy football breakouts
The model is also projecting Steelers wide receiver George Pickens as one of its 2023 Fantasy football breakouts. Pickens had a productive rookie season in Pittsburgh, finishing with 52 receptions for 801 yards and four touchdowns.
He averaged 9.8 PPR points per game over his rookie campaign, but he finished 2022 with 16-plus PPR points in two of his final three contests. Pickens also led all Steelers receivers in touchdowns (four), explosive play rate (21.8%) and average depth of target (10.39). That's a major reason why the model has Pickens ranked higher than receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, DK Metcalf and Mike Evans in its 2023 Fantasy football WR rankings. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2023 here.
Top 2023 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon as one of its 2023 Fantasy football busts. He was the RB7 in points per game and third in running back receptions from Weeks 10 to 17 last year, making the most of his opportunities with Mecole Hardman sidelined. However, it is difficult to trust his volume to be consistent this season since Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire will both take reps away from him.
The Chiefs also have a plethora of receiving targets for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and McKinnon's Fantasy owners will rely on his receiving numbers out of the backfield. Negative touchdown regression is to be expected after he racked up nine receiving scores on just 71 targets in 2022. The model prefers multiple running backs who are available later than McKinnon in most drafts, making him a Fantasy bust. See more Fantasy football busts 2023 here
How to find proven 2023 Fantasy football football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising quarterback you aren't even thinking about being taken in the middle rounds of 2023 Fantasy football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-10 option ahead of stars like Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers. You can only see who it is, and the 2023 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2023 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade, and which QB shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2023 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that nailed Deebo Samuel as a bust last year, and find out.
