As the NFL Draft nears, we’ve gathered our League Winners staff for a 2023 dynasty rookie mock draft. A lot of these names you should be familiar with, while others you could be reading about for the first time. With the offseason in full swing, these are the names you’ll hear more and more of leading up to your dynasty rookie drafts.
For the purpose of this exercise, our staff drafted based on Superflex settings for a 12-team league.
Let’s take a look at our Round 1 results!
1.01 – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas (Jesse Moeller)
Bijan is the best RB prospect since Saquon Barkley and is the unquestioned 1.01, regardless of the format. Bijan is already the RB1 in dynasty. Passing on a player of his caliber would be a blunder. His ability to change direction makes Robinson unique, which leaves defenders grasping at air. Add in the pass-catching ability of a wide receiver playing running back, and you have a once-in-a-decade type of talent coming into the league.
1.02 – CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State (Anthony Walesby)
I came into the pick automatically assuming Bijan Robinson would be the 1.01 in this mock draft. Even with Superflex settings, he’s the unanimous 1.01 (and with good reason). Having said that, I came into 1.02 knowing I’d be getting my choice of the top QBs in the 2023 class. Enter CJ Stroud. As a Michigan alum and huge Wolverines fan I’m leaving personal bias at the door when it comes to Stroud. What will separate CJ Stroud from the rest of the 2023 QB class at the next level is ball placement. Stroud is stunningly accurate in his throws, and it will allow him to put the ball where only his WR can get it at the next level.
CJ Stroud 🤝 Ball Placement #LeagueWinnersRookieSZN pic.twitter.com/V7Ju7GIy56
— The League Winners (@FFLeagueWinners) February 17, 2023
1.03 – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida (Hunter Greene)
Richardson at 1.03 is more about the upside value he has rather than the safety. If I wanted to play it safe, Bryce Young would be the pick. However, there’s more and more talk about Richardson going inside the top-10 in the NFL Draft. Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent Mock Draft had Richardson falling to 18 to the Lions. Giving him a good offensive line and a year to sit behind a veteran like Goff could do wonders for his development, and your fantasy team!
1.04 – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (Joe O’Leary)
Certainly wasn’t expecting to get Bryce Young at the 1.04 and as the QB3 overall. Young might be small for a quarterback, but he possesses countless traits desired in a franchise player. The intangibles he brings to the table are off the charts. I’m betting on the talent, especially in a Superflex league.
1.05 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State (Jeremy Shulman)
I’m no Will Levis fan, so I was looking at the skill positions here. With Jordan Addison and Jamyr Gibbs staring me in the face, Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s was the easy choice. Smith Njigba’s sophomore season was, simply put, incredible. In 2021, he finished with 95 receptions for 1606 yards — 9th and 3rd in the nation, respectively — adding 9 TDs in the process.
No one is questioning JSN’s ability. His former teammates – Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave – are both on record saying Smith-Njigba is the best of the three. What some do seem concerned about is his lack of play in 2022 due to a nagging hamstring issue. There’s also plenty of talk swirling around Twitter and elsewhere that there is no “Ja’Marr Chase-level talent” in this class.
JSN may not be part of the elite NFL wide receivers just yet, but it’s possible that he can become that in short order. Landing spot will play a role, but he’s far ahead of Quentin Johnston for me and on par with Jordan Addison in terms of pure talent and production. He’s elusive both in his route running and after the catch, and he has a knack for finding the ball in traffic or when adjusting to the throw. I can’t fault anyone looking Addison or Gibbs here, but give me the sure-thing wideout who could become the clear-cut WR1 in this class.
1.06 – Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU (Thomas Christopher)
Johnston is my WR1 in this class and I’m ecstatic to get him here. I love big wide receivers, but what I love more is when they have great hip fluidity and a smooth release off the LOS. Johnston’s catch radius and YAC ability could create a never-ending ceiling in fantasy football. If he’s able to fine-tune his shortcomings during the offseason, he could have a dominant year as a rookie in the NFL.
1.07 – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama (Tim Riley)
At 1.07 Jahmyr Gibbs is an absolute smash! Jahmyr has elite-tier receiving ability and is truly dynamic in the open field. While his rushing stats aren’t eye-popping, he could create severe mismatches for opposing defenses; as shown with the lowest breakout age amongst RBs in this draft class.
Unfortunately, Gibbs has never really handled a bell-cow workload, He’s not a great pass-blocker, and lacks in the size and power department. This could impact his durability and goal-line work in the NFL. However, Gibbs is still explosive and agile enough to classify as the consensus RB2 in the 2023 class. His biggest strengths are his ability to attack angles against the defense, and ability to change direction without losing too much speed. Put together, it’s a recipe for chunk yards and explosive plays mixed with the long speed to score at any moment.
With the majority NFL teams preferring a split backfield, he could excel in the 1A role as a slasher that can stretch a defense and make people miss in the open field. His versatility is an offensive coordinator’s dream. In the right situation, he has the upside of a RB1 at the next level.
1.08 – Jordan Addison, WR, USC (Joe Arledge)
I was pumped that Addison fell to me at 1.08 in this mock draft. Jordan Addison is a smaller framed player (6’0”, 174 lbs) similar to DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. Like Smith, Addison is an elite route-runner which helps him create separation at the top of the route. Furthermore, Addison has an elite catch radius. You see him make incredible catches like this in college.
This CATCH by Jordan Addison 😳
The USC WR has an ELITE catch radius.
Addison is currently preparing for the NFL Combine. pic.twitter.com/vWZSSSAVEY
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) February 18, 2023
Everyone knew Addison from his monster year at Pitt. He produced a 100/1593/17 stat line, dominating the ACC. An injury hampered his final college season but he was still able to tally 59/875/8 in 11 games. I’m hoping he can produce in fantasy in the same respect that he did in college.
1.09 – Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA (Pru Patel)
At the 1.09, I took Zach Charbonnet in this mock draft. In a Superflex league, Will Levis is a good pick at this point, but it will depend on which team selects him and at what draft capital. Charbonnet is the safer pick in my opinion.
Charbonnet is physically imposing at 6’1” and 220 pounds. On tape, his top quality is power. His low center of gravity style of rushing makes it hard for defenses to take him down. He portrays the unique quality of always falling forward when tackled gaining those precious extra two yards.
Zach Charbonnet also shows tremendous vision in his play. He sets up blocks with his vision of the whole lateral field. He then hits the hole with tremendous power and balance. His ability to run through contact is unmatched. Charbonnet’s best NFL comparison is Nick Chubb. I think a team that prefers a north-south runner will likely have Charbonnet high on their draft board. A team like Atlanta, Carolina or New Orleans could really use his talent and would be a perfect fit.
1.10 – Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU (Calvin Kirton)
A lot of experts are concerned with Boutte’s character. For fantasy purposes, I’m not. If Antonio Brown can produce at an elite level for ten-plus years with all of his personality faults, Kayshon can do the same thing. That’s why I selected him 10th overall in this mock draft.
As far as Kayshon Boutte goes, everything about his game looks smooth and easy. That translates to making the game easy for his coaching staff and his quarterback. In 2021, Boutte ranked 6th in YAC/Rec and 12th in Yards Per Route Run against man coverage with an NFL Passer Rating of 146.8 when targeted, which ranked 9th among FBS WRs. Kayshon is also the best 2023 WR prospect at creating yards after the catch – you can see how easily he transitions once he gets the ball. His incredible lateral movement while evading would-be tacklers and maintaining a good amount of speed is beautiful. In my 2023 NFL WR prospect rankings, he’s battling JSN for the WR1 spot.
1.11 – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky (Aaron St. Denis)
Will Levis at the 11th pick in a mock draft feels like stealing. The cannon armed quarterback out of Kentucky is your prototypical QB with size and skill. He comes into the league with the same basic tools as Josh Allen. And much like Allen, if he is able to develop those tools and refine his raw skillset, a top-3 QB finish is not out of his range of outcomes. If Levis finds himself getting draft capital and a decent landing spot, he figures to go far earlier than 11th overall.
1.12 – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College (Joe Padilla)
Zay Flowers is an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands who can beat you on all three levels. His size is a bit concerning, but his play speaks for itself. He has the production coming out of Boston College (‘22 78-1077-12) and the traits of a potential WR1. Flowers works well inside or out, has a quick break out of his routes and has relatively strong hands. He should have the draft capital come April to be a plug and play starter Week 1.
