As the dynasty league offseason is now in full swing, there are many upcoming NFL events to anticipate. Coming up on the calendar we have the likes of the NFL Scouting Combine, Free Agency, and the NFL Draft. In the fantasy football world, there is ample opportunity for value shifts for individual players and entire position groups. What better time to test the water than the end of February with a mock draft?
The DFF Army is together for A HUGE analyst-only dynasty start-up mock draft, our first of the 2023 off-season! Here we randomly selected draft positions and then ran the draft in snake order–the settings are Superflex, TE Premium, and PPR. Hopefully, this can help give you an early sense of where you should be targeting players in your upcoming start-up drafts. Check out every selection from rounds seven through nine below, and each writer’s reasoning behind their pick.
7.01 – Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys (Free Agent)
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
Dalton Schultz is an admittedly uninspiring selection as his consensus market value will likely never align with the stress-free production he provides. Schultz has racked up over 2000 YDS and 17 touchdowns in just over two seasons since being named the starting tight end for the Cowboys. His underlying metrics sit amongst the top producers at the position. Attempting to balance future value against current production in a win-now build is a tricky tightrope to transgress. I believe that Schultz has yet to meet his ceiling in either category.
7.02 – David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
Njoku just signed a four-year $54 million contract and is one of, if not, the top target earners for the Browns. He’s only 26 and tied to a highly talented quarterback, despite the warranted character concerns. I’m unsure why he isn’t valued over Dalton Shultz but I’ll take a tight end with Njoku’s upside in the seventh without blinking.
7.03 – Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
Jahan Dotson enjoyed a nice showing in his rookie season. Though he was somewhat propped up by strong TD efficiency, as he only caught 35 of 61 targets, his outlook should improve with new OC Eric Bieniemy orchestrating the offense and full season to gel with new starter Sam Howell. With Terry McLaurin alongside him to garner the attention of opposing defenses Dotson should be freed up to improve on his rookie season numbers.
7.04 – Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders (Free Agent)
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
Derek Carr has finished between QB12 and QB20 in all nine seasons of his career. He’s still just 31 years old and he’s about to receive a sizable contract in free agency. While he may not be an “elite” talent, it’s important to recognize just how poor the QB play across the league is right now. With players like Desmond Ridder, Kyle Trask, Jordan Love, Mike White, and Andy Dalton in the running for starting jobs, Carr will remain in high demand for years to come.
7.05 – Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ben Winkler – @bensprinkler
With a glaring lack of depth starting to form at receiver, I didn’t have to think too hard about this one. Everyone who watched Jacksonville last year thought to themselves “Man, imagine this team with an alpha WR1 and another year of Lawrence development”. Enter Calvin Ridley, who Jacksonville aggressively acquired at the trade deadline. Ridley is an elite route runner and an underrated athlete and has shown the ability to be a fantasy monster in the past. Coming off a couple of years’ absence, I’m expecting some rust from Ridley- but once that gets shaken off, I’ve got an elite player with an elite role sitting comfortably in my WR2 slot.
7.06 – Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Malcolm Schultz – @716DFF
I continue to fill out my wide receiver core with Bateman, who suffered numerous injuries this past season, playing only six games. In those six games, however, Bateman posted some amazing underlying metrics, with a 25.5% target rate and a whopping 2.59 YPRR. Of course, those metrics should balance out with a larger sample size (Bateman only played 181 snaps in 2022), but I’m willing to take a gamble on Bateman at WR39 off the board, which I find an extremely attractive price for a 23-year-old first-round wide receiver.
7.07 – Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
I was heartbroken to see Rashod Bateman go one pick before me, but alas I need to recuperate. Instead of tilting and taking a fourth QB just to make it harder on other teams, I pull myself together and stick to my plan. I select Keenan Allen. Allen played well last year when healthy and still seems to be the favorite target of Justin Herbert. He is a polished route runner who wins in a way that allows him to play at a high level into his thirties. My team is going to contend right away so I like adding this solid contributor as my WR4.
7.08 – Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
This range of wide receivers is tough to work with since many of them have some true question marks as for as their quarterback of 2023 is concerned. I took a stab here with Mike Evans since he has managed to be productive in every single season of his career even before Brady arrived. Evans has tremendous upside but this pick definitely carries some risk.
7.09 – Tyler Lockett, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
Only three WRs have finished as a fantasy WR1 or 2 (Top 24) for five consecutive years.
and
Dynasty’s most disrespected WR who perennially provides the biggest return on investment for his fantasy owners. He is coming off his best year, never takes a hit, and ranked as the WR 3 in 538’s WR ratings last year.
7.10 – Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Tigers
Devin Maney – @DevinManey
As I mentioned after selecting Cooper Kupp, I’d be looking to get younger at WR. Insert Kayshon Boutte. Boutte is likely going to fall in the NFL draft due to perceived “character issues” and I’ve made the mistake before of fading Ja’Marr Chase, and George Pickens and I’ve kicked myself since. I’m not sure Boutte will shape out to be similar to Chase or Pickens, but I didn’t feel he would get back to me in the 8th if I waited. Had I not gone Boutte, I would have taken Darnell Mooney.
7.11 – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Eagles
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
You can’t teach speed, but it’s the acceleration Flowers touts that makes him unique. If you haven’t noticed by now I build a startup Dynasty through youth. My small-ball trend continues.
7.12 – Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
MR – @DFF_MR
Mike Williams fits nicely as our WR2. With the news that Keenan Allen might become a Cap Casualty, there’s potential value for a seventh-round steal.
7.13 – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
This pick is a bit against the grain for my team build. When you think of a “safe” dynasty pick, normally you don’t think about the TE position that tends to take a few years to get acclimated and become fantasy relevant. However, the TE position is so valuable in deep leagues, so taking the risk at pick 97 was a no-brainer. I’ll just have to supplement the position later on in the draft so that I maintain my team’s “win-now” capability.
7.14 – Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears
Doc – @DocFFFN
Your author agrees with his esteemed colleague @force_fantasy that Tyler Lockett has long been the most disrespected WR in dynasty fantasy football. Now enter the current most disrespected WR1 on any team in dynasty fantasy football. Darnell Mooney doesn’t have the body or athletic attributes of a prototypical WR1, but he has excellent speed and route-running ability. He is Justin Fields’ first read on the majority of his throws.
The box score nerds will point to his poor statistical output this season. However, when you consider Head Coach Matt Eberflus and Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy did not allow Justin Fields to throw the ball until Week 4 (15 attempts per game Weeks 1-3; 25 attempts per game Weeks 4-16) and the fact that Mooney was lost to a season-ending injury in the first few plays of Week 12, Mooney really only had opportunities in 8 games last season.
If you extrapolate the numbers from those 8 games (which includes one game in which he played a handful of snaps and left with a season-ending injury before recording a single target) you will find that Mooney was on pace for just shy of 1000 yards and 4.5 TDs on 76.5 receptions. Those aren’t bad numbers, especially considering it was his QB’s first full season as a starter. At age 25 Mooney also checks the youth box for our build. This pick was easy.
8.01 – Elijah Moore, WR, New York Jets
Doc – @DocFFFN
The 7-8 turn of this mock draft was the opportunity for your author to hammer selections on a couple of dynasty WRs that aren’t getting respect in the community. Elijah Moore battled injuries and incompetent QB play during his rookie season. Then he battled the coach’s doghouse and more incompetent QB play this past season. During his rookie season, from Week 7 through Week 12, he was playing like a top-10 WR before going down with a season-ending injury. In that span Moore ranked:
34 Receptions (T-8th)
459 Yards (6th)
5 TDs (T-1st)
With a new offensive coordinator and QB upgrade arriving in the offseason, your author is not afraid to draft or buy low on Elijah Moore.
8.02 – Jakobi Meyers, WR, New England Patriots (Free Agent)
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
This was a tough decision. My team is built with a 3-4 year window in mind, so it’s getting a bit risky to not have a running back on my team yet. That’s not going to stop me from drafting Meyers though. Meyers has finished as a mid-WR3 the past two seasons in a horrid offense in New England. Entering free agency, the situation can only improve. So when deciding between some of the stud RBs nearing the age cliff or a 26-year-old WR that’s been producing one of the least fantasy-friendly offenses in the league and now gets to go somewhere else, it’s an easy call!
8.03 – Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (Free Agent)
Carl – @RookieWhisper
I’ll be jumping in for MR here to finish out this draft!
I went with Juju for my first pick. After an incredible sophomore campaign, Smith-Schuster has fizzled a bit. However, I believe the 26-year-old is trending in the right direction. In 2022 in his first year with the Chiefs, Juju saw 101 targets and nearly 1,000 yards. Juju is a free agent now, so it will be interesting to see if he re-signs with the reigning Super Bowl champs or finds a new home.
8.04 – Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Bruins
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
ZC brings a nice combination of size, speed, and sneaky agility combined with an aggressive play style. Along with some surprisingly good hands, this selection makes for a nice depth piece as my RB3.
8.05 – Gabe Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
Devin Maney – @DevinManey
I selected Gave Davis here based on age and being attached to Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense. The Bills may spend some premium draft capital to get a serious WR2 to complement Stefon Diggs, but even so, Gabe Davis is still a deep-threat type of player worth taking a dart throw on. I could have taken an RB here, but none available excited me too much. I counted 28 still on the board that I would be perfectly okay with being my RB1 or 2, so stockpiling a 23-year-old receiver was my choice.
8.06 – Jalin Hyatt, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Volunteers
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
No player archetype has as much value insulation as a rookie wide receiver. They have to have a truly terrible rookie season to lose value. With that said getting a likely first-round wide receiver in round 8 is a steal. Hyatt is discount Jameson Williams who went over 40 picks ago.
8.07 – Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (Free Agent)
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
What a season for Engram last year! I am choosing to take him at his word and his intention of returning to Jacksonville. Engram by far had the best season of his career last year and was a favorite target for Trevor Lawrence down the stretch. I may be weak at WR but I feel I have a decent positional advantage at the other three positions except when I play against Travis Kelce.
8.08 – Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
With this pick, I really wanted Evan Engram because I felt there was a tier drop after him at TE. With Engram gone I turned my eyes toward WR. I feel at this point there are a ton of RBs that are all similar and there are lower-ranked guys I like for that position. Then at TE, it is the same sort of thing, a long list that all feels similar. But, at WR we are starting to see the pool dry up. I decide to take a stab at Sutton because I have always liked him as a player. He had a very good sophomore season, got injured, had a poor year post-injury, and then played on one of the worst passing offenses I have seen. With Sean Payton in town, I think we could see some life infused into Sutton’s career. Plus I have Wilson so this gives me a stack to root for.
8.09 – Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
Malcolm Schultz – @716DFF
To finish rounding out my wide receiver core, I chose to go high upside with Michael Thomas. A potential hall-of-fame career derailed by injuries, Thomas, still 29, posted roughly 25% target shares in the two healthy games he had this past season before falling victim to injury again. Thomas may be cooked, but in the eighth round and with my win-now roster, I choose to chase upside. If he doesn’t work out, the rest of my wide receiver core is just 23 and 24 years old.
8.10 – Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
Ben Winkler – @bensprinkler
I’m still thin at receiver, but there’s so much value still on the board at other positions that I felt I had no choice but to go best player available here. Love gives me a ton of flexibility, as I can flip him once Rodgers’ departure is confirmed, or take the risky play and sell one of my current QBs for an elite receiver. Either way, the important thing with this pick is that I don’t wind up leaving the points on the bench. From a pure value perspective, I think Love here is an absolute steal. Love is going to enter a starting role with a great offensive mind calling the plays, a solid stable of weapons, and a decent offensive line. Love has been learning behind one of the best to ever do it, and I could totally see him exploding in 2023.
8.11 – Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
I don’t roster Nick Chubb in any of my actual dynasty leagues because I am not willing to pay up for a 27-year-old RB that doesn’t catch passes. But I was thrilled to select him here after the likes of Michael Thomas, Jordan Love, and Evan Engram. Unlike some other RBs in his age range, Nick Chubb has not shown any signs of decline and he has total job security. I would not be surprised at all by another top-ten finish in 2023.
8.12 – Derrick Henry, RB, Team Tennessee Titans
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
The first older player added to my roster, Derrick Henry at this point seems like a tremendous value. Though he is 29 years old, he is athletically and physically a freak of nature, so conventional NFL RB shelf lives do not apply. If the fantasy season ends up going south, I can trade Henry during the season and recoup some value on a younger player or decent rookie second-round draft pick.
8.13 – Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
I’m not too disappointed to find Rodgers in the eighth after fading quarterback all this time. The idea is to put a band-aide on the QB2 spot for a year or until I can make a fair trade with other assets I’ve drafted. Until then I think Rodgers is a fine option. I believe he will play again this year with the Packers or another team and possibly even another team after that. Plenty of time to sort out QB2.
8.14 – Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
The easiest time to acquire cheap veteran running backs is during an off-season startup where perceived value is weighed heavily over proven production. Dalvin Cook is nearing the dreaded age cliff for running backs, making it difficult to find a return on the trade market. Cook fits a win-now build, especially at round eight prices, but be sure to insulate your roster with some high-upside youth at the position throughout the later rounds.
9.01 – Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Rebels
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
Zach Evans is a creative and elusive runner with excellent straight-line speed. The meteoric rise of freshman running back Quinshon Judkins at Ole Miss has kept Evans under the radar as one of the top pure runners in the 2023 draft class.
9.02 – Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
Recent reports indicate Mixon could be a cut candidate but taking the chance that doesn’t happen and he remains the lead back, the ninth round is robbery. A lot of risks with this pick but worth it after ignoring the running back position since Jonathan Taylor at the end of round two.
9.03 – Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn Tigers
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
A unique career on and off the field at Auburn gives some dynasty owners pause, but Tank Bigsby was a highly touted recruit who has some great film. He *should* test well at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, and if so, could cement Day 2 draft capital. This is a nice insurance pick behind Derrick Henry for this roster.
9.04 – J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
With the other positions so depleted, I had no choice but to go with another RB here. J.K. Dobbins is an incredibly talented rusher who should enter 2023 as the lead back in a new-look Baltimore offense led by Todd Monken. Early reports suggest that the Ravens will be more pass-heavy and up-tempo, which could lead to more overall volume and receiving usage for the 24-year-old.
9.05 – Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants
Ben Winkler – @bensprinkler
Okay, okay, it’s time to address my receiver room. I found myself choosing between two options- Robinson, or Rondale Moore. I chose Robinson due to (currently) less target competition, as well as being paired with Brian Daboll, who I think extremely highly of as a play caller. I’m confident Daboll will maximize Robinson’s skill set next year, whether that be as the main pass-catcher for Daniel Jones, or in a situation totally different. No matter what, my WR3 spot is looking shaky- but I’ll take a stab at a young gun who flashed some potential last year. (I regret passing on Rondale).
9.06 – Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
Malcolm Schultz – @716DFF
Jones quietly put together a very nice season in 2022, just fell a bit unlucky with his touchdowns, scoring only 2 rushing TDs on 1100+ rushing yards. With him restructuring his contract recently, the RB should be locked into the Green Bay offense next season and should again post high-end RB two numbers, a perfect addition to begin rounding out my flex spots with my win-now roster. With a little more touchdown luck this upcoming season, I love Jones at RB24 off the board.
9.07 – Sam Howell, QB, Washington Commanders
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
At 9.07 I go with one of the newer hot commodities in the dynasty space, QB Sam Howell. With Eric Bienemy in town and Howell given the starting job, I am excited about this opportunity. Howell was my QB1 in his class pre-draft so getting him as QB29 in this draft feels very good.
9.08 – Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
I planned on taking another wide receiver here but this value is just too much. Kamara has the overall RB1 upside within his potential outcomes in 2023. Getting that kind of upside at pick 120 feels borderline criminal. My running back room might now be the best in the league with Saquan Barkley and Javonte Williams as well.
9.09 – Rondale Moore, Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
Of wide receivers selected in the NFL draft over the last two years, Rondale Moore had the third-highest % of double-digit fantasy point games last year at 71.4%. The others in the top 10 all went several rounds ago. (1. Chase, 2. Amon Ra St Brown, 4. Waddle, 5. Smith, 6. Olave, 7. Dotson, 8. Watson, 9. Wilson, 10. Pickens)
9.10 – Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
Devin Maney – @DevinManey
Selecting Pierce as my RB1 feels kind of gross to be fully transparent, but I prefer to build around young QBs, a premium TE or 2, and younger WRs. This build has shaped out pretty well for that. Pierce likely will see a nice bump up in perceived value once the Texans land their QB in Young or Stroud, and RB is a position I prefer to punt at. I’ll either see a few additional years of production from Pierce and be able to move him or will be stuck with a wasted selection. Either way, when it’s time to compete I’ll likely be looking to acquire an aging vet back. RBs in my typical startups just don’t make sense for value.
9.11 – Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse Orange
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
All around, multifaceted back with the vision, short-area burst, and acceleration needed to excel at the next level. ‘Nuff said.
9.12 – Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Carl – @RookieWhisper
Similar to my last selection (Juju Smith-Shuster) I’ve targeted a “Post-Hype Sleeper” in Cam Akers. Akers looked like his old self to end the season, gaining at least 100 total yards in each of his last four games.
9.13 – Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
I was really hoping Cam Akers was going to fall to me, but Carl took him right out of my hands with the prior pick. At some point, I needed to draft some running backs, and it looks like the run on the older, but bigger named backs, happened over the last two rounds. Rachaad White showed at the end of last year that he could handle a lion’s share of the backfield, and with Tampa Bay entering the non-Brady era, White should be a great option as a receiver for whoever comes in next.
9.14 – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans
Doc – @DocFFFN
At this point, you’re wondering… “what gives?” Well, this is it! This outlier pick that does not match your author’s team build is solely due to a massive value steal. The opportunity to draft a proven starting QB that still has some meat on the bone at pick #126 in a 14-team SF league is too good to pass up. Your author treats mock drafts like they are real leagues, and in this instance, the goal would be to trade Tannehill during the season to another owner who suffers a QB injury, or to my esteemed colleague @PsychWardFF, who has just one starting QB.
Here are the links to previous rounds of this DFF Mock Draft!
The DFF Dynasty Start-Up Mock Draft: Part 1
The DFF Dynasty Start-Up Mock Draft: Part 2
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