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 10 through 12 below, and each writer’s reasoning behind their pick.
10.01 – Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Doc – @DocFFFN
This pick at the opening of the tenth round works under the same premise as the previous pick (the last selection in the previous article). Desmond Ridder finishes off the last of the available QBs who have a starting job for the team they play for or are odds-on favorites to land starting jobs for their new teams. He is young, so he fits the build, but most likely your author will be looking to trade him in-season to a team that suffers from an injury at the QB position or to @PsychWardFF, as mentioned in the last article.
If Ridder lights the world on fire to start the next season, he fits perfectly into your author’s team build as a 23-year-old starting QB with rushing upside. He certainly has the weapons to succeed, with Kyle Pitts and Drake London on the roster–as well as some reinforcements that will be joining him from this April’s NFL Draft.
10.02 – Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
Piggy-backing off the last pick, Allgeier may not be a lock to be the starting running back in September, but he made it very difficult for the Falcons staff to spend a pick on replacing him with so many other holes on the roster. He finished the year with 4.92 yards-per-carry and reached 135 rushing yards twice in the last four games of the season when the team let him touch the rock 21.5 times per game, establishing him as the true lead back going into the offseason.
10.03 – James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
Carl – @RookieWhisper
I wasn’t the biggest James Cook fan going into last season. However, after showing flashes throughout the season, and the potential departure of Devin Singleterry in Free Agency, I am officially intrigued. If Cook becomes the feature back in Buffalo this is a steal.
10.04 – Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
More than happy to secure my TE1 this late with a player who showed out his rookie season. It will be fun to watch his growth under Coach Payton in an offense that only has room to grow.
10.05 – Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Devin Maney – @DevinManey
Much like Pierce, Pacheco is an RB who to me is just a gap filler until a need is actually there. Pacheco flashed for the Super Bowl champs, and I feel great taking a chance on Pacheco rounding out my RB2 slot. RBs generally have a short window, so should my team show signs of early struggle, but Pacheco shows signs of promise, I may look to move him for a profit, early.
10.06 – Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Aggies
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
Achane is arguably the fastest player in this draft. Look for him to run in the 4.2’s in the forty at the combine. His biggest drawback is his size which should be around 190. Many teams will be interested in this speedster and look for him to get second-round draft capital.
10.07 – Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
A third quarterback in a 14-team superflex league is a nice luxury to have. After taking Trevor and Tua with my first two picks I was only going to snag another quarterback in the first 15 rounds if it made sense. Brock Purdy here fits the bill. Given my roster construction, I am not super worried if he is not ready by week 1 but could be very happy if he is able to eventually be a long-term answer at the QB3 spot.
10.08 – Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
I selected Robinson for similar reasons to my Sam Howell pick. With a new, very good, offensive coordinator we should see an uptick in the success and productivity of this offense. I liked what Robinson was able to accomplish last year as a rookie and I will be looking for him to improve after getting an actual offseason with his team.
10.09 – Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Volunteers
Malcolm Schultz – @716DFF
At QB34, I figured I’d make my first rookie selection of the draft in Hooker. In my drafts, I make it a priority to select two elite QBs, so I usually don’t put much stock into my QB3, as I’d rather fill out the rest of my roster before selecting backups, but with only one flex spot left, I took Hooker. Hooker put together a fantastic season in 2022 before tearing his ACL, but you can read more about Hooker here, in @FantasyBluechip’s article. While the hit rate on late-declared 24-year-old rookie quarterbacks isn’t great, I’ll be happy with this selection if Hooker gets round three or better draft capital.
10.10 – Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Horned Frogs
Ben Winkler – @bensprinkler
Kendre Miller currently has my 2nd-highest grade before film evaluation out of the entire 2023 class. An absolute specimen at 6’0 220 with excellent quickness and agility for his size, Kendre is one of my favorite prospects coming out this year. I’m excited to see what kind of draft capital he warrants come April, and I think he could rocket himself up into the RB3 conversation in this class.
10.11 – Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
The market for decent QB play has never been hotter with the Jets, Colts, Saints, Commanders, Titans, Raiders, Buccaneers, and Falcons all potentially looking for upgrades. That is good news for Jimmy Garoppolo, who will finally be hitting the open market this offseason. He may not be incredibly talented, but he’s a likely starting QB, capable of filling in for bye weeks and injuries. That’s worth a late tenth-round pick.
10.12 – Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
This late in a 14-team means reaching for upside since I missed on many of the midfield wide receivers. Toney could legitimately be a WR1 in an explosive offense. The only questions are health and attitude.
10.13 – David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears (Free Agent)
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
Even though he will be a second-contract RB, David Montgomery has proven to be a productive workhorse over his career who fights for extra yardage and breaks tackles. Another startable asset for the roster, Montgomery’s value could increase if he lands in a good offense, or even in another bad offense (like the Bears) that is void of RB talent.
10.14 – Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (Free Agent)
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
Miles Sanders is coming off his best season to date, toting a career-high 259 carries for 1269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He enters free agency at just 25 years old and will likely be one of the most sought-after assets on the market this offseason. Sanders can provide consistent double-digit scoring outings for your lineups and could easily rise above his near Round 11 ADP.
11.01 – Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
Khalil Herbert has an excellent chance of being named the Bears’ lone workhorse running back with David Montgomery heading to free agency. A positive move in the eyes of many, as Herbert has proven to be better than Montgomery at every single facet of the game throughout his short tenure with the team. A certified RB1 when starting, Herbert is one of my favorite late-round grabs in startups this year.
11.02 – Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
A solid, startable option at back-up TE for my roster, Knox enjoys the luxuries of playing with all-world QB Josh Allen. Even though he is a little more boom-or-bust from week to week, if Njoku goes down, he is a serviceable top-20 TE who can win me an entire matchup if I start him on one of his “boom” weeks. He is also young enough where he could land on a new team after his contract expires and end up in a better situation with increased usage in the future.
11.03 – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Utes
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
Dalton Kincaid is my TE1 of the rookie class and nabbing him this low is an absolute steal. Michael Mayer is the most well-rounded TE, but Kincaid is the best receiver and that’s what counts for fantasy upside. Yes, rookie TEs are tough to draft, but most scouts and draftniks think this is the best TE class in years.
11.04 – A.J. Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
With Aaron Jones set to return to Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers possibly on the way out, A.J. Dillon could be in for another disappointing season in 2023. But I’m trying to focus on the player here rather than the situation. Dillon is an elite athlete with a three-down skillset who could have a Rhamondre-Stevenson-esque breakout if the opportunity arises.
11.05 – Josh Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Ben Winkler – @bensprinkler
Cutting Keenan Allen is a real possibility for the Chargers this off-season. Josh Palmer flashed some real potential last year in an expanded role, with both Allen and Mike Williams missing significant chunks of the season. Palmer has the potential to be a startable receiver in my FLEX slot, and while I don’t plan on relying on him for meaningful production here, this is an upside pick I’m happy to make.
11.06 – Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Commanders
Malcolm Schultz – @716DFF
As RB40 off the board, I’m more than willing to take a shot at Gibson, who, while still only 24 years old, posted a 12.2% target share (13th in NFL, min. 100 snaps) and 28.4% target rate (24th in NFL, min. 100 snaps). To fill my last flex spot, I’ll continue filling up with RBs, as Gibson shouldn’t fall off the age cliff anytime soon.
11.07 – Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
Mike Gesicki is a good tight end. He was vastly underused and out shadowed by the two elite receivers in Miami named Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Gesicki is an unrestricted free agent and if he goes to a new team he could his value increase greatly.
11.08 – Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
At this stage, I am swinging for the upside. I was on the fence between him and Brandin Cooks but felt that Cooks may not have the same ceiling as Moore. Obviously, his rookie season did not go fantastic but he was in the game plan during the Super Bowl including scoring a touchdown so there is some reason for optimism going into 2023.
11.09 – Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
Cooks is another great value for this win-now build and provides some needed WR depth. It is amazing to think that Cooks is still not even 30 years old. Cooks has finished as a WR 1 or 2 (Top 24) in fantasy 7 times including 2 of the last 3 years. Cooks also gets a massive upgrade at quarterback with Bryce Young or CJ Stroud likely coming to town.
11.10 – Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears
Devin Maney – @DevinManey
Attaching Justin Fields‘ second favorite target in 2022 to Justin Fields just feels like a fantastic idea. Letting Kmet as the TE17 off the board is fantastic value, as he certainly has TE1 upside.
11.11 – Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
I’m absolutely ecstatic to line out my TE stable with McBride. Especially in a TEP format. I’m expecting a 2nd-year leap and have my fingers crossed they make Ertz a salary cap casualty with the new regime.
11.12 – Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns
Carl – @RookieWhisper
The expectation is that Deshaun Watson takes a step forward in his second year in Cleveland, so if that means Peoples-Jones improves upon his 61 receptions, 839 yards, and three TDs, I’m happy with this pick. David Bell struggled in his rookie campaign, so I believe the WR2 role in Cleveland is DPJ’s to lose.
11.13 – Chigoziem Onkonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
Okonkwo was by no means a consistent performer in his rookie season, however, he showed flashes of his spectacular catching ability and athleticism on less than 50% of snaps per game. He’s not the “safe” pick that I needed to back up my rookie tight end, Mayer, but chasing athleticism at the tight end position is a good way to increase your hit rate. The team fired their GM and is going to try to redefine their offense this offseason without Tannehill, so it’s a nice upside pick considering there weren’t many worse passing offenses for fantasy purposes last year.
11.14 – Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Doc – @DocFFFN
Miles Sanders enjoyed consistent success in the Eagles’ offense during his contract season. He is a good off-tackle and exterior runner, he just has no vision for the inside run. Boston Scott is serviceable, and he has great vision for the interior run game, he’s just small and lacks athleticism. Both are free agents. Kenny Gainwell is the best of the three, he just needed to get his opportunities.
Gainwell shined all through the 2022 NFL Playoffs when he finally received those touches. The main concern with Gainwell is that he is a little bit lite in the britches and probably will never be viewed as a bell-cow-style of RB by any NFL coach. Still, what he offers as an abrupt, one-cut slasher and a receiver in the passing game in a top-5 offense is more than enough for fantasy purposes. He will probably be paired with a larger rookie, like Zach Charbonnet or Roschon Johnson, this upcoming season, but Gainwell has played well enough to carve out at least 50% of the backfield touches in Philly (and it is the good 50% which should include the passing and screen game).
12.01 – Jelani Woods, TE, Indianapolis Colts
Doc – @DocFFFN
Your author had hoped that Cole Kmet or Trey McBride would have dropped to the turn, but unfortunately, they did not. Still, the consolation prize is a tremendous one. Jelani Woods is an enormous TE who is athletic and showed flashes with the ball in his hands last season. He is just 24 years old so he fits the profile of our youthful, “year-2-and-beyond” build.
New HC Shane Steichen is coming from the Eagles, who had a prominent role for Dallas Goedert in their system. Goedert had the 7th highest target share out of all TEs in 2022. Both Goedert and Woods had similar scores on several combine and pro-day athletic tests. The Colts don’t have much to offer for pass-catchers outside of Michael Pittman, so the opportunity for a 2023 breakout is available for Woods.
12.02 – James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
Conner is just a flat-out good fantasy producer. When healthy, Conner averages over 15 fantasy ppg in PPR leagues. He missed five games last season and still finished as a top-20 running back. The best part is that he’s still heavily utilized in the passing game, receiving over 4 targets per game. That bodes well for his longevity in the league, despite him being 27 years old.
12.03 – Chase Claypool, WR, Chicago Bears
Carl – @RookieWhisper
At this point in draft, I’m swinging for the fences, but that sometimes leads to strikeouts as well. Chase Claypool is a boom-or-bust pick here, but I’m fine with that at this point in the draft. Claypool disappointed in Chicago after being traded from the Steelers, but the 6’4” 238 lbs. 24-year-old has rare athleticism and Justin Fields is lacking talented pass catchers. If Claypool was productive with aging Ben Roethlisberger why can’t he excel with young and ultra-talented Justin Fields?
12.04 – Rashee Rice, WR, SMU Mustangs
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
I’m bullish on Rice. Mainly Jasmine. It goes so well with everything ya know? Much like how I feel about Rashee. Built to be a future WR1 and can excel in any offense type. His only knocks are fixable. I trust NFL WRs coaches can help expand his route tree and tighten concentration drops.
12.05 – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Devin Maney – @DevinManey
Everyone has a list of players they just can’t quit no matter what, Zeke is one of those for me. It feels even in the 12th RD it could be a reach, but I’m holding out hopes for a return to fashion, as in 2022 Zeke had 8 straight double-digit fantasy weeks, though he scored at least 1 TD in each of those weeks. Zeke is one of my very cheap buys of the off-season I’m willing to take a risk on, but we’re talking Darius Slayton or Anthony Schwartz cheap.
12.06 – Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
I have been a longtime fan of Isaiah Likely and have 100% ownership of him in my dynasty leagues due to him going in the 5th or undrafted in rookie drafts. His 2.83 Receiving yards per team pass attempt as a senior in college was a top 10 mark since 2007. He showed his talent in multiple games this year as a rookie tight end. Expect him to be even more integrated into the offense for year 2.
12.07 – Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
Once again, trying to snag a young WR with some upside. We have no idea who his quarterback will be in 2023 but with Parris Campbell out the door he should be the clear number two option in this offense behind Michael Pittman Jr. Alec Pierce had shown some flashes during his rookie season and should have better QB play in 2023.
12.08 – Jamaal Williams, RB, Detroit Lions
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
Williams was great last season. He scored 17 touchdowns and cemented himself as the main scoring back in a productive offense. As the Lions grow so should their scoring opportunities and I do not see anyone taking William’s goal-line touches. This late in the draft I was able to get a productive RB two that can help me win weeks.
12.09 – Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State
Malcolm Schultz – @716DFF
As RB46 off the board, I’m taking a shot at Vaughn. Selecting him as the 23rd rookie in the draft, I think Vaughn’s receiving upside along with being an early declare and posting a 35.9% college dominator warrants a selection in the late second round of a rookie draft. I wouldn’t be able to make a Vaughn blurb without discussing his size. Unfortunately, his BMI at his current listed measurements is 27.9, which is well below the range we look for in rookie RBs. However, film-Twitter seems to love Vaughn so I’ll diversify my portfolio and include an extremely fun player to watch as my second bench selection.
12.10 – Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
Ben Winkler – @bensprinkler
Doubs seems to have become a mostly forgotten dynasty asset, with the likes of Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney being taken over the Packers rookie. The 22-year-old Doubs flashed some potential as a solid X receiver for Green Bay across from the explosive Christian Watson. Doubs had some amazing moments displaying great body control and strong hands, as well as being a solid route runner. Doubs has a solid build at 6’2 204, and I find it very hard to believe that Doubs doesn’t wind up being at the very least a solid role player in the league.
12.11 – Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
Hey, I finally got a rookie! Marvin Mims was an explosive WR in college who broke out at a young age. He commanded solid volume at Oklahoma despite his small size and downfield role, and he declared early for the NFL Draft. In other words, he checks more than enough boxes to warrant this late pick.
12.12 – Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
Boyd is another value this low and a solid week-to-week plug-in. He’d also be a WR2 on 20 other teams. So he could enjoy a value jump if the Bengals ever looked to trade him or suffer an injury to Higgins or Chase.
12.13 – Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Volunteers
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
The first rookie addition to the roster, Cedric Tillman possesses all of the qualities in terms of size, strength, and athleticism that will allow him to succeed at the NFL level. Though he is a late-declare and has battled some injuries in his collegiate career, Tillman provides youth and depth to my roster’s already production-heavy WR corps.
12.14 – Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Bulldogs
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
Towering in at 6’7″ and north of 270 lbs, Darnell Washington is a monster of a man that mows down would-be tacklers both after the catch and as an open-field blocker. Washington possesses intangible athletic upside at the tight end position. Although Washington has seen limited reps while playing alongside generational running mate Brock Bowers, the Georgia Bulldog projects as a multi-year starter at the NFL level.
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
The DFF Dynasty Start-Up Mock Draft: Part 3
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