With “draft weekend” finally upon us, here are my last-minute rankings. These are my favorite 25 quarterbacks, 50 running backs, 60 receivers and 25 tight ends for 2023. For all other questions — including up-the-second-rankings for every major format — please check out our comprehensive, award-winning draft guide, one we have been working tirelessly on all summer.
Top 25 Quarterbacks
1. Patrick Mahomes — Mahomes’ gifts, Reid’s scheme make surrounding talent irrelevant.
2. Jalen Hurts — Hurts’ rushing paired with this skill corps one of the scariest tandems in some time.
3. Josh Allen — Is the elbow 100 percent? Is there a legitimate No. 2 pass catcher?
4. Joe Burrow — Burrow’s weapons and pure passing ability overawe likely rushing regression.
5. Lamar Jackson — Narrative driven, but: New contract, new OC, new WR corps.
6. Justin Herbert — Play-calling and WR upgrades will make 2022 look like a one-off.
7. Justin Fields — Bears did their damndest to provide Fields a “Hurts 2.0” setup.
8. Trevor Lawrence — *Gets real coach once* “And Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram have all had career years!”
9. Tua Tagovailoa — Will win far more fantasy weeks than he loses if he stays healthy.
10. Deshaun Watson — Played at an MVP level the last time he actually played.
11. Dak Prescott — Dak is a certified gunslinger. No more, but certainly not less.
12. Anthony Richardson — Trying to become fifth rookie QB to reach 600 yards rushing.
13. Kirk Cousins — PROE champions, though Kevin O’Connell has spent a lot of time talking about the run game.
14. Geno Smith — A repeat will be difficult. JSN’s addition at least makes it possible.
15. Aaron Rodgers — Was QB11 even in his MVP 2021.
16. Daniel Jones — Jones had a career 2022 and still wasn’t a QB1. Still checking down this summer.
17. Jared Goff — The ideal matchup-based streamer.
18. Derek Carr — Soft schedule will provide ample streaming opportunity.
19. Sam Howell — The best odds to be this season’s left-field QB1.
20. Kenny Pickett — The star of the summer has weapons-based upside.
21. Brock Purdy — Could quickly climb streamer ranks if he cuts down on last year’s memory-holed miscues.
22. Russell Wilson — Comeback case makes sense on paper. Jeudy’s injury one question mark too many?
23. Matthew Stafford — Only Cooper Kupp is keeping this project afloat.
24. Jordan Love — Love could overachieve and still fail to make fantasy noise in what promises to be balanced attack.
25. C.J. Stroud — Has more wild card upside than No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
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Top 50 Running Backs
1. Bijan Robinson — Touches hog, big-play threat and goal-line menace in run-first offense.
2. Christian McCaffrey — 49ers ever so slightly throttled off CMC’s workload late.
3. Austin Ekeler — Even if receptions fall back to 70-75 range, expect better overall usage from OC Kellen Moore.
4. Tony Pollard — The veteran insurance back never arrived. Looking at Ekeler-ian workload.
5. Derrick Henry — Can’t fight city hall when it is stiff arming you into oblivion.
6. Nick Chubb — Ascending into even the 35-40 catch range would make a difference.
7. Josh Jacobs — Reported in time to immediately reassume every-snap role.
8. Saquon Barkley — Health and workload returned last season. Efficiency not so much.
9. Rhamondre Stevenson — Zeke’s addition eliminates new ceiling possibilities, but floor remains intact.
10. Travis Etienne — Mysteries abound. ETN’s rushing efficiency isn’t one of them.
11. Jahmyr Gibbs — Eating into any of the “Jamaal Williams role” would make Gibbs likely top-10 RB.
12. Joe Mixon — Try as they might to talk up backups, the Bengals have no viable touches plan B.
13. Kenneth Walker — Violent style and limited receiver upside are risks, but could be workload king.
14. Aaron Jones — 1,000-plus rushing yards and 50-plus catches remain a given.
15. Dameon Pierce — More than a few rumblings Pierce could be every-down player.
16. Najee Harris — Genuine concern he loses receiving work, but still profiles as a goal-line problem.
17. Rachaad White — Workload remains king, and White has zero competition for his.
18. Isiah Pacheco — Fifth in rushing after Week 10 last season. Easy path to more TDs, perhaps catches.
19. Alexander Mattison — Mattison’s touch competition has been slow to organize, but the threat remains.
20. J.K. Dobbins — I wanted Dobbins higher. This will look foolish if he finally starts catching passes.
21. Javonte Williams — Way ahead of schedule, but “Samaje Perine, third-down back” remains highly concerning.
22. Miles Sanders — Sanders always finds a way to disappoint, but can’t question the role.
23. Jonathan Taylor — Even amidst last year’s misery, Taylor was fifth in rushing per game and 30th in RB receptions in only 11 contests.
24. Cam Akers — “As the Akers turns” not a particularly fun game. Still better than Kyren Williams.
25. Alvin Kamara — Sanity poised to return to Kamara’s post-suspension role.
26. James Cook — The problem remains at the goal line. Maxed out as a Chase Edmonds?
27. Dalvin Cook — Cook’s contract speaking too loudly to ignore.
28. D’Andre Swift — Swift’s role seems the most straightforward in confusing backfield.
29. Breece Hall — Could help win leagues in November/December … if you’re not already out of it by then.
30. James Conner — Constantly playing hurt, inefficient, and now in league’s worst offense.
31. Brian Robinson — Reasonable path to 8-10 touchdowns.
32. Khalil Hebert — Upside to finish way higher, but too many moving parts in Bears’ backfield
33. David Montgomery — Making real money, but I wouldn’t assume the “Jamaal Williams role” is a 1-for-1 transfer.
34. Antonio Gibson — 50-plus receptions finally feels like a guarantee.
35. A.J. Dillon — Bench option with limited room for growth.
36. Jamaal Williams — Posted up beneath the rim, waiting for alley-oops.
37. Samaje Perine — Sean Payton’s entire life has been building toward keeping Perine PPR relevant.
38. Rashaad Penny — At his best as a “rhythm back.” Won’t see “rhythm” workloads.
39. Ezekiel Elliott — Pats have made it clear Zeke will be a 1B, not just a breather back.
40. Jerick McKinnon — One of fantasy’s least convenient truths.
41. Raheem Mostert — Whole new ballgame following Jeff Wilson injury.
42. Damien Harris — One of this year’s cheapest touchdown sources? Latavius looms.
43. Jaylen Warren — He can diminish Najee Harris’ value. Can he create his own?
44. Evan Hull — Unappealing situation to bet on.
45. Tyler Allgeier — The most valuable insurance back in football?
46. Zach Charbonnet — Is he depth or a legitimate committee member?
47. Roschon Johnson — Upside flier who could nevertheless be a quick drop.
48. Tank Bigsby — A lot of smoke the Jags want a legitimate Bigsby role.
49. Kenneth Gainwell — Hedging two of the most “injury prone” players in the league.
50. Devon Achane — Could be healthy scratch or 8-10 touch player.
Top 60 Receivers
1. Justin Jefferson — 15th WR this century to clear 105.0 yards per game last season.
2. Ja’Marr Chase — Compiling/big-play threat combo keeps him locked into top-two.
3. Tyreek Hill — A chance he still hasn’t painted his ‘Fins masterpiece after career 2022.
4. Stefon Diggs — Still option A, B and C in the Bills’ passing attack.
5. CeeDee Lamb — Lamb jumped a tier in 2022. May still have another to go.
6. Davante Adams — Adams hasn’t finished below WR6 since 2017, when he was WR8.
7. A.J. Brown — The last genuine (healthy) alpha on the board.
8. Cooper Kupp — Averaged 102 yards when healthy last year. Injuries mounting.
9. Garrett Wilson — The Rodgers connection is where it needs to be.
10. Jaylen Waddle — A No. 2, but in the league’s narrowest target tree.
11. Amon-Ra St. Brown — Extremely high floor, though ultimate ceiling might be limited.
12. DeVonta Smith — Won’t close the AJB gap. Doesn’t matter in an offense this elite/narrow.
13. Chris Olave — Seventh highest target share for a rookie since 2013.
14. Tee Higgins — Hard-capped ceiling, rock-solid floor.
15. Amari Cooper — Clear-cut No. 1 in what should be much improved offense.
16. Keenan Allen — Stayed healthy this summer. Massive OC upgrade.
17. Calvin Ridley — A true No. 1 in a skill corps full of No. 2/3 weapons.
18. Deebo Samuel — Rushing ship has sailed, but could work freelance magic with Purdy.
19. DK Metcalf — Weird track record, weird targets situation.
20. Christian Watson — Will rare rookie efficiency translate on bigger workload?
21. Tyler Lockett — Some players are just Good At The Game™
22. D.J. Moore — Last chance for Moore to take the next step.
23. Mike Williams — Kellen Moore promising more creative usage.
24. Diontae Johnson — Will come roaring back if even 50 percent of Pickett hype comes true.
25. Terry McLaurin — Toe injury/Howell hype make for wide range of outcomes.
26. Jerry Jeudy — Ridiculously efficient even in awful 2022 offense. Can the hammy hold up?
27. Brandon Aiyuk — Aiyuk could break all the way through with sustained QB health.
28. DeAndre Hopkins — Burks injury buys time to cement target share.
29. Drake London — Alpha traits. Uncertain target share with healthy Pitts. Awful QB.
30. Brandin Cooks — Will inevitably overperform ADP by 1.7 slots.
31. Michael Pittman — Hopefully Anthony Richardson can run a layup line.
32. Chris Godwin — QB-proof WR whose QB has made a habit of killing careers.
33. Jordan Addison — Vikes want inefficient Hock targets funneled back to WR.
34. Gabe Davis — Never healthy in 2022. Thin WR corps.
35. Mike Evans — Hellaciously bad fit with Baker Mayfield.
36. Marquise Brown — A player who hasn’t always thrived in great setups now has an awful one.
37. George Pickens — Film watchers say the dawg levels remain off the charts.
38. Christian Kirk — Did what was asked of him in 2022. Less will be asked in 2023.
39. Jahan Dotson — Potential rocket ship if Sam Howell reverts to 2020 form.
40. Skyy Moore — Entry-level investment into Patrick Mahomes.
41. Courtland Sutton — How much is left in the tank for this big-bodied receiver?
42. Zay Flowers — Overcame terrible BC offense. Should receive layup touches.
43. Jaxon Smith-Njigba — Most hyped WR of the summer has broken hand behind two war horses.
44. JuJu Smith-Schuster — Diminishing returns targets receptacle.
45. Treylon Burks — Talented player, but how many more things can go wrong?
46. Rashod Bateman — Fixture in two-WR sets if healthy.
47. Allen Lazard — Undead Rodgers zombie with just enough floor to offset nonexistent ceiling.
48. Kadarius Toney — The most receiver injury questions since Michael Thomas dined alone.
49. Quentin Johnston — Least-loved first-round WR still has golden opportunity.
50. Michael Thomas — Thomas has reached the haunting counterfactual stage of his career.
51. Marvin Mims — Explosive real life role may not equate to fantasy value.
52. Elijah Moore — Browns don’t seem entirely sure how to use Moore.
53. Nico Collins — I love Tank Dell, but Collins the safest Texans investment.
54. Adam Thielen — Panthers want Thielen dunks in the RZ.
55. Alec Pierce — Real life advancement won’t guarantee increased fantasy points.
56. Rashee Rice — Fun late-round flier who could quickly become waivers fodder.
57. Darnell Mooney — Would be lying if I said I knew where to rank him.
58. Jonathan Mingo — Ideal “free” upside bet.
59. Tank Dell — Early targets unlikely to equal hype, but exciting player.
60. Tyler Boyd — Break glass in case of WR4 emergency.
61. Cedric Tillman — Too talented not to rank.
Top 25 Tight Ends
1. Travis Kelce — Kelce’s efficiency could crater and it still wouldn’t matter.
2. Mark Andrews — Poised to go gangbusters in more pass-focused offense.
3. Darren Waller — Health a question. WR-level target share isn’t.
4. George Kittle — Focus on the weeks he wins, not the 3/20s.
5. Dallas Goedert — High-floor player who maintains expandable ceiling.
6. T.J. Hockenson — Last year’s outrageous target totals were an emergency measure.
7. Kyle Pitts — Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder are two questions too many.
8. David Njoku — Increased target competition hopefully offset by increased big-play opportunities.
9. Pat Freiermuth — Top-five upside if he can stay healthy.
10. Evan Engram — Excellent player with little chance at career-year repeat.
11. Chig Okonkwo — Needs increased target share to cancel out decreased efficiency.
12. Dalton Schultz — An “assumed targets” bet easily dumped if they don’t materialize.
13. Cole Kmet — On mid-career breakout tight end trajectory … if Fields can pass.
14. Sam LaPorta — Lions have available targets by the bushel-full.
15. Dalton Kincaid — Massive steal or massive overpay. Little in between.
16. Greg Dulcich — Sean Payton warmed up to the lad once he found out who he was.
17. Gerald Everett — Needs some Kellen Moore magic and just may get it.
18. Tyler Higbee — Pathetically little target competition.
19. Jake Ferguson — A snaps and routes bet.
20. Hunter Henry — Looking to get re-established as red-zone weapon.
21. Luke Musgrave — Betting on playing time. Nothing else guaranteed.
22. Juwan Johnson — (Intelligent Juwan Johnson take loading.)
23. Irv Smith — Hoping to become TE2 streamer in 2021 “C.J. Uzomah role.”
24. Dawson Knox — Will be clear early on if Knox has streaming juice.
25. Michael Mayer — Low floor. Limited ceiling.