The Fantasy Year in Review: 2023's Biggest Draft Values

Every year there are diamonds in the rough in fantasy football. Find those gems, and you just might win a fantasy championship. That said, many players who surprise one year will have inflated prices the following year. Let's look at this year's biggest values and consider their 2024 fantasy value.

Each player below is listed with his summer average draft position (ADP) and his 2023 season ranking by position.

Quarterback 

Jordan Love 
ADP: QB21
2023: QB5

How does Green Bay keep doing it? It's gone from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. In leagues that started one quarterback, Love often went undrafted. Even in superflex leagues, he was a borderline QB2 in drafts. After starting the season with three touchdown passes in his first two games, the quarterback hit a slump. In the following six games, Love had zero or one TD pass five times. At that time, questions about his accuracy and decision making were common. Many who drafted him dropped him at that point. That was a mistake. From Week 11 on, the third-year QB caught fire. Over his last eight games, he had 18 touchdowns passes to one interception, throwing three TDs in a game three time. With a young group of talented receiving weapons, Love should be drafted just outside the elite QBs in 2024.

Brock Purdy 
ADP: QB19
2023: QB6

It makes sense that the fantasy community was mostly out on Purdy in August. After suffering a serious elbow injury in the NFC championship, there were legitimate questions as to how well he'd throw the football this season and whether he would even be ready for Week 1. Also, it seemed fair to question whether the second-year quarterback's 2022 success was a small-sample anomaly. Although Purdy didn't have the automatic two-touchdown games of his rookie campaign, he had multiple TDs in more than half of his games. Also, he had at least three touchdowns five times. Purdy will return to a team filled with elite weapons next season. He should be locked in as a top-12 option at his position in 2024 drafts.

Dak Prescott
ADP: QB9 
2023: QB3

In 2023 fantasy drafts, there was a clear top-8 quarterbacks who were selected early. Those who resisted the urge to spend a premium pick on the position likely viewed Prescott as the next best option. Prescott was discounted for a couple reasons. First, he was coming off an inefficient 2022 season when he threw 15 interceptions. Also, coach Mike McCarthy spent the offseason talking about how the Cowboys wanted to run the football. Ultimately, the eighth-year signal caller fell six pass attempts short of his career high. After a somewhat slow start to the season, Prescott threw multiple TD passes in 10 of his last 11 games with four 300-yard performances. He was truly an elite player. Prescott likely the quarterback for many fantasy champions. It's unlikely he'll be available at a discount in 2024, but he'll probably worth the increased draft cost.

Running Back

Kyren Williams
ADP: RB73
2023: RB4

Cam Akers finished the 2022 season on a six-week tear and appeared in line for a workhorse role in the Rams' backfield this season. However, Williams surprised the fantasy world when he was heavily involved Week 1. Although he didn't reach four yards per carry in any of his first three games, he scored three touchdowns. From Week 4 on, the backfield work almost exclusively went to Williams. He was incredible. Although he missed games in Weeks 7-11, he posted at least 100 scrimmage yards in eight of his last 10 games. The second-year runner also scored 15 TDs. Undrafted in most fantasy leagues, this was the case when a legitimate league winner was on the waiver wire. Expect Williams to be drafted in the first round of many fantasy leagues next year.

Raheem Mostert
ADP: RB31
2023: RB2 

In his first year with Miami in 2022, Mostert was excellent. He had a career-high 1,093 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. However, Mostert entered this season at age 31. With a vast injury history, it seemed risky to assume he would follow a career-high workload with a repeat performance. That perceived risk led to him being drafted outside the top-30 running backs. Not only did Mostert blow away expectations, he had career highs in touches, yards and touchdowns. During his first eight seasons, the veteran runner had 20 TDs. This year, he exceeded that total with an incredible 21 scores. The only knock on him was that he missed Week 17 — championship week for most fantasy leagues — with a knee injury. Next season, his ADP will definitely rise. The question is whether Mostert can avoid decline as he ages another year past 30.

Rachaad White 
ADP: RB25
2023: RB8  

White was the unquestioned three-down back for the Buccaneers entering the season. With an ADP outside the top-24 running backs, the fantasy community was skeptical. As a rookie, White was inefficient, rushing for 3.7 yards per carry. He also struggled to break tackles and gain yards after contact. Some projected either Sean Tucker or Chase Edmonds would challenge White for work. It never happened. Even though White's rushing average regressed to 3.6, his volume as a runner and a receiver went through the roof. White also was the clear goal-line runner. He finished with 1,539 scrimmage yards, nine touchdowns and 64 receptions. After posting three single-digit fantasy performances through Week 6, White never dipped into single digits again. His best stretch of the season came in Weeks 13-16, when he averaged 20 points (PPR scoring). Unless the Buccaneers bring in backfield competition this offseason, White should be drafted as a top-20 RB in PPR leagues in 2024.

Wide Receiver

Puka Nacua 
ADP: WR97
2023: WR5

Aside perhaps from deep leagues, Nacua was mostly undrafted. Not only was Nacua selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, his athletic measurables were not impressive. But with Cooper Kupp out for the first four games of the season, Nacua wasted no time taking the league by storm. In those first four games, the rookie posted an incredible 95.5 PPR points. He did slow a bit as the season went on. During the first seven games, Nacua had at least 20 fantasy points (PPR) five times. In his last 10 games, he only reached the 20-point level twice. Regardless, he set the NFL rookie receiving record with 1,486 yards on 105 catches with six touchdowns. Those who added him on waivers after Week 1 had nearly a full season of WR1 production. Next year, he'll likely be drafted in the top-15 picks.

Mike Evans 
ADP: WR34
2023: WR4

The only negative in regard to Evans' stats coming into this season was that he posted just six touchdowns in 2022. However, it didn't seem that he was being devalued in drafts due to a perceived decline in skill. Fantasy managers seemed unwilling to buy into the Buccaneers' star receiver with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Surprisingly, Mayfield had an incredible connection with Evans. With Mayfield making the superstar receiver his primary option, Evans had 13 TDs, just one off his career high set two years ago with Tom Brady. In addition, the 1,225 receiving yards was the most Evans recorded since 2018. After showing no signs of slowing, Evans should be drafted as a top-18 WR in 2024, assuming Mayfield is back.

Nico Collins
ADP: WR35
2023: WR9

Collins showed occasional glimpses of being a solid receiver in his first two seasons. However, missing 10 games in that time made many fantasy managers wonder if he was a durable player. Plus, few (no one?) expected rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to take the league by storm. But Stroud was incredible from the day he took his first snap, which benefited Collins as the top receiving option. It also helped that offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik brought in his version of the 49ers offense. As a result, Collins was frequently schemed open. To say he thrived in his new situation would be an understatement. Despite missing two games, Collins posted 1,297 receiving yards and eight TDs. He also had at least four games with 146 receiving yards. Look for him to be drafted as a top-12 WR in 2024.

Tight End

Sam LaPorta 
ADP: TE11
2023: TE1

We've heard it dozens of times: rookie tight ends rarely do well in fantasy football. Throw in that LaPorta wasn't even the top tight end selected in the NFL Draft, and it was easy to overlook him. It helped that the hype train around the rookie built up during the preseason. That led to him being selected as a borderline TE1. Although LaPorta's 889 yards wouldn't typically put him in contention for an elite tight-end season, he scored 10 touchdowns. Aside from LaPorta's strong numbers, Travis Kelce had a down year, and that led to LaPorta being the top tight end in fantasy. There's little reason to expect that the Lions' tight end won't be the top player selected at his position next year.

Jake Ferguson  
ADP: TE24
2023: TE9

During the preseason, the fantasy community seemed to believe there was not a clear receiving tight end in Dallas. Those who bet on the athletic Ferguson to take the job were rewarded with a starting fantasy tight end. Dak Prescott has always been effective targeting his tight ends. In the latter part of August, news started leaking out that Ferguson was in line for a receiving role. He never looked back. Drawing 105 targets, the second-year tight end posted 761 yards and five touchdowns. Although Ferguson didn't have many huge yardage games, he usually had a solid scoring floor. In 11 of his last 15 games, he had at least four receptions. The tight end also recorded at least 43 yards nine times, and he reached that level of yardage in five of his last six games. Don't be surprised if he takes another step forward next season, even though he likely will be drafted outside the top-6 TEs,

Trey McBride  
ADP: TE32
2023: TE10

Somehow, Zach Ertz was in the Cardinals' lineup in Week 1 after suffering an ACL injury in December2022. The presence of Ertz made McBride a non factor in fantasy. Ertz was plodding around the field and stealing snaps and targets from the second-year tight end. After Week 4, Arizona scaled down Ertz's targets and after Week 7, Ertz didn't play another snap with the team. Once he had the tight-end role to himself, McBride was a star. Weeks 8-15, he had at least 89 yards four times. Even though McBride scored just three TDs, he posted an excellent 825 yards to give him an amazing fantasy season. Had he been the lead tight end all year, it's possible he could have recorded 1,000 yards. Before anointing him as the next fantasy football star TE, remember that Arizona had little help at wide receiver. That allowed McBride to often be the No. 1 option in the passing game. That might not be the case next year. He'll likely be drafted as a top-5 TE in 2024.