The NFL Draft is over, and dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts are right around the corner as well. With that in mind, TWSN will have you completely covered with landing spot analysis, 2023 rankings, and player’s dynasty outlooks as well. Below, I will dive into my top 12 ranked players in Superflex rookie drafts. There were some massive risers and fallers during the NFL Draft, and those changes will be covered in full detail below. Happy drafting everyone!

 

1- Bijan Robinson – Running Back – Atlanta Falcons (No. 8)

Arthur Smith may never not run the ball again after selecting Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick in the draft. This is a terrific landing spot as Atlanta has a great run scheme and offensive line. Furthermore, Atlanta deploys one of the most run-heavy schemes in the NFL, ensuring volume won’t be a concern.

Robinson is one of the best running back prospects to come out of college in the last 20 years and has everything a fantasy manager is looking for. His 104 forced tackles missed in 2022 were the most for a player since the stat has been recorded. Furthermore, he has terrific vision and contact balance, with a natural feel for the passing game. Robinson’s athletic ability combined with his complete skill set makes him the clear RB1 in my dynasty fantasy football rankings.

 

2- Anthony Richardson – Quarterback – Indianapolis Colts (No. 4)

Anthony Richardson landed in the perfect spot with the Indianapolis Colts as the fourth pick in the draft. The combination of draft capital and team fit should make fantasy managers comfortable taking him as the top quarterback in rookie drafts. Despite being the third signal caller selected, he clearly boasts the most fantasy upside. 

This potential was displayed at the NFL Combine in March, where he was the most athletic quarterback to ever be tested. The comparisons to Cam Newton in terms of rushing aren’t exaggerated, as his size doesn’t get in the way of his speed. However, he is nowhere near as developed as a passer as Newton was coming out of college. For a player with a sub-55 % completion percentage in his only collegiate season, the floor is bottomless. Richardson has QB1 overall upside with his rushing ability, though, and is worth the risk. 

3- CJ Stroud – Quarterback – Houston Texans (No. 2)

After much speculation, CJ Stroud was drafted right where fantasy players expected after all, and will be playing in Houston. He has prototypical size and underrated dual-threat ability coming out of Ohio State. Despite modest rushing production in college, Stroud will add fantasy value with his legs at the NFL level. It won’t be his calling card, however, 200-400 yards is completely within his range of outcomes. 

Stroud is also a very efficient and accurate passer who doesn’t make many mistakes. Critics say he isn’t very flashy and tends to be conservative. While this may be the case, it prevents him from making mistakes, which is something NFL teams covet. Without elite rushing upside though, Stroud’s upside may be capped as a backend QB1 in fantasy football leagues. Valuable in Superflex formats, but not a player I’ll be targeting in single quarterback leagues.

 

4- Bryce Young – Quarterback – Carolina Panthers (No. 1)

No one should have been surprised to see Bryce Young selected first overall. The sportsbooks have had it that way for a month now, and he is the most advanced passer in the 2023 NFL Draft Class. His mechanics are outstanding, and he has risen in the biggest games throughout his career. Furthermore, Young finished second all-time in passing yards and touchdowns in Alabama history despite playing only two seasons as a starter.

The major criticism of Young’s game is his slighter stature. He projects to be the shortest Week One starting quarterback in the NFL, and doesn’t have the thicker build that players such as Russell Wilson or Kyler Murray have. As a result, Young won’t add much rushing production with his legs, despite being a very mobile player. Similar to Stroud, without significant rushing work, this puts him in low-end QB1 territory as well. Add in the injury risk for a smaller player, and he falls to fourth in these Superflex rookie rankings.

 

5- Jahmyr Gibbs – Running Back – Detroit Lions (No. 12)

In a shocking turn of events, Jahmyr Gibbs was selected 12th overall by the Detroit Lions. Even he said he was shocked by this draft capital, and it’s clear the Lions have big plans for him. Gibbs is an incredible athlete, recording a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine with a 91st-percentile speed score. He is also an incredible pass catcher too, nabbing 44 receptions in 2022 for 444 yards.

Gibbs doesn’t have a large frame though, so he won’t take on a workhorse role in the NFL. However, there aren’t many of those left in the NFL, and his strong draft capital should quell any concerns. Although David Montgomery is on the roster too, that shouldn’t be a problem. D’Andre Swift was already traded to Philadelphia, and Gibbs was always going to be paired with someone to take some of the rushing work.

 

6- Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Wide Receiver – Seattle Seahawks (No. 20)

On the surface, the landing spot with the Seattle Seahawks doesn’t appear great for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Nonetheless, he still ranks as the top receiver in dynasty rookie rankings given his elite talent. Smith-Njigba is a gifted route runner that has very strong hands. Any athletic concerns should have been quelled as well by his 4.52 40-yard dash (Pro Day) and blazing fast shuttle time at the NFL Combine.

Obviously, target share will be a concern at first, being paired with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Lockett began to cede some of his target share to Metcalf in the latter half of the year, though, and he could move on as early as next year. Situations can always change quickly, which is why fantasy managers should favor talent over landing spots. Smith-Njigba will slot in as a borderline top 20 wide receiver in dynasty fantasy football startups this summer. 

 

7- Jordan Addison – Wide Receiver – Minnesota Vikings (No. 23)

Jordan Addison was among the most productive wide receivers in this draft class in his three collegiate seasons. As a freshman and sophomore at Pittsburgh, he garnered over a 20% target share and had nearly 1,600 receiving yards in 2021. Addison ultimately struggled with injuries and scheme fit in 2022 at USC; however, his talent was still on full display. He’s an outstanding route runner who is great at creating space between himself and defenders despite not having elite speed.

His size and first-percentile size adjusted athletic score at the NFL Combine were a concern for fantasy managers, though. These limitations will likely cap his upside, nonetheless, DeVonta Smith is a similar player who has found success. The landing spot with Minnesota is fantastic as well, and he should have flex upside right away. Addison should be considered a mid-tier WR3 in dynasty fantasy football rankings.

 

8- Quentin Johnston – Wide Receiver – Los Angeles Chargers (No. 21)

Although Quentin Johnston wasn’t invited to the 2023 NFL Draft, he was the second wide receiver selected on Thursday night. He has prototype size unlike many in this class and is a solid athlete. Johnston had over 1,000 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a junior, too, emerging as a downfield threat for TCU. He isn’t an elite athlete, however his 4.52 40-yard dash time and tape shows he has plenty of speed. 

The biggest criticism of Johnston’s game has been that he doesn’t necessarily play to his size. Even though he played against softer coverage in the Big 12, he had an extremely poor contested catch rate and can get bullied by press coverage. The landing spot is ideal though, pairing with Justin Herbert for the long term. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams could be gone as early as next season as well. If he can fix some of the flaws in his game, he has the highest ceiling of any wide receiver in this draft class. 

 

9- Zay Flowers – Wide Receiver – Baltimore Ravens (No. 22)

My pre-draft WR2, Zay Flowers couldn’t have landed in a worse landing spot with the Baltimore Ravens. Despite being another smaller wide receiver prospect, he was an outstanding deep threat and contested catcher at Boston College. Flowers is dangerous with the ball in his hand too and plays much bigger than his size. 

I expected him to be able to develop his short game at the NFL level and be fantasy relevant right away. Targets could be hard to come by though in one of the most run heavy offenses in the league. Despite the Ravens having a new offensive coordinator, they shouldn’t be expected to all of a sudden have an elite passing offense. With Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, and Odell Beckam Jr. already in the fold, Flowers could be boom and bust. He’ll drop to my rookie WR4 and is a borderline top 36 wide receiver in dynasty fantasy football startups. 

 

10- Will Levis – Quarterback – Tennessee Titans (No.33)

After speculation, he could be the first pick in the draft ahead of last Thursday night, Will Levis fell to the second round. Clearly, his decision-making and processing were an issue for NFL teams. Despite being an outstanding rusher and playmaker, he can be erratic at times with the ball. Levis is an older prospect too after five collegiate seasons and could be closer to a finished product.

Nonetheless, he has a strong frame and nearly every physical tool a quarterback could ask for. He makes throws effortlessly on the run and has strong rushing production dating all the way back to his freshman season at Penn State. The second round draft capital ultimately means that Levis faces an uphill battle to be fantasy relevant. Regardless, there aren’t very many exciting prospects left at this point, and any starting quarterback in a Superflex league has significant value. 

 

11- Kendre Miller – Running Back – New Orleans Saints

I expected to be more excited about the 11th pick in these 2023 Superflex rankings. After numerous poor landing spots and underwhelming draft capital for many of the top prospects though, here we are. Nonetheless, Kendre Miller was drafted in the third round and went to a strong landing spot in New Orleans. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams are immediate threats, but both could be moved on from as early as 2024.

Miller is also one of the best pure rushers in this draft class and is an outstanding athlete. He is surprisingly agile and has the strength to shed off would-be tacklers. Although he might not be a great pass catcher or blocker, Miller is still one of the youngest running backs in the class. There isn’t any reason to think he can’t grow in these areas, and we could be talking about a top 20 running back a year from now. 

 

12- Zach Charbonnet – Running Back – Seattle Seahawks 

There couldn’t have been a worse landing spot for the UCLA product. Zach Charbonnet was my RB3 heading into draft weekend; however, the landing spot in Seattle and pairing with Kenneth Walker is very disappointing. Charbonnet isn’t in the same class talent wise as Walker, and neither is going anywhere anytime soon either. This will cap his upside in a very talented offense that also features DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. 

Nonetheless, Charbonnet still received second round draft capital and has a complete skill set. He is a talented rusher and showed plenty of pass catching potential at UCLA as well. This was a player I would have been comfortable taking at the 1.06, but falls due to the poor landing spot. Charbonnet enters the league as the best handcuff running back in the NFL though and will have top 15 upside any week Walker misses due to injury. The NFL is an ever-changing landscape, and the draft capital is too tantalizing to let him fall any further than this.