2023 VIP Draft Kit

Table of Contents

-2023 NFL Schedule
-Strength of Schedule

MOCK DRAFT

Position Advice

• Quarterback Reminders
  If you can start multiple QBs, this drives up the value of all QBs, especially 2nd tier QBs. If QBs are awarded rushing and receiving points on the same scale as RBs and WRs, then the value of the mobile QBs is greater as well. If your league deducts points for turnovers, then QBs may be devalued a bit, especially the QBs that throw a lot of INTs! Also, in most leagues, fantasy starting QBs score more points than any other position starters. That does NOT mean that you should overvalue QBs. Remember: you will win your league by scoring more combined points than your opponent. More on that later…
  
  
• Running Back Reminders
  Depending on your league rules, you may want to increase the ranking value of some RBs so you’re not left out in the cold with nothing but second tier backs. Stud RBs have historically been a hot commodity in the first two rounds of every draft because it’s hard to find bona fide stud RBs. However, with the advent of the RBBC, last year in average leagues running backs were selected with only 12-14 of the first 24 picks. In years past, RBs usually accounted for about 16-20 of the first 24 picks, and we expect that old trend to re-emerge this year. This is especially true at the top of the draft, where 10 of the top 12 picks could all be running backs in standard formats. Why? There is little separating the top 8 or so QBs in the league, and WRs ranked 4th-12th also have very little separation. You could conceivably wait until the 3rd or 4th round to address your QB or WR position, but very little will be left at the RB position at that point. We certainly would not advise reaching on a RB in, say, the 2nd round, but if a top 12 back is still on the board there, it is probably a good idea to pounce on him. Translation: Make sure you get good value! There are a lot of RBBCs to contend with this year. Aside from that, there are also some key backups to note that are sometimes after-thoughts. In many cases, if you draft their starters, you should handcuff the backup to them.
  
  
• Wide Receiver Reminders
  If you are required to start more than 2 wide receivers, this drives up the value of WRs. If you get bonus points for long TDs, speedy WRs may hold more value than some plodding RBs, so make sure you rank your players accordingly. Also, if receptions are a factor, WRs that are the clear focal point of their offense become very valuable. However, after the top 20-25 WRs are gone, most of the remaining receivers are a dime a dozen. Every year a number of waiver wire WRs wind up in the top 20 (i.e., Wes Welker 2007, Lance Moore 2008, Steve Smith NYG in 2009, Brandon Lloyd in 2010, Victor Cruz in 2011, James Jones in 2012, Julian Edelman in 2013, Odell Beckham Jr in 2014, David Baldwin in 2015, Rishard Matthews in 2016, Nelson Agholor in 2017, JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2018, AJ Brown in 2020, Hunter Renfrow in 2021, and Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2022), so don’t overrate the middle tier WRs.
  
  Tiers are very important when looking at WRs. The top of the WR class is strong with little separating the top 5. After that there is a significant drop-off to the next tier – and little separating the next 8-10. If you are picking in the 5-10 range this year, taking Steffon Diggs or CeeDee Lamb (especially in PPR leagues) there may not be such a bad idea.
  
  
• Tight End Reminders
  Travis Kelce is the undisputed top slection here -- but he will go in the first round of many drafts. The next tier of guys all come with risk - George Kittle, Darren Waller and Mark Andrews. Kittle has an unsettled situation at the QB position, Waller is off to the Giants and Andrews gets a bit of hit coming off his down year with the injuries to Lamar Jackson; of course, Jackson is back this year. One interesting player to look at is 3rd year player Kyle Pitts in Atlanta. I know it is dangerous given how much he has under-performed since being so hyped coming into the league, but he could be sneaky good in his 3rd season. After the top 4-5 guys are taken, the TE position is very closely grouped and there appears to be numerous teams likely to employ a Tight End by Committee approach or more 2 TE sets. Lastly, don't overvalue fantasy backup TEs. Rank your backup TE as such so they're drafted towards the end of the draft – the last round or two.
  
  
• Kicker Reminders
  Don't overvalue kickers… ever. Rank your starting kicker as such that you will draft at least 1-2 QBs, 3-4 RBs, 3 WRs, and 1 TE before considering a PK. Should you feel that you want to be the first person to take a kicker, you should probably wait until at least the 11th or 12th round (at the earliest) to start the kicker run. However, it is often best to let someone else be the first to take a kicker. Many fantasy veterans wait until the last pick of the draft to even consider taking a kicker. That may not be a bad idea. In terms of kickers to target: always be mindful of guys who either kick indoors (Mike Badgley) or in better climate situations (Cameron Dicker) as opposed to those who may face issues kicking in bad weather in December (Tyler Bass). Also, be aware of kickers like Justin Tucker who have historically been money on kicks from 40+ in leagues that reward points based on distance. Kickers for great offenses are solid targets because they will get ample opportunities, but if the offense is TOO good inside the red zone you may be getting a guy who kicks more extra points than field goals. Tucker, Younghoe Koo and Nick Folk are the cream of the crop.
  
  
• Defensive Team Reminders
  If defensive teams are awarded points for TDs, INTs, sacks, and points allowed, then you should take into account the Strength of Schedule when ranking your defensive teams. Depending on the scoring system, very good defensive teams could be more valuable than the best kickers. Still, it is best to wait until the at least the 9th or 10th round (at the earliest) to start a defensive team run. Rank your backup Defensive Team as such so they’re drafted towards the end of the draft (the last round or two) if you want or need to take a backup Defensive Team.
  
  
• Individual Defensive Players Reminders
  You should really do your homework when drafting your individual defensive players. If your league rewards points for tackles, then LBs are usually the most valuable of the individual defensive players (Zaire Franklin). Be leery of drafting LBs for anything other than tackle projections -- no LB caught more than 2 interceptions last season. Again, the rule of thumb is not to be the first person to draft an individual defensive player. Very little separates the top few players and waiver wire picks often wind up in the top 10 in scoring. If you need to draft defensive backs, good tackling safeties that find a few turnovers along the way are often the most valuable. Additionally, depending upon your league rules, you can get more value drafting backup skill position players, rather than backup individual defensive players. That said, in formats where IDPs are big factors, players like Darius Leonard or Nick Bosa become very valuable commodities.