Dynasty Fantasy Football: 2023 NFL Rookie Wide Receiver Rankings
The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. And it once again reminded us that we will never know exactly what these teams are going to do before the draft. There were smoke screens. There were trades. Fantasy hopes were dashed (looking at you, Jahmyr Gibbs and Zack Charbonett). While new hope was found on a lot of guys (hello, Sam LaPorta). It’s our job now to sort through the post-draft rubble and square away some dynasty rookie rankings for your dynasty rookie drafts. No more mocks - now is the real deal.
We’re going to start with the dynasty rookie wide receiver rankings and hit on all the positions this week before you draft this weekend. We’ll do a little write-up for the big dogs in the top-10 and include rankings for the top 25. If you have any further questions about what specifically to do based on YOUR rosters, your settings, and your league, always feel free to post a question in the Fantasy Alarm Discord channel. You can post it under the NFL > Dynasty tab or drop it in Coop’s Corner if you want to hear specifically from me.
Without further ado, here are the top rookie wide receivers from the 2023 NFL Draft!
Rookie Wide Receiver Ranks Top-10:
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
I picture his trajectory similar to Chris Godwin. Godwin played a partial snap share behind Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson early but, once he was a full time player, it was wheels up. JSN is the best WR in this class but might be third fiddle behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett early on. Lockett turns 31 in September.
2. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
If this were a list for “best ball” or 2023 alone, we might have Addison at 1. Because the opportunity is there for him immediately in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. And the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner could push TJ Hockenson for the second target behind Justin Jefferson right away.
3. Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Johnston reminds us a lot of DJ Chark. One of the big knocks on him is that he doesn’t “play as big as he is” and can body catch balls at times. But the physical ability and upside are hard to ignore. And he’s going to play with Justin Herbert.
4. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
Flowers was easily one the biggest risers during the draft process as he added 20 pounds of muscle. And former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman is gone in favor of Todd Monken’s Air Raid offense so we should see more passes thrown. Lamar Jackson could have a hard time supporting multiple fantasy relevant pass catchers though and, for now, he’s competing with Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, and Odell Beckham
5. Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers
Another late riser in the process and a guy who got a lot of Twitter buzz. We were cautiously optimistic about him as one of the few guys who offered size at 6’1” 226. The second round draft capital for us confirmed that he’s a guy we want in dynasty.
6. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
It’s not always easy to judge some of these guys from lower powered offenses like Michigan State. PlayerProfiler comps him to another guy from a less flashy school - Stefon Diggs. There are targets available right away in Green Bay who took a shot on Reed in the second round. That’s worth a shot from us.
7. Marvin Mims, Denver Broncos
He was picked to a crowded situation with Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Greg Dulcich etc. But things can change pretty quickly in this league, especially with a new coaching staff coming in for their first year. We’re going to trust the talent on this one and hope that Sean Payton and company shake things up sooner rather than later.
8. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
When we spoke to Brandon Huffman of 247Sports, he mentioned two guys that just knew how to play ball. Bryce Young from Alabama. And Josh Downs. This guy is a slot monster that offers a pretty high floor though he needs to find his way to playing some flanker too so he doesn’t come off the field for two WR sets.
9. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
At this stage of the game it does feel like a trap to a certain degree, chasing wide receivers drafted by Kansas City. Especially since they have similar profiled guys like Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney already. But the upside of hitting on a Patrick Mahomes receiver is simply too great to ignore.
10. Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants
Jalin Hyatt is a big time speed guy which we love to see but the concern is he could end up more of a “field stretcher” at the next level. That’s valuable in real life but not so much in fantasy. He did win the award for the best receiver in college football though and here are the most recent Fred Biletnikoff Award winners. Pretty solid company.
- 2018 Jerry Jeudy
- 2019 Ja’Marr Chase
- 2020 DeVonta Smith
- 2021 Jordan Addison
- 2022 Jalin Hyatt
Rookie Wide Receiver Ranks 11-25
11. Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, Houston Texans
12. Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns
13. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
14. Tyler Scott, Chicago Bears
15. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
16. Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots
17. Trey Palmer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. A.T. Perry, New Orleans Saints
19. Charlie Jones, Cincinnati Bengals
20. Xavier Hutchinson, Houston Texans
21. Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
22. Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers
23. Justin Shorter, Buffalo Bills
24. Derius Davis, Los Angeles Chargers
25. Andrei Losivas, Cincinnati Bengals
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.