Fantasy football keeper leagues: 5 best wide receivers to keep in 2023

2. Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins

Waddle finished as WR7 in STD leagues and WR8 in PPR leagues in 17 games. He followed up his rookie season with an impressive year two where his receiving yards and touchdowns improved over the year before. He accomplished this while getting fewer targets and receptions than the previous season. This caused his yards per target and yards per catch to skyrocket. Specifically, his yards per catch nearly doubled between 2021 and 2022, as he was the 2022 league leader in that category with 18.08. He showcased his speed and big play ability on many occasions this season, even with multiple quarterback injuries throughout the season.

With an ADP of 52 in STD leagues and 46 in PPR leagues in 2022, Waddle was being drafted lower than his fantasy football finish the season prior. This likely had more to do with the team than it did with Waddle, though. The team had just acquired another speedy wide receiver in Tyreek Hill. Fantasy managers may have seen this as a threat to his usage. The team also got penalized and fined for tampering with Tom Brady. Fantasy managers may have speculated that the team wasn’t sold on Tua Tagovailoa. Whether they were or weren’t, he played great, and his team played great when he was healthy. Waddle is worth keeping as managers hope for a healthy Tua in 2023.

3. Amari Cooper, Browns

Cooper finished as WR8 in STD leagues and WR10 in PPR leagues in 17 games. After 3 seasons with the Raiders and 4 seasons with the Cowboys, Cooper played his first season with the Browns. He was traded to the Browns in exchange for a 5th-round pick and I would say the Browns have already gotten a great ROI. He finished the season with 1,160 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns, the most since 2020 and the most of his career, respectively. He did most of his damage with Jacoby Brissett under center, but had some good games with Deshaun Watson, as well. With Watson having fewer opportunities to practice and prepare with the team, it only makes sense he and Cooper had less chemistry than Brissett and Cooper who had all of training camp, preseason, and the beginning of the regular season.

With an ADP of 73 in STD leagues and 68 in PPR leagues in 2022, there were a couple of negatives about Cooper being pointed out before drafts. Besides being traded for a late draft pick, fantasy managers realized he was now on his 3rd team in 8 seasons. If that’s the case, surely he’s a “problem” and being chased out of town. Also, surely he’s becoming “old.” Cooper proved to be a solution, not a problem, for the Browns. Also, the former 4th overall pick was drafted at a young age from Alabama. He’s only 28 years old (29 in June). He’s worth keeping as he gets an upgraded quarterback situation in 2023.