The NFL resuming this fall is one of the most exciting things for football fans. Aside from actual football returning, fantasy football leagues activating is up there. The best fantasy football team managers always look at the incoming rookie class to see if newcomers are worth drafting. Here are five rookies entering the NFL this fall that you should consider drafting to your fantasy football rosters.
If you were fond of drafting tight end TJ Hockenson in your past fantasy drafts then we have arrived at one of your top tight end targets for 2023; Sam Laporta. Laporta, similar to Hockenson, was also a productive receiving tight end from Iowa. The 6’4 250 lb tight end wasn’t a touchdown machine in college but his receiving production was excellent. Besides being a strong blocker in the run game Laporta snagged 1327 receiving yards over his last two seasons with four touchdowns.
The Lions offense ranked fourth overall in total touchdowns in 2022 and Laporta could find himself as a major contributor, specifically in the redzone. The Lions relied heavily on Hockenson in their offense, specifically his second season in 2020. Hockenson ended that season with 723 receiving yards with 6 touchdowns. It is clear the Lions found themselves another tight end from Iowa that they decided could replace Hockenson. Hockenson was shockingly traded to the Minnesota Vikings halfway through the 2022 season.
Laporta will be available later in most fantasy drafts as the more popular tight ends (Kelce, Hockenson, Waller, Pitts) will go in the earlier rounds. If you are able to land Laporta in fantasy league in the mid to later rounds it will be a worthwhile pick at the cost of a relatively cheap draft pick.
Back to back Detroit Lions rookie players are making this list, and for good reason. If you liked TJ Hockenson then Sam Laporta makes sense. If you drafted Alvin Kamara or wish you did here is your chance with Jahmyr Gibbs. The running back from Georgia Tech/Alabama is another pass catching dynamic running back that will be light fantasy football on fire; figuratively.
The speedy back, who ran a 4.36 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine, was a weapon both in receiving and rushing in his three collegiate seasons. Gibbs totaled 1,212 receiving yards with 8 touchdowns on top of his 2,132 rushing yards with 15 rushing touchdowns.
Gibbs, like Laporta, joins a Detroit Lions offense that netted 54 total touchdowns in 2022. Out of those 54 touchdowns, 23 of them were rushing touchdowns, which was the third highest in 2022. The Lions did not re-sign running back Jamaal Williams who attributed 17 of those 23 rushing touchdowns. Williams was also the rushing touchdown leader in the NFL in 2022. Gibbs will fill that void and if he achieves it will be a highly coveted fantasy football pick.
Gibbs should be available in the second or even third round in deeper leagues (12-14 team leagues). You won’t regret selecting Gibbs and you would be lucky to draft him any later than the third round. Make the pick.
The only true receiver to make the list. There were multiple rookie wide receivers that could have landed in this spot. However, we selected NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay’s favorite receiver, “The Pterodactyl”, Quentin Johnston from the Los Angeles Chargers.
Johnston, formerly of TCU, was one of the few players everyone else in the AFC West did not want going to the Chargers. Why? Justin Herbert.
Herbert is a gunslinger and his head coach, Brandon Staley, loves to let Herbert launch the ball around the field. The Chargers had the second highest percentage of passing plays compared to running plays in 2022 with 63.8%. Despite the Chargers being that predictable they still won 10 games and went to the playoffs.
Johnston is an imposing figure to join the Chargers receiving room with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen who all stand above 6 feet. Johnston specifically stands at 6’4 and ran a sub 4.5 at his Pro Day. In his final season at TCU Johnston amassed 1,069 receiving yards with 6 touchdowns. Johnston can be a dual threat receiver with the Chargers. Johnston has the ability to take the top off the defense, catch short intermediate throws, and amass yards after the catch.
Why does this make Johnston stand out more than other rookie receivers? Chemistry. One of the issues quarterbacks and rookie receivers face is they are usually strangers (besides Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase). They have not had time to develop chemistry and figure out how to operate together early in the season. Johnston and Herbert aren’t old friends but they have apparently been clicking in training camp and Johnston is becoming Herbert’s favorite target.
Imagine drafting the favorite target of a team that throws the ball 63 percent of the time? Now imagine drafting him in the 7th, 8th, or 9th round. Johnston will go late because he is a rookie receiver but he has star potential in fantasy. If you don’t believe me about the chemistry see for yourself.
Quentin Johnston absolutely MOSSING his defender 😳
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) July 31, 2023
Johnston and Justin Herbert have reportedly had a “special connection” so far at Chargers training camp.
Johnston’s speed and size have reportedly caused “issues” for almost every Chargers’ DB he’s faced.
Johnston has been… pic.twitter.com/lW8jCuMNA1
This one is easy. When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Bijan Robinson with the 8th overall pick in the draft everyone circled his name for their upcoming fantasy football season. Robinson is an extremely appealing candidate not only because of his running ability but his skills as a pass catcher as well.
In Robinson’s last two collegiate seasons in Texas he logged double digit rushing touchdowns while also securing six receiving touchdowns. While Robinson’s quarterback, Desmond Ridder, is essentially a rookie, Robinson will undoubtedly be the workhouse of the offense. Robinson will be running behind an improved offensive line and will have opportunities in the screen game and short yardage passing plays. With Robinson’s ability to break tackles and make defenders miss, he will be a fantasy dream.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Falcons were second in highest percentages of running plays with 57.4% of their plays resulting in a run. The team that ran the most amount of rushing plays was the Chicago Bears with 59.7%.
Bijan Robinson will be a first round pick in fantasy football and won’t be available in the middle rounds. If Robinson has the season we anticipate it would not be surprising to see him as the first pick overall in 2024. This would be similar to Christian McCaffrey who is a first pick overall projection in most leagues in 2023.
Lamar Jackson. Jalen Hurts. Josh Allen. Quarterbacks that are true dual threats are a precious commodity in fantasy football. A quarterback that can throw for 250 yards, rush for another 50 and add a passing touchdown can win you any fantasy match up, with a decent supporting cast of course. Justin Fields was a fantasy football diamond in the rough with his rushing ability, despite his poor passing production.
There is always room for more. Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson should be the top rookie quarterback targeted in your fantasy football leagues. Training camp reports already indicate that Richardson his dazzling his coaches and teammates with his passing acumen and his ability to extend plays and gain yards with his dynamic running style. The Colts may not have a terribly intimidating wide receiver corps but Richardson is known for making a lot happen when you least expect it.
Richardson stands at 6’4 weighing in at 232 pounds and ran a 4.43 40 yard dash. Richardson is built like Cam Newton but is faster than Justin Fields and Josh Allen. Richardson’s ability to cut and make defenders miss is remarkable and he showed it during his collegiate career in Florida.
In 2022 Richardson ran the ball 103 times which resulted in 656 rushing yards with 9 touchdowns. His receiving statistics were less impressive with 17 touchdowns with 9 interceptions for a 53.8% completion percentage. Richardson was drafted by the Colts with the understanding that he was raw in certain areas but his ceiling is possibly the highest among the rookie quarterbacks. That is, his overall potential.
Richardson may not light up the passing records at the Colts facility but if he can be developed as required he could be a superstar. As far as fantasy football goes Richardson may not be your starting quarterback but his rushing ability could make him a dangerous addition to your roster. In deeper drafts he may be suitable to start if the Colts can get him clicking with their receivers. Richardson will be a bust draft in fantasy football for years to come. Sky is the limit.