In the Chi2la league, Raiders4Life made their presence known with a draft that earned them a solid B- grade. Positioned at the 6th spot in the draft order, they had their work cut out for them. With 23 rounds to navigate, they managed to assemble a team that is projected to finish 4th in the league with a record of 9-5-0. Their projected points of 3113.46 indicate a promising performance, but they'll have to tackle the 5th toughest schedule out of the 12 teams in the league. It seems Raiders4Life likes a challenge!
One thing that stands out about Raiders4Life's draft strategy is their love for wide receivers. They went all-in on the position, drafting a whopping 8 wide receivers, which is well above the league average of 5.8. It's clear that they believe in the power of a strong receiving corps. While they made some impressive picks, such as snagging Dallas Goedert at 78 when his ADP was 57, they also had a misstep with Adam Thielen, who was drafted at 91 despite having an ADP of 128. Hopefully, that pick won't come back to haunt them. All in all, Raiders4Life's draft promises an exciting season ahead, filled with touchdowns, tackles, and maybe even a few pirate-themed celebrations!
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ADP Analysis
Bars above zero indicate a pick was selected later than a player's ADP. Bars below zero show players that were taken earlier than their ADP.
Inside the Draft
Player Outlooks
- Round 1, Pick 6 - Bye 14
2023 Rank: 13 - 2022 Rank: 31
There are very few players in NFL history who compare to Ekeler, and aside from maybe Jahmyr Gibbs, none are in the league today. Among active players Ekeler is one of a kind, and the Chargers offense would be in a lot of trouble without him. Ekeler has reached volume/efficiency thresholds as a pass catcher otherwise only matched historically by Marshall Faulk, so when a pass catcher that productive adds 25 rushing touchdowns over two years it's unsurprising that Ekeler is now a consensus first-round fantasy pick. Ekeler is too small to hold up with a big rushing workload (that's why he's not Faulk), but his per-carry returns are excellent and his effectiveness as a runner should never be questioned. As much as Ekeler might be vulnerable to rushing touchdown regression, it won't occur on the basis of ability - if the touchdown carries are there for the taking, Ekeler is still a great bet to claim them. After a brief contract standoff earlier in the offseason, Ekeler raised the white flag and clarified that he will report for training camp.
- Round 2, Pick 19 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 18 - 2022 Rank: 35
It seems like Henry's decline is predicted every year, but the 29-year-old running back continues to churn out stellar seasons, and he made some major strides as a pass catcher last year that could help the bruising runner age more gracefully. Henry set career highs last season in targets (41), catches (33) and receiving yards (398) in 2022, nearly doubling his previous best of 206 receiving yards from 2019. Last season, Henry also churned out 1,538 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on a league-high 349 carries - numbers right in line with his averages from the previous three seasons. The foot injury that limited Henry to eight games in 2021 is firmly in the rearview mirror, and he looked as spry as ever in 2022, as his 10 carries of 20-plus yards marked the second-highest such total of his career. There are concerns over how many scoring opportunities Henry will get given the state of Tennessee's passing game, and it's fair to wonder if this will be the year that his massive workloads finally catch up to him. But those same concerns haven't stopped Henry before, and he should once again get all the touches he can handle as the focal point of the Titans offense.
- Round 3, Pick 30 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 61 - 2022 Rank: 4
By now it's safe to call Herbert one of the league's elite quarterbacks, even after a somewhat disappointing 2022 season saw his touchdown rate and per-pass yardage decline from his 2021 and 2020 seasons. It didn't make much sense for Herbert to only throw for 25 touchdowns in 2022 after throwing for 69 touchdowns over the two prior seasons, so the Chargers decided to make a switch at offensive coordinator, deleting Joe Lombardi's dink-and-dunk offense for a Kellen Moore scheme that will hopefully do more to unleash Herbert's standout downfield passing ability. Between Moore's addition and the selection of first-round wide receiver Quentin Johnston, it's shaping up to be a bounce-back season for Herbert and the Chargers offense. Although it seems Herbert won't ever be inclined to run much, he still has the athleticism to do so. He could provide fantasy production similar to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen if he can just get his per-pass yardage up over 8.0 yards per attempt. If Herbert's pass attempt volume stabilizes while his per-pass returns spike upward, something like a 5,000-yard, 40-touchdown season could be on the table. He was already close in 2021, when he threw for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns.
- Round 4, Pick 43 - Bye 6
2023 Rank: 42 - 2022 Rank: 119
Watson dealt with a nagging injury to start last season and didn't really come on until the second half of the season. He had an incredible stretch of four games between weeks 10 and 13 when he posted 323 yards, 49 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He was still good down the stretch, posting between 46 and 49 yards in each of his last four games, though he didn't score during that span. His speed is difference making, but his route running is still questionable. The drop off from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love could be problematic for him. However, he should be the clear No. 1 receiver, so he should get targeted often. But he's difficult to predict because if he doesn't improve his route running, defenses already understand that he can get over the top, which will allow them to prepare for that. Those who believe he'll figure out the route running, should project him aggressively, but that's not a guarantee to happen. Those who aren't sold on Watson building his versatility may require a more conservative projection than many analysts who are focusing solely on the upside.
- Round 5, Pick 54 - Bye 9
2023 Rank: 39 - 2022 Rank: 69
Aiyuk Is an excellent NFL receiver. He runs great routes, and he navigates traffic extremely well. He also had a solid 66th-percentile yards after the catch rate. Although he had the best season of his career with 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns, he was inconsistent. The main reason is that the 49ers often lean on their rushing attack, and they also have a number of weapons who they can choose to feature as receivers in any game. The problem for Aiyuk is that he can get ignored depending on the game script. He had 10 games in which he was targeted fewer than six times. That also led to him scoring fewer than 10 PPR points on eight occasions. He did have some upside by scoring at least 20 PPR points three times, but you get the picture. At the end of the season, good numbers will likely be there, but the path won't always be fun.
- Round 6, Pick 67 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 81 - 2022 Rank: 88
If not for Russell Wilson's struggles and an ankle injury that cost Jeudy two games there would probably be more talk about how impressive Jeudy was in 2022. The former Alabama star is still just 24, yet last year he produced far above the Denver passing game base line while leading the team in receiving volume. The Broncos passing game completed 63.8 percent of its targets at 7.4 yards per target, but Jeudy finished with 67 receptions for 972 yards on 100 targets (67.0 percent catch rate, 9.7 yards per target). With numbers like that, it's no surprise the Broncos exercised the fifth-year option on Jeudy's rookie contract. If Jeudy can produce like that during a disaster season for Wilson then it makes sense to project a breakout season for Jeudy in 2023, especially if new coach Sean Payton can coax improvement out of Wilson. Even if Wilson doesn't improve, though, Jeudy has already shown an ability to produce despite a poor surrounding offense.
- Round 7, Pick 78 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 71 - 2022 Rank: 208
Goedert hasn't played a full schedule since he was a rookie in 2018, and 2022 was no exception. The tight end missed five games last season with a shoulder injury. And yet Goedert still turned in another productive season. Since supplanting Zach Ertz as the Eagles' top tight end, he's averaged more than 10 yards a target and 50 receiving yards a game over the last two years. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are the top weapons for quarterback Jalen Hurts, but Goedert is a capable No. 3 option in an explosive offense that will have a lot of continuity from last season. While his floor is his big selling point from a fantasy perspective, there's room for growth in his red-zone production if defenses find a way to force Philadelphia to shy away from using Hurts on goal-line sneaks. Even without a big spike in his touchdown output, Goedert has plenty of appeal once the elite tight ends are off the board.
- Round 8, Pick 91 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 173 - 2022 Rank: 126
Thielen scored six touchdowns last year and 30 total in his final three seasons in Minnesota, but every other stat points to decline, including his 2022 averages of 4.1 catches for 42.1 yards per game. Undeterred, the Panthers signed Thielen to a three-year, $25 million contract that includes $14 million guaranteed at signing, ensuring No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young will have at least one experienced starting wideout to target. The team also brought in WR DJ Chark and TE Hayden Hurst, later adding WR Jonathan Mingo in the second round of the draft. It was a full revamp of the skill positions, while the offensive line has more stability after making huge strides throughout last season. A full-on renaissance is unlikely for Thielen in his age-33 season, but he does at least seem locked in for a starting job and at least a handful of targets per week. Whether that translates to low-end fantasy value or not partially depends on how Young develops under new Panthers head coach Frank Reich.
- Round 9, Pick 102 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 159 - 2022 Rank: 1490
Beckham missed all last season to rehab his ACL tear from the previous year's Super Bowl, waiting until April before signing a one-year deal with Baltimore worth $15 million, mostly guaranteed. It's a surprisingly large number for a wideout four years removed from this last 1,000-yard season, and he'll even have the chance to earn an additional $3 million in incentives. Beckham, 30, is a big part of Baltimore's passing-game makeover under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, whose brief tenure with the team has also been marked by QB Lamar Jackson signing an extension and the front office using a first-round pick on WR Zay Flowers. While both Jackson and Beckham seem happy, fantasy managers should be wary of Beckham's injury history and decrease in production. Even if he returns to form and stays healthy, he'll have sturdy competition for targets in what figures to be a balanced offense. In addition to Flowers and Beckham, the Ravens have 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman coming back from a foot injury and TE Mark Andrews looming as an annual threat to lead the team in targets. Beckham might help the Ravens more than he helps fantasy teams.
- Round 10, Pick 115 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 2601 - 2022 Rank: 11
The Rodgers era in Green Bay came to a less-than-ceremonious end, but following in the footsteps of Brett Favre before him, the future HOFer stays wearing green by moving on to the Jets. The 39-year-old didn't come cheap, costing New York a handful of early picks, but that will be unquestionably worth the investment if he can truly stabilize a plus roster that was held down last season by unconscionably poor QB play. There is a question of how much Rodgers has left in the tank, though, as his 12 interceptions in 2022 were the most he'd thrown since 2008, his first year as a starter, and just one off totaling his INT mark for the previous three seasons combined. His 3,695 were likewise a career-low mark for a full season. Much can be blamed on Rodgers' lack of playmakers in Green Bay, but it's not as though his arrival in New York comes without any concerns. The Jets' roster will put Rodgers in prime position to avoid another slump, at least, with Garret Wilson headlining an improved receiving corps. Wilson's 1,103 receiving yards as a rookie came in spite of league-worst QB play, while Allen Lazard joined Rodgers as a free agent, allowing speedster Mecole Hardman to slot in as the No. 3 man. If Breece Hall can get back to full speed from his ACL tear, Rodgers will command a plus grouping of offensive skill players, which when paired with Robert Saleh's defense should set the stage for a long awaited playoff run in New York.
- Round 11, Pick 126 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 77 - 2022 Rank: 61
Mostert re-signs in Miami to return to an ideal scheme fit with coach Mike McDaniel, and also one of the league's more crowded backfields. He and fellow 49ers holdover Jeff Wilson figure to open the season as effectively a 1a/1b tandem, regardless of whoever is officially the starter, just as was the case last season whenever both veterans were simultaneously available. Wilson saw more work as a pass-catcher in 2022 while Mostert's skillset allows him to manufacture big plays more regularly. However, Mostert's role could overlap more with rookie third-round pick Devon Achane. Both are speedsters of slighter frames, although Mostert is far closer to a back or prototypical size than Achane. It seems almost a likely event that the Dolphins ultimately roll out a three-headed committee, one which would almost certainly prove productive, but make week-to-week performances difficult to predict.
- Round 12, Pick 139 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 236 - 2022 Rank: 104
After averaging 21 made field goals between 2019-2021, the Seahawks offense finally had a successful year. As a result, Myers connected on 34 field goals, which was the most he has had in any of his eight seasons. Although he's had a couple down years from an accuracy standpoint, Myers has made at least 91.7 percent of his field goals in three of the last five years. He just signed a four-year contract, so he has job security. And if the Seahawks continue their positive direction on offense, he should be a top-eight kicking option.
- Round 13, Pick 150 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 1193 - 2022 Rank: 101
Four seasons into his career, Franklin had recorded 518 total defensive snaps as compared to 1,272 on special teams. However, star linebacker Shaquille Leonard was lost for the season after only three games due to a neck injury, clearing a path for Franklin on the defensive side of the ball in 2022. That led to a breakout season, as he tallied 167 tackles, three sacks, and six passes defended over 17 games. Heading into 2023, Leonard is still recovering from his injury, and Bobby Okereke departed in free agency during the offseason. Given that, Franklin should be in store for another prominent role during the 2023 campaign and has the chance to solidify his status as one of the better linebackers in the league.
- Round 14, Pick 163 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 1322 - 2022 Rank: 116
Edwards enjoyed a breakout 2022 season and emerged as a key member of the Eagles' excellent defense. His 1,005 snaps were 311 more than he had in the previous campaign, and he turned that into career-high marks in tackles (159) and passes defended (7). Edwards parlayed his production into a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Bears this offseason. He'll play alongside Tremaine Edwards - another free-agent addition for Chicago - in a reimagined defense. While Edwards has just five sacks and two forced fumbles as a pro, he could become more of a playmaker on his new team as he's projected to shift from being inside to an outside linebacker. Regardless of exactly where he lines up, he'll be counted on for a similar workload in Chicago and thus should be a top IDP in the fall.
- Round 15, Pick 174 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 394 - 2022 Rank: 131
The Texans haven't done much right in the past couple of seasons, but selecting Pitre in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft certainly appears to be one. The rookie out of Baylor excelled with 147 tackles and five interceptions, wildly exceeding expectations while topping the team in both categories. One thing to keep an eye on is Pitre's deployment moving forward. He opened the 2022 campaign at strong safety and appeared to be heading to a reserve role after a number of miscues. Instead, the team shifted him to free safety, where he seemingly found a groove and some comfort on the field. The Texans did a lot of work on defense during the offseason, but Pitre is expected to remain a starter alongside veteran Jimmie Ward. All told he'll be looking to prove his initial production in the NFL was no fluke.
- Round 16, Pick 187 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 469 - 2022 Rank: 275
- Round 17, Pick 198 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 1160 - 2022 Rank: 132
- Round 18, Pick 211 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 1195 - 2022 Rank: 121
- Round 19, Pick 222 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 192 - 2022 Rank: 254
Valdes-Scantling is a textbook example of a player who's more useful on the real football field than in fantasy football. He has speed that forces the safety to stay over the top, a useful decoy function that helps buy cover for Travis Kelce underneath, and if the safety doesn't defend MVS over the top then Patrick Mahomes is prepared to strike against the single coverage. If the defense tries to counter MVS' speed with a similarly speedy corner, then that corner is usually much smaller and thus someone MVS can bully as a blocker in the ground game. The problem is neither of these scenarios result in fantasy points for MVS, even though he's playing a very real role in making the Chiefs offense succeed. Dropped passes have always been an issue and will likely continue to cap MVS' per-snap target upside. The result is that MVS can't credibly draw targets in the underneath or intermediate, leaving him mostly dependent on hit-or-miss production on sporadic downfield targets.
- Round 20, Pick 235 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 1938 - 2022 Rank: 378
It appeared that Hooper might take up a three-down starting role for the Raiders after they traded Darren Waller to the Giants, as Hooper had rehabilitated his market a bit with a solid showing in Tennessee last year after a disastrous run with the Browns. Hooper was a free agent bust for the Browns, no doubt, but it was hard to believe he was truly one of the worst tight ends in the league, which his numbers with Cleveland would otherwise imply. Hooper's work with Tennessee was more encouraging, and it raised the possibility that he was written off a little too soon. It was a bit of tough luck for Hooper, then, that rookie Notre Dame product Michael Mayer fell to the Raiders in the second round. Tight ends are notorious for struggling as rookies, and Hooper could hold off Mayer for a year, but that's far from guaranteed. Mayer was a fast starter at Notre Dame and by all accounts is an uncommon natural at tight end.
- Round 21, Pick 246 - Bye 9
2023 Rank: 2556 - 2022 Rank: 107
Duvernay was poised to surpass his prior career highs for receiving in 2022, only to be sidelined for the remainder of the season after breaking his foot in December. His prospects for involvement in the Baltimore offense have not improved in recent months. While the Ravens hired OC Todd Monken to lead an offense with a greater emphasis on passing, the team also prioritized its WR room this offseason. Notably, the Ravens added Odell Beckham in free agency, drafted Zay Flowers in the first round, and brought on Nelson Agholor for depth. Additionally, 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman is expected to start if he returns healthy from his own 2022 foot injury. Duvernay remains the favorite to handle kick and punt returns, but that may be the full extent of his role some weeks.
- Round 22, Pick 259 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 1784 - 2022 Rank: 462
- Round 23, Pick 270 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 213 - 2022 Rank: 258
After leading the Titans in targets (91), catches (53) and receiving yards (527) last season, Woods is set to play a prominent role in a different AFC South receiving corps. He's the most established option in a Texans wide receiver room that also includes Nico Collins, John Metchie (hamstring), Noah Brown, Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson. Three of those WRs have yet to play a down in the NFL, and the other two have topped 500 yards in a season once between them. As a two-time 1,000-yard receiver, the 31-year-old Woods will be an experienced option for rookie second overall pick C.J. Stroud to lean on, and Woods likely will be penciled into a starting role after signing a two-year, $15.25 million contract. The veteran WR has topped 500 yards in all 10 of his previous NFL campaigns, and it's possible Woods will get back some of the burst he lacked last season after tearing his ACL in Nov. 2021. The Texans have won four or fewer games in each of the past three seasons, so they could find themselves in frequent pass-heavy game scripts playing from behind.
Team Forecast
Bye Week Points Lost
Each bar represents the total projected season points for each player that's on bye that week. This chart shows any potential bye week issues.
Schedule by Opponent Points
Week-by-week schedule with each opponent's projected season points. This chart shows any difficult or easy stretches in the schedule.
