In a draft that hit all the right notes, the Nashville 88s managed to secure a solid C grade, leaving fantasy experts humming a tune of indifference. Despite their 15th pick in the draft order, the 88s put together a roster that is projected to achieve a perfectly average 7-7-0 record, landing them comfortably in 11th place. With a projected point total of 1946.41, they're aiming to hit the middle of the charts, much like their league's name suggests - SMALL TOWN AMERICA II.
While the 88s didn't hit any high notes with their draft, they did manage to find a hidden gem in the later rounds. Their best pick was Michael Gallup, snagged at 135, beating out their ADP of 125. This late-round steal has the potential to be a real game-changer for the team. However, not all their picks were pitch-perfect. The 88s made a questionable decision by selecting Kirk Cousins at 66, a far cry from his ADP of 116. Let's hope this early pick doesn't turn out to be a sour note for the team. In a surprising twist, the 88s decided to double down on a single team, drafting not one, not two, but three players from the same team - Chris Godwin, Devin White, and Rachaad White. It seems they're hoping for some harmonious chemistry on the field, but only time will tell if this strategy strikes a chord or falls flat.
Share
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 15 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 9 - 2022 Rank: 29
After spending the first three seasons of his career stuck in a run-focused Titans offense that didn't always take advantage of Brown's imposing physicality, the 2019 second-round pick got traded to the Eagles and was unleashed on the NFL. He shattered his career highs in both receiving volume and efficiency nearly across the board, and his presence alongside DeVonta Smith on the outside helped quarterback Jalen Hurts blossom into an MVP candidate. After a run to the Super Bowl, Philadelphia was able to avoid significant turnover on the offensive side of the ball, so there's little reason to expect Brown's usage to decline in 2023. On the other hand, there's little reason to expect it to increase either. Hurts' elite running ability puts a cap on the team's passing volume, and Brown still has to split looks with Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert, although the team's other skill players didn't get used much as receivers last year. Brown will have to rely on big plays and red-zone targets to post elite numbers again, but he's more than capable of doing so.
- Round 2, Pick 26 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 78 - 2022 Rank: 83
Higgins is well established as a high-quality WR2 in both real life and fantasy football. There's been some talk of him getting a WR1 opportunity as he enters the final year of his contract, but the Bengals don't seem interested in succumbing to trade rumors. Higgins showed up for the offseason program, and the team can keep him around next year with a franchise tag even if he doesn't sign an extension this summer/fall. He had at least 908 yards and six touchdowns in each of his first three NFL seasons, including back-to-back 1,000 yard campaigns the past two years. At 6-4, he excels on jump balls and contested catches, and although he is not as fast as teammate Ja'Marr Chase or as much of a YAC threat, Higgins nonetheless has proven quite useful on short and intermediate passes. In terms of fantasy upside beyond the 1,200-yard range or so, that'll probably only happen for Higgins in Cincinnati if Chase misses extended time -- a scenario that would leave the talented 2020 second-round pick as Joe Burrow's unquestioned top option.
- Round 3, Pick 55 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 41 - 2022 Rank: 106
Coming off a late-season ACL injury in 2021, Godwin had a productive season. With Tom Brady getting the ball out quicker than ever, it benefitted Godwin, who played out of the slot 67 percent of the time. He set career highs with 104 catches and 142 targets. Meanwhile, his 9.8 yards per reception was well below his career average of over 13 yards. But he was still excellent with the ball in his hands. He posted a 72nd-percentile yards after the catch rate that allowed him to produce despite a 7.2 average yards per target. However, Godwin is an elite player, who is great at getting open and creating yardage. Baker Mayfield may not be a very good QB, but since Godwin can get open quickly and if he's always where he's expected to be when plays are called. Before Mayfield's injury-plagued 2021 season, Jarvis Landry averaged 79/997/4 (152) in three seasons with him, so Godwin, who is significantly better than Landry was, could easily explode in this offense. He may not have top-8 upside as he did in 2019, but he could finish in the top 18 at his position.
- Round 4, Pick 66 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 114 - 2022 Rank: 7
Typically when each season ends, Cousins puts up very good seasonal numbers. It's the week-to-week ride that can be very problematic for fantasy managers. He threw for the second-most yardage of his career last year, but don't forget we're in a 17-game season these days, so those numbers can be skewed a bit. Cousins threw 14 interceptions in 2022, which was his highest total in a season to go along with 29 touchdowns. And although he's great for having explosive games, Cousins had three games with at least three touchdown passes, he often goes flat. He had eight games in which he threw zero or one touchdown. Cousins also had three games in which he failed to surpass 175 passing yards. Still not enough? He had four games with multiple interceptions. Cousins' ceiling games make him an excellent option in best ball leagues. But in redraft leagues, the implosion games are often unpredictable, and that makes him better as a QB2 in leagues that start a single quarterback. He's obviously a great option in leagues that start two quarterbacks.
- Round 5, Pick 95 - Bye 6
2023 Rank: 100 - 2022 Rank: 164
Dillon has seen his yards per carry go down each season, and his 4.1 was more than a yard worse than his rookie season. He also saw his total yardage fall by 150 yards although he did post a career high by scoring seven touchdowns. He's not very good at breaking tackles, as he's in the 17th percentile, but he did turn that into the 67th percentile in yards after contact. Although his workload was limited in 2022, while Aaron Jones was dealing with nagging injuries, Dillon saw his workload increase down the stretch. He was rarely used as a receiver catching just 15 passes over his last 11 games. It would appear that Jones will have the leg up going into the season, which would make Dillon more of a reserve player. Last year he was being aggressively drafted as having standalone value. Unless Green Bay changes its approach, expect closer to a repeat of Dillon's usage and production from last year.
- Round 6, Pick 106 - Bye 7
2023 Rank: 1579 - 2022 Rank: 146
- Round 7, Pick 135 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 187 - 2022 Rank: 364
Injuries could well end up being the story of Gallup's career when it's all said and done. A third-round pick in 2018, the Colorado State product topped 1,100 receiving yards in his second NFL season and appeared poised for a big run in an explosive offense, but Gallup hasn't sniffed that kind of production since as he and quarterback Dak Prescott have rarely been 100 percent healthy at the same time. An ACL tear that shut the wideout down in the second half of 2021 also seemed to hamper Gallup in 2022, and he didn't have the same ability to gain separation once he was back in action. The Cowboys hope a healthy offseason will allow him to return to form, but the team also hedged its bets by trading for Brandin Cooks to be the No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb. Gallup has contributed in the No. 3 role before, but with head coach Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling duties from departed offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, it's possible the Dallas passing game won't be able to support three receivers again to that extent.
- Round 8, Pick 146 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 1101 - 2022 Rank: 102
White is entering the final season of his rookie contract with his future is in limbo. He requested a trade from the Buccaneers this offseason, though the team made it clear they have no interest in dealing him. They've stuck to that position, and White remains on the roster, though he made his displeasure known by sitting out mandatory minicamp. He'll gain no tangible benefit by sitting out game action, however, so we can expect him to be on the field come August and September. Once the pads come on, there are far fewer questions, as he has posted 252 tackles and nine sacks across the last two seasons. The addition of first-round pick Calijah Kancey gives Todd Bowles another disruptive defender to scheme with, but White will pair with Lavonte David as the heart of the defense again in 2023.
- Round 9, Pick 175 - Bye 14
2023 Rank: 509 - 2022 Rank: 170
Baker rivals and perhaps exceeds Minkah Fitzpatrick as one of the most exciting defensive playmakers in the league. He's picked off seven passes across his last three seasons combined and has forced at least one fumble in all but one of his campaigns in the NFL. That's all true without discussing his more routine plays, as Baker has also racked up triple-digit tackles four times in the last five years. While his performance on the field is covered, the 27-year-old's future in Arizona is a bit unclear. As could be expected based on the production laid out above, Baker expects to be compensated. Presumably, after extension talks didn't go as hoped, he requested a trade this offseason. Meanwhile, new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon appears to be preparing for the safety's departure by shifting Isaiah Simmons to the secondary. That could become a problem for Baker's role if he isn't moved, but it would be foolish for any team not to take full advantage of his talent.
- Round 10, Pick 186 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 51 - 2022 Rank: 245
White played as a backup to Leonard Fournette last year and handled 179 touches. With Fournette not coming back, White appears set for a lead role. The big question was whether his 3.7 yards per carry was due to a bad offensive scheme and poor run-blocking along the offensive line, or whether it was White's inability to break tackles. White was in the eighth percentile in broken-tackle rate and 36th-percentile yards after contact. His involvement as a receiver went up as the season went on. He had four or fewer targets in nine of the first 10 games. But he was targeted five-to-nine times in four of his last six games. As a result, he posted at least 9.9 PPR points in five of the last six games. From a potential volume standpoint, White could finish as a top-24 running back. But with Tom Brady gone, what will the offense look like? Will he be able to hold onto the lead role? Will Chase Edmonds cut into the receiving work? Will the Bucs sign a veteran interior runner? There will be a lot of questions about the Tampa Bay offense. But White getting volume seems like a decent bet, though it's unclear how well he'll perform if given the chance.
- Round 11, Pick 215 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 180 - 2022 Rank: 1519
The Saints invested a third-round pick in Miller this April as they started to prepare for the transition from Alvin Kamara, which may be a couple of years away. Although Miller has the traits to be an early down RB, he's far from a sure thing. He looked slow on inside runs in college and often tried to break runs outside instead of using his 215-pound frame to attack defenders. The Saints also brought in veteran back Jamaal Williams, a reliable runner between the tackles who won't make anyone miss and can't outrun defensive backs. That makes Miller the more explosive option while Kamara serves a three-game suspension to start the season, but it isn't clear how much the Saints value the rookie's speed and acceleration relative to Williams' reliability as a pass blocker and inside runner.
- Round 12, Pick 226 - Bye 14
2023 Rank: 582 - 2022 Rank: 354
- Round 13, Pick 255 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 120 - 2022 Rank: 1533
Johnson was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. In the days after the draft, much of the conversation by the organization about Johnson centered around his leadership and special-teams ability. It was also mentioned that he could be good in pass protection. When a team doesn't first talk about the player's ability at the position he was drafted, that's a massive red flag. Although he's a bigger back at 6', 219 pounds, he ran below average in his 40-yard-dash time and explosiveness drills. Although he forced many missed tackles in college, he took a significant number of his runs to the outside. That's unlikely to be a recipe for success at the NFL level, especially for a slower runner. Johnson may eventually become a staple in the Chicago backfield, but it may be difficult for him to move past D'Onta Foreman and Khalil Herbert this year.
- Round 14, Pick 266 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 153 - 2022 Rank: 87
A 2022 first-round pick, Pickett took over as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback in Week 4 last year and maintained the position for the remainder of the year whenever he was healthy. He struggled mightily early on but showed improvement as the season progressed. All in all, Pickett's average pass target depth was 8.2 yards, placing him in the middle of the pack, while his YPA was 6.2, second worst in the league. His receivers' low YAC average of 4.0 partially contributed to this. Additionally, he was adversely affected by a dropped-pass percentage of 11.9, which was the fourth-highest in the league. The team didn't add much receiving help in the offseason, apart from post-prime Allen Robinson. However, George Pickens had an impressive rookie season in 2022 with over 800 yards, and TE Pat Freiermuth finished with over 700 yards. There's hope for a bounce-back year from Diontae Johnson, who was the league's least efficient high-volume receiver last year. Even if Johnson struggles again, Pickett's league-low 10.9 TD pass percentage in the red zone can only improve. The Steelers are expected to focus on running the ball with Najee Harris as the lead RB, but Pickett's ability to add to the ground game -- three TDs and an average of 18.2 yards per game last season -- should not be underestimated.
- Round 15, Pick 295 - Bye 14
2023 Rank: 335 - 2022 Rank: 654
In his rookie year in 2022, McBride moved to a more prominent role after Zach Ertz tore his ACL in the second half of the season. As a first-year tight end, it was no surprise that he got off to a slow start. However, he did get into a bit of a groove as the season wound down. He had at least 41 yards in three of his last four games, and he caught at least three passes in each of his last five games while averaging 5.6 targets. McBride's 23rd-percentile yards after the catch was unimpressive, but that's something he can build on in his second year. With Ertz having an uncertain status while coming back from his knee injury, McBride could easily start and finish the season as the Cardinals top receiving tight end. However, it's unlikely he sees a high-volume role, so he'll likely finish outside the top-20 at his position.
- Round 16, Pick 306 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 1140 - 2022 Rank: 184
- Round 17, Pick 335 - Bye 6
2023 Rank: 249 - 2022 Rank: 97
Joseph has attempted an impressive 86 field goals over the last two years while converting 88.3 percent of his chances for the Vikings. Playing on a team that's seen its defense decline over the past couple years, Minnesota is often forced into shootouts, which is always great for kickers. However, the downside can be that when a team trails too much, they have to go for touchdowns over field goals. So although Joseph had seven games with at least nine points, he also had six games with four or fewer points. Although it's unlikely he'll be an elite fantasy option, he's a reasonable option as a top-12 kicker.
- Round 18, Pick 346 - Bye 10
2023 Rank: 1135 - 2022 Rank: 300
- Round 19, Pick 375 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 219 - 2022 Rank: 476
Robinson had an impressive two years with the Bears in 2019 and 2020, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards both times. However, he had a setback during the 2021 season, only catching 38 passes for 410 yards and one touchdown across 12 games. In 2022, he signed with the Rams for three years but struggled to make an impact while playing under coach Sean McVay. Robinson ended up with only 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns over 10 matches before being sidelined for the remaining seven weeks due to a foot injury. During the offseason, he was traded to the Steelers, giving them a third option at wide receiver alongside Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Given Robinson's age -- 30 in August -- and lack of production the last two years, he may only be the No. 3 WR in what's unlikely to be a pass-heavy offense. He did at least return healthy for the offseason program, and there's not much competition for the third receiver spot even if he continues to struggle.
- Round 20, Pick 386 - Bye 6
2023 Rank: 577 - 2022 Rank: 558
- Round 21, Pick 415 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 396 - 2022 Rank: 1178
- Round 22, Pick 426 - Bye 14
2023 Rank: 1121 - 2022 Rank: 180
- Round 23, Pick 455 - Bye 13
2023 Rank: 331 - 2022 Rank: 723
A fourth-round pick in 2021, Nwangwu's biggest contribution has been as a kick returner. After posting 579 yards and two touchdowns on kickoff returns as a rookie, he boosted his yardage to 920 while scoring once last year. In terms of his work as a running back, he handled 22 carries and six receptions in a reserve role. With Dalvin Cook no longer with the team, Nwangwu could compete for a role as a change-of-pace back behind Alexander Mattison. He'll likely begin training camp behind 2022 fifth-round draft pick Ty Chandler and possibly this year's seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride. Nwangwu's fantasy value will be highest in leagues that award points for return yardage. Otherwise, he'll need to make a significant move up the depth chart to see consistent usage as a running back.
- Round 24, Pick 466 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 2657 - 2022 Rank: 1547
The Browns took Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, bringing him in to compete with Joshua Dobbs for the backup job behind Deshaun Watson. The rookie was a five-year starter at UCLA, where he played under the guidance of Bruins coach Chip Kelly. Like Watson and Dobbs, Thompson-Robinson is a dual-threat QB who can add rushing yards on both scrambles and designed runs. That could be enough to make him relevant in two-QB/superflex leagues if Watson misses time, though Thompson-Robinson will first have to surpass Dobbs on the depth chart.
- Round 25, Pick 495 - Bye 6
2023 Rank: 1309 - 2022 Rank: 302
- Round 26, Pick 506 - Bye 9
2023 Rank: 255 - 2022 Rank: 493
It remains to be seen how new coach Sean Payton assesses the Denver tight end room, but the since-fired Nathaniel Hackett was certainly a huge fan of Dulcich. Despite missing a handful of OTAs with what was initially described as a core injury and then almost all of training camp with a nagging hamstring issue, Hackett made Dulcich a foundational piece of the team offense, handing Dulcich not just the starting role but a heavy target rate immediately upon his return in Week 6, despite never actually being healthy enough to compete for the job in practice. With minimal blocking assignments, Dulcich was allowed to function basically like Denver's WR3 alongside Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Dulcich is a liability as a blocker and is both smaller and much slower than Albert Okwuegbunam, but it's possible that Dulcich is good enough as a route runner that it doesn't matter. In addition to Okwuegbunam, Dulcich needs to hold off former Saints tight end Adam Trautman, who's a superior blocker to both Dulcich and Okwuegbunam.
- Round 27, Pick 535 - Bye 9
2023 Rank: 2062 - 2022 Rank: 542
Jennings is an excellent role player for the 49ers. In his second season last year, he had 416 yards on 56 targets and 11.9 yards per reception. He also had a 72nd-percentile yards-after-catch rate. Unless the team suffers injuries at wide receiver, Jennings likely will again be limited to a backup role. And even if a teammate at receiver misses time, it's more likely that the team shifts the workload onto the other superstars on the roster.
- Round 28, Pick 546 - Bye 9
2023 Rank: 1223 - 2022 Rank: 132
Entering the 2022 season, Anzalone had shown the ability to stay on the field and produce at an elite clip on a per-game basis. However, those things had never coalesced. That changed in 2022, as he put up a career year highlighted by 125 tackles. Across two campaigns with the Lions, he has also shown significant involvement in pass defense by breaking up a combined 13 passes. Detroit acknowledged Anzalone's importance to their defensive scheme and rewarded him with a three-year, $18.75 million this offseason -- positioning him as the 13th-best paid inside linebacker in the league. With that new deal, he'll be expected to anchor a young and potential-filled linebacker corps, highlighted by Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez.
- Round 29, Pick 575 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 248 - 2022 Rank: 1665
- Round 30, Pick 586 - Bye 11
2023 Rank: 1905 - 2022 Rank: -
Early in the offseason, it was reported that Moreau was battling Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, on July 3, everyone received tremendous news in hearing that he was in full remission. Moreau played his first four seasons with the Raiders, and he was the No. 2 TE to Darren Waller. Over the last two years, Waller missed time, and Moreau averaged 32 catches, 398 yards and 2.5 touchdowns. Now in New Orleans, he'll likely be more of a blocking tight end for the Saints while Juwan Johnson serves as the top receiving threat. New Orleans will likely play a significant number of snaps with two tight ends on the field, so Moreau should see targets as well. Nonetheless, it's likely he finishes outside of the top-24 tight ends unless Johnson misses time.
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.
