DBro’s Early Round Fantasy Football Draft Strategy & Top Targets (2023)

We have a brand new season of fantasy football peeking over the horizon for 2023. After a wild NFL offseason and draft cycle, the dust has settled, and we have a shifting NFL landscape that appears ripe for the picking for fantasy. The attack plan for fantasy titles starts with the early rounds of your drafts. These early selections will build the backbone of your teams and influence how you approach the rest of your draft. Regardless of whether you love RB heavy, Zero RB or somewhere in between, I’ve outlined my approach and targets for the first four rounds that can be tailored to fit any fantasy palate. Enjoy, and let’s have a banner year.

Here is my approach and players to target for each of the early rounds.

Early-Round Players to Target

The 2023 Crop of possible WR1 OVERALL candidates:

Favorite: Justin Jefferson1B Favorite: Ja'Marr ChaseWould it shock me…No: Cooper KuppBills Mafia perennial pick: Stefon DiggsWR available outside the top 3 picks: Tyreek Hill

Dark horse Candidates:

Amon-Ra St. Brown...

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) June 8, 2023

We still haven't seen the best from Ja'Marr Chase

After his return in Week 13 he went on a ridiculous tear

That 5 game sample extrapolated to 17 games:

204 targets136 receptions1,499 receiving yards10 tds

Chase could unlock another level in 2023.

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 11, 2023

Mid-Round Players to Target

If we get a full szn of Tua Tagovailoa...

Tyreek Hill is going for 1800-1900 yds

In games Tua played:

Hill avg 108.3 receiving yards per game

Over a full szn: 1,841 rec yds

Hill is an easy top 5 pick this year

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) June 7, 2023

Late-Round Players to Targets

Since 2013 Rookie RBs finishing with at least 250 touches:

93.7% have finished as Top 20 RBs (in fppg)

68.7% have finished as an RB1

31.2% have finished as Top 5 RBs

This is a Bijan Robinson Tweet

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 1, 2023

Early-Round Players to Targets

Only 3️⃣ WRs last year finished...

TOP �"� in both YPRR vs MAN & ZONE(min 15 man or zone tgs per PFF)

Justin JeffersonCeeDee LambAMON-RA ST. BROWN �'��'��'�

ARSB is primed for a CAREER YEAR. pic.twitter.com/Grcoq2CUrU

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 20, 2023

My love letter for THE RB1...

Tony Pollard �''https://t.co/XnBRjkOCB4 pic.twitter.com/IDTBMJGZHg

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 26, 2023

Mid-Round Players to Targets

Late-Round Players to Targets

WR2s in ADP that are MONSTER WR1s

Chris OlaveChristian WatsonKeenan Allen & MORE �'�https://t.co/ZuFCJPLMUY

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 19, 2023

Rhamondre Stevenson > CMC in 2023.

Yeah. I said it. MONDRE SZN is HERE�-️ pic.twitter.com/KVA6kg9pW7

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 23, 2023

Early-Round Players to Targets

Mid-Round Players to Targets

What I hear when people toss the same BAD narratives at Justin Fields that they used with Jalen Hurts:pic.twitter.com/qM8i4dPSzJ

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) June 1, 2023

Late-Round Players to Targets

When in doubt...

JUST DRAFT more KEENAN ALLEN ✅ pic.twitter.com/SdgqbZBzO1

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) May 11, 2023

Christian Watson pic.twitter.com/7lPE27hS0r

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 23, 2023

Drake London doing Drake London thingspic.twitter.com/8vf6Hf4L3q

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) June 8, 2023

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*All data utilized in this article courtesy of FantasyPros, PFF, Football Outsiders, and Playerprofiler.com unless otherwise specified.*

Derek Brown

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@dbro_ffb

Derek Brown is a senior fantasy football analyst at FantasyPros.