| | | | Wednesday, August 23, 2023 | | We keep dodging serious injuries like Neo in The Matrix. | | We got two injury reports Tuesday that initially sounded like they might have been pretty concerning, as Terry McLaurin left Monday's preseason game against the Ravens with a toe injury, while Seahawks rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a broken bone in his wrist that will require surgery. Thankfully, initial reports indicate neither will miss significant time -- McLaurin is viewed as "day to day" with a sprained toe , per Ian Rapoport. Smith-Njigba has been given a 3-4 week timetable, which makes Week 1 unlikely, perhaps, but should necessarily change his overall outlook. | | We're not entirely out of the woods on those injuries, and some of you may wonder why I'm tempting fate by even mentioning it with another preseason game to go, but I'm just struck by how few significant, season-altering injuries we've seen in camp so far. Our luck may run out in the two weeks between now and Week 1, but I'm enjoying it for now. | | As I did last Wednesday, I'm giving you my updated rankings for 2023 drafts in today's newsletter. I've made tweaks at every position, along with my top-200, and if you're feeling impatient, you can find my rankings for quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end here – and, of course, you can find Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings' rankings and salary cap values here, you know, if you want another perspective. | | For more, including my updated overall top-200 with Salary Cap/Auction values, keep right on scrolling – before you do, though, another reminder that I'll be doing a Mailbag, answering your biggest draft questions right here, tomorrow morning, so send any questions you've got to Chris.Towers@Paramount.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" to be included: | | | | Rankings updates | | | | Rankings are for PPR leagues. Salary Cap Values assume a $100 budget. | | QB rankings | | There's no doubt who belongs in the top tier at the QB position for Fantasy Football in 2023. Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes were the class of the position in 2022, and little has changed in terms of how we should view them for 2023 - Mahomes is arguably the best passer in the history of the league, and he has improved weapons around him, while Allen and Hurts are elite rushers and goal-line threats, in addition to being terrific passers in their own right. | | After that, things are wide open. Dave Richard has Joe Burrow as his No. 4 QB, while both Heath Cummings and Jamey Eisenberg have Lamar Jackson - all three have Justin Fields fifth, which means Jamey has Burrow at No. 6, while Heath has him at QB7, behind Justin Herbert. | | Here's the top 12, and you can find my top 32 here: | | Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs – $16Josh Allen, Bills – $16Jalen Hurts, Eagles – $12Lamar Jackson, Ravens – $7Joe Burrow, Bengals – $5Justin Herbert, Chargers – $5Justin Fields, Bears – $4 Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars – $4Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins – $3 Deshaun Watson, Browns – $3 Anthony Richardson, Colts – $2Dak Prescott, Cowboys – $2 | | | | RB rankings | | Steelers running back Najee Harris has had a weird start to his NFL career. Since being drafted 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, he's finished third and 14th in PPR scoring in Fantasy, and yet most Fantasy Football analysts (and probably most players, too) view him as a pretty significant disappointment. | | Or, maybe that's not the right way to phrase it. Harris has, for the most part, lived up to expectations in Fantasy Football. The problem is, he just hasn't seemed like a particularly good real NFL running back. Since his debut, he ranks 26th among 26 running backs with at least 300 carries in yards per carry; among 117 players with at least 100 targets, he ranks 116th in yards per target. | | I wrote about why I'm starting to drop Najee Harris in my rankings, which you can see below, along with the rest of my top 60 at the position here: | Christian McCaffrey, 49ers – $36 Austin Ekeler, Chargers – $33Saquon Barkley, Giants – $27 Josh Jacobs, Raiders – $26 Bijan Robinson, Falcons – $25Derrick Henry, Titans – $25 Nick Chubb, Browns – $24Tony Pollard, Cowboys – $22 Joe Mixon , Bengals – $19Jonathan Taylor, Colts – $14Travis Etienne, Jaguars – $13 Miles Sanders, Panthers – $13 Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions – $12Alexander Mattison, Vikings – $12 Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots – $11 Dameon Pierce, Texans – $11Kenneth Walker, Seahawks – $11Najee Harris, Steelers – $11 Aaron Jones, Packers – $11 Javonte Williams, Broncos – $10James Cook, Bills – $10 David Montgomery, Lions – $9 Rachaad White, Buccaneers – $8 Breece Hall, Jets - $7
| | | | WR rankings | | This preseason has, thankfully, been mostly free of significant injuries that will alter the Fantasy Football landscape. Cooper Kupp's hamstring injury seems pretty much all healed up, and he's expected to return to practice this week, well in advance of Week 1. Kupp is back to being my No. 2 WR for the 2023 season, and he's a top-five pick in all formats for me. | | That's not to say the preseason has been entirely free from injuries, of course. Kadarius Toney's breakout hype fizzled out when he left the Chiefs very first practice in training camp with a knee injury, and his status for Week 1 is still very much up in the air - allowing second-year wideout Skyy Moore to establish himself as a clear starter for the Chiefs, and a top-36 wide receiver in my updated rankings. | | We also saw Terry McLaurin leave the second preseason game with a toe injury, though an MRI taken Tuesday indicated that it isn't expected to keep him out for the start of the season. That may not be the case for Seahawks rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who suffered a broken bone in his wrist in the last preseason game and will require surgery to repair it. According to ESPN, the recovery timeline for that surgery may give Smith-Njigba a chance to be ready for Week 1 of the season, and you might be surprised to learn that I'm not really downgrading him in my rankings. | | I wrote about why, along with the rest of my top 75 at WR here: | | Justin Jefferson, Vikings – $36Cooper Kupp, Rams – $33 Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals – $29Tyreek Hill, Dolphins – $29 Stefon Diggs , Bills – $21Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions – $21CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys – $19 A.J. Brown, Eagles – $18Davante Adams, Raiders – $17 Garrett Wilson , Jets – $14Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins – $14Tee Higgins, Bengals – $14 Devonta Smith, Eagles – $13Keenan Allen, Chargers – $11 DK Metcalf , Seahawks – $11Calvin Ridley, Jaguars – $10Chris Olave, Saints – $10Deebo Samuel, 49ers – $9Chris Godwin, Buccaneers – $8 Amari Cooper, Browns – $8DeAndre Hopkins, Titans – $7 Tyler Lockett , Seahawks – $7Jerry Jeudy, Broncos – $7Terry McLaurin, Commanders – $7 | | TE rankings | | There probably aren't many tight ends with more Fantasy Football upside than Kyle Pitts. Pitts was the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft, the highest a tight end has ever been selected, and then he proceeded to put together the second 1,000-yard season ever by a rookie tight end. He'll still be just 22 years old when the Falcons season begins against the Panthers in Week 1. That's a profile you typically want to bet on. | | But I'm growing increasingly concerned about his chances of paying off on that bet. I wrote about why that is, along with the rest of my top 32 here: | | Travis Kelce, Chiefs – $26Mark Andrews, Ravens – $11 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings – $10Darren Waller, Giants – $9 Dallas Goedert , Eagles – $7Kyle Pitts, Falcons – $6George Kittle, 49ers – $6Evan Engram, Jaguars – $3 David Njoku, Browns – $3Tyler Higbee, Rams – $3 Gerald Everett , Chargers – $2Juwan Johnson, Saints – $2 | | Overall Top 200 | | Christian McCaffrey, 49ers $36Justin Jefferson, Vikings $36Cooper Kupp, Rams $33Austin Ekeler, Chargers $33Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals $29Saquon Barkley, Giants $27Tyreek Hill, Dolphins $29Travis Kelce, Chiefs $26 Josh Jacobs, Raiders $26Bijan Robinson, Falcons $25Derrick Henry, Titans $25Nick Chubb, Browns $24Tony Pollard, Cowboys $22Stefon Diggs, Bills $21Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions $21Joe Mixon, Bengals $19CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys $19 A.J. Brown, Eagles $18Davante Adams, Raiders $17Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs $16Josh Allen, Bills $16Garrett Wilson, Jets $14Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins $14Jonathan Taylor, Colts $14Tee Higgins, Bengals $14Devonta Smith, Eagles $13 Travis Etienne, Jaguars $13Miles Sanders, Panthers $13Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions $12Alexander Mattison, Vikings $12Jalen Hurts, Eagles $12Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots $11Dameon Pierce, Texans $11Kenneth Walker, Seahawks $11Keenan Allen, Chargers $11 DK Metcalf, Seahawks $11Mark Andrews, Ravens $11Najee Harris, Steelers $11Aaron Jones, Packers $11Calvin Ridley, Jaguars $10Chris Olave, Saints $10Javonte Williams, Broncos $10T.J. Hockenson, Vikings $10James Cook, Bills $10 Deebo Samuel, 49ers $9David Montgomery, Lions $9Darren Waller, Giants $9Chris Godwin, Buccaneers $8Rachaad White, Buccaneers $8Amari Cooper, Browns $8James Conner, Cardinals $8DeAndre Hopkins, Titans $7Tyler Lockett, Seahawks $7 Lamar Jackson, Ravens $7Breece Hall, Jets $7J.K. Dobbins, Ravens $7Jerry Jeudy, Broncos $7Dallas Goedert, Eagles $7Terry McLaurin, Commanders $7Christian Watson, Packers $7Cam Akers, Rams $7DJ Moore, Bears $6 Kyle Pitts, Falcons $6George Kittle, 49ers $6Mike Williams, Chargers $6Drake London, Falcons $6Joe Burrow, Bengals $5Dalvin Cook, Jets $5Justin Herbert, Chargers $5Marquise Brown, Cardinals $5Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers $5 Skyy Moore, Chiefs $4Alvin Kamara, Saints $4Justin Fields, Bears $4Jordan Addison, Vikings $4Khalil Herbert, Bears $4Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs $4Diontae Johnson, Steelers $4Jahan Dotson, Commanders $4AJ Dillon, Packers $4 Mike Evans, Buccaneers $4JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots $4Michael Thomas, Saints $4Brandin Cooks, Cowboys $4Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars $4Christian Kirk, Jaguars $4Antonio Gibson, Commanders $3George Pickens, Steelers $3Gabe Davis, Bills $3 Samaje Perine, Broncos $3D'Andre Swift, Eagles $3Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks $3Evan Engram, Jaguars $3David Njoku, Browns $3Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins $3Tyler Higbee, Rams $3Brian Robinson, Commanders $3Michael Pittman, Colts $3 Deshaun Watson, Browns $3Treylon Burks, Titans $3Anthony Richardson, Colts $2Dak Prescott, Cowboys $2Elijah Moore, Browns $2Romeo Doubs, Packers $2Geno Smith, Seahawks $2Courtland Sutton, Broncos $2Kadarius Toney, Chiefs $2 Kirk Cousins, Vikings $2Gerald Everett, Chargers $2Rondale Moore, Cardinals $2Juwan Johnson, Saints $2Aaron Rodgers, Jets $2Jaylen Warren, Steelers $2Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks $2Jakobi Meyers, Raiders $2Adam Thielen, Panthers $2 Dalton Schultz, Texans $2Dalton Kincaid, Bills $2Daniel Jones, Giants $1Zay Jones, Jaguars $1Devin Singletary, Texans $1Pat Freiermuth, Steelers $1Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs $1Jamaal Williams, Saints $1Sam LaPorta, Lions $1 Allen Lazard, Jets $1Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs $1Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans $1Quentin Johnston, Chargers $1Luke Musgrave, Packers $1Cole Kmet, Bears $1Rashod Bateman, Ravens $1Matthew Stafford, Rams $1Zach Ertz, Cardinals $1 Odell Beckham, Ravens $1Zay Flowers, Ravens $1Tank Dell, Texans $1Kyler Murray, Cardinals $1Nico Collins, Texans $1Jeff Wilson, Dolphins $1Tyler Boyd, Bengals $1Jonathan Mingo, Panthers $1Raheem Mostert, Dolphins $1 Jameson Williams, Lions $1Hayden Hurst, Panthers $1Dawson Knox, Bills $1Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles $1Russell Wilson, Broncos $1Curtis Samuel, Commanders $1Rashaad Penny, Eagles $1Jared Goff, Lions $1Michael Wilson, Cardinals $1 Derek Carr, Saints $1Ryan Tannehill, Titans $1DJ Chark, Panthers $1Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns $1Marvin Mims, Broncos $1John Metchie, Texans $1Ty Chandler, Vikings $0Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs $0Jordan Love, Packers $0 Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots $0Jake Ferguson, Cowboys $0Mecole Hardman, Jets $0Darnell Mooney, Bears $0Sam Howell, Commanders $0Greg Dulcich, Broncos $0Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants $0K.J. Osborn, Vikings $0Irv Smith, Bengals $0 Zamir White, Raiders $0Taysom Hill, Saints $0Chuba Hubbard, Panthers $0Brock Purdy, 49ers $0Kenny Pickett, Steelers $0Allen Robinson, Steelers $0Alec Pierce, Colts $0Hunter Henry, Patriots $0Elijah Mitchell, 49ers $0 Michael Mayer, Raiders $0Desmond RIdder, Falcons $0Mac Jones, Patriots $0Hunter Renfrow, Raiders $0De'von Achane, Dolphins $0Robert Woods, Texans $0Chase Claypool, Bears $0Cade Otton, Buccaneers $0Tyler Conklin, Jets $0 Mike Gesicki, Patriots $0Ben Skowronek, Rams $0Kendre Miller, Saints $0D'Onta Foreman, Bears $0Tank Bigsby, Jaguars $0Rico Dowdle, Cowboys $0DeVante Parker, Patriots $0Parris Campbell, Giants $0C.J. Stroud, Texans $0 Puka Nacua, Rams $0Bryce Young, Panthers $0Deuce Vaughn, Cowboys $0 | | | | | | | | U.S. Open Cup | | CBS Sports Golazo Network | Watch the U.S. Open Cup TONIGHT as Messi's new-look Inter Miami CF takes on a dominant FC Cincinnati squad. Tune in at 7:00 PM ET on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
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