Football season has returned!
The 2023 NFL season will kick off later this week when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions on Thursday.
Buy Broncos TicketsBefore the regular season begins, fantasy football drafts will be wrapping up in the coming days and fantasy managers will all have the same question — who are the sleepers to target this year?
This week, we will be publishing sleepers at tight end, wide receiver, quarterback and running back for 2023. Today, we’re looking at QB.
Each player is listed in order of his average draft spot relative to his position. We consider a “sleeper” to be a player who we expect to outperform his ADP during the season.
1
Daniel Jones (QB14)
Jones is barely a “sleeper,” but he’s not currently being drafted as a starter in 12-team leagues. He rushed for 708 yards (fifth among QBs) and seven touchdowns (third among QBs) last season, helping him finish as QB9. Landing him at QB14 this year could prove to be a steal.
2
Anthony Richardson (QB15)
Richardson is a boom-or-bust fantasy prospect this year. His 53.8% completion percentage at Florida last season is concerning, but his 654 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns are promising, especially with Jonathan Taylor out at least four weeks. After running a 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds at the NFL combine, Richardson is a high-upside rushing QB to target late in fantasy drafts.
3
Geno Smith (QB16)
After finishing as QB5 in fantasy last year, Smith is now being drafted as QB16. He’s unlikely to exactly repeat last season’s performance, but fantasy owners might be undervaluing him again. Smith still has DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Ken Walker on offense, and the Seahawks added Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet in April. Seattle still has plenty of weapons and Smith proved last season that he can be a fantasy-relevant QB while spreading the ball around.
4
Russell Wilson (QB18)
Wilson posted the second-fewest rushing attempts (55) and the third-fewest rushing yards (277) of his career last season playing in Nathaniel Hackett’s offense. Now playing under Sean Payton, Wilson could have a bounce-back season, in part due to the possibility of more freedom to run. Fantasy managers shouldn’t reach for Wilson, but he could certainly finish higher than QB18 this season.
5
Kenny Pickett (QB19)
Pickett was not a fantasy-relevant QB last season but he did rush for 237 yards and three touchdowns in 12 starts. Now entering his second season, Pickett might be poised for a Year 2 leap. Like Smith in Seattle, Pickett is surrounded by playmakers including Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris. He has high upside as a QB2 this year.
