When looking at dynasty fantasy football, the landscape changes year over year. We had a feeling when drafting Breece Hall in 2022 startups, that his value would be even higher in 2023, and it is. I always like to see where players were going in previous years to see if I’m reaching or getting a value on a player.

 Whether you play in 1QB or 2QB/Superflex, we have you covered. Other sites will charge you for this, whereas here we give it to you for free! Additionally, the data we are comparing to are two start-up mock drafts that were recently done.

Although free agency and the NFL will change things, I’m sure we’ll have future mocks. The overview you will get from this is a great idea to see if you are reaching, getting a player at cost or even at a value at the current time. 

With this in mind, let’s look at current dynasty risers and fallers compared to the 2022 season, via FantasyPros. These rankings are based on our current mocks of 1QB and SuperFlex that we have completed. Like previously stated, these values can change every draft. 

Risers

Jalen Hurts (QB11 to 4)

Kicking off our risers should be no surprise as Jalen Hurts finished as a top-5 quarterback in fantasy football. Hurts was 10th in passing yards with 3,701, finishing with  22 touchdowns and six receptions in 15 games played. Moreover, what made his season though was his rushing ability. Rushing for 760 yards, fourth amongst quarterbacks.

Correspondingly, where he excelled was the red zone where he had 13 rushing touchdowns, which led all quarterbacks. We see how this team works with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. With those two around, Hurts’ future of being a top-5 quarterback from here on out should be without doubt.

Trevor Lawrence (QB12 to 6)

What Trevor Lawrence did in 2021 we can all move on from. What Lawrence did this season showed the reason why he was the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It took over half the season for everything to click for Lawrence as the second half looked a lot better.

Going into his second year with Doug Pederson and gaining wide receiver Calvin Ridley should help Lawrence. Not only could Lawrence be a top-6, but push to be top-3 amongst quarterbacks.

Travis Etienne (RB17 to RB7)

Whenever a player misses a season, their startup value tends to be lower. Thankfully for Travis Etienne, the foot injury is behind him and exceeded my expectations. We saw James Robinson be a thorn in Etienne’s side to begin the season, but once Robinson was traded, Etienne was on fire. Sure, he had his up-and-down games but showed glimpses of RB1.

Year three for the 24-year-old back will need to improve on his 45 targets as we know what type of threat he can be in the receiving game. Having over 250 attempts (rushing and receiving) is nothing to blink at, and can only improve from here. 

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB33 to RB13)

I love the story of running backs who aren’t supposed to be good but end up being better than expected. With  Damien Harris set to be a free agent, it’s looking more like Rhamondre Stevenson will have the backfield to himself. At least that’s how it’s looking at the time of this writing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Stevenson. He finished with 1,461 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns. His 69 (88 targets) receptions are something to be excited about in 2023 and I think he should be able to surpass his 2021 numbers with ease. Getting a high-end RB2 in Stevenson in round four or five is a risk I’m comfortable taking.

Tony Pollard (RB29 to RB17)

This is where I start getting hesitant around running backs. Yes, Tony Pollard was the better back in Dallas. Of course, he exceeded my expectations but can he do it again without Kellen Moore heading the offense? Even though the Cowboys are talking about franchising him, can he repeat his magical 2022 season?

Don’t get me wrong, I loved what he was able to do finishing with over 1,300 total yards and 12 total touchdowns. I’m a little hesitant to buy him at this cost when he’s never had any more than 1,000 yards, let alone 12 touchdowns. I think this is not the peak of his value either. 

Dameon Pierce (RB45 to RB20)

Despite being a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Dameon Pierce held a bell-cow role in the Houston Texans offense. He was very touchdown or bust. Sure he had 220 rush attempts and 39 targets, but would I be surprised if Pierce isn’t what he was last season? He’s one player that makes me nervous and gives me the vibes compared to Michael Carter.

Not comparing the talent, but more of the draft capital that was used. The 2023 draft class of running backs looks better than 2022, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Texans added someone in the draft to pair up with Pierce. I’m keeping my expectations low on him and would want him as my RB3 at best. 

A.J. Brown (WR14 to WR4)

After a disappointing 2021 season, the same face in a new place A.J. Brown bounces back up in the fantasy graces. Who would have thought going to the Philadelphia Eagles would be the fix that Brown needed? Brown had a career-high in targets (145), receptions (88), and yards (1,496), besting his 2020 season and tying his 11 touchdowns.

His long receptions were some of the best too. Going 30-plus yard receptions in 11 games including six of them being 40-plus was a boost to his WR5 finish for the season. Now being part of the elite conversation, we are paying a premium for the 25-year-old receiver and it is well worth it. 

Evan Engram (TE26 to TE13)

Whenever drafting a tight end, as Ricky Bobby would say “if you ain’t first, you’re last!” That’s how you want to draft the tight end as a position. Either draft Travis Kelce, or wait and grab one late. Here, you can get the TE5 from 2022 as the TE13 in current drafts.

Sure, Evan Engram signed a one-year prove-it deal with Jacksonville, and guess what, he proved it. Turning 98 targets into 73 receptions for 766 yards and four touchdowns should get you excited for the 28-year-old tight end. Like a fine wine, tight ends take time and now is the time for Engram. He wants to stay in Jacksonville of course, and the team wants him also. To get a TE1 here as a TE2 I’m smashing that all day. 

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Fallers

Russell Wilson (QB8 to QB15)

From “let’s cook” to “looks cooked”, there’s a tale of two Russell Wilson from this past season. The one with Nathaniel Hackett and the one without. With Hackett, Wilson had three games with 20-plus fantasy points. In the final two games after Hackett, Wilson looked like his old self scoring 22-plus points.

With the hiring of Sean Payton, getting Wilson as the QB15 seems right. Hoping Wilson can bounce back in 2023 and you get yourself a viable QB2 with not only QB1 upside, but QB1 week-winning upside. Let’s hope Russ gets back to cooking.

Najee Harris (RB2 to RB9)

Najee Harris was a bust to start the season, but he closed the 2022 fantasy season with a bang getting over 14 PPR points in his final four games. He was more of a headache than a benefit for most of the season and that could have been due to the foot injury he had. Furthermore, with the Steelers keeping Matt Canada as the OC has me thinking we could get the same Harris in 2023, causing him to fall.

Yes, having 579 carries over his first two seasons is great, but Harris’s rookie season was saved by his target and reception share from Ben Roethlisberger. Going  to Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, we saw a difference in Harris’s game. Harris will get volume, but if his offensive line doesn’t improve, expect a similar 2023 season for Harris. 

Antonio Gibson (RB16 to RB35)

When the Washington Commanders drafted Brian Robinson, I didn’t think much about it. Effecting  Antonio Gibson as he already had back-to-back seasons with high-end RB2 production didn’t cross my mind. Now in year three, Gibson had the worst season of his career.

Going into the 2023 season, it looks like the Commanders want this to be more of Robinson’s gig than Gibson’s. Gibson being drafted here is still a little high considering the headache of the player he was this past season. He’s nothing more than a bench piece right now. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB27-RB46)

If you drafted Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the RB27 and traded him after his Week 4 performance, congratulations. After all, he was putting up RB1 numbers despite not getting double-digit carries till Week 4. After that week though, it was all downhill for Edwards-Helaire.

Although he was being overly efficient with his touches and scoring five touchdowns in his first four games, we knew it wasn’t going to last. From Week 5 till his injury in Week 11, Edwards-Helaire never topped 10 fantasy points. Dropping down here to RB46 makes sense, and this off-season could be more telling of what the Chiefs will do with Edwards-Helaire. 

Diontae Johnson (WR13 to WR37)

Coming in at one of the best values right now is Diontae Johnson himself. How many wide receivers do you know that see 147 targets, yet do not have a single touchdown on the season? With never having a season of fewer than five touchdowns, we should expect a bounceback from Johnson. This to me is a value buy as a WR4, knowing that the touchdowns could boost him back up to those WR2 numbers. 

Elijah Moore (WR21 to WR47)

While we were all high on Elijah Moore going into his sophomore season, it didn’t quite go exactly to plan. Moore was expected to take the next step after finishing with 538 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games as a rookie. Falling far from expectations and regressing,  Moore is more of a WR4/5 than a back-end WR2. With the possibility of the Jets getting an upgrade at quarterback, Moore could prove to be a WR2 again. 

Allen Robinson (WR38 to N/A)

When Allen Robinson played on the franchise tagged for the Chicago Bears and bombed, I thought that his career was coming to a close. Then the Los Angeles Rams handed Robinson a three-year deal and we all started to get excited about the now 29-year-old wide receiver. Thinking of pairing him up with Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp was the resurgence he needed as the Rams were looking to run it back to the Super Bowl.

Well, once again that didn’t go well as Robinson sustained his worst season ever. Furthermore, the Rams are probably stuck with Robinson this season, and hoping for a bounce-back is something I’m not holding out for.

Albert Okwuegbunam (TE13 to N/A)

Once Noah Fant was traded we were all on the Albert Okwuegbunam train. Sure he wasn’t being drafted as a TE1, but the potential with Russell Wilson and what he did with tight ends in Seattle would boost him. Well, that didn’t happen as we were hoping for a third-year breakout. As rookie tight end Greg Dulcich became a reliable option for Wilson, Okwuegbunam became more of an afterthought.

Consequently, he’s going into the final year of his rookie contract and has a whole new coaching staff to prove himself to. Maybe he bounces back, but I this ride could be over.

More Dynasty Content

• ADP (1QB)
• ADP (SF/2QB)
• Rookie Profiles
• Rankings
• 2023 Class Preview
• Top 10 Quarterbacks
• Way Too Early Mock Draft

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