Fantasy football draft season sits far in the distance, but the NFL has plenty of events coming up that will spark plenty of fantasy players to start thinking about picking their teams.
The pile of potential fantasy football sleepers for the 2023 season will feel the fallout from free agency, the NFL Draft, and the schedule release.
With this in mind, The Game Day fantasy football pundits Frank Ammirante and Scott Engel offered up their early 2023 fantasy NFL sleepers for drafts. These names — and the strength of the recommendation — might change as rosters take shape, but use these fantasy tips to know which names to bolden on your cheat sheet.
Fantasy QB Sleepers 2023
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Love is in a good position to take over as Packers starting quarterback with Aaron Rodgers likely on the move. Green Bay has a strong supporting cast with running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, complemented by wideouts Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.
While we wait for fantasy draft season, peek at our top NFL futures odds, then continue reading:
We saw the former Utah State star look pretty impressive in relief of Rodgers during their loss to the Eagles. Love went 6-for-9 passing, compiling 113 yards and one touchdown.
Love has sat on the bench for three seasons, so he should be prepared to handle the playbook at full capacity. He carries the perfect combination of pedigree, supporting cast, and cheap fantasy football draft price to earn a look. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
Fantasy RB Sleepers 2023
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
The Bills brought Cook along slowly in his rookie year, but he will emerge as the ideal fit for the Buffalo offense next season.
Cook is a receiving threat who can also be an effective runner in a timeshare situation for carries.
He will be a versatile fantasy performer with PPR promise. — SCOTT ENGEL
đ See these players’ fantasy football dynasty ranking.
Kenny McIntosh, NFL Draft Prospect
McIntosh is one of the rookie running backs in this yearâs NFL Draft. He is considered to be one of the best pass-catching backs in this class, putting up 43 receptions for 505 yards in his final year at Georgia.
At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, McIntosh has adequate size to also become more than just a third-down back. However, even if thatâs his only role as a rookie, that still makes him a worthy investment at his cheap price.
We have seen pass-catching backs provide strong fantasy production in full-PPR formats, such as J.D. McKissic and James White. This type of result is within McIntoshâs range of outcomes, even in his debut season. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
Fantasy WR Sleepers 2023
Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Shaheed turned in an impressive rookie season for the Saints, catching 28-of-34 targets for 488 yards and two touchdowns. If we dig a little deeper, we can see one of the more intriguing sleepers at wide receiver this year.
This deep threat put up 2.7 yards per route run, which tied for third with Justin Jefferson among wideouts with at least 100 targets. The two receivers ahead of Shaheed were Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown, so this is elite company.
Thereâs also a chance that the Saints upgrade at quarterback. Theyâve been linked to Derek Carr, who would provide a boost to this offense. Letâs also not forget that New Orleans may move on from Michael Thomas, which would open up more opportunities. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns
We will likely see a much better version of Deshaun Watson in 2022 over a full season.
Peoples-Jones will become one of his frequent and favorite downfield targets. He has averaged 16 yards per reception in his career.
Peoples-Jones is a big target who has considerable big-play potential. — SCOTT ENGEL
Fantasy TE Sleepers 2023
Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton will rework the Denver passing game as he tries to revitalize Russell Wilson.
Look for him to instill many elements of his past New Orleans offensive schemes into the Broncosâ attack. Payton always utilized his tight ends effectively and got the most out of them.
Dulchich may not be the next Jimmy Graham, yet he did look like an eventual breakthrough player at times. Look for Dulcich to take significant steps forward in his pro progress in 2023. — SCOTT ENGEL
Jelani Woods, Indianapolis Colts
Woods demonstrated flashes of brilliance in his rookie year, notably against the Steelers, where he caught eight of nine targets for 98 yards.
The second-year pass-catcher still has third-round draft capital. He shows great size at 6-foot-7, 253 pounds, complemented by 4.61 speed.
The Colts are committed to finding a young quarterback to ignite their rebuild. Weâre likely to see them end up with one of the top signal-callers in this draft class: Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, or Anthony Richardson.
That means that Woods is getting a quarterback upgrade. Thereâs also the benefit of the new coaching staff, led by former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. We could see him try to make Woods his new Dallas Goedert. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
