Anthony Richardson and the Best Fantasy Football Steals to Target in 2023 Drafts
There’s nothing like nabbing an elite fantasy football steal. It’s all relative to the league and player ADP, but anytime you can get a stud at a discount, it feels amazing.
The more you can stack up on your roster, the better off you’ll be, too.
Of course, what makes a fantasy steal – and if the player is actually a steal – is somewhat subjective. Value is often in the eye of the beholder, after all.
That said, I have my eyes on 7 fantasy football steals going into 2023 drafts. Just monitor their average draft position, as it’s quite likely their ADP spikes as we get closer to August.
Note: ADP is from FantasyPros.com, which aggregates ESPN and Yahoo! ADP currently. Formatting is from 12-team PPR leagues.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts (QB14)
Trusting in rookie passers is never easy, but we may want to make an exception for AR15, who impressed at this year’s NFL combine enough to convince Indy to make him the 4th overall pick.
Richardson lacks experience and polish, but he makes up for it with elite arm strength and top shelf rushing ability.
The former Gator walks into a nice situation with the Colts, as he has numerous intriguing weapons around him, with Alec Pierce and Josh Downs instantly giving him two quality deep threats.
Michael Pittman is also a solid go-to target he can rely on, while Jonathan Taylor should continue to keep defenses honest on the ground.
Richardson should spring plenty of big plays, both with his arm and legs, with the only real concern being if Gardner Minshew II can keep him from starting from day one.
Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (RB20)
The best running backs are gone pretty quickly, but Zero RB theorists still have life with the likes of Mattison hanging around in the middle rounds.
For now, anyways.
Mattison’s value was always hinging on the departure of former starter Dalvin Cook, and now that he’s been released, I’d expect Mattison’s ADP to soar.
For the moment, though, it’s held steady and kept him as the RB20 in 2023 fantasy drafts. I still think that spikes by quite a bit, as he flashed real potential when given the opportunity over the past two seasons.
Minnesota did add some young backs in Ty Chandler and DeWayne McBride, but this appears very much Mattison’s job to lose.
Volume is key, as we all know. Given Mattison’s solid talent, draft pedigree, and respectable production in the past, he’s way too cheap if you’re looking for a viable starting RB in the middle rounds.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RB24)
With Mattison’s popularity undeniably on the rise – and for good reason – you’ll need to turn over some other stones to nab a legit fantasy football running back steal this year.
As things stand, people are still disrespecting Rachaad White, who is going as the RB24 and can be found as late as round six in some fantasy drafts.
I’m not sure that keeps up much longer, either, but given Tom Brady’s retirement and White’s limited (and meh) rookie production, I do get why he hasn’t rocketed up draft boards.
Still, White displayed quality pass-catching chops with 50 receptions in year one, so we know the guy will be active and has three-down ability.
He, for one, knows he’ll be called on quite a bit again in year two, as well.
White does have a little competition with Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker added to the Tampa Bay backfield, but he has the edge on both of them for now.
Given the role in a shaky offense that could be playing from behind a lot, more passes could surely be coming White’s way.
Assuming he doesn’t get leapfrogged, he’s probably going way too late in drafts right now.
John Metchie III, WR, Houston Texans (WR78)
It seems people forgot that Metchie III was really good at Alabama and was drafted in the second round by the Houston Texans.
A cancer scare and an entire year away from football will do that, but Metchie appears to be fully back and ready to take over a key role for the Texans.
Houston made a big upgrade under center by drafting CJ Stroud, and they traded away Brandin Cooks.
The team did add several young faces and signed Noah Brown and Robert Woods, but there really isn’t anyone on the Texans depth chart Metchie isn’t capable of staying ahead of.
Health is the key here, and obviously Metchie needs to firmly lock down a starting role. However, the talent has been there from day one, and the Texans have a premium pick invested in this kid.
At WR78, you’re not investing nearly as much as Houston has. Metchie is a low-risk late-round pick that could be very useful in 2023.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens (WR44)
Bateman isn’t going to be as massive of a steal as Metchie might end up being, but he’s still going incredibly overlooked as the 44th wide receiver off the board in 2023 fantasy football drafts.
There’s no denying Bateman’s poor health through two NFL campaigns. He missed five games as a rookie, and only suited up in six last year.
Still, Bateman was a stud at Minnesota and Baltimore invested a first round pick in him. He also flashed elite ability the past two years, and his own health is the only thing truly holding him back.
If things go just right, he still offers serious upside.
Baltimore did sign Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted Zay Flowers, but Bateman will be the priority if he’s on the field. That’s easier said than done, but at WR44, the risk is baked into his price.
Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (WR56)
One more fantasy football steal I like in the wide receiver room is Moore, who could find himself with a bigger than expected role in year two in Kansas City.
People anticipated big things for Moore as a rookie last season, but KC spread the ball around and prioritized Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster ahead of the rook.
KC also traded for Ka’Darius Toney last year, and even had MVS to take deep shots with.
That equates to a ton of bodies to keep Moore from being all he can be, but JuJu is out of town now and Toney has yet to prove he can stay healthy in the NFL.
Much like Bateman, Moore is a former first round talent that has solid upside. Opportunity is the only question here.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans (TE12)
Another fantasy football steal comes at the tight end position, which is honestly one of the worst positions in fantasy for value these days.
It’s always risky to bypass the top options and take a shot (or go streaming), but Chig is one guy that dares us to dream big in 2023.
Okonkwo admittedly doesn’t fit the mold of the classic fantasy TE stud due to size limitations, but he’s a burner that flashed serious potential last year as a rookie.
The sample size is small, but Chig enjoyed five 10+ fantasy point outings in 2022.
Tennessee also has very little in their passing game beyond Treylon Burks. The team seems to have promised Chig the chance at a featured role, too.
Given his athletic ability and the lack of competition for targets – even in what could still be a run-heavy offense – Chig has considerable upside at a weak position.
As I said, it’s still only June. Things can and will change before drafts finalize at the end of August. As things stand, however, the above players look like interesting 2023 fantasy football steals.
If you’re drafting early, get them at these prices while you can and thank me later. If the prices start moving, though, adjust accordingly.
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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