Top Five Fantasy Football Wide Receivers For 2023

The month of August is just around the corner, and it is time to start preparing for fantasy football drafts. We continue our rankings for each position with the wide receiver position, and that position comes with importance. There are elite wide receivers flying off the board at the start of the draft. If you are in a PPR, the emphasis on finding wide receivers with volume will come at a premium in the earlier rounds of the draft. With that, here are the top five fantasy football wide receivers heading into the 2023 season:

5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

Bills WR Stefon Diggs (14) – Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News

Stefon Diggs continues to be one of the more consistent wide receivers in fantasy football. Diggs was able to continue his streak of having three seasons with at least 100 receptions, 1,225 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. In 2022, Diggs was able to finish as the WR6 in fantasy points per game and continued to show that he is Josh Allen’s favorite target. During the 2022 season, Diggs hauled in 108 receptions for 1,429 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

He has been able to elevate his fantasy status ever since joining the Buffalo Bills. The main competition that Diggs will be getting from his teammates will be from Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, and Deonte Harty. In three seasons with the Bills, Diggs has averaged at least 19.8 fantasy points per game. The Bills’ offense will continue to be tough to defend heading into the 2023 season, and Diggs is showing no signs of slowing down.

Diggs has been flying off the board either at the end of the first round or at the start of the second round. Hitting wide receivers early will be a key for fantasy managers this season, as there is an elite level of talent at the top of the draft board. In fantasy, Diggs has found success in finding the endzone to maximize his value at the position. Heading into 2023, Diggs will be one of the safest bets at the beginning of your fantasy drafts.

4. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (10) – Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

When Tyreek Hill was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins, there were question marks if he would still be productive without Patrick Mahomes. He was quickly able to answer that question as he ranked as the WR3 in fantasy points per game in 2022. In 2022, Hill finished the year with 119 receptions, 1,710 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. He was able to do that with a quarterback carousel that pursued in Miami. Tua Tagovailoa continued to battle through several injuries throughout the season that kept him sidelined.

With Tagovailoa going into concussion protocol several times during the year, the Dolphins saw Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson take over the starting quarterback reigns. During the 2022 season, Miami also debuted a new offense under head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel’s offense was able to improve throughout the year, and Hill was able to up his production in 2022. The injuries to Tagovailoa will always be a question mark, but Miami was able to upgrade at the QB2 position by adding Mike White in the offseason.

Hill is coming off a monster 2022 season that will be hard to top heading into 2023, but he is more than capable. He showed during the 2022 season that he is an elite talent, even with the shuffle at quarterback. Outside of Hill, Jaylen Waddle is his main competitor when it comes to target share. Hill can definitely reach his ceiling with a healthy season from Tagovailoa, but even if that doesn’t come to fruition, he has shown he can still be one of the top receivers.

3. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Rams WR Cooper Kupp (10) – Doug Benc/The Associated Press

It is hard to forget the season that Cooper Kupp put up two years ago as he dominated the fantasy football landscape. That momentum was able to continue into the 2022 season until Kupp suffered an injury that sidelined him for most of the season. Not only did Kupp’s injury plummet the Rams into missing the playoff but Matthew Stafford’s injuries throughout the season did not help. There are signs pointing Kupp in the right direction as he is making good strides in rehabbing from that ankle injury.

The concern about Stafford’s health heading into the 2023 season has created some question marks when it comes to drafting Kupp this season. Whenever Stafford is healthy, Kupp can be the best wide receiver in fantasy football. Without him is when he becomes vulnerable. Outside of the question marks surrounding Stafford’s health, there is a lot to like with Kupp heading into 2023. Kupp will be the primary target in the Rams’ offense that has lost some offensive production in the offseason. Other notable wide receivers on Los Angeles’ depth chart are Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek.

The volume will still be high as there is a lack of depth at the wide receiver position heading into the 2023 season. Even before going down with an injury, Kupp was highly productive in 2022. He scored 16+ fantasy points in 28 games over the last two seasons and ranked second among wide receivers in fantasy points. Fantasy managers will have to monitor Stafford’s durability, but if he is good to go, Kupp should be a no-brainer at the top of the draft board.

2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase (1) – Jeff Dean/AP Photo

Ja’Marr Chase dealt with an injury that kept him out of four games during the 2022 season. Even with the injury, Chase was very productive with the Bengals’ offense. In 2022, he finished the year with 87 receptions, 1,046 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. While Jefferson is the consensus No. 1 wide receiver heading into the season, Chase isn’t far from that mark. He was able to lead all wide receivers in red-zone targets per game and fantasy points per game.

Whenever Chase is healthy, he is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. The Bengals’ offense didn’t change this offseason, as the wide receiver core remains the same. The connection between Joe Burrow and Chase hasn’t skipped a beat from their LSU days. That connection will definitely be prevalent if Chase is able to stay healthy throughout the season. Chase will have an opportunity to be the WR1 in fantasy football this year, given his high involvement in the Bengals’ offense and his potential to create a big play.

Jefferson is expected to be the first wide receiver taken off the board, but if you are in a PPR league heading into 2023 don’t be scared in going with Chase with the No. 2 overall pick. With a fully healthy season, Chase can be right up there with Jefferson competing for the No. 1 overall spot at the wide receiver position.

1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (18) – Bruce Kluckhon/AP Photo

There was a lot of excitement after last season as the Minnesota Vikings established a high-powered offense under Kevin O’Connell’s first season. Justin Jefferson also continues to be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and he is the No. 1 overall fantasy football wide receiver in 2023. Not only is he No. 1 in his position rankings, but he also claims the top spot on the overall fantasy football rankings. Jefferson finished the 2022 season first in fantasy points scored, 10th in target share, third in yards per route run, and second in expected fantasy points per game.

The LSU product continued to elevate his game in 2022 as he finished the year with 128 receptions, 1,809 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. He has proven time and time again that he is an elite fantasy wide receiver. There are no signs of that stopping, as the Vikings are primed to be a pass-heavy offense. Minnesota no longer has Dalvin Cook and will have to rely on Alexander Mattison being the primary running back. Outside of that, the Vikings drafted Jordan Addison with their first selection in this year’s NFL Draft.

Adding Addison into the offense shouldn’t worry fantasy managers about Jefferson’s production dropping, as he will remain the primary target for Kirk Cousins. The target share could have a slight dip with the rookie wide receiver into the mix, but not enough for him to drop him off of the top spot at the position. Having Addison in the offense will only create more open space for Jefferson to do his damage. Fantasy managers who have the No. 1 overall pick should feel confident in taking Jefferson at that spot.