Ranking the top fantasy football rookies for the 2023 season is more about opportunity than it is about pure talent or even fit. While a best fantasy football rookie list may include future projections or dynasty value, this list will be solely for redraft fantasy football leagues in 2023 only. Which fantasy football rookies can join Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs atop the fantasy football rookie rankings and provide the most value for your fantasy football team right now?

Let's take a look at the best fantasy football rookies for the 2023 season.

 

10. WR Marvin Mims, DEN

ADP: WR80, Overall 244

Marvin Mims isn't being drafted as a top fantasy football rookie in the rankings, but it's not clear why. The Broncos and Sean Payton traded up to select Mims in the second round, so he has the draft capital you're looking for from a breakout receiver. Tim Patrick (knee, out for season) and KJ Hamler (NFI list) are both out of the picture, so there are snaps available right away in 3-WR sets. Greg Dulcich may not be as involved as originally expected, which means there's a wide-open path to Mims being a deep threat for moonball aficionado Russell Wilson right away.

Add in that starting wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy have each dealt with injuries over the last few years, and Mims is in a prime position to put up big numbers as a rookie for a team that should be involved in a lot of shootouts (KC and LAC in the division). Mims has the athletic profile and opportunity to blow this ranking out of the water as one of the best rookie sleepers you can draft.

 

9. RB Zach Charbonnet, SEA

ADP: RB37, Overall 116

Ideally, when you begin drafting rookie backup running backs, you're targeting players who can catch the ball and take passing down work but can also score around the goallilne. Charbonnet certainly fits that bill, and it's possible that Seahawks hand him that role with Kenneth Walker doing the dirty work between the 20's. The Seahawks targeted Charbonnet in the second round for a reason, after all.

This may not have been an ideal landing spot for fantasy purposes, but Charbonnet could provide borderline Flex value as is, and would immediately become an RB2 candidate should Walker miss any time on the field. Think of him similarly to how the Packers have used AJ Dillon in the past, and get some exposure to a Seahawks offense that should be running hot to start the year.

 

8. WR Jordan Addison, MIN

ADP: WR38, Overall 96

Addison hasn't done himself a lot of favors this offseason, but there's a good chance he still shines for a Vikings team that will likely be throwing the ball a lot with Dalvin Cook gone and the defense taking a step back. While it might be dangerous to assume that Addison will walk right into Adam Thielen's vacated targets, the first-round pick out of USC should receive major volume at some point during the season if he can hold off KJ Osborn in 2-WR sets.

Addison may be priced a little aggressively at the moment as one of the best fantasy football rookie options, but the opportunity to become a WR2 this season is right in front of him.

 

7. WR Quentin Johnston, LAC

ADP: WR48, Overall 121

The Chargers are going to throw the ball downfield much more under former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and the first-round pick out of TCU could be the primary beneficiary of that. Johnston is a big, strong athlete who has shown the ability to make big plays with the ball in his hands.

Johnston may have to climb the target pecking order a bit, but Keenan Allen and Mike Williams aren't the perfect picture of durability at this point in their careers. Should they go down, Johnston would walk into a key role and put up massive numbers. As is, he's more of a WR3 type, but his home-run hitting ability in a terrific offense looking to be more aggressive is a prime fantasy situation.

 

6. TE Dalton Kincaid, BUF

ADP: TE13, Overall 127

Tight ends should almost never be listed as the best fantasy football rookies, but Kincaid is a little different.

Kincaid is another player in a great situation, and if he was labeled a wide receiver instead of a tight end, he'd probably be going about 20 picks higher. The hesitation to draft a rookie tight end this early is understandable, as they almost never produce right away. However, Buffalo's preseason indicates that Kincaid will be used more as a slot wide receiver — with almost no competition there to speak of. Getting a wide receiver that's listed as a tight end feels like a bit of a cheat code, and getting exposure to Buffalo's offense with Josh Allen slinging it around the field seems like a good idea.

While it makes sense to draft Kincaid and select another reliable tight end with a higher floor, we're playing for first place in fantasy leagues, and the Utah product has the athleticism, role, and draft capital to pay big dividends unlike most other rookie “tight ends” we've seen come before him.

 

5. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA

ADP: WR36, Overall 95

A turf toe injury should send Smith-Njigba's draft stock plummeting, as that's something that can linger into the season. Even with Smith-Njigba being doubtful for Week 1, the Ogio State product is someone it makes sense to target in drafts. This may finally be the year Tyler Lockett takes a step back, and Smith-Njigba's dominance in the slot should pair well with the deep-threat ability of DK Metcalf on the outside.

Can the Seahawks really support three quality fantasy wide receivers? It's a good question to ask, but Smith-Njigba has the talent to eat into Metcalf's and Lockett's production, especially since Seattle rarely utilizes their tight ends and running backs heavily in the passing game. If Smith-Njigba's price comes down, it's time to buy.

 

4. QB Anthony Richardson, IND

ADP: QB14, Overall 117

While the best fantasy football rookies are usually limited to wide receivers and running backs like Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson, Richardson can break the mold.

You'd feel better about selecting Richardson if he was working with a full deck in Indianapolis, but Jonathan Taylor's trade saga shouldn't weigh too heavily on Richardson's production. That's primarily because Richardson can become a huge fantasy producer with his legs, as he has a size and speed combo rarely seen at the position.

If you think Richardson can rush for more than 650 yards and 5 touchdowns — a pretty modest baseline for one of the most athletic players in league history at the position — draft him in every league. Those kind of rushing numbers have led to QB1 finishes more than 80 percent of the time.

Fantasy players don't need the rookie quarterback to light it up through the air. So long as he's running (as Justin Fields proved last year) the rushing can carry him to a top-12 finish at the position.

 

3. WR Zay Flowers, BAL

ADP: WR47, Overall 119

There are a few things working in the favor of Flowers, who the Ravens selected in the first round. The first is that Todd Monken is taking over the Ravens offense, which is already leading to a faster tempo and more aggressive playcalling through the air. The second is that Flowers joins a receiver group that can't seem to stay on the field, as Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. have dealt with plenty of injuries over the last few seasons.

The last thing that works for Flowers is that he can play all over the field, which should help him fill different roles and earn more playing time than a rookie with a less expansive route tree might.

Flowers may not be drafted as the top rookie wide receiver, but Lamar Jackson wants to air it out this season and Flowers has been incredibly productive leading up to his NFL debut. There's a ton of upside here Flowers to become a top fantasy football rookie, but the floor is also higher than you might think.

 

2. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, DET

ADP: RB14, Overall 35

Rookie running backs like Jahmyr Gibbs who are drafted in the first round are one of the safest bets you can make in fantasy, contrary to popular belief. Of the last seven running backs drafted in the first round, 71% have finished as an RB1 and on the whole they've averaged 283.4 touches per season, according to Mike Tagliere of FantasyPros. Teams that use this kind of draft capital (Jahmyr Gibbs was selected 12th overall) on a running back have plans to use them heavily.

That bodes well for Jahmyr Gibbs, who looks like a game-breaker with his combination of speed and receiving ability out of the backfield. The Lions did bring in David Montgomery to fill the role of Jamaal Williams, so Jahmy Gibbs may have his touchdown upside a bit more limited than you'd like.

Still, with a heavy receiving role in an offense that lacks playmakers outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs should be heavily utilized right away and make good on his RB14 ADP as one of the top fantasy football rookies right behind Bijan Robinson.

 

1. RB Bijan Robinson, ATL

ADP: RB4, Overall 8

The top fantasy football rookie option in every draft is Bijan Robinson.

Bijan Robinson landing with the Falcons is a great fit for fantasy, as Arthur Smith wants to establish the run more than any coach in the league, and the Falcons have the talent in the trenches to make that work. Robinson is a dynamic playmaker who can play all three downs, and shouldn't be taken off the field for any reason other than needing a breather.

Bijan Robinson feels like a real threat to lead the league in carries, and based on what we saw in college at Texas, that should lead to massive fantasy production. If Smith is willing to move Robinson around on the field and use him as a receiver, Robinson could very easily finish as the league's top scoring running back this season. Bijan Robinson is far and away the best rookie in fantasy football this season.