NFL Rookies who could be Fantasy Football relevant immediately

The 2023 NFL Draft has concluded, and rookies will soon be able to get to work with the clubs that selected them. For a large population of football fans, this also means assessing the viability of each first-year player to contribute to a fantasy football league in 2023. We’ll take a look at the prospects of a few players who could help owners win fantasy matchups in the fall.

The Carolina Panthers traded up to the first overall pick in order to make Bryce Young the cornerstone of their franchise. The front office did sign Andy Dalton this offseason, but it would be hard to imagine a world in which Young sits on the bench for very long. He had a dazzling college career at the University of Alabama, and there’s a good chance Carolina will start him from day one.

Since their trade of Deshaun Watson, the Houston Texans have been plotting ways to ignite the position with life once more. They hope they’ve accomplished that by selecting former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. It’s going to be interesting to see what type of offense the Texans envision with Stroud at the helm, but he should have every chance to win the starting job straight away.

There’s a possibility that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has the best fantasy football career of anyone in the 2023 class. His physical tools are off the charts, and profiles as someone who could have a Cam Newton-like impact if he’s able to adjust to the NFL game. The Colts may have no choice but to start him sooner rather than later.

It’s not popular to use a top ten pick on a running back in the NFL Draft anymore, but fantasy owners may well have to use own in their own draft to select Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. He’s been touted as one of the best players coming out of the draft at his position in several years, which puts him in line to have a monster statistical season.

The Detroit Lions stunned many by drafting running back Jahmyr Gibbs as high as they did, but they made a strong point about how much of an impact they think he can make. The Lions let popular back Jamaal Williams walk in free agency, and traded D’Andre Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles during the draft. This means Gibbs should be in line for a considerable amount of work right away.

At first glance, it wouldn’t appear like Quentin Johnson would make a notable fantasy impact with the Los Angeles Chargers. Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are the unquestioned starters, and Josh Palmer is a really good third option. However, Williams and Allen have missed time due to injury, which could make Johnson a plug and play option during the year.

One of the stories of the offseason has been the uncertain future of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. It was confirmed just before the draft that he signed a long term deal with the team. This is great news for the Ravens offense, including rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers. There’s still a lot of room to produce next to Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews.

The argument can be made that Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the best pass catcher in the league, but the team is still looking to build around him. The number two spot on the depth chart is open for business, and the Vikings hope Jordan Addison can adequately fill it. He’ll have ample opportunity while teams shade coverages Jefferson’s way.

The Las Vegas Raiders surprised many in the NFL by trading Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants. It’s possible that Foster Moreau will emerge as the starter there, but drafting Michael Mayer in round two may prompt Las Vegas to play with both players at the line of scrimmage. New Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has involved the tight end throughout his career.

Carolina hit the reset button on their offense, and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo is one of the players who will be entering the fold. The Panthers have one of the shallowest receiving corps in the league, which gives Mingo a ton of opportunity to bond with Young under center. The two might establish a rapport coming into the league together.

Considering the infrastructure they’ve built, fans always need to pay attention to what the Kansas City Chiefs are doing. They brought in wide receiver Rashee Rice to a group that lost JuJu Smith-Schuster during the offseason. It would seem like the Chiefs are hoping to find players to step up, and Rice may be as a good a bet as any to do so.

The former University of Houston pass catcher did not have to go very far to continue his football dream, as he was drafted by the Houston Texans. Dell is going to get a chance to play a bunch of snaps since the Texans traded Brandin Cooks away, and the status of last year’s pick at receiver John Metchie is uncertain.

The New York Giants had a pleasantly surprising season for their fans last year, but that was in spite of the production they received from their wide receivers. The front office took a step at solidifying that group again this year by drafting Jalin Hyatt in the third round. It would not be crazy to think he could earn a meaningful role early on in the season.

As if they didn’t have enough speed on offense, the Miami Dolphins somehow tried to get even faster by drafting running back Devon Achane. It was somewhat of a curious move considering the team re-signed its veteran running backs, but Achane certainly fits the profile of a team who would maximize his skill set.

There’s a lot of uncertainty with the Arizona Cardinals right now, which might pave the way for Michael Wilson to get some meaningful playing time. Rumors surrounding the trade of star wide receiver De’Andre Hopkins continue to circulate, which puts the roles of every Cardinals offense player in flux.