What will the numbers look like for the wide receivers in 2023?
In a week’s time, the Cleveland Browns will be playing football again when they take on the New York Jets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game on August third. So far this offseason it was clear that Andrew Berry knew he needed to add talent and diverse skill sets to the wide receiver room (already headlined by Amari Cooper) for Deshaun Watson.
With Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, and another offseason for David Bell this room has some potential to make a splash this season. So what could the statistics look like when the dust settles on the 2023 season? For this exercise, I took Watson’s statistics from 2020 when he completed 382 passes to determine reception numbers while saving targets for the tight ends and running backs.
Marquise Goodwin is not on this list because of the uncertainty around the blood clots.
The latest fantasy football news and notes from around the NFL.
With training camp upon us, here’s a roundup of the latest injury and player news that may impact fantasy football draft plans.
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) was diagnosed with a right calf injury after practice Thursday, July 27, according to head coach Zac Taylor.
FANTASY TIP: Taylor noted Burrow was wearing a sleeve on the same leg he injured prior to the injury but attributed it to being sore from practice earlier in the week. A mild calf strain would likely sideline Burrow for at least two weeks, but the good news is that he was about six weeks to heal up if necessary in case the strain is more of a moderate one. Burrow was highly unlikely to play during the preseason anyway, so fantasy managers should feel comfortable drafting him over the next month as long as this turns out to be a minor strain.
Credit: David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper (undisclosed) is still sidelined because of his undisclosed injury, but head coach Kevin Stefanski said Cooper may return soon.
FANTASY TIP: It seems like Cooper is dealing with a minor injury but should return to practice in the near future. He should be the main option in the passing game for the Browns this season and can be at least a No. 3 fantasy receiver.
New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson (ankle) rolled an ankle early in practice Thursday, July 27, but head coach Robert Saleh told reporters after practice that he is not concerned about the severity of the injury.
FANTASY TIP: Expect another update soon, but it sounds as if fantasy managers have nothing to be worried about. With Aaron Rodgers now in town, Wilson stands a great chance at finishing as a top-10 receiver in 2023. As such, he should be drafted inside the top 15 picks of most drafts.
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos RB Javonte Williams (knee) told reporters Thursday, July 27, that he was cleared for contact recently but deferred to the coaching staff when asked if he would play at all during the preseason.
FANTASY TIP: Williams avoiding the PUP list is a great sign. However, fantasy managers undoubtedly would like to see at least a handful of preseason runs before burning a pick in the first six or seven rounds on him. Denver obviously has little motivation to play him in meaningless games. Furthermore, head coach Sean Payton has typically not been overly forthcoming in regards to the injury status of his players, so rostering Williams could end being a headache – especially early in the season. Samaje Perine makes for a great mid-round handcuff and should have plenty of standalone value either way.
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford drew trade interest from other teams, but the Rams were in unanimous agreement to keep him another season, according to head coach Sean McVay
FANTASY TIP: Stafford is a QB2 in fantasy with some upside after an injury-filled year. He’d be a good QB to pair with a high-end QB2 with upside.
FANTASY TIP: Cook figures to be an RB2 in fantasy, but he’d likely take a step back from the lion’s share role he is accustomed to if he signs with the Jets.
Philadelphia Eagles RB Rashaad Penny worked with the first-team offense during practice Wednesday, July 26. Head coach Nick Sirianni said he plans to use multiple running backs with the starters during training camp.
FANTASY TIP: The Eagles probably will be using a committee at running back this season, but Penny could see a majority of the carries during the season. Fantasy players should monitor the situation because Penny can be at least a No. 3 fantasy back depending on his role.
Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Baltimore Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins (undisclosed) does not have a timetable for his return to the field, according to head coach John Harbaugh.
FANTASY TIP: Fantasy players will need to monitor the situation to see when Dobbins will be cleared to play. He will be part of a committee when he returns to the field but can still be a No. 2 or No. 3 running back in most fantasy leagues.
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers agreed to a new two-year contract with the Jets worth a guaranteed $75 million, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The new contract is actually a five-year deal that includes two option years so the team can spread out the bonus proration.
FANTASY TIP: It seems like Rodgers will be with the team for at least the next two seasons after the contract restructuring. He can be seen as a low-end No. 1 or a No. 2 fantasy quarterback this season.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young was confirmed to be the starter entering training camp by head coach Frank Reich Wednesday, July 26.
FANTASY TIP: Young will be a so-so QB2 from whom you should expect peaks and valleys.
Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet agreed to a four-year, $50 million extension Wednesday, July 26. The deal includes $32.8 million guaranteed and $20 million in the first year.
FANTASY TIP: Kmet was eighth in PPR fantasy points at the position and will be in the glut of midrange TE1s again this draft season.
FANTASY TIP: Murray wants to be ready for the season, but that’s a tall order. He’s best utilized as a QB2 to mix and match with another low-end QB2 or high-end QB2.
Seattle Seahawks second-round draft choice RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA) signed a four-year contract Tuesday, July 25. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
FANTASY TIP: Word out of Seattle this offseason has varied greatly with regards to how involved Charbonnet will be in 2023. Some beat writers seem to believe he will forge a committee with Kenneth Walker III, while others suggest that the rookie will act as a pure (albeit very good) backup for Walker. At worst, Charbonnet will be one of the best handcuffs in fantasy with RB1 upside should Walker miss time.
From Russell Wilson to Deshaun Watson, here are five star quarterbacks who are very much under the microscope in the 2023 NFL season.
There are a handful of teams across the NFL that have built respectable rosters, or even made it to the playoffs in 2022, but still feel like pretenders rather than contenders. The reasons for those doubts center around the men they have lined up under center or in the shotgun every week.
That’s not to say these quarterbacks are terrible, bottom-of-the-barrel talents. Rather, they leave plays and potential scoring opportunities on the table, and their teams need more from them going forward. Before we get into them, though, there are a few honorable mentions. Quite a few teams in this little predicament, so Desmond Ridder, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, and Jordan Love — you can run but you can’t hide.
With the remainder of the Cleveland Browns roster reporting to training camp the long NFL off-season has finally come to an end. The team will have its first practice at the Greenbrier on Sunday. A majority of the roster is likely set going into training camp outside of a few roster battles that’ll take place.
In this week’s podcast, I was joined by Dawg Pound Daily’s Randy Gurzi and Casey Kinnamon to predict how the 53-man rosters will play out barring injuries. You can watch this episode by clicking here to see what the four of us predict will happen in training camp with the return of Browns football.
ESPN continues to conduct its player rankings entering the 2023 season by polling NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. They wrap up their series with wide receivers, but NFL officials seemed to have forgotten about a particular player. Amari Cooper, who is coming off of a career year with the Cleveland Browns (and who Madden 24 valued as a top-ten wideout), was left off of the list completely.
Even after the ten wide receivers are ranked, they then list a handful of honorable mentions. And Cooper did not even get a shoutout as an honorable mention.
Madden 24 ratings are starting to drop, and the Browns have a top 10 wide receiver in Amari Cooper.
We have reached the point of the offseason where Madden 24 grades are beginning to drop. That started with wide receivers, as Amari Cooper and the rest of the Cleveland Browns receiving unit have their ratings. And for Cooper and the Browns, the veteran has been rated as a top ten wide receiver in this year’s edition of the game with a rating of 91.
He was given the same rating as A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles and was just below both Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders and DeAndre Hopkins (who just signed with the Tennessee Titans).
Here are the other wide receiver ratings for the Browns as we are now just 55 days away from the opening kickoff.
Browns: What current players have Pro Football Hall of Fame resumes?
With long-time offensive tackle Joe Thomas set to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in just three weeks, the Cleveland Browns have their first inductee since returning to the NFL in 1999. This got us thinking: which current players in the brown and orange have a shot at getting their own bust made once they hang up their cleats?
Here are a few players still building their resumes in Cleveland that have a shot of getting the legendary knock on their door once they retire from football.
As we get closer to the end of the dead period more rankings and prediction pieces come out about the 2023 season that is almost here. PFF released a list of three players to build around for all of the AFC teams this week. The three that were selected for the Cleveland Browns were intriguing because Deshaun Watson was not on the list, though he was later mentioned. For the Browns, the three players chosen were Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Amari Cooper. The interesting thing about this list is with Cooper’s current contract he likely isn’t in Cleveland after this season.
“The Browns have assembled one of the league’s most talented rosters on paper. Now everything just needs to come together once and for all, culminating in a playoff appearance, at the very least. Garrett has led the NFL in pass-rush grade in consecutive seasons, and his 22.6% pass-rush win rate over the span is comfortably ahead of the pack. After four straight seasons earning coverage grades above 70.0 for Ward, he needs to bounce back from a pedestrian 2023 campaign. Still, he is among the league’s best young lockdown outside cornerbacks.”
Hopefully, the change in defensive philosophy and a potential for more man coverage will help Ward bounce back in 2023. Amari Cooper will be the leader of the wide receiver room and Myles Garrett’s play speaks for itself.
Where do the top pass catchers in the division rank?
As we get closer to training camps opening across the NFL and as a result, we start projecting and predicting what we will see in 2023. The Cleveland Browns will get a head start on the 2023 season with early training camp due to playing in the Hall of Fame game. It will be a fun summer for Browns fans as they see the great Joe Thomas inducted into the hall. Before we get there, however, let’s rank Amari Cooper among the other top receivers in the AFC North.
The Cincinnati Bengals have the best receiving room in the league and the Browns have enough talent to be a great group if it all goes right. Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh have plenty to smile about as well, let’s look at how the top pass catchers rank in the division in my mind.
Take a step back and see how the Top-10 WRs change from year to year.
Wide receivers are the most plentiful position given that offenses use two or three on most plays. And value exists further out than it does on running backs as the only other position that requires more than one fantasy starter. That all said, a Top-10 wide receiver makes a difference, producing far better stats and consistent results each week.
Fantasy drafters naturally raid the previous Top-10 in the first couple of rounds, and there’s even a “Zero RB” strategy where teams load up on wideouts and later collect whatever running backs that are still left. In the end, it’s all about picking the right players. This summer, a first round may hold more wideouts than any other position. That’s quite the transition from years past where maybe one or two may have been selected. Running backs and wide receivers have almost completely swapped their perceived value in the eyes of fantasy drafters.
Check out just how volatile the Top-10 has been for the last five seasons.
This shows just how consistently elite that Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and Stefon Diggs have been for the last three years. Interesting too that there have been no wideout with more than three straight Top-10 performances over the last five years. And that block of four receivers are all entering their fourth season.
The other six from 2021 all fell significantly. Half of the Top-10 from last year were no better than No. 19 the previous season. Half of the 2022 Top-10 experienced their first Top-10 year.
Over the last five years, only 12 of the 31 receivers that reached the Top-10 in a season did so in any of the other four. Take away those top four wideouts, and no wideout repeated a Top-10 the next season for the last two years.
The position enjoys more fantasy popularity than ever, but the repeatability of a Top-10 wideout has been zero outside of the top four. That’s not to say they lose all value. They continue to provide WR2 or WR3 stats, but lack the difference-making of that top tier. There’s a fair amount of transition at the top tier with that set of four heading into all new territory while going for their fourth-straight Top-10 year.
