The first NFL Sunday of the 2023 season is now less than one month away! Training camp battles are heating up, and certain players are creating a lot of buzz as the preseason begins. This time of year means fantasy football draft season has arrived, and participants will be looking to draft the best roster in their league. As it stands today in August, select players are undervalued going into fantasy drafts. Here are five undervalued fantasy football players for the 2023 season.
*PPR Scoring
*ADP (Average Draft Position) according to FantasyPros
The Five Most Undervalued Fantasy Football Players for 2023 (PPR)
1. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
Jones is currently going off the board as the RB16 and overall pick 39 across fantasy leagues. Losing one of the most talented quarterbacks of all time is a big change to the Packers offense. There is no doubt about that. However, Jones has been one of the most explosive and consistent running backs in the league over the past four seasons. Having caught no less than 47 passes per season over that span, Head Coach Matt LeFleur clearly wants to involve Jones in the passing game. To take pressure off of new starter Jordan Love, Jones could see an uptick in his usage while combining that with his elite efficiency (career 5.1 YPA).
2. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk is going off the board as the WR29 following his 2022 season where he finished as the overall WR15. The 49ers offense is loaded with talent, but that was the case last season when Aiyuk posted 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns. There isn’t certainty at the quarterback position, but there wasn’t last year either. The main reason Aiyuk should be going higher in drafts is that he is an elite talent with great route running and explosiveness. Oh, and his play-caller happens to be Kyle Shanahan.
3. George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens is a very undervalued player heading into the 2023 season as the WR35. Pickens finished his rookie season as the WR40 on only 84 targets. Now that Pickens and his quarterback, Kenny Pickett have a year under their belt in the same offense together, that target number should increase drastically. It seems that not a day goes by when you don’t see a George Pickens highlight on social media. Pickens flashed all of his talent in the Steelers first preseason game against the Buccaneers as well. It seems it won’t be long before Pickens is one of the NFL’s premier talents at the wide receiver position.
4. Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
Although it is rare for rookie tight ends to come out of the gate swinging, Sam LaPorta is still undervalued at his ADP. LaPorta is going as the TE19 in PPR leagues. The Lions drafted LaPorta 34th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. A near first-round pick in draft capital tells you that the Lions believe in LaPorta’s talent, and their plans to utilize that talent could begin very early in the season. Wide receiver Jameson Williams is suspended for the first six games of the season. This leaves Amon-Ra St. Brown and fellow rookie Jahmyr Gibbs as the main competition for targets. LaPorta’s chance for opportunity paired with his speed and athleticism at his size should allow him to outperform his ADP.
5. Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
After finishing 2022 as the QB5, Smith is undervalued, going as the QB15 heading into 2023. Smith drastically exceeded expectations in 2022, However, he possesses the talent to be a mid to high-level starter in the league. The Seahawks have even brought in more weapons for Smith to work with on offense with the additions of first-round wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and second-round running back, Zach Charbonnet. The undervalued quarterback should put up similar numbers from his 2022 campaign with the improved roster around him.
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