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There is no secret to building an elite dynasty team in fantasy football. Sometimes you need a lucky break or two. However, identifying the top player on every NFL team is critical to success. Similarly, fantasy managers must know which players to trade away before their fantasy value tanks.
Superflex leagues have become extremely popular over the past several years and that has made the starting quarterback the top dynasty player on most teams. Meanwhile, they rarely have the most value in single quarterback leagues. Most of the time, the team's top dynasty player is the elite running back or star wide receiver but that’s not always the case.
For this article, we're going to take a look at the top dynasty player for every NFC team in a single quarterback league. Let's dive in.
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NFC East
Dallas Cowboys – CeeDee Lamb
After starting his career as the No. 2 wide receiver opposite Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb had a breakout season in 2022. The superstar was the WR6, averaging 14.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. More importantly, he nearly doubled his career touchdown total, finishing with nine receiving scores after having just 11 over the first two years of his career.
Furthermore, Lamb improved his route running numbers despite a 23.1% target increase. The superstar wide receiver averaged 2.38 yards per route run and 0.44 fantasy points per route last season, both career highs. Meanwhile, the addition of Brandin Cooks should keep defenses from consistently double-teaming the former Oklahoma star and create more one-on-one matchups for him.
New York Giants – Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley set the fantasy football world on fire as a rookie. Unfortunately, injuries over the past few years had derailed his career and fantasy value. However, the superstar running back rebounded in his first season with coach Brian Daboll last season. The veteran averaged 16 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, his highest average since 2019.
Moreover, Barkley led the team in receptions and targets last season. Yet, the Giants didn’t add an alpha wide receiver this offseason, instead trading for an injury-prone Darren Waller. While some are worried about Barkley’s contract situation and a potential holdout, the superstar remains a top-10 dynasty running back.
Philadelphia Eagles – A.J. Brown
The Eagles have an outstanding 1-2 wide receiver punch with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The veteran receiver had a career year in 2022. Brown finished the season as the WR5, averaging 15 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. The former Ole Miss standout also beat his previous career high in targets by 27.4%. More importantly, Philadelphia took advantage of his ability to make plays downfield.
Brown had a career-high 1,496 receiving yards and a 12.9 average depth of target, the second-highest of his career. Furthermore, the superstar receiver caught 81.8% of his contested catches on passes 20 or more yards downfield. Now that Jalen Hurts signed a long-term deal with the Eagles, Brown has unlimited potential for fantasy players.
Washington Commanders – Terry McLaurin
Unfortunately, the Commanders haven’t given Terry McLaurin a legit franchise quarterback at any point in his career. Yet, the star receiver has been a consistent low-end WR2 for fantasy players. Last year, McLaurin had the best fantasy finish of his career, finishing as the WR14 while averaging 11.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.
However, McLaurin had the second-lowest fantasy points per game average of his four-year career. With that, he still had a career-high 1,191 receiving yards, finishing 10th in the NFL. Hopefully, Washington will solve its quarterback problem sometime in the next 10 months, giving the former Ohio State star a chance to become an elite fantasy receiver.
NFC North
Chicago Bears – D.J. Moore
After spending the first five years of his career playing with subpar quarterbacks in Carolina, D.J. Moore will now catch passes from burgeoning star Justin Fields. While the former Ohio State quarterback had only 17 passing touchdowns last year, Cole Kmet was the only player on the team with over 500 receiving yards. That won’t be the case moving forward with Moore now on the team.
Meanwhile, the veteran has been a consistent WR2 for fantasy players since his rookie year, despite playing with awful quarterbacks. Moore has had at least 1,150 receiving yards or seven touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. More importantly, the former Maryland receiver and Fields have already built a strong connection on the field. No one should be surprised if Moore has his first top-10 finish in 2023.
Detroit Lions – Amon-Ra St. Brown
The former USC star ended his rookie season on fire. Amon-Ra St. Brown was the WR2 over the final six weeks of the 2021 season, averaging 20.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Incredibly, he averaged only 1.7 fantasy points per game less than megastar Cooper Kupp during those final six weeks.
More importantly, St. Brown proved his rookie season success wasn’t a fluke last year. The second-year star was the WR8 in 2022, averaging 13.4 fantasy points per game. He also finished sixth in the NFL with 106 receptions. St. Brown remains the unquestioned top pass-catcher in Detroit despite the rookie additions.
Green Bay Packers – Christian Watson
Sadly, Christian Watson’s rookie season got off to a pretty slow start. Yet, the former North Dakota State receiver ended the year playing well. He was the WR7, averaging 15.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, over his final eight contests. Furthermore, Watson had the most receiving touchdowns among rookies in 2022 with seven.
He also played a role in the run game, totaling two touchdowns on seven rushing attempts. While Green Bay traded away Aaron Rodgers this offseason, the team has high hopes for Jordan Love, partly because of Watson. The Packers did spend three picks on pass-catchers in this year's NFL Draft but Watson should remain the team’s clear-cut No. 1 pass-catcher.
Minnesota Vikings – Justin Jefferson
The former LSU superstar is arguably the best dynasty asset in all of fantasy football. Over the past three years, only three wide receivers have finished top six every season; Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, and Justin Jefferson. However, the young superstar is only starting the prime of his career. He was the WR1 last season, averaging 17.9 half-point PPR fantasy points per game.
Jefferson led the league in receiving yards with a ridiculous 1,809 in 2022. Some might worry that the 24-year-old will see his target share drop with T.J. Hockenson on the team. However, he averaged 1.2 more targets per game in the 10 contests with Hockenson last year. While Kirk Cousins’ long-term future in Minnesota is in doubt, Jefferson is too talented not to be a top-two dynasty wide receiver.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons – Bijan Robinson
Many fantasy experts have made Bijan Robinson the dynasty RB1 despite the fact he hasn't taken a snap in the NFL. The former Texas star was the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley back in 2018. More importantly, Robinson was an elite NFL Draft prospect and will be a fantasy superstar.
The former Longhorn forced a missed tackle on 40.5% of his rushing attempts last season in Austin. Additionally, 16% of his rushing attempts went for 10 yards or more. The 21-year-old rookie is an excellent runner but equally talented in the passing game; he averaged 16.5 yards per reception in 2022. The Falcons were the top rushing offense in the NFL last season and that only makes Robinson more valuable for fantasy players.
Carolina Panthers – Miles Sanders
Unfortunately, the veteran running back had historically bad luck finding the end zone in 2021, totaling zero touchdowns on 163 touches. However, Miles Sanders bounced back last season, averaging 12.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, a career-high. The former Penn State star set career highs in rushing yards (1,269), touchdowns (11), and 100-yard games (three). He finished as the RB13, which was also the highest mark of his career as well.
Sanders joined the Panthers this offseason and while the team used a two-headed approach after they traded away Christian McCaffrey last year, that won’t be the case this season. Carolina signed Sanders to a significant free agent deal this offseason, so fantasy players should expect a career-high in touches in 2023. More importantly, the veteran running back should have a meaningful role in the passing game as well.
New Orleans Saints – Chris Olave
While he has only 15 career games on his resume, the former Ohio State star is already one of the top dynasty wide receivers. Last year, Chris Olave was the WR25, averaging 10.8 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. However, the rookie was catching passes from Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. Despite the limitations at QB, he was one of two rookies with over 1,000 receiving yards, including three 100-yard performances.
More importantly, New Orleans upgraded the quarterback position this offseason, signing Derek Carr. Furthermore, they didn’t add meaningful competition for targets, making Olave the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver again in 2023. While Michael Thomas will return this year, he has missed 80% of his team's games over the past three seasons so he's not a serious threat to Olave's target share. If Olave can score seven or more touchdowns this season, the star receiver should have a top-10 finish.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Chris Godwin
The former Penn State star had a disappointing 2022 season, averaging 11.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Last year’s average was the lowest in his career since his second season in the NFL. However, Godwin was coming off a torn ACL and dealt with multiple injuries last season.
Despite the injuries, the veteran had his second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season while setting a career-high in receptions (104) and targets (142). Unfortunately, he only had three receiving touchdowns last year, after averaging seven per season over the previous four years. Even though he's heading into his seventh season in the NFL, Godwin is only 27 years old. This gives fantasy players a few more seasons of star production.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals – Marquise Brown
Much could change over the next 10 months in Arizona. Caleb Williams might be a Cardinal next year with Kyler Murray playing for a new team. Meanwhile, Marquise Brown is one of the more underrated fantasy wide receivers. Unfortunately, he had a disappointing first year in the desert, finishing as the WR46. The veteran missed five games in total due to a foot injury.
However, Brown was the WR6, averaging 14.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game before getting hurt in Week 6. Arizona released DeAndre Hopkins this offseason and only spent one pick on a pass-catcher in the 2023 NFL Draft. While his star quarterback likely won’t play much this year, Brown averaged seven targets per game in his five contests without Murray in 2022.
Los Angeles Rams – Cooper Kupp
Cooper Kupp recently turned 30 years old. However, his age should not matter. The veteran was the WR1 on a points-per-game basis last season, averaging 18.2 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. The superstar ended the year as the WR24 despite missing half the season with an ankle injury. He has been arguably the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL over the past two years.
Kupp scored 12.7 or more fantasy points in all but one game over the past two seasons, removing the matchup from last year when he suffered the season-ending ankle injury. The Rams have a limited receiving room, so don’t be surprised if Kupp ends the 2023 season as the overall WR1. The veteran wideout has shown no signs of decline and should remain a fantasy star for years.
San Francisco 49ers – Christian McCaffrey
The former Stanford star dealt with injuries in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, the veteran returned to his elite form in 2022. Christian McCaffrey was the RB2, averaging 18.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Amazingly, the superstar RB had only eight rushing touchdowns while every other running back in the top six had at least 10. More importantly, McCaffrey was nearly unstoppable once he joined the 49ers.
Following his first game with the team, he was the RB1 through the end of the season, averaging 20.5 fantasy points per game. The six-year vet averaged 5.9 targets per game last season with the 49ers as well. While the former Stanford star recently turned 27, he still has a few more elite years left.
Seattle Seahawks – DK Metcalf
While the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba hurt DK Metcalf’s long-term dynasty outlook, the veteran wide receiver remains the top pass-catcher in Seattle. The former Ole Miss Rebel averaged 10.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game last season, the lowest average since his rookie year. However, Metcalf set a career-high in receptions (90) and targets (141).
Meanwhile, the star receiver had only six touchdowns in 2022, which was a career worst. Fantasy managers should expect the touchdown production to bounce back next season, as the veteran had 22 receiving scores over the previous two years. More importantly, Metcalf had his second career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2022 and should only get better in his second year with Geno Smith under center.
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