RADIO
Fantasy football drafts are almost here, so now is the time to start preparing for your leagues. The first round will always get the most attention on draft day. Should you go with Ja'Marr Chase or Cooper Kupp at pick 1.03? Should you draft rookie running back Bijan Robinson at 1.07?
Sometimes those early picks can also hurt your chances of winning, just look at Jonathan Taylor last season. However, most of the time, the middle round of drafts is where you will win your fantasy leagues. Stefon Diggs wasn't drafted high in 2021 but was a fantasy superstar. Same thing with Cooper Kupp in 2021 when Matthew Stafford arrived.
While it might be hard to find those types of players in the middle rounds of this year's draft, there are certainly many players you must grab in these rounds. This list will provide one at every position (QB, RB, WR, TE), and one bonus player you should target in most 10-14 non-Superflex leagues.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
QB: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
ADP: 88.7 on Sleeper, 97.3 on ESPN
It's easy to pass on Prescott in the middle rounds because of what he did last season. He threw for just 2,860 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 12 games. He finished as the QB18 while averaging 17.8 fantasy points per game. But if you wait for a quarterback in drafts, he should be a player you target.
He's going around the seventh to eighth round in fantasy drafts this season. Outside of his 2022 season, Prescott has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback four times in his career-- most recently in 2021 as the QB8. His best fantasy finish came in 2019 when the veteran finished as the QB2 in fantasy football.
A large success for Prescott during the 2019 season was his weapons in the passing game. Throwing passes to Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Randall Cobb, and Jason Witten helped the Cowboys' quarterback throw for a career-high 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Now entering 2023, the 30-year-old veteran will have better targets this season in Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandin Cooks. He has such a high floor on an elite Dallas offense and should finish inside the top 10 with a much better receiving core than last year.
RB: James Cook, Buffalo Bills
ADP: 89 on Sleeper, 88.4 on ESPN
The Buffalo Bills selected running back James Cook in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In his first season, Cook had just 110 touches for 687 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He also finished as the RB44 in PPR formats last season. While the former Georgia star wasn't a big factor in his rookie year, there's reason to believe a year two breakout could be in store.
Cook is reportedly thriving in training camp with the first-team offense. Also, quarterback Josh Allen is targeting him heavily in the passing game. With Devin Singletary now gone, the second-year running back will likely see an increase in playing time in 2023. If the Bills utilize him the right way in the passing game, he should be a PPR monster.
Fantasy football is all about finding those players in the middle rounds that can exceed expectations and be a consistent starter on your roster. Cook falls under that category. The Bills' running back will have a low floor but a high ceiling entering the year. He's certainly worth the risk.
WR: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
ADP: 97.7 on Sleeper, 100.5 on ESPN
This one might be controversial, but why not grab wide receiver Michael Thomas in the middle rounds of your fantasy drafts? It's, of course, a risk to do so. He has played in just 10 games over the past three NFL seasons and hasn't been able to stay healthy.
But, there's also a good chance you get the Thomas of the past. The two-time All-Pro wideout finished as the WR1 in all formats in 2019 and as a top-seven WR in PPR formats in his first four NFL seasons. Again it's all about maximizing your team's potential in the middle rounds, especially if you're confident that your early-round guys will perform consistently.
The reports on Thomas have been encouraging so far during training camp, and his quarterback upgrade in Derek Carr should help the Saints' overall offense. Last season, the 30-year-old wideout averaged 17.3 PPR points in three games. It's a small sample size, but he always produces when on the field. If he stays healthy, he could be a steal in the eighth to ninth round.
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
ADP: 84.3 on Sleeper, 92.7 on ESPN
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth won't be a pick that league mates praise you for, but he'll get the job done at a weak fantasy position group. Last season, Friermuth finished as the TE8 in PPR formats while averaging 9.30 PPR fantasy points per game. The 24-year-old also had eight games above 10 PPR fantasy points in 2022.
If you can't grab Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, or T.J. Hockenson early in drafts, waiting for a player like Friermuth could pay off in the middle rounds. The Steelers tight end is currently going in the seventh round, which is great value for a player that has put up consistent numbers in his first two seasons.
With quarterback Kenny Pickett entering his second NFL season, Friermuth could be in store for a bigger year. The tight end had a 19% target share last year, and that shouldn't change too much in 2023. Most tight ends take off in year three, so we could see a top-six fantasy finish for the former Penn State product.
WR: Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys
ADP: 95.5 on Sleeper, 99.2 on ESPN
Putting two Cowboys on this list wasn't supposed to happen, but the value of Cooks makes him a must-have in the middle rounds this year. The Houston Texans traded the veteran to Dallas this offseason, and the wideout landed in the perfect fantasy spot for the 2023 season.
Cooks is coming off a down year in Houston, catching just 57 passes for 699 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't a fantasy factor last season and finished as the WR49 in PPR formats. However, the upgraded quarterback play in Prescott should get the 29-year-old wideout back into fantasy relevancy.
The nine-year veteran has six top-20 wide receiver finishes over his career, and in all six seasons, Cooks finished with over 1,000 receiving yards. With the wideout now on an offense that loves to pass, he should get back into the WR2/WR3 territory. He's going to be the main deep-threat target on Dallas' offense, and that should be enough to draft him in the seventh to eighth round.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Win More With RotoBaller
Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
