2023 Power Rankings: Week 1
Good evening, Coaches! Welcome all to a brand newseason and, in particular, Geoff to a brand new league! It was another excellent LOC day this year, with a fun and different approach to the league event, made possible by more masterful spreadsheet-ing. But, of course, the main event was the draft in itself. With, in my opinion, the best draft video to date as an aperitif, I now offer you these Power Rankings as suitable digestif, underscoring the offseason and bridging us into 2023. As an extra treat, I’ve included my favourite, least favourite and key picks, which I usually just use as notes for Week 1. This year, I thought I’d share them, so, please, enjoy!
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12. Louis
Favourite Pick: Kyle PittsLeast Favourite Pick: Dallas Goedert
Key Man: Jonathan Taylor
Hard to analyse, as with each year. Always good for a laugh on the day, we know that auto-draft brings out the TE picks that our league format detracts value from. Andrews, Kittle, and, in particular, Pitts were all decent values with their potential upside though. Watson is a wildcard, but the return of Jonathan Taylor will be the key. Will he return after 4 weeks? Could it be for a potentially far stronger team? He could be massive this year.
11. Buccing The Trend
Favourite Pick: Josh JacobsLeast Favourite Pick: DeAndre Hopkins
Key Man: Tua Tagovailoa
A veteran heavy team, Buccing The Trend will be looking for some former stars to carve out roles on new teams. Nuk, Williams, Zeke, JuJu – there are a range of possibilities here – while Godwin and Pittman are looking at new QBs with big accuracy downgrades. The Barkley/Jacobs kinda-weird-franchise-tag-ish combo has the potential to be league leading, though. Can Tua’s leap in draft price be repaid over a whole season?
10. Tom’s Tyrants
Favourite Pick: James CookLeast Favourite Pick: Cooper Kupp
Key Man: Cooper Kupp
With 6 second year players, this team is built and primed to ‘make-the-leap’, the question is, can they? Flooded with WR talent, this team should see the fewest RB snaps on the season, with Wilson, Allen, London, and Pickens all ready to grow with new QBs, new systems, or expanded roles. James Cook and Adam Thielen were good values with the share of their offenses they are expected to handle. The news on Cooper Kupp since draft day has not been positive, and it has made his position atop the board more questionable.
9. U R Gould
Favourite Pick: Robbie Gould Darren WallerLeast Favourite Pick: Robbie Gould Quentin JohnstonKey Man: Robbie Gould Justin Fields
After Robbie Gould was surprisingly drafted, and unceremoniously cut, this blurb has changed somewhat. The top 3 draft picks ooze star power, all having posted excellent stats in 2022, yet with room to grow further. Don’t be mistaken though, Justin Fields is the soul of the team and, if his rushing totals continue, he’s got a shot at #1 overall scorer. I liked the value of Darren Waller as a TE/WR1 hybrid, but the three rookies that followed make for questionable depth.
8. Bear Necessities
Favourite Pick: Lamar JacksonLeast Favourite Pick: Deebo Samuel
Key Man: Bijan Robinson
A very strong start to the draft here, solid RBs with near guaranteed roles, backed up with a #1 overall QB contender towards the end of the early run. The receiver room doesn’t fill me with confidence, with some uncertain roles and likely bad offenses, but prominent snap shares for Williams and/or Cook could alleviate that. When you draft a rookie in the first round, a lot is bound to rest on his shoulders.
7. Patistan
Favourite Pick: Jahan DotsonLeast Favourite Pick: Najee Harris
Key Man: Geno Smith
Geno Smith could easily have been the favourite pick here as well. Patistan were bold, they waited out the QBs, and they came out with a potential steal if last season’s form can be repeated. This is an excellent collection of WRs, and I think Dotson in particular could prove a great value pick. Harris felt like a pick made by a coach who didn’t want to leave Rounds 2/3 without aRB, he will need to show markedly better efficiency in an improved Steelers offense, or lose touches. Picking at the turn can do that, as anything can happen before your next picks.
6. IKSAN
Favourite Pick: Samaje PerineLeast Favourite Pick: Christian Watson
Key Man: Patrick Mahomes
An interesting team to place for me, after a resoundingly poor effort last year. I have nothing against Christian Watson as a pick, but it is quite early to double up on an offense with some question marks. Having said that, I love trying to get a couple of 1a/1b options in the new Payton-led Broncos. Hypocrisy, I know, but what are you going to do about it? Mattison could prove an excellent value in the middle rounds, but I am less convinced by Mike Evans. They will go as far as Mahomes can take them which, as we know, is pretty darn far.
5. Forge Flyers
Favourite Pick: Anthony RichardsonLeast Favourite Pick: Rhamondre StevensonKey Man: Derrick Henry
King Henry to Forge Flyers was written in the stars and, with his stable of bruising backs, the gameplan is clearand well proven. Stevenson was a little rich for me, with some top pass catchers available, but the team was rounded out nicely with a collection of affordable receivers who have the potential to be target hogs. I especially liked the late Romeo Doubs pick to add to the collection. Richardson and Dak make for a very nice budget QB rotation.
4. Gridiron Gang
Favourite Pick: Rashod BatemanLeast Favourite Pick: David Montgomery
Key Man: Christian McCaffrey
First and foremost, I don’t dislike the Montgomery pick, it was just a massive anticlimax after all the potential trade attempts, consider me neutral. The middle of this draft is filled with RB potential, if Gridiron Gang can get a couple of hits, they’ll be laughing. Jaylen Waddle needs to maintain his crazy efficiency all the time Hill is hogging the targets, but he’s more than capable. JSN and, particularly, Bateman are high upside receivers to have on the bench. They just need a full season of CMC and they’ll be laughing.
3. Great Scott
Favourite Pick: Raheem MostertLeast Favourite Pick: Jahmyr Gibbs
Key Man: Miles Sanders
Buoyed by a couple of high-value, superstars at receiver, Great Scott set about hitting the RBs left, right, and centre. If some of the larger roles potentially available to Sanders, White, and maybe Mostert pay off, this could be a ridiculously high-volume fantasy team. Sanders, above all others, is being talked up as a workhorse, and could repeat his strong previous year. Gibbs is an X-factor, for sure, but he has to come out of the gates fast to pay off the draft price. T-Law was a nice touch at a decent price.
2. The Dream Team
Favourite Pick: Justin HerbertLeast Favourite Pick: 49ers
Key Man: Breece Hall
Season-long, this is one of my favourite drafts. I think the top three were all excellent values, and getting Justin Herbert after the main QB run is a great result. Whilst the timing and quality of the 49ers pick in not in doubt, I feel that the pick may have been better spent on a higher quality depth option. McLaurin, Hall, Jeudy, and Toney all have questionable statuses to start the season, Hunt doesn’t even have a team. Having said that, if Hall returns to his rookie form quickly, a 3-down RB in the 6thround could be season defining.
1. Burdettinators
Favourite Pick: Diontae JohnsonLeast Favourite Pick: J.K. Dobbins
Key Man: Davante Adams
This is best built Burdettinators team I’ve seen, immediately after the draft at least, for several seasons. A steady base of receivers, with good target shares and high upsides, form the core of the team. Hurts is also a very strong QB option with a high floor. The rushing touches for Dobbins and Swift remain a slightly unknown quantity, but both have clear routes to valuable touches in high-powered offenses. If Jimmy G can keep Adams saturated with good opportunities, he will be a bargain.
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And, there you have it! As always, take the rankings with a pinch of salt, perhaps draft ranks out of 10 would be an easier way to convey a clear opinion? Oh well, park that one for next year. Hopefully, these are slightly more interesting, and less random, than the NFL.com draft recaps. If I’m less accurate than that… well… probably time to reevaluate life a little.
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