2023 Dynasty Bold Predictions

Disclaimer

There is a reason we call them BOLD predictions, a lot of bounces will need to go their way for any of these to come to fruition. These are all players, however, I think will take a leap in 2023, improving their dynasty outlook for years to come.   

Running Backs

James Cook, DynastyPro's current dynasty running back 30, finishes 2023 as a top 15 running back, firmly planting him as a top 15 dynasty running back.

James Cook had a fortunate offseason, and he is now poised to enter 2023 with every opportunity to become a featured piece of the Bill's offence. First off, the team loves him, they proved that by taking him in the 2nd round 63rd overall in the 2022 NFL draft. Pricey draft capital when you consider the state of the position. Cook was the third running back off the board in the 2022 NFL draft, only behind Kenneth Walker and Breece Hall. Cook can accelerate quickly, he has great hands, and great long speed, and this allows him to make big plays as a runner and pass catcher. His size is the biggest knock to his game, as many don’t believe his size can handle a heavy workload. Although not as small as Cook, we have seen similar style running backs like Austin Ekeler and Christian McCaffrey smash. Those are obviously outliers, however NFL teams are evolving and now coveting smaller dual-threat running back/wide receiver hybrids and Cook falls perfectly into this category. The Bills parted ways with Devin Singletary this offseason, opening the door for Cook to seize the early-down role. The Bills did however, bring in veterans Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, but I don’t see them being big threats other than to each other, vulturing goal line work that Cook wasn’t getting anyhow.  In the two preseason games the Bills played their projected starters, Cook averaged an 80% snap share, received 79% of the rush attempts, had 70% route participation, and a 17% target share. These are all great signs, What’s more, Cook finished 2022; 2nd in true yards per carry with 5.3, 3rd in yards per touch with 6.3, and 1st in breakaway run rate 12.7% (Playerprofiler).  With all this said, if the stars align, Cook will smash this year and this bold prediction may not be too far-fetched.     

Tyjae Spears, DynastyPro's current dynasty running back 41, finishes 2023 as a top 24 running back, establishing him as a top 20 dynasty running back.

Tyjae Spears not having an ACL scared teams from drafting him ahead of guys like Kendre Miller and Zach Charbonnet. In 2022, his final year in college at Tulane, Spears rushed for 1581 and 21 tds in 2022, a monster season. After watching him spear through defenses this preseason, I am laying those ACL fears to rest. There is no way the Titans will be able to keep him off the field after this strong showing. He led the NFL this preseason with 4.73 yards after contact and finished 9th in yards per carry(Credit @SharpFootball), doing so while facing stacked boxes. One of the best handcuffs in all of football, behind an aging, heavily used, Derrick Henry. He is elusive and his explosion plays are a beautiful thing to watch. Spears is a great pass blocker and can catch the ball well. There is an immediate opening for Spears to take on the 3rd down role in Tennessee. He won’t disappoint with these early opportunities, leading him to take away a piece of Derrick Henry’s rushing load. Furthermore, he would immediately catapult into low-end RB1 with a Derrick Henry injury and become an instant league winner. By early-mid season Spears should carve out stand-alone value catapulting him into a top 24 finish.

Wide Receivers

Skyy Moore, DynastyPro's current dynasty wide receiver 57, finishes 2023 as a top 24 wide receiver, establishing himself as a top 24 dynasty wide receiver.

Skyy’s the limit when you have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes endorsing your offseason progress. There is a slot position and 135 vacated targets up for grabs in the Kansas City receiving corp. The draft capital that the Chiefs spent on Skyy Moore leads me to believe that he will get the first-crack vacated targets and that coveted slot position. In addition, he is playing every snap alongside Marquez Valdes-Scantling with the first-team offense.  I am confident he will make a right on his lackluster rookie season.

For a full breakdown of Skyy Moore’s dynasty value check out my Dynasty Dilemma on him, This goes deeper into this.  

https://dynastyprosfootball.com/dynasty-dilemma-skyy-moore/

Jahan Dotson, DynastyPro's current dynasty wide receiver 28, finishes 2023 as a top 15 wide receiver, establishing himself as a top 12 dynasty wide receiver. 

Jahan Dotson, is perhaps the most underrated 1st round wide receiver picked out of the 2022 rookie draft. As a rookie, Dotson finished 2022 tied for 14th in wide receiver touchdowns, even though he missed 5 games. No doubt the Commanders made an upgrade at quarterback, Sam Howell and Dotson showed chemistry in the one game they played last season, and looked dialed in with each other during the two pre-season games they played together. New offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, will surely plan to get Dotson into space and utilize his blazing speed, similar to how he did with Tyreek Hill in Kansas City. Dotson has got great hands posting an 81.4% catch rate, and was on pace for an incredible 10 touchdowns in his rookie season. Finally, Terry McLaurin is already battling a turf toe that he suffered in the pre-season. Chances are that McLaurin will miss at least a couple of games, allowing Dotson to start this season blazing, further improving Dotson’s outlook for a huge breakout in 2023.

Quarterbacks

Daniel Jones, DynastyPro's current dynasty quarterback 16, finishes 2023 as a top 7 quarterback cementing him as a top 8 dynasty quarterback

Daniel Jones, sent shockwaves through the NFL when he was selected 6th overall in the 2019 NFL draft. This was a surprising move at the time, but still, one that many consider to be an outlandish selection. After a shaky start to his career, Jones has steadily improved his completion % each season, topping out at 67.2% in 2022.  Jones has also made strides in his ball protection, in his rookie season he threw 12 interceptions, improving this mark every single season, Jones only threw 5 interceptions in 2022. Everything you want to see from your franchise quarterback, and yes, we can call him a franchise quarterback after last season. Jones quietly finished 2022 as the QB 9, throwing the ball more than he ever did with 472 pass attempts. This number will surely only go up this year with the additions of Darren Waller and Jaylin Hyatt. Jones ran for 708 yards and 7 touchdowns, solidifying him as an under-the-radar dual-threat quarterback. Every offseason, Jones has made improvements to evolve his game and I think this offseason is no exception. He is looking a lot more confident in throwing into tight windows. The addition of Darren Waller will only benefit Jones positively, especially in the red zone where he has been inefficient at converting passing touchdowns.  Even a small 5th-year leap will make this bold prediction a more realistic expectation.   

Sam Howell, Dynasty Pros' current dynasty quarterback 30, posts a top-18 finish moving him into the top 15 of dynasty quarterbacks

Sam Howell is set for a big 2023, blessed with one of the most underrated and talented receiving corps in the NFL, with his arm ready to sling the ball 600+ times in the new Eric Bienemy offense. Bienemy is known for producing exceptional quarterbacks in his systems. There hasn’t been a quarterback in a Bienemy system to finish worse than the quarterback 7(credit Fantasy Gazette). I am not saying that Sam Howell is the next Patrick Mahomes, however, there is the potential for a legitimate breakout in this Bienemy system. Howell has some traits in his game similar to Mahomes’s that Bienemy is surely excited to work around; great arm strength, poise in the pocket, and sneaky mobility. Howell should emerge as a poor man’s Mahomes with all his similar traits. After a season on the bench waiting in the wings, Howell is poised to use his new weapons and flourish in his first year as a starting quarterback in the NFL.    

Tight End

Dalton Kincaid, DynastyPro's current tight end 8, finishes 2023 as a tight end 5, firmly planting him as a top 3 dynasty tight end

After another disappointing exit to the 2022 NFL playoffs, the Buffalo Bills were clearly in the market to upgrade their pass-catching room with their 1st round pick. Once the Power 4 wide receivers went off the board, the Bills went with the next best-receiving option in the draft by picking tight end Dalton Kincaid with the 25th overall pick. The Bills desperately need a big slot option to take pressure off of Stefon Diggs. Last season, in Utah, Kincaid was a slot machine, ranking amongst the best in the nation lining up there. The Bills traded up for Kincaid so he should see all the opportunities and targets that he can handle this season. He profiles similar to Travis Kelce, and the Bills are hopeful that their first-round pick can one day deliver similar top-tier production. 

If the Bills plan on using him like they are eluding us to believe, Kincaid is poised for a huge rookie season. Breaking the outlier that tight ends cannot produce big numbers in their rookie season.