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Successful fantasy football managers know that any time is a good time to improve a fantasy roster and that certainly goes for the run up to Week 1, as there are roster upgrade opportunities galore for those willing to make adjustments this close to the season.
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To assist with this process, here is a list of 32 moves you can make to improve your team, with one listed for every NFL club. These include handcuff picks, trade options, drop candidates and flier selections.
(Note: The advanced metrics outside of KC’s unique metrics are per TruMedia/PFF or Stathead, unless otherwise noted.)
Arizona Cardinals
Move to improve your team: Drop Rondale Moore in place of a higher percentage wideout
The Cardinals have the worst quarterback situation in the league and could end up not playing Kyler Murray in the 2023 campaign if this season falls apart. Moore has durability issues that made him a risky prospect even with Murray under center, and the prospect of seeing passes from Joshua Dobbs and/or Clayton Tune should be enough to drop Moore for a higher percentage wideout such as Adam Thielen (more on him below).
Atlanta Falcons
Move to improve your team: Roster Tyler Allgeier in all leagues
Allgeier finished 10th last season in my good blocking yards per attempt (GBYPA) metric that measures how productive backs are when given good run blocking (more of which can be found here). Atlanta may have bell-cow work in mind for Bijan Robinson, but if Robinson is only able to hold up to a lead back’s volume or gets hurt, Allgeier will give fantasy managers plenty of value per carry. This means Allgeier is a quality roster add in the roughly half of ESPN and Yahoo leagues where he is available.
Baltimore Ravens
Move to improve your team: Roster Gus Edwards if you have J.K. Dobbins
J.K. Dobbins has participated in only 23 of the 50 games the Ravens have played during his career and thus is tough to rely upon as a full-time starter. Getting an insurance policy like Edwards, whose 9.3 GBYPA was equal to Dobbins’ performance in that metric last season, can help offset Dobbins’ injury risk for minimal cost.
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Buffalo Bills
Move to improve your team: Roster Damien Harris in all leagues
Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, and Nyheim Hines claimed all of the Bills’ 19 carries inside the 5-yard line last year, but that won’t be the case this year, as Singletary is in Houston, Hines is out for the year and the Bills want Allen to carry the ball less often. Since James Cook doesn’t have a goal line back frame (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) and Harris is only two years removed from scoring 15 rushing touchdowns, it makes Harris a great value in the high percentage of leagues where he is available.
Carolina Panthers
Move to improve your team: Trade out a low percentage wide receiver for Adam Thielen
Only 20 wide receivers have caught more passes over the past three years than Thielen, and he is now in a Carolina offense that needs high percentage security blankets for Bryce Young. That could provide a path for Thielen to lead the Panthers in targets, yet he is available in 30 percent of ESPN leagues and nearly half of Yahoo leagues. If you have a low percentage wideout and Thielen is available, swap the two out, as it will upgrade your roster.
Chicago Bears
Move to improve your team: Pick up at least one Bears backup running back
The Bears were tied for third in good run blocking rate last year, added some offensive line talent and have the most favorable run defense schedule in 2023 per my draft guide (available here). They also are going to operate a running back by committee approach, yet Roschon Johnson and D’Onta Foreman have very low roster rates in both ESPN and Yahoo leagues. Pick one of them up if you don’t have a backup running back with as clear of a potential production path as these two have.
Cincinnati Bengals
Move to improve your team: Add Chase Brown if you have Joe Mixon as a starter
Mixon is not a breakaway threat, as he has been below league average in GBYPA for five of the past six seasons. That’s part of why the Bengals added Chase Brown in the draft, as Brown led the Big Ten in rushes of 10+ yards last year. Brown has a viable path to the backup role on this team because of that big-play ability and thus could be a very good add if you have Mixon as a starter.
Cleveland Browns
Move to improve your team: Add Donovan Peoples-Jones as a high floor depth option in deep leagues
Peoples-Jones does not get enough credit for his high floor PPR performance in the second half of the 2022 season, as from Week 8 until the end of the season he ranked tied for 17th in number of games with 8+ PPR points. That may not offer enough value to roster Peoples-Jones in shallow leagues, as he will lose targets to Amari Cooper, but he absolutely warrants a place on the wide receiver depth chart in deeper leagues.
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Dallas Cowboys
Move to improve your team: Add Deuce Vaughn if you have Tony Pollard
The fantasy world will enjoy it very much if Pollard finds a way to hold up to a lead back or bell cow workload, but don’t forget that last year his running back coach said Pollard loses his impact ability after playing about 30 plays in a game. Vaughn set the Kansas State record for career running back receptions and can serve as an alternate or platoon back if the Cowboys find that Pollard needs breaks, so add Vaughn to your squad if you have Pollard.
Denver Broncos
Move to improve your team: Roster Marvin Mims Jr. if you have Jerry Jeudy on your team
Sean Payton traded up to get Mims in the second round and has shown that no one’s roster spot or place on this club is safe based on past performance. Mims has now overcome his preseason injury issues and will be filling in for the injured Jerry Jeudy early in the season and could keep garnering a high target volume even after Jeudy returns. This makes Mims a must-have handcuff for fantasy teams with Jeudy and a quality roster add in deeper leagues.
Detroit Lions
Move to improve your team: Consider dropping Jameson Williams
Williams starts the season on a six-game suspension, then has a tough Week 7 matchup at Baltimore and a Week 9 bye for the Lions, which means that he will have minimal value until at least Week 10. That value prospect doesn’t look very good considering that Williams had a shaky 2022 campaign and subpar 2023 preseason. Keeping a low percentage option like this is only recommended in very deep leagues.
Green Bay Packers
Move to improve your team: Add Romeo Doubs to your roster
Fantasy managers and the Packers coaches want Christian Watson to be the go-to wideout on this team, but Watson has tallied only 146 receptions over the course of his entire five-year collegiate/pro career. If Watson doesn’t show the capacity to hold up to a larger workload (and his injury history suggests that isn’t a given), it will result in a higher target volume for Doubs and make him roster worthy.
Houston Texans
Move to improve your team: Add Devin Singletary to your team, especially if you have Dameon Pierce
Singletary is going to receive a solid third-down workload volume, as he is an adept pass catcher and a better pass blocker than Pierce. Singletary is also strong near the end zone, having led the Bills in carries inside the 10-yard line last year, and had 31 carries of 10+ yards last year. That’s a formula for rostering Singletary in a lot more than the 25 percent of Yahoo leagues he’s rostered in, so add him in general, but definitely add him if you have Pierce.
Indianapolis Colts
Move to improve your team: Roster Deon Jackson, especially in deeper leagues
With Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list and Zack Moss dealing with a forearm injury, Jackson is very likely to get the Week 1 start against Jacksonville. It might be a one-and-done situation, but if Jackson does play well, it could lead to more starts down the road, especially if Taylor ends up being traded at some point this season. That’s a strong case for rostering Jackson in any league, but especially in deeper leagues.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Move to improve your team: Add Zay Jones to get WR4 upside from the bottom of your wide receiving corps
The Jaguars should field a Top 10 offense in 2023 and have the ability to contend for Top 5 status. The return of Calvin Ridley will keep Jones from repeating his No. 31 ranking in WR PPR points last season, but fantasy managers looking to upgrade the bottom of their wide receiver roster should put in a claim for Jones, as it is a low-cost way to get a share of a high-octane offense.
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Kansas City Chiefs
Move to improve your team: Add Marquez Valdes-Scantling in leagues that add extra value for big plays
Valdes-Scantling’s fantasy stock was downgraded when the Chiefs drafted Rashee Rice, but let’s not forget that MVS led Kansas City in PPR PPG at the vertical and stretch vertical levels last year. That’s the type of player fantasy managers want in leagues that add extra value for big plays and makes Valdes-Scantling a quality waiver or free agent option in those leagues.
Las Vegas Raiders
Move to improve your team: Roster Zamir White if you have Josh Jacobs on your roster
Jacobs is a prime regression candidate this year, as history suggests that he could lose hundreds of yards off of his 2022 scrimmage yards total. White is first in line to get carries if Jacobs is out, as he is second on the Raiders running back depth chart, so be sure to roster White if you are relying on Jacobs as a top starter.
Los Angeles Chargers
Move to improve your team: Roster Joshua Palmer in deep leagues, especially if you have Quentin Johnston on a roster
Quentin Johnston has received a lot of hype this preseason, but Chargers beat writer Daniel Popper indicates that Palmer, “will get a majority of the snaps as that third wide receiver early in the season.” Johnston could take over Palmer’s role as the season progresses, but with Palmer currently serving as the starting slot wideout in an offense that could lead the league in pass attempts, it makes sense to add him in deep leagues.
Los Angeles Rams
Move to improve your team: Roster Van Jefferson if you have Cooper Kupp as a starting wide receiver
The Cooper Kupp injury concerns have been stacking up this preseason, with Kupp now visiting specialists for his hamstring injury. No Rams wide receiver will come close to being as productive as Kupp on a per target basis, but Van Jefferson is the most likely candidate to see a notable target volume increase if Kupp misses time, and thus should be on every team that Kupp is rostered on (and on many more given his current 15 percent roster rate).
Miami Dolphins
Move to improve your team: Add Raheem Mostert and start him in Week 1
Mike McDaniel is one of the most creative play callers in the league and Mostert has proven to be a perfect fit in the McDaniel system. That provides a value proposition on its own but when one considers that Jeff Wilson Jr. is out for Week 1 and De’Von Achane dealt with a shoulder injury in preseason, Mostert has a very good chance at being a Top 24 running back in Week 1. Despite all of this, Mostert is still available in 32 percent of Yahoo leagues and 30 percent of ESPN leagues, making him a primary addition in leagues where he is available.
Minnesota Vikings
Move to improve your team: Add Ty Chandler if you have Alexander Mattison as your starting running back
Mattison is taking over as the Vikings starting running back, but Minnesota may be cautious with his workload, as Mattison had the fifth-lowest percentage of rushes of 10+ yards among running backs with 100+ rushes last season. That could provide a quick path to a solid carry volume for his backup, which is where Chandler comes in since he was just moved up to that spot on the Minnesota depth chart. He’s still unrostered in more than 90 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues and definitely should be on any roster Mattison is on.
New England Patriots
Move to improve your team: Roster Mike Gesicki as an upside depth flyer
Gesicki was an accomplished pass catcher early in his NFL career and was a record setter at Penn State. That latter factor is very relevant since Gesicki now has his Nittany Lions head coach calling plays for the Patriots. That could result in Gesicki being a featured target in an offense in need of that caliber of pass catcher, making Gesicki an upside depth flier in many leagues.
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New Orleans Saints
Move to improve your team: Add Rashid Shaheed as a Gabe Davis-like impact spot starter
Shaheed was the Saints version of Gabe Davis last season, as he was 13th in stretch vertical PPR PPG and posted a WR2-caliber pace in Weeks 13-17. He now will be seeing passes from Derek Carr, who was fourth in stretch vertical PPG in 2022. Shaheed won’t replicate his late season target pace as long as Chris Olave and Michael Thomas are healthy but add those plusses to Shaheed having the most favorable wide receiver coverage schedule in 2023 and it’s easy to conclude he should be rostered in a much higher percentage of leagues.
New York Giants
Move to improve your team: Take a flyer on one of the Giants wide receivers
The Giants wide receivers are going undrafted in the vast majority of leagues, yet this is a club with an elite play-caller who wants New York’s offense to expand its aerial impact. Isaiah Hodgins may be the best prospect of this group, as he had four double-digit PPR point games from Weeks 12-16 last year and thus could be a tremendous upside flier.
New York Jets
Move to improve your team: Add Michael Carter as a backup if you have Breece Hall or Dalvin Cook but don’t have both
Carter was on track to be in a platoon with Hall before the start of the 2022 season. The addition of Cook precludes that from happening at the moment, but with Hall coming off an ACL tear and Cook dealing with a shoulder injury this preseason, it would not be at all surprising if Carter was asked to be a platoon back on multiple occasions this year. It’s overkill to have all three Jets running backs on most rosters, but if you have Hall or Cook and don’t have Carter as a backup, it’s probably a good idea to move in that direction — Carter is rostered in fewer than five percent of Yahoo or ESPN leagues.
Philadelphia Eagles
Move to improve your team: Roster Kenneth Gainwell if you have D’Andre Swift or Rashaad Penny
Gainwell had the eighth-highest percentage of 10+ yard gains among running backs with 70+ touches last season. D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny are ahead of Gainwell on the Eagles depth chart, but they both have worrisome durability grades, so Gainwell is likely to earn a solid volume of carries. Philadelphia’s offense is one that fantasy managers will want to get as many shares of as possible, and Gainwell is available nearly half of Yahoo leagues and just over three-quarters of ESPN leagues — add him as a valuable backup to Swift or Penny.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Move to improve your team: Roster Jaylen Warren if you have Najee Harris
Najee Harris leads the league in scrimmage plays over the past two seasons and that workload volume may be impacting his per play production, as Warren outpaced him in GBYPA (8.0 versus 7.4) and yards per reception (7.6 versus 5.6) in 2022. This is why there has been talk that Warren will vulture some carries and targets from Harris and is a main reason why Harris’ fantasy managers should roster Warren without fail.
San Francisco 49ers
Move to improve your team: Add Brock Purdy
As noted in my quarterback rankings article, if you prorate Purdy’s 92.06 points in his five starts last year over a 17-game schedule, it equals 313 points, a pace that would have ranked fifth among quarterbacks. This upside has been accounted for in Yahoo leagues, where Purdy is rostered at a 56 percent pace, but not in the ESPN environment, as he is on rosters in only 24 percent of those leagues.
Seattle Seahawks
Move to improve your team: Trade low for Zach Charbonnet
There was a time not long ago when it looked like Charbonnet was going to be in a thunder-and-lightning platoon setup with Ken Walker. That is no longer the perception, as Charbonnet is now listed as the Seahawks’ third string running back, but Pete Carroll leans heavily towards starting healthy running backs and often doesn’t go by what the depth chart says when it comes to picking the go-to running back. Combine this drop-off in perceived value with Walker already dealing with injury issues and it makes Charbonnet a fantastic trade low option.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Move to improve your team: Roster Sean Tucker if you have Rachaad White
Tucker recently vaulted Chase Edmonds for the backup running back spot on the Buccaneers depth chart. Since White has posted 200+ scrimmage plays in a season only one time in his three seasons at the FBS or NFL level, it’s far from a given that he will be a season-long bell cow in this offense. That makes Tucker a good, very low-cost insurance policy, as he is rostered in only two percent of Yahoo and one percent of ESPN leagues.
Tennessee Titans
Move to improve your team: Add Chigoziem Okonkwo
How is it that Okonkwo is only rostered in 45 percent of ESPN leagues? He ranked third among tight ends last year in percentage of plays gaining 10+ yards and was fourth in 20+ play percentage (minimum 30 targets in each category). Okonkwo also led the Titans in receiving touchdowns inside the 10-yard line last year and has a very favorable schedule. This offense will preclude him from being an upper-end TE1, but he definitely belongs in the TE1 category and ought to have a much higher roster rate.
Washington Commanders
Move to improve your team: Roster the Commanders D/ST for early season impact starts
Washington’s D/ST begins the year against an Arizona club that may have the worst quarterback situation in the league. In four of the next six weeks after that, the Commanders face opponents with weak pass blocking. To be fair, Washington’s D/ST will be a sit candidate in contests against the Bills and Eagles in Weeks 3 and 4, but there are few D/STs with a more favorable early season schedule and that makes Washington worth stashing following that.
(Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)
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