Christian McCaffrey exploded for 403 points and Tyreek Hill blazed to 1,799 receiving yards, but if you think those were the only keys to dominating your league in 2023, you’re missing the game-changing trends revealed by the data.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Christian McCaffrey scored 403.3 standard fantasy points as the overall RB1, rushing for 1,459 yards and 14 TDs while catching 67 passes for 565 yards and 4 TDs
- Tyreek Hill led WRs in 2023 with 358.5 PPR points, recording 119 receptions for 1,799 yards and 13 TDs over 16 games
- Sam LaPorta, rookie TE, amassed 511 yards and 10 TDs in 2023 for 158.1 PPR points, ranking as TE1 overall
- In 2023 season, average QB fantasy points per game was 20.45 in half-PPR leagues across ESPN platforms
- RBs averaged 15.2 PPR points per game in 2023, with top-12 averaging 19.8
- WRs league-wide averaged 12.1 PPR pts/game 2023, leaders over 22.0
- In 2023, 15.2 million people participated in ESPN Fantasy Football leagues
- FantasyPros reported 62 million total fantasy football players across platforms in 2023
- NFL.com leagues grew 12% YoY to 8.7 million teams in 2023 season
- In 2023 NFL draft, Bijan Robinson had ADP 4.31 in standard leagues per FantasyPros
- Christian McCaffrey ADP 1.02 post-2022, went 1.01 in 89% of 2023 drafts
- Ja'Marr Chase ADP 5.12 in PPR 2023 drafts
- In 1997, John Kasay set single-season fantasy record with 155 points as top kicker
- Priest Holmes 2002: 1761 rush yds, 27 total TDs, 418 fantasy pts record for RB
- Randy Moss 2007: 23 receiving TDs, single-season WR record 398 pts PPR
Fantasy football's top 2023 scorers set high standards for next season's drafts.
Draft and ADP Data
- In 2023 NFL draft, Bijan Robinson had ADP 4.31 in standard leagues per FantasyPros
- Christian McCaffrey ADP 1.02 post-2022, went 1.01 in 89% of 2023 drafts
- Ja'Marr Chase ADP 5.12 in PPR 2023 drafts
- Travis Etienne ADP 15.8 overall early 2023, finished RB5 value
- Puka Nacua post-hype ADP 145.2, drafted as WR50
- Josh Allen QB ADP 20.4 in 1QB, 5.1 in SuperFLEX 2023
- Sam LaPorta TE ADP 65.3, highest drafted TE since 2018
- DeVonta Smith ADP 22.1, value over replacement +45% 2023
- Kyren Williams handcuff ADP 112.4 early, RB4 late season
- Amon-Ra St. Brown ADP 10.5 PPR, WR3 finish
- Lamar Jackson SuperFLEX ADP 2.8 2023, QB3 value
- Nico Collins ADP 85.2, WR10 turnaround value
- Rachaad White ADP 31.4 RB, PPR RB12 finish
- CJ Stroud rookie QB ADP 98.7, QB10 value
- Garrett Wilson ADP 14.2 WR7, underperformed to WR20
- James Cook ADP 25.1, RB8 PPR value over ADP
- Mark Andrews ADP 18.4 TE3 early, injured fall
- DJ Moore ADP 52.3 WR25, WR8 finish massive value
- Raheem Mostert ADP 89.6 RB42, RB5 value spike
- Tyreek Hill ADP 3.2 WR1, repeated WR1 finish
- Breece Hall ADP 9.8 RB5, RB2 recovery value
- Brandon Aubrey K ADP 142.1, K1 finish top value
- Zay Flowers rookie WR ADP 78.4, WR24 value
- Joe Mixon ADP 19.7 RB9, traded to RB12 value
- Calvin Ridley ADP 110.2 late, WR17 bounceback
Draft and ADP Data Interpretation
Fantasy football in 2023 was a masterclass in how draft pedigree means nothing compared to the brutal, hilarious truth that a backup running back can win your league while a first-round wide receiver loses it for you.
Individual Player Stats
- In 2023, Christian McCaffrey scored 403.3 standard fantasy points as the overall RB1, rushing for 1,459 yards and 14 TDs while catching 67 passes for 565 yards and 4 TDs
- Tyreek Hill led WRs in 2023 with 358.5 PPR points, recording 119 receptions for 1,799 yards and 13 TDs over 16 games
- Sam LaPorta, rookie TE, amassed 511 yards and 10 TDs in 2023 for 158.1 PPR points, ranking as TE1 overall
- Travis Kelce had 93 receptions for 984 yards and 5 TDs in 2023 despite missing time, totaling 178.4 PPR points as TE2
- CeeDee Lamb finished 2023 WR2 with 354.5 PPR points on 135 catches, 1,749 yards, and 12 TDs
- Breece Hall RB2 in 2023 with 347.2 PPR points, 994 rush yards, 76 rec, 5 rush TDs, 4 rec TDs
- Amon-Ra St. Brown WR3 2023: 115 rec, 1,515 yds, 10 TDs for 338.5 PPR pts
- Jonathan Taylor 2023 RB3: 1,261 rush yds, 7 TDs, 19 rec, 188 yds, 316.9 std pts
- Ja'Marr Chase WR4 2023: 100 rec, 1,445 yds, 16 TDs, 339.5 PPR pts
- Kyren Williams RB4 2023: 1,144 rush yds, 12 TDs, 32 rec, 206 yds, 1 TD, 295.0 std pts
- Puka Nacua rookie WR sensation 2023: 105 rec, 1,486 yds, 6 TDs, 303.6 PPR pts as WR5
- Raheem Mostert RB5 2023: 1,012 rush yds, 18 TDs, 22 rec, 167 yds, 282.9 std pts
- A.J. Brown WR6 2023: 106 rec, 1,456 yds, 7 TDs, 306.6 PPR pts
- Derrick Henry RB6 2023: 1,167 rush yds, 12 TDs, 18 rec, 125 yds, 276.2 std pts
- Garrett Wilson WR7 2023 despite QB issues: 95 rec, 1,042 yds, 4 TDs, 252.2 PPR pts
- Josh Allen QB1 2023: 4,306 pass yds, 29 pass TDs, 15 rush TDs, 442.32 fantasy pts
- Jalen Hurts QB2 2023: 15 rush TDs, 385.52 pts, 3,858 pass yds, 23 pass TDs
- Lamar Jackson QB3 2023: 24 rush TDs total career high, 410.08 pts
- Patrick Mahomes QB4 2023: 4,183 pass yds, 27 TDs, 396.26 pts despite injury
- Dak Prescott QB5 2023: 36 pass TDs, 4,516 yds, 388.40 pts
- Mark Andrews TE3 2023: 43 rec, 544 yds, 6 TDs, 128.4 PPR pts
- Tua Tagovailoa QB6 2023: 4,624 yds, 35 TDs, 4 INTs, 385.86 pts
- DJ Moore WR8 2023: 96 rec, 1,364 yds, 8 TDs, 284.4 PPR pts
- Alvin Kamara RB7 2023: 694 rush yds, 5 TDs, 85 rec, 543 yds, 5 TDs, 269.8 PPR pts
- Mike Evans WR9 2023: 79 rec, 1,255 yds, 13 TDs, 281.5 PPR pts
- David Montgomery RB8 2023: 795 rush yds, 13 TDs, 16 rec, 127 yds, 1 TD, 246.2 std pts
- Brandon Aubrey K1 2023: 35/39 FGs, 48/48 XPs, 165 pts as top kicker
- Justin Tucker K2 2023: 32/35 FGs including 5 from 50+, 43 XPs, 139 pts
- Harrison Butker K3 2023: 29/33 FGs, 36/37 XPs, 123 pts
- DST1 2023 Baltimore Ravens: 47 sacks, 22 INTs, 165.0 fantasy pts
Individual Player Stats Interpretation
The 2023 fantasy season proved that, whether through rookie sensations like Puka Nacua and Sam LaPorta, workhorse dominance from Christian McCaffrey, or even a Cowboys kicker named Aubrey outscoring Justin Tucker, the path to a championship is paved with both predictable elite production and completely unforeseeable breakout performances.
League Participation and Growth
- In 2023, 15.2 million people participated in ESPN Fantasy Football leagues
- FantasyPros reported 62 million total fantasy football players across platforms in 2023
- NFL.com leagues grew 12% YoY to 8.7 million teams in 2023 season
- Average league size 12 teams, with 84% using PPR scoring in 2023 per Yahoo
- 41% of leagues adopted SuperFLEX in 2023 up from 28% in 2022
- CBS Sports saw 25% increase in commissioner leagues to 1.2 million in 2023
- Sleeper app users grew 35% to 4.5 million active leagues 2023
- 67% of players male, 33% female in 2023 fantasy football per Fantasy Sports & Gaming Assoc
- Average player age 37 years old in 2023 fantasy leagues
- 72% of leagues use standard roster with 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR 2023 ESPN data
- Dynasty leagues up 22% to 18% of total in 2023 per MFL
- Best Ball tournaments entries hit 2.1 million on Underdog 2023
- 55% of leagues have weekly waivers processed Sunday night 2023
- Global fantasy football players reached 5 million outside US in 2023
- Average commissioner tenure 4.2 years in 2023 long-term leagues
- 28% growth in women-only fantasy leagues to 450,000 in 2023
- Mobile app usage 92% of fantasy interactions in 2023
- Prize money in public contests totaled $150 million in 2023 DFS
- 81% retention rate year-over-year for fantasy players 2023
- High-stakes leagues (buy-in $500+) grew 19% to 120,000 entries 2023
- TE-premium formats used in 14% of leagues up from 9% in 2022 2023
- Orphaned leagues dropped to 3.1% due to better tools in 2023
- Average trades per league 18.4 in 2023 season
- 46% of leagues use FAAB waivers exclusively in 2023
- Devy leagues (rookie drafts) up 15% to 250,000 in 2023
- Average draft date August 15th across platforms 2023
- 63% public leagues, 37% private in 2023 ESPN
League Participation and Growth Interpretation
While American offices may have officially returned to in-person work, the real national productivity metric is the tens of millions of us who, from our cubicles and couches, are now expertly managing more sophisticated, diverse, and stubbornly persistent fantasy football empires than ever before.
Positional Averages and Leaders
- In 2023 season, average QB fantasy points per game was 20.45 in half-PPR leagues across ESPN platforms
- RBs averaged 15.2 PPR points per game in 2023, with top-12 averaging 19.8
- WRs league-wide averaged 12.1 PPR pts/game 2023, leaders over 22.0
- TEs averaged 7.8 PPR pts/game 2023, top-12 at 13.5
- Kickers averaged 8.2 pts/game 2023, with top-10 at 10.1 including bonuses
- DST averaged 6.9 fantasy pts/game 2023, elite units over 11.0
- Top-5 QBs averaged 26.3 pts/game 2023 half-PPR
- RB1 position averaged 24.1 PPR pts/game 2023
- WR1 avg 22.4 PPR pts/game 2023 season
- TE1 avg 18.2 PPR pts/game 2023
- Top-12 FLEX averaged 16.5 PPR pts/game 2023
- SuperFLEX QBs top-6 avg 28.7 pts/game 2023
- Rookie WRs averaged 10.2 PPR pts/game 2023, led by Puka Nacua at 25.3
- Backup RBs stepping up averaged 14.8 PPR pts/game when starting 2023
- Slot WRs averaged 13.4 PPR pts/game vs 11.2 for outside 2023
- Mobile QBs averaged 24.1 pts/game vs 19.8 pocket passers 2023
- Goal-line RBs top-10 averaged 1.2 TDs/game 2023
- Red-zone WR targets avg 2.8/game for top-12 2023
- Kickers from 40-49 yds made 85.2% in 2023, avg 3.1/game for leaders
- DSTs vs pass averaged 8.4 pts/game, vs rush 5.2 in 2023
- Top-24 RBs PPR avg 17.2 pts/game 2023 full season
- WR2 position avg 18.9 PPR pts/game 2023
- TE premium leagues top TE avg +4.5 pts over FLEX 2023
Positional Averages and Leaders Interpretation
In the volatile currency of fantasy football, while a sturdy running back may be the most reliable day-to-day coin, a truly elite quarterback is the high-yield stock capable of single-handedly inflating your portfolio.
Records and Milestones
- In 1997, John Kasay set single-season fantasy record with 155 points as top kicker
- Priest Holmes 2002: 1761 rush yds, 27 total TDs, 418 fantasy pts record for RB
- Randy Moss 2007: 23 receiving TDs, single-season WR record 398 pts PPR
- LaDainian Tomlinson 2006: 31 total TDs, 451.2 pts record standard scoring
- Tom Brady 2007: 50 pass TDs, QB record 436 pts
- Marvin Harrison 2002: 172 rec, single-season receptions record, 384 PPR pts
- Emmitt Smith career 183 TDs, all-time fantasy points leader RB 25,109 std
- Jerry Rice career 26,388 std pts, all-time fantasy points leader
- Justin Tucker 2021: 43/45 FGs 50+ yds attempts record, 166 pts
- 2011 Baltimore DST: 47 sacks record, 223 fantasy pts single season
- Tony Gonzalez TE career rec yards 15,127, fantasy TE record
- 1998 Minnesota Vikings: 611 pts scored, DST opp low record aided fantasy
- Marshall Faulk 2000: 26 total TDs, 2,189 yds from scrimmage RB record
- Peyton Manning 2013: 55 pass TDs record, 462.32 fantasy pts QB
- Chris Johnson 2009: 2,509 yds from scrimmage single season record RB
- Antonio Brown 2014-15: back-to-back 1,800+ yd seasons WR rarity
- Shaun Alexander 2005: 28 rush TDs single season record
- Drew Brees 2011: 5,476 pass yds record, 418 fantasy pts
- Terrell Owens career 153 rec TDs, WR record
- Fantasy Football Championship winner 2023 Underdog Best Ball had 18.2 roster % CMC
- All-time high score week: 100.2 pts by RB Jamaal Charles 2010 Week 15
- 16 straight 100+ yd games by Emmitt Smith record streak
- Rob Gronkowski 2011: 17 TDs TE single season record
- Matt Prater 60-yd FG record 2013, boosted fantasy kicker scoring
- 2007 Patriots DST allowed 22.1 pts/game low aiding streamer records
Records and Milestones Interpretation
While it's tempting to call the kicker a supporting role, these records prove that a single season's outburst can immortalize a player, but true fantasy football divinity is reserved for those who dominate over a career, because consistency against all opponents is the only stat that never streams.
Sources & References
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