Last season, Jamaal Williams established himself as the most productive running back in the Detroit Lions backfield and finished with career-highs in attempts (262), rushing yards (1,066) and touchdowns (17). He turned that into a three-year contract with New Orleans this offseason, but might have trouble replicating those numbers in a Saints offense that has more mouths to feed. Still, New Orleans needed stability in its backfield, so where should you place Williams in your 2023 Fantasy football rankings? Fellow Saints running back Alvin Kamara could face a suspension from the league following his role in a Las Vegas brawl last year. However, if Kamara remains with the team all season in a pass- and gadget-oriented offense, Williams could end the season as one of the 2023 Fantasy football busts.
As you begin your 2023 Fantasy football draft prep, be sure to check out the 2023 Fantasy football cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott would fail to live up to his Fantasy football ADP. Elliott was coming off the board in the fourth round on average but produced a career-low 986 scrimmage yards on 248 touches. He finished as the No. 22 running back in PPR leagues. The model projected that he'd finish outside the top 20 running backs for the season and helped owners avoid an early-round mistake.
The model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, calling Tony Pollard a sleeper last year and also identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, along with players like Julio Jones and JuJu Smith-Schuster as Fantasy football busts last season. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections update multiple times daily, so you're always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2023, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2023 Fantasy football busts
One of the 2023 Fantasy football busts the model is predicting: Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The analytics paint a portrait of McLaurin as one of the more technically-gifted receivers in the league, but Washington continues to do little to address the issues at quarterback that have held McLaurin back from upper-echelon production.
Sam Howell was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and he's battling Jacoby Brissett for the starting job. Neither inspires much confidence. Even with guaranteed target volume coming his way, McLaurin's upside is limited by overall target quality. McLaurin is the 20th receiver coming off the board on average, but the model projects that he barely cracks the top 30 wide receivers for 2023.
Another bust that SportsLine's Fantasy football rankings 2023 have identified: Panthers running back Miles Sanders. After posting career-highs in nearly every rushing category in Philadelphia last season, he'll begin anew in a rebooted Panthers offense. The problem is Carolina will be starting from Square One this season with a new coach and rookie quarterback.
Until Bryce Young proves that he can be a dangerous passer, defenses' top priority will likely be focused on stopping Sanders. Prior to last season, Sanders hadn't been able to stay healthy for a full season save his rookie year, and his availability in 2022 could be more of the exception than the rule. The model predicts that Sanders will finish with a less productive Fantasy season than others being drafted after him like Rachaad White, Javonte Williams and James Conner. See which other Fantasy football busts 2023 to avoid here.
How to find proven 2023 Fantasy football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely low on a wide receiver who is being drafted as a top-15 player at his position. The model ranks him outside its top 24 wide receivers for 2023 and expects him to see major regression. You can only see who it is, and the 2023 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2023 Fantasy Football busts should you avoid? And which receiver will fail to live up to expectations in 2023? Visit SportsLine now to get 2023 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that told you to avoid Ezekiel Elliott in 2022, and find out.
