Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs (2023)

As the 2023 NFL season approaches, understanding fantasy football player profiles is critical for a winning draft strategy. We’ll have you covered with thorough analysis of each key player, offering insights that will help you make informed decisions for your league as you prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Stay ahead of the game with our comprehensive coverage.

More Fantasy Football Advice
Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
Expert Consensus Fantasy Football Draft Rankings
Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

Fantasy Football Draft Advice

Here’s our 2023 fantasy football outlook.

Nick Chubb

Nick Chubb just put together the quietest 1,525 rushing-yard season in recent memory. The Browns running back averaged five yards per carry (again) and posted a career-high 13 touchdowns. He finished the year as the RB6 overall with a top-10 backfield opportunity share (64%), but most of his fantasy production came prior to Deshaun Watson returning to the lineup. During Weeks 1-12, Chubb was the RB4 overall and in points per game. From Weeks 13-17 with Watson at quarterback, he was the RB23 overall and RB33 in points per game.

These splits likely won’t carry over into 2023 based on Watson likely boosting the offense’s overall efficiency. This makes Chubb a near-bust-proof draft pick based on his track record of consistency. Chubb also can capture a more prominent role as a receiver with Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson no longer on the roster. 2022 fifth-rounder Jerome Ford is pegged as the No. 2 RB. In Week 18, Chubb played a season-high 75% snap share, ran a route on 71% of dropbacks and caught five of six targets (22% target share) for 45 yards.

Andrew Erickson

Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry made fantasy drafters that overlooked him look silly in 2022, finishing the season as the RB4 overall and in points per game (18.3). He finished second in carries and third in rushing yards (23.4 touches per game) while also posting career highs in targets, receptions and yards per route run. The bad offensive situation hardly influenced Henry’s fantasy numbers, and he did not seem hampered by the foot injury that knocked him out of the second half of the 2021 season.

Fading Henry in 2022 was betting on him to hit the wall playing behind a shaky offensive line, finally. And that bet did not go well. But another year of a heavy workload combined with the Titans’ grim 2023 outlook with major questions on offense will bring concerns about drafting Henry early in 2023.

Andrew Erickson

Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs was arguably the most valuable fantasy asset during the fantasy football regular season based on his finish as the overall RB2 in relation to his super cheap draft-day ADP. The market was convinced that Jacobs would become part of a dreaded RB-by-committee under new head coach Josh McDaniels, but that was hardly the case. He was a full-blown bellcow for the Raiders, leading the NFL in touches through 17 weeks. The 24-year-old is returning to Las Vegas on the franchise tag after leading the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards. With a similar cast of characters returning as depth behind him, it’s hard to envision the Raiders not heavily leaning on him again as a true featured back.