Fantasy Football Outlook: NFC East Pre-Draft
It is always early enough to start game planning for the next fantasy football season. That being said, the NFL Draft is only 2 months away, so now is the perfect time to start analyzing the fantasy-relevant needs of teams across the NFL. We will begin with the NFC East.
Dallas Cowboys
2023 Draft Picks- 1.26,2.58, 3.90, 4.128, 4th round comp pick, 5.161, 2 6th round comp picks, and 7.245
From a fantasy perspective, the Dallas Cowboys don’t necessarily need anything. That doesn’t mean that they won’t take a fantasy-relevant player in the early rounds of this year’s draft though. Their QB position is already filled with Dak for the foreseeable future, so that will not be a concern in this year’s draft. The three other fantasy-relevant positions could be filled in the early rounds of the draft for the Cowboys if certain things were to occur in this year’s free agency. The two main departures that would make a decent hole in the Cowboys offense would be losing Tony Pollard and Dalton Schultz. If they were not able to resign/ Franchise tag Pollard, the Cowboys could certainly be in play for a top-tier RB at one of their first two picks in the draft. The same could be said if they cannot resign Schultz to a contract. If the Cowboys chose to use their 1st or 2nd round picks on an RB, we could definitely assume that the player will be a contributor to fantasy football from the beginning. I would also say the same if they were to take an early-round tight end, as we have seen how much Dak Prescott has relied upon the TE position over his career. Lastly, the Cowboys are certainly in play for a WR heading into this year’s draft. They need a WR2 to complement Ceedee Lamb and if the right one falls to them in the 1st 3 rounds, I could see them being fantasy relevant depending on who it is.
New York Giants
2023 Draft Picks- 1.25, 2.57, 3.89, 3.102, 4.128, 5.162, 6.209, 6.218, 7.242, 7.245, and 7.254
The New York Giants are entering the offseason with some definite needs, primarily at the wide receiver position. The Giants should be able to lock down Daniel Jones at the QB position, so the QB position shouldn’t be an issue heading into the draft. They should also be able to offer Saquon Barkley a deal or at the very least franchise tag him, so the RB position should be solidified by the draft as well. The TE position is also not a major need for the Giants as they have Daniel Bellinger on the roster. Their main need is WR from a fantasy perspective, which they could certainly target in the early rounds of this year’s draft. If the Giants take one of the top-tier WR options, they would easily be the WR1 for the Giants and could be viewed as a high-end flex with upside heading into next year’s redraft leagues.
Philadelphia Eagles
2023 Draft Picks- 1.10, 1.30, 2.62, 3.94, 7.221, and 7.250
The Philadelphia Eagles don’t have many needs on the offensive side of the ball and could very well be taking two defensive players in the first round of this year’s draft. The Eagles should have given Jalen Hurts a major contract by the time the draft is here, so the QB position is good to go. Dallas Goedert has proven he is a legit TE1 for fantasy, so the Eagles do not need a TE either. The two potential needs for the Eagles are an RB and possibly a WR. Miles Sanders is a potential free agent this off-season, so if he were to leave in free agency the Eagles would be a top option to add a high-end RB in the draft. I would say that the Eagles will almost certainly be taking a CB with their first pick in the 1st round, but could certainly take a top-tier RB/WR if one were to fall to their second 1st round pick. The WR position isn’t a big deal overall for the Eagles as they still have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith under contract. It is more about having the luxury of using a pick on a WR3 for the team which they almost certainly add in either free agency or the draft. If the Eagles were to add a top-tier RB in the draft, he would certainly be in the RB2 with upside conversation heading into 2023. If they add a WR early on, that WR could be seen as a flex option going forward.
Washington Commanders
2023 Draft Picks- 1.16, 2.47, 3.97, 4.118, 5.152, 6.193, 6.215, and 7.235
The Washington Commanders are interesting because they have the most glaring need out of all the other teams in the NFC East, but I highly doubt they will be drafting that position in the 1st round of this year’s draft. The Commanders have stated that they are going into the 2023 offseason with Sam Howell as their starting QB. Now it is hard to know if that will certainly be the case but for the time being I am going to pretend that it is. The RB position is decently filled for 2023 with the likes of Brian Robinson Jr., Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic at the helm, so I would say the RB position will not be targeted early in this year’s draft. The WR position is also nicely filled with Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel for 2023. Outside of the QB position, the TE position is the only other real nice for the Commanders heading into the draft. From what I have seen, a lot of fantasy analysts believe that the Commanders will be taking a TE in this year’s draft with their 1st round pick. If they do, it will almost certainly be Michael Mayer, the tight end from Notre Dame, which would be a massive upgrade from what they have had at the TE position lately. The TE position in fantasy has always been wonky. If they do select a TE such as Mayer, he would automatically fall into the low-end TE-1 conversation from the get-go.
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