The start of the NFL season also brings fans the joy of Fantasy Football back into their lives. And those who may not have had the best Week 1 may be looking to make some big changes to their respective fantasy teams.
For the purposes of this list, these will be the five best pickup candidates in fantasy football that are available in over 50 percent of leagues on the ESPN Fantasy Football platform.
Here are five players that are readily available in the majority of fantasy leagues that can help owners turn around their luck for Week 2 and beyond in the 2023 NFL season.
5. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
- Week 1: 17.4 fantasy points (PPR)
- Rostered: 10.2 percent
There were a ton of questions surrounding the Rams’ offense as a whole without star wide receiver Cooper Kupp. But they answered the call in a big way in an impressive 30-13 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Williams, who was largely assumed to strictly be a backup behind Cam Akers, played a big role in their success on offense, rushing for 52 yards on 15 attempts and scoring two touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, Akers did not inspire confidence whatsoever with his performance as the lead back, averaging just 1.3 yards per carry in the game.
The Rams’ coaches have shown in the past that they’re not exactly sold on Akers as the starter, even making him a healthy inactive in multiple games last year. Williams seems to be a big part of this offense even with Akers in the picture, but if things sour again with Akers and the Rams organization, Williams could be a flex option each week for much of the season.
4. Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
- Week 1: 24.4 fantasy points (PPR)
- Rostered: 43.6 percent
Allgeier could have been even higher on this list after a terrific Week 1 performance against the Carolina Panthers. He finished the game with 75 rushing yards on 15 carries while scoring two touchdowns. He also brought in three catches for 19 yards.
The Falcons’ offense was the most run-heavy offense in the NFL last year, and that hasn’t changed coming into this season. The only reason that Allgeier is this low on the list is that he’s very likely to cede touches to promising rookie Bijan Robinson very soon, who also had a very good performance in Week 1.
While Robinson will likely take command of the Falcons’ offense moving forward, the Falcons have shown that they have no issue using multiple running backs a ton, which makes Allgeier an intriguing waiver-wire option.
3. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 1: 11.4 fantasy points (PPR)
- Rostered: 21.5 percent
The Eagles’ backfield was a huge question mark entering Week 1 after losing Miles Sanders this offseason. And they shocked plenty by announcing ahead of their game against the New England Patriots that free agent signing Rashaad Penny would be a healthy inactive for the game.
Gainwell was Philadelphia’s running back who saw the most attention in Week 1, rushing for 54 yards on 14 attempts while also playing a role in the passing game. The Eagles’ offense didn’t have the best day on Sunday, but they should bounce back quickly. And if Gainwell is the lead back for the foreseeable future, he makes for a very intriguing option on most fantasy teams.
2. Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
- Week 1: 5.2 fantasy points (PPR)
- Rostered: 21.4 percent
Edwards isn’t on this list because of his play in Week 1, only recording 32 rushing yards on eight attempts against the Houston Texans.
However, star running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles in the game, which opens the door for Edwards to get a huge workload moving forward. The Ravens also have veteran running back Justice Hill in the backfield who did get into the endzone twice on Sunday. But Edwards is the far more proven option out of the two for the Ravens and should get the first crack at replacing Dobbins as the team’s starter.
1. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
- Week 1: 21.9 fantasy points (PPR)
- Rostered: 2.5 percent
Nacua, a fifth-round rookie out of BYU, was thrust in an unexpected starting role in Week 1 and thrived against the Seattle Seahawks. He finished the game with 10 receptions on a whopping 15 targets from Matthew Stafford, putting up 119 yards in the process.
The Rams desperately needed someone to step up at the wide receiver position, and Nacua did so in a big way. Kupp was recently placed on the IR for the Rams, meaning that he will at least miss the next three games for the team, with the potential to miss even more. Stafford looked sharp even without Kupp on the field, and if their offense is as good in future games as they were in Week 1, Nacua will certainly be in line for many more big games in the future.
Honorable mentions:
- Romeo Doubs (WR, Green Bay Packers)
- Jordan Love (QB, Green Bay Packers)
- Tutu Atwell (WR, Los Angeles Rams)
- Rashee Rice (WR, Kansas City Chiefs)
- Hayden Hurst (TE, Carolina Panthers)
