2023 FGT Fantasy Football Mock Draft – Rounds 5 & 6

By the Football Garbage Time Staff

As I mention every year, we here at Football Garbage Time are all about helping out our readers.  And the 2023 season is just around the corner in September, so we all know what that means…the FANTASY FOOTBALL season is ALSO around the corner in September!

So as everyone gets ready to root for their favorite NFL team and commit entire Sunday afternoons to eating tons of junk food and yelling at the TV screen when refs inevitably make yet another bad call on the field, some of us, including you I suspect, will be furiously tinkering with our fantasy football lineups and eventually wondering why the fantasy gods hate us when we end up losing by 0.01 fantasy points because Jalen Hurts took one too many knees at the end of the game.  Phew, that was a ridiculously long sentence.

Say what you will about whether Fantasy Football is “good” for the NFL or not.  One thing we all agree on here is that playing Fantasy Football is a lot of fun…but much more so if you’re winning.😎

So, as we do every year, we conducted a live Mock Fantasy Football Draft on Twitter (just check out #FGTMockDraft) for a mock PPR standard scoring Yahoo 10-team league (1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Non-QB FLEX, 1 K & 1 DEF) so that all of you can get some insight as to who we like for the upcoming 2023 season, and hopefully help all of you with your drafts.

This year, ten different writers & podcasters from five different sites participated, including:

Each one took part in a mock draft live over several weeks on Twitter, so check that out on Twitter by searching for #FGTMockDraft!  What trends and surprises did we see?

Last time we gave you the results of Rounds 1 and 2 along with some comments and Rounds 3 and 4 along with some comments from those who made the picks, and now we’re back with Rounds 5 and 6!  We also include the Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) for PPR leagues as of August 4, 2023 as per Fantasy Pros so you can see how we differ from how other experts have ranked them for PPR leagues.

Don’t agree?  Well, it’s a free country, so sound off in the comments!

– Ha Kung Wong, Editor-In-Chief

Joanne Kong

5th Round – Pick 41 – DJ Moore (WR) [Current ECR: 48]

6th Round – Pick 60 – Isiah Pacheco (RB) [Current ECR: 85]

This is what Joanne had to say about her picks:

DJ Moore is a needed addition to the Bears offense, who were 31st in wide receiver targets and the 2nd run-heaviest team in the NFL. Moore spent the last five years with the Carolina Panthers, having 3 consecutive 1,100-yard seasons before having his worst year in 2022, outside of his rookie season, with just 888 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Of course, this reduced production with the Panthers wasn’t all on Moore, but more on a dysfunctional Carolina team. A solid quarterback in Justin Fields and an improved Chicago Bears offensive line might be just what Moore needs to return to a 1000-yard season in 2023.

Pacheco is entering his 2nd year with the Kansas City Chiefs. Although at training camp, Pacheco is still recovering from his off-season surgeries on his broken hand and torn labrum. He won’t be ready for full contact until mid-august, but definitely ready for the season. A solid RB2, Pacheco had 830 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, and 130 receiving yards in 2022, and that’s with averaging under 11 touches per game. Pacheco was very effective with 61% of carries in 2022 and the Chiefs didn’t pick up Clyde Edwards-Hilaire’s 5th year option, so Pacheco should be the Chiefs primary rusher and goal line back in the upcoming season.  That puts him in line to exceed those 11 touches per game from last season with greater touchdown upside.

Scott King

5th Round – Pick 42 – Tee Higgins (WR) [Current ECR: 24]

6th Round – Pick 59 – David Njoku (TE) [Current ECR: 112]

This is what Scott had to say about his picks:

Wrapping up this years mock I went WR and TE. I grabbed Higgins, expecting a solid year. For TE I went with Njoku. He’s fallen off the fantasy radar but I think he’ll have a solid season with Watson. If you don’t grab one of the top few TEs they’re all pretty much the same.

Dan Thury

5th Round – Pick 43 – Mark Andrews (TE) [Current ECR: 31]

6th Round – Pick 58 – Jerry Jeudy (WR) [Current ECR: 45]

Dave Earl

5th Round – Pick 44 – Deebo Samuel (WR) [Current ECR: 37]

6th Round – Pick 57 – Michael Pittman (WR) [Current ECR: 55]

This is what Dave had to say about his picks:

Deebo Samuel in the 5th round when his average PPR draft value is late 3rd to early 4th round is certainly a surprise pick. Of course, injury risk will always follow Deebo but his value was too good to pass. My final selection of Micheal Pittman Jr. is another value pick here but him falling is also understandable. He was victim of one of the worse QB plays last season and with the raw developmental rookie Anthony Richardson makes Pittman a boom or bust WR this season. I anticipate a slow start for him but if Richardson can develop chemistry quickly with him combined with his big arm, Pittman could be a season changer in the back half of the season entering the playoffs.

Ryan Whitfield

5th Round – Pick 45 – T.J. Hockenson (TE) [Current ECR: 49]

6th Round – Pick 56 – Keenan Allen (WR) [Current ECR: 27]

Kaiden King

5th Round – Pick 46 – Kenneth Walker III (RB) [Current ECR: 60] 

6th Round – Pick 55 – Dallas Goedert (TE) [Current ECR: 72]

Will Gentile

5th Round – Pick 47 – Trevor Lawrence (QB) [Current ECR: 64]

6th Round – Pick 54 – Christian Watson (WR) [Current ECR: 50]

This is what Will had to say about his picks:

Trevor Lawrence with Calvin Ridley has a chance to be a top 5 QB this year.

Trevor Lawrence Passing Stats
Year Tm G Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD Int Y/G Rate QBR Sk
2021 JAX 17 359 602 59.6 3641 12 17 214.2 71.9 33.5 32
2022* JAX 17 387 584 66.3 4113 25 8 241.9 95.2 54.5 27
Care 34 746 1186 62.9 7754 37 25 228.1 83.4 59

Wole Akinso

5th Round – Pick 48 – J.K. Dobbins (RB) [Current ECR: 63]

6th Round – Pick 53 – Amari Cooper (WR) [Current ECR: 32]

Ha Kung Wong

5th Round – Pick 49 – Jahmyr Gibbs (RB) [Current ECR: 44]

4th Round – Pick 52 – DeVonta Smith (WR) [Current ECR: 22]

This is what Ha Kung had to say about his picks:

It’s always tough to project what a rookie RB will do in the NFL, buy Jahmyr Gibbs does have all the hallmarks of being a PPR winner in 2023.  In 2021, the Detroit Lions gave D’Andre Swift, a decent proxy for what we might see from Gibbs, fewer than 12 carries per game but loaded him up with an 18.4% target share.  And although Gibbs will be sharing the backfield with David Montgomery, it’s fair to say that Mongomery will play the Jamaal Williams roll, ensuring that high target share for Gibbs.  Gibbs spent his first two seasons with Georgia Tech and finished second in PFF receiving grade. He then went to Alabama and had 926 rushing yards plus a team-leading 44 receptions for 444 receiving yards. Gibbs finished third in the FBS in receiving yards, one year after leading all RBs in the nation in receiving yards (470). And, of course, the Lions didn’t draft Gibbs 12th overall to have him sit on the bench. I’m banking on a top 10 finish, which is a steal for the 4th round.

DeVonta Smith was one of those very effective wide receivers that were just overshadowed by his running mate.  Smith was 13th in targets (136), 14th in target share (27.0%), 19th in target per route run rate (26.2%) and 19th in deep targets among wide receivers last season.  He ended up 9th best in receptions (95), 8th best in receiving yards (1,196), and 14th best in total TDs (7) which resulted in being WR14 in fantasy.  On any other team, these numbers scream WR1, but with the Eagles it screams WR1-B to AJ Brown’s WR1-A.  That’s OK, it’s all the same in fantasy football, so grab Smith at a discount in the draft.

Adam Aniba

5th Round – Pick 50 – Brian Robinson (RB) [Current ECR: 104]

6th Round – Pick 51 – Jahan Dotson (WR) [Current ECR: 71]

This is what Adam had to say about his picks:

After getting shot in attempted carjacking last season, Brian Robinson is admittedly now at 100% and clicking in all cylinders. Coaches have raved about the battle ram RB’s progression as a pass catcher and looks to add another dimension in Eric Bienemy’s system.

As a rookie the former PSU receiver Jahan Dotson led all Washington receivers in TDs (7) despite only playing in 22 games in 2022. New starting QB Sam Howell has made a positive impression on Dotson this offseason and the two have developed a connection, which should lead to a breakout season for #1.

Thanks for following our Fantasy Fotoball Mock Draft and keep following us all season long for more Fantasy Football insight!

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