To improve as a fantasy owner, it’s important to reflect on your process. Review your analysis and see which players that you were targeting succeeded, which failed, and most importantly, why. Here are the results from last season to help us learn which players outperformed the market as 2023’s fantasy football MVPs.
To determine the value of each player last season, it’s important to evaluate players in direct comparison with their position, not by comparing their total points. For instance, Jared Goff is very likely to outscore Brandon Aiyuk – but that doesn’t mean he should be drafted higher in one-QB leagues.
Quarterbacks – even mediocre ones – who start the entire season are likely to outscore all other positions. Therefore, we need to evaluate how much more (or less) each player scored compared to the average at their position.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
TL;DR:
- To find fantasy MVPs it is important to find baseline points for each position, or else it becomes impossible to compare position against the position.
- Without including cost, CeeDee Lamb and Christian McCaffrey were the most valuable fantasy football players of 2022.
- Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua were league-winning values.
Points Above Average
To gain a baseline or average at each position, I use Fantasy Douche’s old baselines (from an article that is no longer available on the old Rotoworld) with Apex’s lineup and scoring settings. Apex utilizes PPR Scoring and weekly lineups of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, Flex, K, and D. Defense and kickers were excluded from this study as they generally maintain little year-to-year predictability.
Below are the baselines for each position and their averages per game and for the entire season.
| QB | RB | WR | TE | |
| Baseline | 16 | 43 | 60 | 18 |
| Average Season | 293.06 | 199.23 | 204.86 | 169.77 |
| Average Per Game | 18.96 | 13.58 | 13.51 | 11.01 |
The Baseline above refers to the number of players included in the average. The average season finds a replacement-level value for the entire season. The average per game is a replacement-level value for each position per game.
Even when comparing players by position, there is still the question of whether to compare them by points per game or for the entire season. Players who missed any time are not viewed favorably if we’re comparing players by the entire season – as it is evaluated by a player’s total points for the entire season. It is important to include the per-game metric because of the high rate of injuries among NFL players, otherwise, a complete picture of the fantasy landscape would not be reflected in the data. Just because players don’t play the entire season, doesn’t mean they’re not dramatically improving your odds of winning.
The table below is sorted by Points Above Average Per Game (“PAA PG”) to allow us to fairly rank players who missed time due to injury. I also included a column for Points Above Average for the entire season under “PAA S”.
Another vital part of figuring out who was the most valuable is how expensive each player was in terms of draft capital – in other words, their average draft position (ADP). The cost of a player is a big determinant of how much value they can provide. Players like Raheem Mostert, who are drafted at an inexpensive cost and produced at a high level, are league-winning players.
For this reason, the Average Draft Position (ADP) from Apex Fantasy League drafts at the end of August 2023 is listed in the table below.
| Player | POS | ADP | PPR | PPG | PAA S | PAA PG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | RB | 3.5 | 391.3 | 24.46 | 192.07 | 10.88 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 11.6 | 403.2 | 23.72 | 198.34 | 10.21 |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | 4.3 | 376.4 | 23.53 | 171.54 | 10.02 |
| Keenan Allen | WR | 36.1 | 278.9 | 21.45 | 74.04 | 7.94 |
| Kyren Williams | RB | #N/A | 255 | 21.25 | 55.77 | 7.67 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 13.7 | 330.9 | 20.68 | 126.04 | 7.17 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 1.1 | 202.2 | 20.22 | -2.66 | 6.71 |
| Alvin Kamara | RB | 87.4 | 233 | 17.92 | 33.77 | 4.34 |
| Raheem Mostert | RB | 162.4 | 267.7 | 17.85 | 68.47 | 4.27 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 27.4 | 392.6 | 23.09 | 99.54 | 4.13 |
| Puka Nacua | WR | #N/A | 298.5 | 17.56 | 93.64 | 4.05 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 113.7 | 260.4 | 17.36 | 55.54 | 3.85 |
| DeVon Achane | RB | 116.8 | 190.7 | 17.34 | -8.53 | 3.76 |
| Travis Kelce | TE | 6.2 | 219.4 | 14.63 | 49.63 | 3.62 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 51.8 | 219 | 14.6 | 49.23 | 3.59 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 9.9 | 289.6 | 17.04 | 84.74 | 3.53 |
| Breece Hall | RB | 33.8 | 290.5 | 17.09 | 91.27 | 3.51 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 47.3 | 286.5 | 16.85 | 81.64 | 3.34 |
| Mike Williams | WR | 45.7 | 50.2 | 16.73 | -154.66 | 3.22 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 66.7 | 282.5 | 16.62 | 77.64 | 3.11 |
| Sam LaPorta | TE | 151.5 | 239.3 | 14.08 | 69.53 | 3.07 |
| Travis Etienne | RB | 40.7 | 282.4 | 16.61 | 83.17 | 3.03 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 2.2 | 262.7 | 16.42 | 57.84 | 2.91 |
| Deebo Samuel | WR | 33.8 | 243.7 | 16.25 | 38.84 | 2.74 |
| Stefon Diggs | WR | 8.1 | 273.8 | 16.11 | 68.94 | 2.60 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 35.5 | 242.1 | 16.14 | 42.87 | 2.56 |
| Evan Engram | TE | 96.6 | 230.3 | 13.55 | 60.53 | 2.54 |
| Mark Andrews | TE | 29.2 | 135.4 | 13.54 | -34.37 | 2.53 |
| Saquon Barkley | RB | 17.1 | 223.2 | 15.94 | 23.97 | 2.36 |
| Rachaad White | RB | 82 | 267.9 | 15.76 | 68.67 | 2.18 |
| Joe Mixon | RB | 43.2 | 267 | 15.71 | 67.77 | 2.13 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 69.6 | 250.2 | 15.64 | 45.34 | 2.13 |
| Davante Adams | WR | 14.7 | 265.4 | 15.61 | 60.54 | 2.10 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 51.3 | 249.2 | 15.58 | 44.34 | 2.07 |
| Jonathan Taylor | RB | 22.2 | 156.4 | 15.64 | -42.83 | 2.06 |
| Jalen Hurts | QB | 25.1 | 356.8 | 20.99 | 63.74 | 2.03 |
| James Conner | RB | 80.2 | 201.5 | 15.5 | 2.27 | 1.92 |
| Lamar Jackson | QB | 34.8 | 331.2 | 20.7 | 38.14 | 1.74 |
| Isiah Pacheco | RB | 89 | 213.9 | 15.28 | 14.67 | 1.70 |
| George Kittle | TE | 61.7 | 203.2 | 12.7 | 33.43 | 1.69 |
| Amari Cooper | WR | 33.2 | 227 | 15.13 | 22.14 | 1.62 |
| David Njoku | TE | 105.9 | 201.2 | 12.58 | 31.43 | 1.57 |
| Tank Dell | WR | #N/A | 165 | 15 | -39.86 | 1.49 |
| David Montgomery | RB | 76.6 | 207.2 | 14.8 | 7.97 | 1.22 |
| Dak Prescott | QB | 106 | 342.8 | 20.16 | 49.74 | 1.20 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 19.5 | 231.3 | 14.46 | 26.44 | 0.95 |
| Derrick Henry | RB | 21.5 | 246.7 | 14.51 | 47.47 | 0.93 |
| Bijan Robinson | RB | 8.8 | 246.3 | 14.49 | 47.07 | 0.91 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 21.6 | 227.6 | 14.23 | 22.74 | 0.72 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 17.4 | 198.6 | 14.19 | -6.26 | 0.68 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 28.6 | 225.4 | 14.09 | 20.54 | 0.58 |
| Josh Jacobs | RB | 31.4 | 181.1 | 13.93 | -18.13 | 0.35 |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | 5.2 | 164.4 | 13.7 | -40.46 | 0.19 |
| Jakobi Meyers | WR | 127.4 | 218.6 | 13.66 | 13.74 | 0.15 |
| James Cook | RB | 88.4 | 232.7 | 13.69 | 33.47 | 0.11 |
| Adam Thielen | WR | 146.8 | 231 | 13.59 | 26.14 | 0.08 |
| Jayden Reed | WR | 172.9 | 217.2 | 13.58 | 12.34 | 0.07 |
| Calvin Ridley | WR | 27.4 | 229.9 | 13.52 | 25.04 | 0.01 |
| Jordan Love | QB | 165.1 | 319.1 | 18.77 | 26.04 | -0.19 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 135.6 | 212.5 | 13.28 | 7.64 | -0.23 |
| Kirk Cousins | QB | 112.1 | 149.7 | 18.71 | -143.36 | -0.25 |
| Kenneth Walker | RB | 53.6 | 199.4 | 13.29 | 0.17 | -0.29 |
| Trey McBride | TE | #N/A | 181.5 | 10.68 | 11.73 | -0.33 |
| Austin Ekeler | RB | 7.4 | 185.4 | 13.24 | -13.83 | -0.34 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | WR | 45.3 | 223.6 | 13.15 | 18.74 | -0.36 |
| Cole Kmet | TE | 149.2 | 181.1 | 10.65 | 11.33 | -0.36 |
| Brian Robinson | RB | 108.4 | 198.1 | 13.21 | -1.13 | -0.37 |
| Brock Purdy | QB | 167 | 295.6 | 18.48 | 2.54 | -0.48 |
| Tony Pollard | RB | 18.5 | 222.6 | 13.09 | 23.37 | -0.49 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 71.2 | 221.3 | 13.02 | 16.44 | -0.49 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 192.7 | 276 | 18.4 | -17.06 | -0.56 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 198.9 | 177.1 | 10.42 | 7.33 | -0.59 |
| Zay Flowers | WR | 83.3 | 206.4 | 12.9 | 1.54 | -0.61 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 154.1 | 146.4 | 18.3 | -146.66 | -0.66 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 53.8 | 234.2 | 18.02 | -58.86 | -0.94 |
| Garrett Wilson | WR | 13.7 | 213.2 | 12.54 | 8.34 | -0.97 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 137.5 | 150.5 | 10.03 | -19.27 | -0.98 |
| Christian Kirk | WR | 51 | 150.3 | 12.53 | -54.56 | -0.98 |
| Kendrick Bourne | WR | #N/A | 100 | 12.5 | -104.86 | -1.01 |
| D'Andre Swift | RB | 77.8 | 199.3 | 12.46 | 0.07 | -1.12 |
| Jerome Ford | RB | 166.4 | 211.2 | 12.42 | 11.97 | -1.16 |
| Chris Godwin | WR | 59.9 | 209.2 | 12.31 | 4.34 | -1.20 |
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 44.5 | 209.2 | 12.31 | 4.34 | -1.20 |
| George Pickens | WR | 73.7 | 208.8 | 12.28 | 3.94 | -1.23 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 49.4 | 230.2 | 17.71 | -62.86 | -1.25 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 76.3 | 136.3 | 9.74 | -33.47 | -1.27 |
| Aaron Jones | RB | 51.8 | 134.9 | 12.26 | -64.33 | -1.32 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 28.3 | 145.7 | 12.14 | -53.53 | -1.44 |
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | 20.9 | 280.2 | 17.51 | -12.86 | -1.45 |
| Zack Moss | RB | #N/A | 169.6 | 12.11 | -29.63 | -1.47 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 73.7 | 113.2 | 9.43 | -56.57 | -1.58 |
| Tyler Lockett | WR | 62.4 | 202.4 | 11.91 | -2.46 | -1.60 |
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 96 | 190.2 | 11.89 | -14.66 | -1.62 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 125.4 | 150.3 | 9.39 | -19.47 | -1.62 |
| Diontae Johnson | WR | 55.9 | 152.7 | 11.75 | -52.16 | -1.76 |
| Russell Wilson | QB | 133.1 | 256.9 | 17.13 | -36.16 | -1.83 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 129.7 | 289.1 | 17.01 | -3.96 | -1.95 |
| Jaylen Warren | RB | 135.2 | 196.4 | 11.55 | -2.83 | -2.03 |
| Nick Chubb | RB | 12.4 | 23.1 | 11.55 | -176.13 | -2.03 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 24.6 | 137.6 | 11.47 | -67.26 | -2.04 |
| Najee Harris | RB | 39.4 | 195.5 | 11.5 | -3.73 | -2.08 |
| Christian Watson | WR | 41.3 | 101.3 | 11.26 | -103.56 | -2.25 |
| Javonte Williams | RB | 80.1 | 179.2 | 11.2 | -20.03 | -2.38 |
| Hunter Henry | TE | #N/A | 119.9 | 8.56 | -49.87 | -2.45 |
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | 65.7 | 262.5 | 16.41 | -30.56 | -2.55 |
| Gus Edwards | RB | 178.5 | 187 | 11 | -12.23 | -2.58 |
| Drake London | WR | 44.2 | 174.4 | 10.9 | -30.46 | -2.61 |
| Brandin Cooks | WR | 84.9 | 173.2 | 10.83 | -31.66 | -2.68 |
| Darrell Henderson | RB | #N/A | 43.5 | 10.88 | -155.73 | -2.70 |
| Matthew Stafford | QB | 158.9 | 243.1 | 16.21 | -49.96 | -2.75 |
| Chuba Hubbard | RB | 188.7 | 182.5 | 10.74 | -16.73 | -2.84 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | #N/A | 274.1 | 16.12 | -18.96 | -2.84 |
| Josh Palmer | WR | #N/A | 106.7 | 10.67 | -98.16 | -2.84 |
| Jake Browning | QB | #N/A | 144.4 | 16.04 | -148.66 | -2.92 |
| Kyle Pitts | TE | 70.7 | 137.3 | 8.08 | -32.47 | -2.93 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | QB | 91.7 | 270.4 | 15.91 | -22.66 | -3.05 |
| Logan Thomas | TE | #N/A | 126.8 | 7.93 | -42.97 | -3.08 |
| Rashid Shaheed | WR | 166.4 | 155.6 | 10.37 | -49.26 | -3.14 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 123.1 | 174.4 | 10.26 | -30.46 | -3.25 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | RB | 171.4 | 174.5 | 10.26 | -24.73 | -3.32 |
| Noah Brown | WR | #N/A | 101.6 | 10.16 | -103.26 | -3.35 |
| D'Onta Foreman | RB | 158.1 | 91.2 | 10.13 | -108.03 | -3.45 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 185.6 | 97.8 | 7.52 | -71.97 | -3.49 |
| Joshua Dobbs | QB | #N/A | 200.7 | 15.44 | -92.36 | -3.52 |
| Gerald Everett | TE | 148.2 | 111.1 | 7.41 | -58.67 | -3.60 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | #N/A | 51.7 | 7.39 | -118.07 | -3.62 |
| Curtis Samuel | WR | 176.4 | 157.2 | 9.83 | -47.66 | -3.68 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | #N/A | 124.2 | 7.31 | -45.57 | -3.70 |
| Devin Singletary | RB | 156.5 | 167.3 | 9.84 | -31.93 | -3.74 |
| Tyler Conklin | TE | 187.2 | 123.1 | 7.24 | -46.67 | -3.77 |
| Tyler Higbee | TE | 143.4 | 108.5 | 7.23 | -61.27 | -3.78 |
| Sam Howell | QB | 199.2 | 257.5 | 15.15 | -35.56 | -3.81 |
| Geno Smith | QB | 114.9 | 227.3 | 15.15 | -65.76 | -3.81 |
| Marquise Brown | WR | 60.9 | 134.7 | 9.62 | -70.16 | -3.89 |
| Gabe Davis | WR | 71.1 | 161.4 | 9.49 | -43.46 | -4.02 |
| Cade Otton | TE | #N/A | 116.5 | 6.85 | -53.27 | -4.16 |
| Luke Musgrave | TE | #N/A | 75.2 | 6.84 | -94.57 | -4.17 |
| Khalil Herbert | RB | 117 | 112.5 | 9.38 | -86.73 | -4.20 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 48.1 | 147.2 | 14.72 | -145.86 | -4.24 |
| Josh Downs | WR | #N/A | 157.1 | 9.24 | -47.76 | -4.27 |
| Tanner Hudson | TE | #N/A | 80.2 | 6.68 | -89.57 | -4.33 |
| Chigoziem Okonkwo | TE | 143.1 | 113.4 | 6.67 | -56.37 | -4.34 |
| Tyjae Spears | RB | 175.7 | 153.8 | 9.05 | -45.43 | -4.53 |
| Michael Thomas | WR | 96.6 | 89.8 | 8.98 | -115.06 | -4.53 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 108 | 76.8 | 6.4 | -92.97 | -4.61 |
| Darius Slayton | WR | 202.1 | 151 | 8.88 | -53.86 | -4.63 |
| Wan'Dale Robinson | WR | #N/A | 133.2 | 8.88 | -71.66 | -4.63 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 38.3 | 141.8 | 8.86 | -63.06 | -4.65 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 59.2 | 149.8 | 8.81 | -55.06 | -4.70 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | #N/A | 114.5 | 8.81 | -90.36 | -4.70 |
| Derek Carr | QB | 151 | 241.1 | 14.18 | -51.96 | -4.78 |
| Zay Jones | WR | 125.5 | 78.1 | 8.68 | -126.76 | -4.83 |
| Keaton Mitchell | RB | #N/A | 69.9 | 8.74 | -129.33 | -4.84 |
| Tyler Boyd | WR | 108.9 | 144.8 | 8.52 | -60.06 | -4.99 |
| Isaiah Likely | TE | #N/A | 101.1 | 5.95 | -68.67 | -5.06 |
| Alexander Mattison | RB | 58.2 | 133.2 | 8.33 | -66.03 | -5.25 |
| Donald Parham | TE | #N/A | 79.5 | 5.68 | -90.27 | -5.33 |
| Tyler Allgeier | RB | 141.8 | 137.6 | 8.09 | -61.63 | -5.49 |
| Dontayvion Wicks | WR | #N/A | 119.8 | 7.99 | -85.06 | -5.52 |
| Antonio Gibson | RB | 99 | 127.4 | 7.96 | -71.83 | -5.62 |
| Kareem Hunt | RB | #N/A | 118.5 | 7.9 | -80.73 | -5.68 |
| Elijah Moore | WR | 87 | 132.1 | 7.77 | -72.76 | -5.74 |
| AJ Dillon | RB | 101 | 117.6 | 7.84 | -81.63 | -5.74 |
| DJ Chark | WR | 153.6 | 115.5 | 7.7 | -89.36 | -5.81 |
| Odell Beckham | WR | 109.2 | 107.5 | 7.68 | -97.36 | -5.83 |
| Demario Douglas | WR | #N/A | 107.2 | 7.66 | -97.66 | -5.85 |
| Michael Mayer | TE | #N/A | 71.4 | 5.1 | -98.37 | -5.91 |
| Josh Reynolds | WR | #N/A | 128.8 | 7.58 | -76.06 | -5.93 |
| K.J. Osborn | WR | 149.3 | 120 | 7.5 | -84.86 | -6.01 |
| Kylen Granson | TE | #N/A | 73 | 4.87 | -96.77 | -6.14 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 75.3 | 124.8 | 7.34 | -80.06 | -6.17 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | #N/A | 78.5 | 4.62 | -91.27 | -6.39 |
| Samaje Perine | RB | 111.3 | 121.3 | 7.14 | -77.93 | -6.44 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 177.9 | 54.6 | 4.55 | -115.17 | -6.46 |
| Tutu Atwell | WR | #N/A | 112.4 | 7.03 | -92.46 | -6.48 |
| Durham Smythe | TE | #N/A | 71.6 | 4.48 | -98.17 | -6.53 |
| Jerick McKinnon | RB | 123.5 | 84.4 | 7.03 | -114.83 | -6.55 |
| Noah Fant | TE | #N/A | 73.4 | 4.32 | -96.37 | -6.69 |
| Justice Hill | RB | #N/A | 109.3 | 6.83 | -89.93 | -6.75 |
| Roschon Johnson | RB | 155.8 | 102.1 | 6.81 | -97.13 | -6.77 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 102.7 | 80.3 | 6.69 | -124.56 | -6.82 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 186.3 | 113.1 | 6.65 | -91.76 | -6.86 |
| Noah Gray | TE | #N/A | 70.6 | 4.15 | -99.17 | -6.86 |
| Cam Akers | RB | 65.4 | 46.7 | 6.67 | -152.53 | -6.91 |
| Zach Charbonnet | RB | 105.1 | 106.1 | 6.63 | -93.13 | -6.95 |
| Robert Woods | WR | #N/A | 89.3 | 6.38 | -115.56 | -7.13 |
| Desmond Ridder | QB | #N/A | 177.1 | 11.81 | -115.96 | -7.15 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 194.7 | 65.4 | 3.85 | -104.37 | -7.16 |
| Tommy Tremble | TE | #N/A | 60.4 | 3.78 | -109.37 | -7.23 |
| Rondale Moore | WR | 134.2 | 105 | 6.18 | -99.86 | -7.33 |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | #N/A | 106 | 6.24 | -93.23 | -7.34 |
| Brevin Jordan | TE | #N/A | 50.9 | 3.64 | -118.87 | -7.37 |
| Colby Parkinson | TE | #N/A | 61.7 | 3.63 | -108.07 | -7.38 |
| Gardner Minshew II | QB | #N/A | 196.2 | 11.54 | -96.86 | -7.42 |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | WR | #N/A | 85 | 6.07 | -119.86 | -7.44 |
| A.T. Perry | WR | #N/A | 60.6 | 6.06 | -144.26 | -7.45 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | #N/A | 60.4 | 3.55 | -109.37 | -7.46 |
| Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 169.1 | 97.4 | 6.09 | -101.83 | -7.49 |
| Aidan O'Connell | QB | #N/A | 125.8 | 11.44 | -167.26 | -7.52 |
| Ty Chandler | RB | #N/A | 101 | 5.94 | -98.23 | -7.64 |
| Dameon Pierce | RB | 68.1 | 82.7 | 5.91 | -116.53 | -7.67 |
| Kalif Raymond | WR | #N/A | 97.4 | 5.73 | -107.46 | -7.78 |
| Nelson Agholor | WR | #N/A | 97.1 | 5.71 | -107.76 | -7.80 |
| Jonathan Mingo | WR | 146 | 84.8 | 5.65 | -120.06 | -7.86 |
| Brandon Johnson | WR | #N/A | 73.4 | 5.65 | -131.46 | -7.86 |
| Rico Dowdle | RB | #N/A | 91.5 | 5.72 | -107.73 | -7.86 |
| Josh Oliver | TE | #N/A | 53.3 | 3.14 | -116.47 | -7.87 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | #N/A | 95.7 | 5.63 | -109.16 | -7.88 |
| Alec Pierce | WR | 155.1 | 95.4 | 5.61 | -109.46 | -7.90 |
| DeVante Parker | WR | 186.5 | 72.4 | 5.57 | -132.46 | -7.94 |
| Justin Watson | WR | #N/A | 89 | 5.56 | -115.86 | -7.95 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | 115.9 | 61 | 5.55 | -143.86 | -7.96 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 79.3 | 94 | 5.53 | -110.86 | -7.98 |
| Daniel Bellinger | TE | #N/A | 50.5 | 2.97 | -119.27 | -8.04 |
| Demarcus Robinson | WR | #N/A | 87.4 | 5.46 | -117.46 | -8.05 |
| Drew Sample | TE | #N/A | 50.3 | 2.96 | -119.47 | -8.05 |
| Miles Sanders | RB | 63.2 | 87.6 | 5.48 | -111.63 | -8.10 |
| Kendre Miller | RB | 145.1 | 43.3 | 5.41 | -155.93 | -8.17 |
| Salvon Ahmed | RB | #N/A | 42.9 | 5.36 | -156.33 | -8.22 |
| Darnell Mooney | WR | 130.9 | 78.9 | 5.26 | -125.96 | -8.25 |
| Kevin Harris | RB | #N/A | 21.3 | 5.33 | -177.93 | -8.25 |
| Emari Demercado | RB | #N/A | 73.3 | 5.24 | -125.93 | -8.34 |
| Michael Gallup | WR | 137.3 | 87.8 | 5.16 | -117.06 | -8.35 |
| Latavius Murray | RB | #N/A | 82.9 | 5.18 | -116.33 | -8.40 |
| Rashod Bateman | WR | 96.1 | 76.5 | 4.78 | -128.36 | -8.73 |
| Cedrick Wilson Jr. | WR | #N/A | 69.6 | 4.64 | -135.26 | -8.87 |
| Jamaal Williams | RB | 125.8 | 60.8 | 4.68 | -138.43 | -8.90 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | RB | 201.3 | 70.1 | 4.67 | -129.13 | -8.91 |
| Zach Wilson | QB | #N/A | 119.9 | 9.99 | -173.16 | -8.97 |
| Tony Jones | RB | #N/A | 32.2 | 4.6 | -167.03 | -8.98 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | #N/A | 71.8 | 4.49 | -133.06 | -9.02 |
| Marvin Mims | WR | 150.9 | 70.7 | 4.42 | -134.16 | -9.09 |
| Chase Brown | RB | 201.7 | 53.5 | 4.46 | -145.73 | -9.12 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 178.3 | 156.4 | 9.78 | -136.66 | -9.18 |
| Allen Lazard | WR | 117.4 | 60.1 | 4.29 | -144.76 | -9.22 |
| Zamir White | RB | 182.1 | 73.9 | 4.35 | -125.33 | -9.23 |
| Elijah Mitchell | RB | 127.6 | 47.5 | 4.32 | -151.73 | -9.26 |
| Darrynton Evans | RB | #N/A | 30 | 4.29 | -169.23 | -9.29 |
| Kadarius Toney | WR | 95 | 53 | 4.08 | -151.86 | -9.43 |
| Jeff Wilson | RB | 173.6 | 41.3 | 4.13 | -157.93 | -9.45 |
| Greg Dortch | WR | #N/A | 64.5 | 4.03 | -140.36 | -9.48 |
| Chris Moore | WR | #N/A | 68.3 | 4.02 | -136.56 | -9.49 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | #N/A | 51.5 | 3.96 | -153.36 | -9.55 |
| Brandon Powell | WR | #N/A | 67.1 | 3.95 | -137.76 | -9.56 |
| Trenton Irwin | WR | #N/A | 62.6 | 3.91 | -142.26 | -9.60 |
| Michael Carter | RB | #N/A | 58.8 | 3.92 | -140.43 | -9.66 |
| Skyy Moore | WR | 92.7 | 53.7 | 3.84 | -151.16 | -9.67 |
| KaVontae Turpin | WR | #N/A | 59.7 | 3.73 | -145.16 | -9.78 |
| Allen Robinson | WR | #N/A | 62 | 3.65 | -142.86 | -9.86 |
| Braxton Berrios | WR | #N/A | 57.9 | 3.62 | -146.96 | -9.89 |
| Joshua Kelley | RB | #N/A | 61.7 | 3.63 | -137.53 | -9.95 |
| Jalin Hyatt | WR | 177.4 | 60.3 | 3.55 | -144.56 | -9.96 |
| Isaiah Hodgins | WR | 168.4 | 60 | 3.53 | -144.86 | -9.98 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | WR | 147.7 | 56.5 | 3.53 | -148.36 | -9.98 |
| Royce Freeman | RB | #N/A | 46.2 | 3.3 | -153.03 | -10.28 |
| Ty Johnson | RB | #N/A | 32.4 | 3.24 | -166.83 | -10.34 |
| Chase Edmonds | RB | #N/A | 39.7 | 3.05 | -159.53 | -10.53 |
| Chris Rodriguez | RB | #N/A | 37.9 | 2.92 | -161.33 | -10.66 |
| Matt Breida | RB | #N/A | 46.9 | 2.76 | -152.33 | -10.82 |
| Patrick Taylor | RB | #N/A | 30 | 2.73 | -169.23 | -10.85 |
| Dalvin Cook | RB | 95.8 | 40.2 | 2.68 | -159.03 | -10.90 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | RB | 203 | 36.9 | 2.64 | -162.33 | -10.94 |
| Jordan Mason | RB | #N/A | 44.7 | 2.63 | -154.53 | -10.95 |
| Andrew Beck | RB | #N/A | 38.8 | 2.59 | -160.43 | -10.99 |
| Pierre Strong | RB | #N/A | 42.8 | 2.52 | -156.43 | -11.06 |
Negative numbers refer to players who finished below the replacement-level average.
Macro Observations
I wrote the same study last year – below is the change in scoring at each position.
| QB | RB | WR | TE | |
| Season Change | -6.13 | 1.13 | 10.13 | 8.69 |
| Per Game Change | -0.71 | 0.46 | 0.27 | 0.4 |
Peaking in 2020 with 22.21 points per game, quarterback scoring fell again to 19.67 this season. Defenses are determined to stop explosive passing attacks and it is causing an obvious trend in QB scoring. This is the lowest QB scoring has been since 2020.
Except for Christian McCaffrey, no running back topped 300 PPR points. Kyren Williams is the only other RB who topped 20 PPR points per game. Still, the running back scoring baseline was up by just over a point.
Wide receiver and tight end both experienced big gains in season-long production after big drops last season. WR reached the highest season-long baseline since I’ve begun charting these.
2023’s Fantasy Football MVPs
If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to take a look at the table above. For the entire season, CeeDee Lamb and Christian McCaffrey were the most valuable. Lamb provided an incredible 198.34 points above average when compared with his position, and CMC finished with 192.07. Tyreek Hill (171.54) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (126.04) were the only other players to beat their position baseline by 100+ points.
McCaffrey led all players with 10.88 PAA per game, edging out Lamb (10.21). Hill was the only other player above 10. Keenan Allen (7.94) and Kyren Williams (7.67) were among the best when healthy. Unfortunately, their lack of games played hurt their fantasy owners.
When referring to 2023’s fantasy football MVPs, the cost or draft position must be mentioned. Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua were not drafted in many leagues and finished as the 5th and 11th most valuable players per game. Players like Raheem Mostert, Nico Collins, DeVon Achane, and Sam LaPorta were incredible values at where they were drafted.
You can toggle between the “PAA S” and “PAA PG” above to see who were the most valuable players last year.
