Not all fantasy football cheat sheets and sleeper lists are created equal. With so many experts and so many sites, it can be overwhelming to figure out the best source for overall player rankings from one year (and draft) to the next. The constantly updated consensus rankings at Fantasy Pros are a helpful composite, but even with other sites gaining popularity heading into 2023, chances are, many fantasy owners will be drafting and playing most of their leagues on either Yahoo or ESPN.
Although Yahoo defaults to half-point PPR and ESPN leans to full PPR, there are some intriguing differences between both sites’ main rankings. If you play on both, different sleeper/bust targets might emerge, and you’ll likely need to employ a slightly different draft strategy.
Even if you play on just one site, it’s important to understand that the draft app you’re using might have different criteria for its rankings than the ones you were studying before the draft.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
There is one guarantee — neither Yahoo nor ESPN will be 100-percent accurate across positions, just like Sporting News, CBS Sports, Sleeper, etc. Here’s a look at the most polarizing players leading to the biggest deviations in 2023 so you can plan accordingly for your drafts:
IYER: ‘Do Not Draft List’ by ADP | Best values, draft steals by ADP
Yahoo fantasy football rankings vs. ESPN fantasy football rankings 2023
Yahoo’s default setting is half-point PPR; most ESPN leagues are full PPR
Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow, Bengals (No. 61 overall Yahoo, No. 42 overall ESPN)
Yahoo is definitely more wary of early injuries, so you can get a slight value on Burrow as a top-half QB1 there. ESPN trusts that Burrow will be Burrow.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings (No. 118 overall Yahoo, No. 94 overall ESPN)
Cousins is one of the most reliable, productive, and consistent passers in fantasy. He lacks youth and running upside, but he’s too low as QB16 on Yahoo and just right at QB11 on ESPN.
2023 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Russell Wilson, Broncos (No. 154 overall Yahoo, No. 122 overall ESPN)
This isn’t a huge difference, with ESPN having Russ as QB16 and Yahoo calling him QB19. Although there’s guarded optimism Wilson will be better for fantasy under Sean Payton, there’s balancing that with more skepticism. Regardless, he should be mid-QB2, at best.
Anthony Richardson, Colts (No. 103 overall Yahoo, No. 123 overall ESPN)
Richardson should see some bump ups everywhere now that he’s guaranteed to start in Week 1, putting his rushing floor and raw downfield passing at work right away. Still, be wary of rating the rookie too high as a QB2. You’ll need to reach a little to get him on Yahoo.
2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Matthew Stafford, Rams (No. 168 overall Yahoo, No. 139 overall ESPN, )
ESPN believes Stafford will return healthy to tap into his past fantasy equity, putting him at QB16. There’s no way he’s worth that, and even the QB22 mark of Yahoo is shaky with higher-upside, healthier QBs behind him.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals (No. 265 overall Yahoo, No. 173 overall ESPN)
ESPN is comfortable enough with Murray (knee) to put him at QB20 despite the likelihood he misses several games. Yahoo is aggressive the other way, dropping him all the way down to QB31. Murray is a flier, at best, and not the best late target on what will be a bad Cardinals team with an offense in big transition.
2023 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team
Jared Goff, Lions (No. 136 overall Yahoo, No. 215 overall ESPN)
Goff is QB18 on Yahoo and is getting even less love as the QB21 on ESPN. That’s kind of nuts for a QB10 from last season with increased weaponry in the same offense and likely more TD passes ahead given last year’s unsustainable rushing TD percentage. Take advantage on both sites. Goff is, at worst, a high-end QB2 backup.
Sam Howell, Commanders (No. 176 overall Yahoo, No. 269 overall ESPN)
Howell is rising up boards with some cap and preseason buzz. Yahoo has realized he needs to be more than afterthought, raising him to QB21. ESPN has him as a ridiculously low QB30. He’s an intriguing sleeper worth taking above expert consensus.
2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Overall
Running backs
Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions (No. 35 overall Yahoo, No. 33 overall ESPN)
There’s not much difference here, but that’s odd given Gibbs comes in advertised as a key receiving back. That means he remains undervalued on the major sites, as there’s needless worry about him not getting feature touches.
JK Dobbins, Ravens (No. 38 overall Yahoo, No. 92 overall ESPN)
There’s a major difference here, as Yahoo believes more in Dobbins being the lead back in Baltimore while ESPN is much more uncertain about that even when factoring in his receiving skills. He’s too high on Yahoo and too low on ESPN. He makes sense in the 70s.
2023 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST
Cam Akers, Rams (No. 43 overall Yahoo, No. 63 overall ESPN)
This is another curious gap given that Akers is also an adept receiver out of the backfield and is tabbed for a significant workload ahead of young backups. Enjoy the value on ESPN, but you might need to be on point to land Akers on Yahoo.
David Montgomery (No. 62 overall Yahoo, No. 81 overall ESPN)
Montgomery is a meh runner being confused with a power-scoring back who will replace Jamaal Williams. Fade Monty everywhere hard.
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake | Auction | Best ball | Dynasty | IDP
Rachaad White, Buccaneers (No. 73 overall Yahoo, No. 43 overall ESPN)
ESPN feels strongly about White seeing a more complete role on top of his receiving prowess. Yahoo is being too conservative. Draft accordingly toward aggression.
De’Von Achane, Dolphins (No. 124 overall Yahoo, No. 196 overall ESPN)
However you say, pronounce, or spell his name at this point, he’s too primo of a lottery ticket to undersell given his position behind two oft-injured veteran backs in a great offense. Yahoo has the right kind of juice on him.
Wide receivers
Chris Olave, Saints (No. 22 overall Yahoo, No. 25 overall ESPN)
There’s not too much difference here, but this is used to point out Olave’s jumping up the major sites fast. You will need to invest WR1 draft capital in him.
Deebo Samuel, 49ers (No. 45 overall Yahoo, No. 36 overall ESPN)
To fade or not to fade Deebo again, that is the question. The durability issues and the lesser role from just two years ago in a spread-it-out offense with Christian McCaffrey as the centerpiece gives us pause. Yahoo is right to drop him down.
Calvin Ridley, Jaguars (No. 40 overall Yahoo, No. 46 overall ESPN)
This also shows Ridley is ascending fast as a high-end WR2 in Jacksonville. If you want him, you gotta be more aggressive in most drafts.
Terry McLaurin, Commanders (No. 48 overall Yahoo, No. 55 overall ESPN)
ESPN is right to fade him in relation to rising Jahan Dotson, who seems to have better overall chemistry with Sam Howell and also equal, if not superior, all-around talent.
Tyler Lockett, Seahawks (No. 46 overall Yahoo, No. 66 overall ESPN)
So, who should be faded more in Seattle with rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba rising? Lockett might seem to be the one more in danger of losing key snaps, but he’s more efficient and less volatile (and less big-play and TD-dependent) than DK Metcalf at this point. Yahoo has it right to keep Lockett as a strong WR2. He can be a steal at ESPN.
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers (No. 52 overall Yahoo, No. 68 overall ESPN)
Aiyuk is also not getting enough credit for his breakout 2022 as a key target regardless of QB. He’s more interchangeable as a target with Samuel than most might think, and he benefits from more Brock Purdy. Enjoy another great value on ESPN, and it’s OK to take him even earlier on Yahoo.
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos (No. 55 overall Yahoo, No. 38 overall ESPN)
This disparity screams that Jeudy is expected to be more effective with reception volume vs. his yards and TDs, but he is a sneaky big-play threat and smooth technician to perform more like a No. 1 inside or outside. Enjoy the value on Yahoo and maybe avoid the steeper PPR price on ESPN.
Nico Collins, Texans (No. 112 overall Yahoo, No. 133 overall ESPN)
There are some good vibes for Collins coming out of Houston for the new-look receiving corps, but that’s also been the case for John Metchie and rookie Tank Dell behind bridge veteran Robert Woods. This team has the most vacated targets from 2022 and is doing a 49ers-themed offensive reboot where Dell profiles most like a Samuel-Aiyuk type. Collins has flashed, but it’s hard to feel him at either value over Dell, who has a strong connection with C.J. Stroud.
Jakobi Meyers, Raiders (No. 119 overall Yahoo, No. 96 overall ESPN)
ESPN appreciates that he could have key slot volume in a familiar Patriots-like offense under Josh McDaniels behind Davante Adams. Yahoo is more skeptical about the passing game, given it also dropped Adams a little earlier. Meyers is much like Brandin Cooks, who’s also a bit forgotten on his new team.
Tight ends
Darren Waller, Giants (No. 78 overall Yahoo, No. 59 overall ESPN)
The PPR format might seem to favor Waller, but ESPN has it right thinking he can finish top five again now that he’s healthy as the go-to guy for Daniel Jones. You can steal Waller better on Yahoo.
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans (No. 115 overall Yahoo, No. 138 overall ESPN)
Getting Chiggy with it is much easier to get on ESPN where he’s TE16 compared to TE11 on Yahoo. The DeAndre Hopkins addition has been assumed to turn Okonkwo and Treylon Burks into young scrubs instead of ascending second-year receivers. That’s a bad assumption.
Sam LaPorta, Lions (No. 126 overall Yahoo, No. 188 overall ESPN)
Dalton Kincaid, Luke Musgrave, and even Michael Mayer have gotten more rookie buzz of late based on offenses and situations. That should also mean a bump for LaPorta, headed to start on a Detroit passing game that needs key targets for Jared Goff behind Amon-Ra St. Brown with Jameson Williams suspended out of the gate. LaPorta also has a path to fantasy value in the role vacated by fellow former Iowa Hawkeye T.J. Hockenson.
Dalton Schultz, Texans (No. 143 overall Yahoo, No. 104 overall ESPN)
Schultz steps into the poor man’s George Kittle role in Houston’s San Francisco-like offense working with a rookie QB. Houston needs to rev up pass-catchers, and Schultz and Tank Dell are doing the right early things with C.J. Stroud. He’s now a much better value on Yahoo, as ESPN justly has the former Cowboy in the top 12.
Hunter Henry, Patriots (No. 156 overall Yahoo, No. 249 overall ESPN)
Henry is TE19 on Yahoo but only TE27 on ESPN. That might be tied to thinking he’s more TD- than volume-dependent in PPR. Still, this is about one site overvaluing Mike Gesicki. Henry has to be a key familiar target for Mac Jones in the red zone and can channel 2021 with Bill O’Brien calling the shots.
