In 2023 wide receivers are going earlier than ever before. This, paired with elite quarterbacks going earlier than ever has presented a unique set of challenges for drafters this season. It’s common for 15 or more WRs to go in the first two rounds of drafts. The WRs in the first two rounds are rock solid, but immediately after that, we can poke holes in several player profiles from Round 3 on. We do not want to get too far behind at WR in our drafts because of how important the third WR spot is on Underdog. But it is important to make sure we are getting the right prices on the right profiles and not missing out on other exploitable opportunities this unique 2023 draft landscape is presenting us with.

In this draft environment, it is more important than ever to think through which pockets of the drafts are the most fruitful for setting up certain structures and strategies, especially in the early rounds. WRs and QBs going earlier means the running backs and tight ends we had to pay more for last year should come at a much cheaper cost. How can we exploit these values and still get out of the draft with enough WR firepower?

AVOIDING TRAP WR PROFILES IN ROUNDS WITH HIGH OPPORTUNITY COST

With 43 WRs going before Round 8, you need to get your WRs early. That means we need to be more strategic when we take a detour to another position in the early rounds. One way to safely take a detour is to make sure we have arbitrage options — options that give us a similar upside/risk profile at a lower cost (in effect reducing our risk without significantly reducing our upside).

TWO ARBITRAGE OPTIONS FOR TRENDY EARLY-ROUND WIDE RECEIVERS

This is not to say that these players are complete fades for me in 2023, or that you should avoid them at all costs. It just means to be more conscious of their price and try to get your exposure when they fall later in drafts.