If you play in a fantasy football league with me, please don't read this column.
I'll use this space to outline some of my absolute favorite targets in drafts this year, and no, I'm not just talking about Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase.
Every year I find myself gravitating toward certain players, deciding in recent years to tab them "Field's Favorites." If you're looking for a tagline or slogan for your local business, consider me your guy.
These aren't sleepers, players whom you haven't heard of, or anything of the sort. These are most assuredly all players you've heard of and drafted before. These are just players who feel primed for a massive season ahead and whom I keep walking away with during mock drafts.
Let's dive in.
Note: Current average draft positions (ADP) are as of Aug. 23.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Current ADP: 31.8 (WR14)
The unofficial captain of our squad, Olave feels destined for a massive step forward despite an objectively hot start as a rookie last year. Olave is silky smooth as a route runner, has elite speed and has dominated Saints training camp so far this summer. Over the past 15 seasons, Olave's 2.49 yards per route run ranked fifth among all rookie receivers (behind only A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ja'Marr Chase). While his college teammate Garrett Wilson justifiably earned Offensive Rookie of the Year accolades in 2022, Olave actually led all rookie WRs with 13.2 fantasy points per game. The Saints made a quarterback upgrade by signing Derek Carr this offseason, and the entire offense should be a much smoother operation after a rocky 2022. Olave has a clear path to a top-10 wide receiver season.
Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Current ADP: 15.6 (RB7)
Pollard was incredible last season for both the Cowboys and your fantasy squad, as he was a top-10 back and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career. He's one of the most dynamic players at the position. Last season, he was seventh in yards per attempt (minimum 50 carries) and second in yards per reception (minimum 20 catches) among RBs. Among all players with at least 150 total touches, Pollard averaged the second-most fantasy points per touch (trailing only Austin Ekeler). While it's fair to concede that Pollard's efficiency might stem in part from always being fresh while splitting duties with Ezekiel Elliott, it's worth noting he had the first four games of his career with at least 15 carries last season, suggesting the team believes he's ready for even more.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Current ADP: 49.1 (QB6)
When you're drafting Herbert this season, you're getting him on sale after a down 2022 season plagued by a significant injury to his ribs early in the season, shaky-at-times offensive line protection and a system that took away one of his superpowers in his cannon arm. And despite having what was a disappointing season, Herbert still finished as a top-10 quarterback in eight separate weeks, throwing for more than 4,700 yards and 25 passing touchdowns. Herbert is the only quarterback to ever throw for 4,000 yards in each of his first three seasons and trails only Dan Marino in total touchdown passes through his first three seasons (Marino had 98, Herbert 94). Herbert was fantasy's QB2 just two seasons ago (2021) and rather than belaboring this point with any more stats, I'll just remind everyone that Herbert is incredible.
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Current ADP: 119.5 (WR44)
A theme of this article is chasing high-pedigree players. Addison was one of the four consecutive wide receivers taken in the first round of this year's draft, and he's my favorite redraft target due to his talent and role. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football in 2021 during a season when he was Kenny Pickett's top wideout at Pitt. The Vikings released longtime fixture Adam Thielen this offseason, opening the door for someone to step into a prominent spot opposite Justin Jefferson, and Addison is the leader in the clubhouse. Defenses have no choice but to devise a plan every snap for Jefferson, leaving less attention to be focused elsewhere. That should set up the crafty route runner Addison for bunches of favorable looks. I'm in.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
Current ADP: 51.4 (WR20)
Editor's note: Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 24 and is expected to miss several weeks, according to sources. His inclusion on this list was prior to the injury.
Patience is a virtue, and it paid off late last season, when Jeudy got hot in Weeks 14-18 with 33 catches for 458 yards and three touchdowns -- yes, I know they were all scored in one game -- scoring the third-most fantasy points among WRs in that span. Entering last season, there was a thoughtful debate about whether Jeudy or Courtland Sutton ought to be the first Broncos wide receiver taken in fantasy, but Jeudy has emerged as the clear target in 2023. He's a nasty route runner who can get open against seemingly any coverage, part of what boosted his value late in 2022. Jeudy has tantalizing potential, as this Broncos offense figures to take a step forward in 2023 under new coach Sean Payton. One key area where Jeudy has struggled in the past but must not this year is drops. They were too frequent an occurrence when Jeudy was a rookie back in 2020, and a drop in the team's first preseason game was a not-fun reminder. With better ball security, the upside is huge.
Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants
Current ADP: 50.4 (TE4)
If you're a tight end not named Travis Kelce, you have at least a bit of risk baked into you, but Waller is one of my favorite options at the position. Let's start with a box that Waller checks but few other tight ends do: He's the player I'd vote as most likely to lead his team in targets. How many tight ends do you feel that's the case for? Kelce, yes, and maybe Mark Andrews. Other than that? Long shots. Waller is an matchup problem who has developed a recent billing as being injury-prone, but that rhetoric didn't follow him in 2019 and 2020 when he played all 32 games, had 197 total catches and went for over 1,000 receiving yards in each season. I get it, we're talking about 2023, but I didn't see signs of major physical decline in Waller when he was on the field last season, and the camp buzz has penciled him in as the most impressive Giant this month. A change of scenery might prove to be the catalyst for a career resurgence.
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
Current ADP: 66.5 (RB22)
As I sift through the running back options with a direct path to an RB2 season, among the criteria I look for are talent (duh), being the expected carries leader for his team and sufficient-or-better pass-catching. The Panthers gave Sanders a four-year, $25 million deal this offseason, among the best for any back in the entire league over the past seven months. It was a real investment in what was a very cool market for RBs. The Panthers' depth chart is lacking behind Sanders, with Chuba Hubbard as the expected change-of-pace option, and while Sanders was not asked to do much as a receiver in 2022, he has that skill set in his arsenal. Back in 2019, Sanders hauled in 50 catches on 63 targets as a rookie under his now-head coach Frank Reich (then the Eagles' offensive coordinator) and assistant head coach Duce Staley (then the assistant head coach and running backs coach). They know that Sanders can add value as a pass-catcher, with the chance to push for 225-plus rushing attempts and 50-plus catches. Carolina's offensive line is intact from last season and stepped up in run-blocking throughout the year. There are other players on this list with considerably more upside, but I keep finding myself targeting Sanders as one of my favorite RB2 options.