It’s time for the Dynasty Nerds staff to give their NFL predictions for the 2023 regular season, postseason, awards, and some dynasty breakout/busts. This includes players you should buy or sell right now and will feature commentary from many writers. In total, 13 writers, including myself, voted for who they thought would be the winner or best choice for each category. Those categories were winners of each division, the AFC/NFC champ, the Super Bowl winner, MVP, OPOY, DPOY, dynasty MVP, dynasty breakout running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end, plus some dynasty busts and the best player to buy or trade.
The writers who participated in this were Erik Kortz, Mike Johrendt, Jayson Snyder, Jack Kochman, Dustin Ludke, Keith Ensminger, Tim Martens, Mike Hicks, DynastyPJ, Doc Mitchell, and Ryan Wilhelm. That is 13 voters, though not all of them voted on every section. Let’s get started with the NFC West.
NFC West Division Winner Predictions
The Dynasty Nerds Staff was fairly unanimous, with 10/13 predicting that the San Francisco 49ers will win this division. That’s most likely because of how well-built their offense and defense are. It’s a tad risky, though, as this depends on Brock Purdy living up to the hype. The other three voters voted for the Seattle Seahawks.
NFC North Division Winner
Unlike the West, the North was a bit all over the place, with all four teams receiving votes. However, the leading team turned out to be the Detroit Lions. They had five votes. The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings each had three votes. The Green Bay Packers fell to fourth with just two votes.
NFC South Division Winner
The NFC South was similar to the North in that every team got a vote. However, it did have a clear winner, with the Saints getting seven votes. The Falcons got three votes, followed by the Buccaneers, who earned two. The Panthers garnered one vote as the staff believes they are still a year away from competing.
NFC East Division Winner
This was the second-largest vote total for any team in the NFL by the staff. With 11 out of 13 votes, the Eagles are the clear favorites by Dynasty Nerds. Surprisingly, the Commanders had one vote, and then the Cowboys received a vote as well.
AFC West Division Winner
This was the largest blow-out as the Chiefs came within one vote of sweeping the board. The Chargers, chosen by Keith Ensminger, were the only other AFC West team to receive a vote. Perhaps he saw the future and saw the NFL world be shocked by the Chargers. Or, perhaps the Chiefs will prove him wrong.
AFC North Division Winner
The Bengals came out on top with eight votes. Followed by the Ravens with four votes. The Steelers were chosen only by Jayson Snyder. Maybe he knows something we don’t.
AFC East Division Winner
This division wasn’t particularly close as eight voters voted for the Buffalo Bills to take it. Two voted for the Dolphins, and three voted for the New York Jets.
AFC South Division Winner
This was the second largest blow-out tied with the Eagles. 11/13 voters leaned towards the Jaguars running away with the division. The Titans and Texans both got a single vote. Dustin Ludke voted for the Texans in what would truly upset the NFL order and create chaos in the fantasy football community if it came true.
NFC Champion
There was a tie between the voters regarding who will come out on top of the NFC Conference. With five votes apiece, the Eagles and 49ers tied. Perhaps we’ll get a rematch of them come January. The Cowboys and Lions each got a vote.
AFC Champion
This one was not nearly as evenly split. In fact, five teams got votes. The Chiefs led the way with four, but the Bengals weren’t far behind with three. The Dolphins and Ravens each got two votes, while the Bills got one. This conference is up for grabs according to our staff.
Super Bowl Winner
This was another contentious vote for the staff. Six teams got a vote, but one team emerged victorious. The team that was voted to be the Super Bowl winner in our NFL predictions was the Philadelphia Eagles. They captured four votes, closely followed by the Chiefs’ three and the Bengals’ two. The Bills, Dolphins, and 49ers each got a vote.
MVP Winner
This was another wide-open race, with seven players receiving votes. However, the reigning MVP was voted to repeat, with Patrick Mahomes getting four votes. Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow each got two votes. Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert each got a vote.
Offensive Player of the Year
In what was a close race spread out to all corners of the NFL world, we had a tie. Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, and Justin Jefferson all got two votes. Garrett Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Pollard, Ja’Marr Chase, Saquon Barkley, and Nick Chubb each received a vote.
Defensive Player of the Year
This was a race that had one clear winner. Micah Parsons achieved eight votes, while TJ Watt and Myles Garrett tied for second with two votes. 2023 feels like the year Parsons will get his due.
Dynasty MVP, Breakout Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End, and Quarterback
Tony Pollard surprisingly won this with two votes for dynasty MVP. That makes sense, as he could carry some teams to a championship win this year. As for breakout running back, Bijan Robinson led the way with three votes. Tony Pollard was close to tying with two votes, as did Javonte Williams. Breakout wide receiver had a surprising leader with Garrett Wilson. He had three votes, and it seems our writers expect him to break into the upper echelon of dynasty wide receivers this year. Chris Olave and Christian Watson each had two.
At tight end, there was a common name throughout the votes as Juwan Johnson led the way with four votes. Our writers believe that he will become the next Darren Waller for Derek Carr. Greg Dulcich was second with two votes. And for the most important position, quarterback? Well, with three votes, Jordan Love took the win. The staff has some high hopes that Love can become another strong quarterback in Green Bay. Tua Tagovailoa and CJ Stroud tied for second with two votes apiece.
Overall Dynasty Breakout Player
Here are some recommendations from our staff writers.
“Jordan Love has enough talent around him to vault from a fringe QB2 to reliable Superflex starter.”-Jack Kochman
“How deep are we going? Garrett Wilson is my top breakout. Bijan will be a top 5 back. Jahmyr Gibbs will be top 15 back.” – Erik Kortz
“Jordan Love will be a second-round startup pick in Superflex drafts by the end of the season.”- Keith Ensminger
“If the Panthers offensive line can hold up, I think Mingo will establish himself as their WR1 by the end of the season and then have a nice career partnering with Young.” – Ryan Wilhelm
“It’s chalk, but I have to say Bijan here. With his talent, and Atlanta’s penchant for pounding the rock, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be the heavy favorite to be breakout of the year.” -Jayson Snyder
“Brandon Aiyuk officially takes over as the top guy in San Francisco and becomes a WR1 for the foreseeable future.”-Tim Martens
“Sam Howell. Has the talent and a decent team around him and will shock everyone with how good he is.” – Dustin Ludke
Dynasty Buy/Sells
“I spent all off-season buying all the Christian Watson I could. Austin Ekeler – you can still get top value for him right now, but he’s at the age cliff.” -Erik Kortz
“James Cook needs to be high on your acquisition list. Selling Alexander Mattison now before he doesn’t become the bellcow like he’s being drafted to be.” – Mike Johrendt
“I’ll nominate Javonte Williams as a nice Buy candidate in this category. He was regarded as a budding star just a year ago and stands to rebound nicely with Sean Payton at the helm. His price may never be lower.” – Jayson Snyder
“Buy Skyy Moore while we still don’t know who the guy is in Kansas City. He should be a frontrunner for targets and play time over less-proven talents. Sell Brandon Aiyuk. Only two Top 24 finishes with Brock Purdy in an offense with too many mouths to feed.” – Jack Kochman
“Sell Kyle Pitts. Yes, he is athletic, but he doesn’t produce. He will leave you with heartbreak again. Sell while he still has the value.” – Dustin Ludke
“Buy Jordan Love. Right now, he costs about as much as mid-late QB2-level players. It won’t stay that way for much longer. Sell Mark Andrews. He has always been boosted by positional value and volume more than his talent, and there are many more quality receiving options on the Ravens now in a more WR-heavy offensive system.” – Keith Ensminger
“Sell Travis Etienne. Tank Bigsby is going to force a split backfield, and Etienne is being valued as a top-10 back currently.” – Tim Martens
“Somehow, DJ Moore is still a fantastic value in Dynasty leagues. I expect a Diggs-type breakout with Fields in Chicago. Buy where you can before it’s too late.” – Doc Mitchell
“Buy Aidan O’Connell. He will be starting sooner than later. Also, buy Reed Blankenship. He finished strong last year and was solid all camp. Sell Kyler Murray. They will be starting over again.” – Ryan Wilhelm
Dynasty Bust
“Will Levis. I’m all the way out.” – Erik Kortz
“Sorry buddy, but Noah Fant doesn’t belong very highly on your roster – if at all.”- Mike Johrendt
“I know Irv Smith has a little juice behind his name after a change of scenery to Cincinnati, but I just don’t believe it. Despite the hype, he’s struggled to stay relevant in Minnesota, and a crowded roster of Bengal mouths to feed doesn’t spell breakout to me.”- Jayson Snyder
“The wheels on the Rondale Moore train might totally fall off this year. Michael Wilson has looked like a competitor for targets, and Trey McBride could have a bigger role this year. The Cardinals may be the worst team in football, so don’t bank on major development.” -Jach Kochman
“Garrett Wilson. Rodgers loves Lazard, and Wilson might just miss out on the touchdown production.” – Dustin Ludke
“Rhamondre Stevenson. One day, this community will learn their lesson about trusting New England running backs.” – Keith Ensminger
“Rashod Bateman. Everyone thinks that breakout is still going to happen, but he will never have major fantasy relevance.” – Tim Martens
“Kenneth Walker. If there is still a chance to move on from Walker at good value, take the opportunity to cash out. Pete Carroll will not hesitate to go with the hot hand and genuinely believes in competition. The said competition in Seattle is simply too stiff for the price of Walker.” – Doc Mitchell
“Cooper Kupp. That team will be a mess, and defenses will focus on taking him away.” – Ryan Wilhem
That’s all of the Dynasty Nerds staff NFL predictions for the 2023 regular season.
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