Who is the No. 1 Overall Pick for 2023 Fantasy Football? Making The Case for Christian McCaffrey

San Francisco 49ers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey was on the radar as a No. 1 overall pick candidate heading into 2022 despite back-to-back injury-riddled campaigns, and those who opted to take McCaffrey over Jonathan Taylor reaped the benefits.

McCaffrey was traded from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers prior to Week 7 and enjoyed a productive season in an efficient offense.

The 26-year-old fantasy superstar did not miss a single game in the 2022 season, much to the surprise of fantasy owners who rostered him during 2020 and 2021, and carried many rosters to a championship with a productive fantasy playoff stretch. Should McCaffrey be in play as a potential first overall selection in 2023?

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How Did Christian McCaffrey Perform in Fantasy Football This Season?

Christian McCaffrey was successful in past seasons due to his high floor thanks to his ability as a receiver. McCaffrey only had 57 receiving yards on 10 catches for Carolina through the first three weeks, worrying managers who drafted him high.

He quickly regained his floor over the next three contests, averaging nearly eight receptions and over 73 receiving yards per game. McCaffrey was then traded to San Francisco, which lowered his floor due to other weapons taking touches away but heightened his ceiling due to more touchdown opportunities.

McCaffrey ended up as the second overall running back in 2022 behind Austin Ekeler. He ended the season with 244 carries for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, adding 85 catches for 741 yards and five touchdowns in the receiving game.

Is Christian McCaffrey The No. 1 Pick For 2023 Fantasy Football?

As the 2022 fantasy season draws to a close, there will certainly be an ongoing debate throughout the offseason as to who the first overall selection in fantasy drafts should be in 2023 with no clear-cut option. 

Christian McCaffrey has as good of a resume as anybody and should be one of the top prospects looked at by managers fielding the top pick.

It has been over 10 years since a running back not named Christian McCaffrey has had back-to-back top-10 finishes in PPR at the position. McCaffrey will have a full season in the best offense he has played in his career in 2023. 

While he will be 27 years old by next fantasy season, McCaffrey will continue to have fewer touches than he had in Carolina which mitigates his injury risk. Elijah Mitchell should continue to factor into the San Francisco backfield, but this is a good thing for McCaffrey managers in regard to the star’s health.

McCaffrey should be considered as the top pick off the board in 2023, and there is a good chance that as draft season approaches he ends up on the top of many manager’s boards.

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