Fantasy Football 2023: Early Cheatsheet for Choosing Best Team Names

With training camps in full swing and the Hall of Fame Game slated for Thursday, the start of the NFL regular season is on the horizon. This, of course, means that fantasy-draft season is also upon us.

Sometime between now and Week 1, managers in season-long leagues will conduct their drafts—and the later, the better, since preseason injuries and unexpected cuts/trades are still a thing. A lot goes into preparing for a successful draft, but there's little to do once it's over besides waiting for Week 1 to arrive.

There's that and the challenge of coming up with a terrific team name. The right name can add a little personality and flair—and hopefully, a few chuckles—to the season-long fantasy grind, but finding it can be difficult.

Here, you'll find a few guidelines and examples to help move the process along, but don't be afraid to add your own spin or include your own interests when naming your 2023 squad.

If you've succeeded in avoiding a draft bust in Round 1, there's a good chance that your initial selections become the centerpiece of your fantasy squad.

That's why many managers simply choose to name their teams after their first- or second-round selection. There's simplicity in the approach, but that doesn't mean that managers can't get creative with the naming process.

For examples, let's look at the top 10 players in FantasyPros' point-per-reception (PPR) draft rankings:

1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings - Jefferson Starship

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers - Half McCaff Iced Latte

3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals - Ja'Marr Wars

4. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams - Kupp of Tea

5. Tyree Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins - Get Tyreek On

6. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs - You Can't Kelce Me

7. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers - Eking Ball

8. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills - Can You Digg It?

9. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys - CeeDee Burner

10. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants - Barkley Up the Wrong Tree

In most fantasy formats, quarterbacks don't go within the first or second round. However, they're an integral part of any fantasy team and often the most prolific player on the squad.

After all, in the NFL, quarterbacks tend to be the face of the franchise.

Quarterbacks are easily recognizable, and therefore, they tend to form the basis of an easily relatable fantasy team name. Just hope that your quarterback doesn't disappoint the way that perennial fantasy stars Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson (albeit due to injury) did in 2022.

Here are some examples for the top 10 players in FantasyPros' quarterback rankings:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs - Country Roads, Take Mahomes

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills - Just Joshin' Ya

3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles - Love Hurts

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens - Lamar You Serious?

5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals - Burrow-ken Lose

6. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears - Fields of Glory

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers - Justin Credible

8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars - Strong Arm of the Law

9. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns - Deshaun of the Dead

10. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys - Baby Got Dak

While not every rookie produces at a high level, some first-year players inevitably become instant fantasy stars.

Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year and New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson is a great example from 2022. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson may be that player in 2023.

Here, you'll find an example for each offensive skill player taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft:

Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers - Bryce Bryce Baby

C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans - Stroud Control

Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts - King Richardson

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons - Spicy Bijan

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions - Baby Back Gibbs

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks - Action Jaxon

Quentin Johnson, WR, Los Angeles Chargers - Perfect (Quen)Tin

Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens - Give Me My Flowers

Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings - Addison Wonderland

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills - Next of Kincaid

Hey, it's your team, name it after any player you choose—or not after a player at all.

Here are a few of our favorite names based on players who haven't already been mentioned in previous categories:

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans - Derrick of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers - Nutthin' But Najee Thang

Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns - Hot Chubb Time Machine

Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders - Davante's Inferno

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins - Waddlin' to the Championship

Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints - Dry Win With a Twist of Olave

Aaron Rodgers, QB, New York Jets - Aaron It Out

Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers - Pickett Real Good

Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons - Ridder Me This

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers - Put the Kittle On

Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants - Brick Waller

Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens - X Marks the Spot