5 former Detroit Lions who should be on your radar in 2023 fantasy football drafts

1. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings

As always, the tight end position is thin in fantasy football this year. After the clear top option, Travis Kelce, Hockenson has a good chance as anyone finish as the TE2 this year. In a vacuum, Hockenson is a candidate to usurp Kelce as the TE1 this year.

In 10 games for the Vikings last season, Hockenson had 60 catches (on 86 targets) for 519 yards and three touchdowns. From Week 9-Week 17, throwing out Week 18 when fantasy leagues shouldn't be decided, he was the TE2 in PPR scoring.

The Vikings did add wide receiver Jordan Addison in April's draft. But Hockenson had an instant connection with Kirk Cousins, with nine catches in his first game as a Viking with little practice together, and it's not going away.

Hockenson missed some time during camp with an ear infection, which he says affected his equlibrium. But his lack of participation lately is more mysterious, and he has a contract situation that may or may not be playing into that. It's a situation the Lions can be happy they avoided, beyond any lack of traction in contract extension talks last summer.

But shifting back to strictly fantasy, Hockenson is somewhere in the second tier of tight ends after Kelce. As long as he's going to be on the field when the season starts, and there's no reason he won't be, he belongs there.