The collapse of the NFL’s running back market is having a subtle effect on fantasy football too, as there seems to be fewer running backs each year who can be trusted to get the type of workload to justify a high pick.
However, that does leave more options in later rounds of players who can round out a roster in flex positions and score points in specialized roles. The only question is whether you want to prioritize bruisers like A.J. Dillon who command goal-line touches or receivers like D’Andre Swift who help in PPR formats.
Below is my ranking of each fantasy running back, from the elite tier to streamers.
- MORE 2023 FANTASY RANKINGS:
PPR Beasts Tier
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1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
McCaffrey and Ekeler were the only running backs to average more than 20 fantasy points in PPR formats last season, and McCaffrey’s average was up to more than 24 points over his last six games with the Niners, whose system fits him like a glove.
Elite Tier
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3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
5. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
6. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson has a chance to be really special with all the different ways he can be used on the field. The only question is whether Desmond Ridder will be a good enough QB to open things up for Robinson, and how much Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson eat into his workload.
1st Starter Tier
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7. Breece Hall, New York Jets
8. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
10. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
11. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
12. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
13. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
14. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
15. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
My fear for Jacobs — last year’s rushing leader — is that Las Vegas’ passing game under Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be prolific enough to give him space to duplicate last year’s success. Same for Jonathan Taylor one spot below him. And that’s before we get to each player’s discontent with their situations.
2nd Starter Tier
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16. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
17. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
18. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
19. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
20. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
21. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
22. Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders
23. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
24. Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Pierce was one of the only bright spots of Houston’s offense last season before injuries cut his season short. I’m expecting him to pick up where he left off and push for a top-15 season.
Sleeper Tier
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25. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
26. Dalvin Cook, Free Agent
27. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
28. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
29. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
30. D’Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
31. Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints
32. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
33. Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
34. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The fear with players like Herbert and Swift is always the potential for their own quarterbacks to keep the ball on red zone carries and take away would-be touchdowns — and other running backs in their committees doing the same. The upside? Those same quarterbacks often create better running lanes for the backs to do massive damage.
Streamers Tier
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35. Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs
36. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
37. Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
38. AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers
39. Ezekiel Elliott, Free Agent
40. Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
41. Leonard Fournette, Free Agent
42. Damien Harris, Buffalo Bills
43. Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins
44. Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
45. Rashaad Penny, Philadelphia Eagles
46. Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
47. D’Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears
If Montgomery ends up in a similar role in Detroit as Jamaal Williams, who scored a league-best 17 touchdowns on the ground last season, he could end up being a huge steal for whoever lands him.
