2023 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 12 Running Backs
With fantasy football drafts just around the corner, it’s essential to dive into one of the most important positions. Even though there’s a ton of drama surrounding running backs and their contracts, they will always be a staple in fantasy football. These rankings will change before kickoff, but for now, let’s dive into the top 12 running backs for 2023.
Stay up-to-date on our consensus fantasy football rankings for 2023 here.
1) Christian McCaffrey – San Francisco 49ers
Despite not finishing as the RB1 last season, it would be hard to put anyone but Christian McCaffrey in the top spot. McCaffrey finished with 21 PPG, just 0.9 behind Austin Ekeler, and finished as the RB2. However, remember that McCaffrey was traded halfway through the season, which altered his production.
Although McCaffrey won’t see every touch out of his backfield as he did with the Panthers, this should be good for him. Having a full season to learn Kyle Shanahan’s offense should make him incredibly efficient in 2023. Even at 27 years old, there’s no reason to believe McCaffrey won’t dominate fantasy football once again in 2023.
2) Austin Ekeler – Los Angeles Chargers
The RB1 last year was Austin Ekeler, who had a phenomenal season averaging 21.9 PPG. This year, however, Ekeler has been dropped down to the number slot due to several red flags on his profile.
Ekeler entering his age 28 season, which is worrisome, but my main concern is that Justin Herbert won’t check the ball down as much in this new Chargers offense. The team’s splash move was adding Quentin Johnston in the first round of the NFL draft. On top of that, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams missed significant time, which caused Herbert to force-feed Ekeler.
This concerns me a bit since Ekeler only had 50.47% of his team’s carries. Even so, Ekeler is still a great pass catcher, and this elite offense will give him more scoring opportunities.
3) Bijan Robinson – Atlanta Falcons
Putting a rookie as the RB3 may seem outrageous, but Bijan Robinson checks every box possible. Many dubbed Robinson the best running back prospect since Saquon Barkley as he went 8th overall to the Falcons.
Robinson has great draft capital, size, and speed and can catch the ball out of the backfield. The Falcons averaged 32.9 rushing attempts per game with a combination of Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson. With how big of an upgrade Robinson is over these players, it almost seems like the Falcons are a lock to lead the league in rushing attempts this year.
It’s not out of the question for Robinson to see 300 touches, which is absurd. When you combine a ridiculous amount of volume with a talented running back, you’re bound to have an incredible fantasy season.
Robinson is that good. Also, we broke down how you can make a case for him as THE RB1 overall in dynasty leagues before he’s even taken a snap in the NFL.
4) Nick Chubb – Cleveland Browns
For as long as I can remember, the fantasy community has been begging to see Nick Chubb without Kareem Hunt. Now this is a reality, and it seems like no one cares. Chubb has always struggled as a pass catcher, but he should see an increased role without Hunt in this offense.
Deshaun Watson will help Chubb by making this offense significantly better. Even if they don’t run the ball as much, Chubb will be in an elite offense, giving him more pass-catching and touchdown upside. Coming off a 16.6 PPG season where Chubb finished as the RB6, this improved situation will allow him to make the jump to RB4.
5) Saquon Barkley – New York Giants
The Giants could not get a long-term deal with Saquon Barkley, which has caused him to fall down on draft boards. Barkley is very unhappy with the situation, but I’m not extremely worried. The Giants have a chance to contend this year, and Barkley is their best player. It would be foolish from both sides not to work out a deal.
At only 26 years old, Barkley looks like a fantastic pick this year. He’s a talented player with a three-down skillset and is in a good situation. Brian Daboll just won coach of the year and was able to utilize Barkley very effectively. Assuming that Barkley is locked into his contract for 2023, he should be viewed as a top 5 fantasy running back.
6) Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts
After being drafted as the consensus 1.01 last year and having a disappointing season, many are completely out on Jonathan Taylor. While others see Anthony Richardson as a threat to Taylor, Richardson should be able to help him out. Early in the season, I expect the Colts to run the ball a ton to take the pressure off Richardson.
This isn’t a great offensive line, as they have a combined ranking of 16 by PFF, Lineups, and PFN, but they should be much better than last season. I’m not the biggest Richardson fan, but based on how bad Matt Ryan was last year, Taylor should be stepping into an improved situation.
Despite being a bell cow, Taylor had an abysmal 0.36 touchdown rate because of how bad the offense was. Even if Richardson takes some rushing work, he’ll also open up lanes for Taylor to break off big plays. I like Taylor more this year than last, and I’m buying into him at this discount.
7) Tony Pollard – Dallas Cowboys
Tony Pollard is a player I could easily see jumping up this list, but the uncertainty with the Cowboys backfield causes him to stay at 7. Pollard finished as the RB8 in 2023, even with Ezekiel Elliott taking up 876 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. My issue is with the number of free-agent running backs left. Overall, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys bring in another back to create a committee.
Assuming things break right for Pollard, I would consider moving him as high as the RB5. He’s only 26 and a good athlete who can catch the ball. With no Elliott, a talent like Pollard should be locked into a mid-RB1 slot.
8) Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans
If you’ve been betting against Derrick Henry for the past few years, you’ve lost money. Fantasy football isn’t as hard as many make it out to be. While Henry is 29 years old, and the team brought in DeAndre Hopkins, the bottom line is he’s just good at football.
This Hopkins signing really shouldn’t sway Henry’s value, and if anything, it can give him more touchdown upside since he’s not a great pass catcher. Henry finished as the RB4 last year on a PPG basis, and even at age 29, there are no signs of him slowing down.
9) Rhamondre Stevenson – New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson is a player I’m very comfortable taking as a low-end RB1 with plenty of upside this year. Stevenson broke out last season, averaging 14.7 PPG, and impressed as a pass catcher with 88 targets. We all know Bill Belichick will never only use one running back. However, Stevenson wasn’t affected by a committee last year due to his role as a pass catcher.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Stevenson is even better this year now that Bill O’Brien is gone as the offensive coordinator. Although the team brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster, I expect Mac Jones to check the ball down at an incredibly high rate. Finally, getting a talented pass catcher who also had a 1,000-yard season as a low-end RB1 is a great value.
10) Josh Jacobs – Las Vegas Raiders
Josh Jacobs is in a similar situation to Barkley as he is also going through some contract struggles. Jacobs also couldn’t get a deal done at the deadline, and this is really bad news.
The Raiders, unlike the Giants, are a dumpster fire. They have no plans to contend, so having a star running back isn’t important. I could see Jacobs holding out because the Raiders refused to pay him.
You shouldn’t ignore his red flags, but at the same time, you play to win the game. Assuming Jacobs plays, he will likely finish higher than the RB10. Jacobs finished as the RB3 last year, and the team brought in Jimmy Garoppolo, who is known for letting his running backs eat. There’s a ton of risk with Jacobs, but if you ain’t first, you’re last.
11) Najee Harris – Pittsburgh Steelers
One of my biggest fades last year is now becoming a running back I’m drafting everywhere. Najee Harris was disappointing last season for several reasons but mainly because of a lingering foot injury. After Harris recovered from his injury, he averaged 4.5 YPC for the rest of the season.
Harris is only 25, and the Steelers showed their commitment to him but not drafting another running back this off-season. The former first-round pick is still a talented back who can handle a large workload.
The Steelers’ offense should also be much improved this year, with Kenny Pickett stepping into his sophomore season. On top of that, the offensive line has seen some major improvements. Overall, with Harris’s volume and talent, he has an incredible floor-ceiling combination for 2023.
12) Breece Hall – New York Jets
Without his ACL injury, Breece Hall would likely be a top 3 back this season. Despite not being the starter for the first few games, Hall averaged 19.7 PPG when he saw 20 or more touches. Hall is incredibly talented and his situation has vastly improved from last year. Aaron Rodgers will make this offense much better, giving Hall more upside.
The reason he’s at 12 is running backs tend to need at least a season to get back to full speed. It’s almost a guarantee that Hall will struggle at the beginning of the year, and there’s uncertainty if he can get back to his 2022 level at all. That said, he deserves the 12th spot due to his talent and situation alone.
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