Anyone who has followed Sporting News' Fantasy over the years already knows what we're about to tell you: Running back remains the most important position in fantasy football in 2023. You already know it, as it's probably been ingrained in your head for many seasons. That's because we've all experienced — and witnessed — teams achieving success after prioritizing the position, and we have also all experienced and witnessed terrible campaigns by teams that punted running back or reached too far for their RBs and essentially wound up with no value at the position.
Enter the concept of tiered rankings, the best way to stay committed to the big picture on draft day and wind up with the most value at the RB position. Breaking the backs into tiers can help you map out a strategy for however the beginning of your draft unfolds. It's not just a blueprint for Plan A, it's also a blueprint for Plan B, C, and D.
Tiers essentially split players into grouped lists as opposed to one massive top 75 or 100. It’s a lot less overwhelming to pinpoint a handful of players at each juncture of your draft than it is to see dozens of players ranked on top of each other.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2023 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Obviously, we build our tier systems using our rankings. The positional rankings do not change here, but what does is how they’re broken down. The goal is to clarify the value yielded by each set of backs. If you have multiple backs in the top two tiers, you can feel confident stocking up on WR, TE, and QB for the next few rounds. If you’re thin at RB in the early rounds, you’ll want to take some time to stock up on tier-three and tier-four RBs before all hope for a good draft diminishes.
2023 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
The RBs at the top of the 2023 rankings are pretty obvious: Perennial two-way studs Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler still rule the roost in PPR leagues and two-time rushing king Derrick Henry continues to dominate standard leagues. Those are no-brainer picks atop each draft. The second tier and third tier introduce the real decisions, with a handful of RBs at each level in both PPR and standard leagues.
2023 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Top 200 | S-Flex | IDP
Of course, every year we see a new crop of injuries and a new group of underwhelming busts from the early-round RB class. Last season, Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III owners were flying high until the injury bug bit both of them and left fantasy owners stunned. Meanwhile, those who spent early picks on studs Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara, or Najee Harris had a miserable time watching their disappointing 2022 seasons unfold.
2023 FANTASY SLEEPERS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Each Team
Those are prime examples of why positional depth can be so crucial for your fantasy squad, especially at RB. No starting fantasy spot suffers more injuries and year-to-year positional volatility than running back. You want studs, but you also want to grab some high-upside sleepers, rookies, and potential breakouts. Ideally, you should aim to land at least two RBs from the top-three tiers, and then at least two more by the end of Tier 5. You can also keep it simple and just remember that you want a total of five RBs from the player pools within Tiers 1-5.
2023 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Ks | Overall
But Do. Not. Wait. Please don’t read that last line as "I can forego RBs in the first three rounds, and then load up on value backs in Rounds 4 through 9." Just because Khalil Herbert slid into the end of our fifth tier doesn’t make him a preferred RB3 or flex, and if you have Aaron Jones or JK Dobbins as your RB1 anchor, good luck to you! You might be spending your FAAB money or scouring the wire sooner in the season than ever before.
2023 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST
The drop-off between RB tiers is much more pronounced than the drop-off between WR, TE, and QB tiers, and far fewer sleepers exist below RB Tier 6 than at other positions. It simply cannot be preached enough: Draft RBs early and often, and enter Week 1 with depth at the position. Finding the best players is essentially all about finding the best value in each round, and tiers help us to approximate value before diving into the deep end of a player pool on draft day. Strategies save savants and sink suckers (alliteration for the win).
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake | Auction | Best ball | Dynasty | IDP
We'll be updating our rankings throughout the preseason, so check back for frequent updates.
Fantasy RB Tiers 2023: Who are the best fantasy football RBs?
Rankings and tiers based on standard, non-PPR leagues. PPR leagues could have different tiers, which may be highlighted throughout the text below.
RB TIER 1:
1 Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
2 Derrick Henry, Titans
3 Austin Ekeler, Chargers
The top-tier RBs are the perennial cream of the crop in fantasy football. If you nab one of these three guys in your standard league, you’re celebrating after the draft even if you make some minor mistakes throughout the middle rounds. McCaffrey and Ekeler are workhorses in the passing and running games and perennially rank among the league leaders in total TDs. Henry is an old-school bell-cow back that has led the NFL in rushing yards twice and averaged the most yards per game over the past four years.
None have much competition in their respective backfields, and their offenses won't ding their usage rates at any point of the season as long as they remain healthy. CMC and Ek regularly rack up massive opportunities both on the ground and through the air, while Henry is far and away the league leader in rushing attempts year in and year out, which is why he's still in our top tier for standard leagues.
Unless you completely mangle the rest of your draft, you’re in automatic contention if you grab any of these three backs with a top pick and they stay healthy throughout the majority of the season. We could understand knocking Henry down a tier in PPR, opting instead for Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, or even Bijan Robinson at pick No. 3, but in standard leagues, none of these backs should still be on the board after pick No. 6 at the latest.
RB TIER 2
4 Saquon Barkley, Giants
5 Nick Chubb, Browns
6 Tony Pollard, Cowboys
7 Bijan Robinson, Falcons
8 Josh Jacobs, Raiders
Tier 2 consists of five RBs that are clear first-round or early second-round fantasy assets. The only back on this list we might knock down to Tier 3 in PPR leagues would be Nick Chubb, who doesn’t hold as much value as the stud pass-catchers outside of standard leagues.
Barkley sits atop our second tier because he bet on himself with his one-year contract, and he's entering his second full year with Giants coach and former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. We expect big things from Saquon both on the ground and in the pass-catching department.
Chubb is coming off a career year and gets his first full season with Deshaun Watson under center -- and first full season without Kareem Hunt since 2018. Pollard looks to replicate his awesome breakout campaign, or maybe even improve upon it with Ezekiel Elliott out of the picture in Dallas. The skill sets and offensive lines enjoyed by both these backs make each of them tough to pass up in the first round.
Bijan Robinson sitting above reigning rushing king Josh Jacobs should give you an idea of our lofty expectations for the Falcons rookie. We think he will be an immediate workhorse back and he'll run away with Offensive Rookie of the Year. He's got it all — size (6-0, 220 pounds), vision, elusiveness, explosiveness, and hands.
It's always difficult to decide whether you should start your team with an RB, WR, or Travis Kelce when you're picking in the middle or end of the first round, but if you prefer to start your team with a back, you can't go wrong with any of these players (assuming Taylor is healthy and not holding out).
RB TIER 3
9 Kenneth Walker, Seahawks
10 Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars
11 Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
12 Joe Mixon, Bengals
Tier 3 consists of three high-upside young backs that could very well vault into first-round fantasy producers, plus old-reliable Joe Mixon (just kidding, he's only 27). KW3 is coming off a broken ankle, otherwise, he might be in the second tier. Etienne broke out in a major way for the surprise Jags under Doug Pederson last year following a lost 2021 rookie season due to injury. He also has a top-five ceiling, but the reason both of these backs fall to the third tier is because their respective teams used second- and third-round picks on RBs in this year's NFL Draft. That suggests they could lose a few more snaps than expected this season.
Stevenson and Mixon are the workhorse backs you love to land anywhere in the second round. 'Mondre still figures to see significant touches over Ezekiel Elliott (especially in the passing game), and Mixon just re-upped with the high-flying Bengals and should continue to benefit from defenses devoting most of their attention to Joe Burrow and Cincy's elite passing game. You could easily tab both as second-tier guys, but Mixon's off-field issues and Bill Belichick's notoriously fickle running back ways have us hedging our bets slightly.
You can definitely survive if you wind up with one of these backs as your RB1 after taking a WR in the first round (or maybe even WR-WR in Rounds 1 and 2), so if you prefer drafting "safer" pass-catchers early on, you won't be too far behind your leaguemates at RB. If you get one of these guys as your RB2, you'll be in contention for the best RB depth chart in your league.
Fantasy RB Draft Strategy 2023: Should you wait on running back?
RB TIER 4
13 Najee Harris, Steelers
14 Aaron Jones, Packers
15 JK Dobbins, Ravens
16 Breece Hall, Jets
17 Dameon Pierce, Texans
18 Alexander Mattison, Vikings
19 Rachaad White, Buccaneers
20 D'Andre Swift, Eagles
21 Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs
22 Cam Akers, Rams
23 Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions
Tier 4 consists of 11 backs we would love to snag in the third through fifth rounds as RB2 or flex options but would be less than enthused to feature as RB1s. Each RB in this list has tremendous upside but also comes with inherent risk. We suppose that makes this grouping the boom-or-bust tier, which is why we usually don't advise waiting too long at RB.
Harris and Jones both have elite rushing and pass-catching abilities, but both play for mediocre teams. Harris looked incredible in his 2021 rookie season but saw a major decline in passing-game usage last season, and Jones will see an obvious regression now that Aaron Rodgers has departed Green Bay for the Meadowlands. They also have talented backups nipping at their heels.
Dobbins, Hall, and Swift have all looked great at times over the past couple of seasons but have also dealt with significant injuries. If any of these three RBs enjoy a completely healthy season, they could easily be X-factors on a title run. Of course, there also exists the possibility that they get hurt or deal with usage splits in their respective backfields. Philly has Rashaad Penny, the Ravens have Gus Edwards, and the Jets have Dalvin Cook.
Pierce is one of our favorite workhorse backs in standard leagues, but he plays for the Texans. Red-zone touches will always be capped in a bad offense, but his touch share, durability, and production between the 20s will be tough to pass on. He drops a tier in PPR leagues, though. We also like Mattison now that Dalvin Cook is out of the picture, as he's always been a reliable handcuff and now gets his opportunity for a Tony Pollard-like breakout in an above-average Vikings offense. Speaking of above-average offenses, the Chiefs' Pacheco is a fantastic RB to nab in the late fourth or early fifth round, but he's also better suited for standard leagues.
White and Akers are wild cards of sorts. The Buccaneers and Rams are not very good -- and both RBs had underwhelming 2022 seasons -- but the volume should be there in both situations. If Los Angeles or Tampa Bay enjoy bounce-back seasons, these guys should be two of the main benefactors, though Akers takes a hit in PPR leagues while White noticeably improves.
Gibbs would likely be among the second-tier options if we trusted the Lions to support him as a true workhorse back. However, we're tempering our expectations after seeing D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams operate as a committee in Motown last season. If David Montgomery limits Gibbs as Williams did on third downs and in the red zone last year, Gibbs will be a disappointment to everyone reaching for him.
Fantasy RB Rankings Tiers: Sleepers and committee backs
RB TIER 5
24 James Cook, Bills
25 Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders
26 Javonte Williams, Broncos
27 Miles Sanders, Panthers
28 Jonathan Taylor, Colts
29 Dalvin Cook, Jets
30 James Conner, Cardinals
31 David Montgomery, Lions
32 Khalil Herbert, Bears
33 Alvin Kamara, Saints
James Cook made our sleepers column as a top positive regression candidate with Devin Singletary finally out of the picture in Buffalo. The Bills acquired former Patriots bruiser Damien Harris, but Cook has a much more dynamic skill set and should be the early-down and passing-down RB to own in this high-flying offense. The outlook isn't quite as good for his brother Dalvin, but he could see ample opportunities early while Breece Hall (knee) is still working his way back into game shape.
Kamara is tough to rank. He's a former touchdown king with a massive ceiling if all goes well with him on and off the field. However, he also has a very low floor with the various complications with health, durability, and opening three-game suspension. We're likely staying away from Kamara altogether, but if you feel strongly about your first six or seven rounds and want to take a chance, you don't have much to lose at his ADP of 84. The same goes for Taylor, though it's still unclear if he'll play -- or who he'll play for -- after missing the first four games while on the PUP list.
The other backs in this tier seem like similar high-ceiling, medium-floor guys. Robinson is a power back in an underwhelming offense. Williams is a dynamic athlete coming off a major injury in an offense that stunk last year, but he could be a huge bounce-back candidate if Sean Payton transforms the Russell Wilson-led system. Sanders, Conner, and Montgomery have all dealt with injuries and inconsistencies in the past but have also had standout seasons that keep them from falling too low on too many draft boards. At the very least, they should score TDs.
Herbert has never been "the guy" in Chicago, but finally gets his chance this season — if Justin Fields leaves any rushing attempts for him. Herbert led the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry last season, but it's tough to predict whether he can sustain those massive averages as an RB1 now that defenses will be circling his name.
One of these guys will likely be your RB1 if you go with the "zero-RB strategy" and wait until the sixth round to draft your first back. That's not going to look good on paper, but you can make it work if you hit on your early pass-catchers and find some gems later in the draft and on the waiver wire. However, these guys are better suited as RB2s and flexes. You probably don't want to reach for them (with the possible exceptions of Gibbs and Cook), but they make for nice value picks if they're drafted in the appropriate range.
RB TIER 6
34 Jamaal Williams, Saints
35 Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots
36 Samaje Perine, Broncos
37 Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs
38 Raheem Mostert, Dolphins
39 AJ Dillon, Packers
40 De'Von Achane, Dolphins
41 Tyler Allgeier, Falcons
42 Elijah Mitchell, 49ers
43 Devin Singletary, Texans
44 Antonio Gibson, Commanders
45 Rashaad Penny, Eagles
46 Damien Harris, Bills
47 D'Onta Foreman, Bears
Tier 6 is bookended by high-upside handcuffs. Jamaal Williams benefits from Kamara's early suspension, and D'Onta Foreman will possibly third-down and goal-line opportunities from Khalil Herbert. What lies between these backs in this 14-player tier is an ocean of question marks, a collection of uncertainty that reminds us why we go heavy at RB early -- and often -- in fantasy drafts.
McKinnon and Mostert intrigue us because of their quickness, burst, and dynamic offenses around them, but touches will be at a premium Dillon let us down as a sleeper candidate last year, underwhelming both between the 20s and in the scoring zone. He could bounce back, but he'll likely need an injury or TD luck to really break out. The same goes for veteran Ezekiel Elliott in New England. Allgeier had a strong second half last season, but he's nothing more than a handcuff to Bijan Robinson owners now. The same could be said for Elijan Mitchell with CMC, Singletary with Dameon Pierce, and Harris with James Cook.
Penny could be a dime — or a diamond in the rough — if he stays healthy and D'Andre Swift remains riddled with injuries like he has been the past few years. He's our big sleeper in this tier because when he's healthy he's about as good on a per-carry basis as anyone we have seen over the past five years (seriously!). He averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2019, an NFL-best 6.3 YPC in '21, and 6.1 YPC last season. The issue? He's played 28 games in four years.
Ultimately, drafting a couple of these handcuffs in the middle rounds -- even if you don't own their starter -- makes sense, as they could have standalone flex value even if their RB1 stays healthy. If you draft, say, McCaffrey, it's imperative that you overdraft Mitchell by a round (same goes for Allgeier with Robinson), but, again, it's possible you can play both with a clear conscience during the bye weeks. Be smart and stock up, especially if you waited until tier three or four to get your first back. If that's the case, you'll want as many high-upside fallback options as possible.
Fantasy RB Deep Sleepers & Handcuffs
RB TIER 7
48 Deon Jackson, Colts
49 Ty Chandler, Vikings
50 Chase Brown, Bengals
51 Evan Hull, Colts
52 Jerome Ford, Browns
53 Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks
54 Tank Bigsby, Jaguars
55 Jaylen Warren, Steelers
56 Gus Edwards, Ravens
57 Zack Moss, Colts
58 Rico Dowdle, Cowboys
59 Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons
60 Tyjae Spears, Titans
RB TIER 8
61 Kendre Miller, Saints62 Kyren Williams, Rams
63 Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins
64 Joshua Kelley, Chargers
65 Eric Gray, Giants
66 Chuba Hubbard, Panthers
67 Roschon Johnson, Bears
68 Isaiah Spiller, Chargers
69 Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles
70 Zamir White, Raiders
71 Chase Edmonds, Buccaneers
Now we’re getting into the really obscure portion of the RB rankings, reserved for the true sickos who have massive rosters and/or large leagues. This portion of the draft offers low-risk, low-reward yields. Liken it to penny-stock investing or yard-sale thrifting.
Chandler tops this group of young sleepers as a potential boom behind Mattison, who may or may not receive bell-cow work thanks to Dalvin Cook's departure. We could talk our way into all of these rookie backs, though. Rashaad Penny is out of Seattle now and Kenneth Walker III has dealt with injuries, so Charbonnet could be a steal if he can avoid the injury report himself.
Brown seems like a great handcuff for Joe Mixon owners, with Samaje Perine landing in Denver this offseason. Bigsby will spell Travis Etienne Jr. with James Robinson gone, and we know RB2s always have a role in Doug Pederson offenses. Ford should step in if the seemingly unbreakable Nick Chubb finally wears down a bit, but don't hold your breath.
Circle Rico Dowdle and Evan Hull as intriguing deep sleepers. Dowdle could be the change-of-pace back in Dallas, which behind that offensive line is never a low-value role, and Hull could easily work his way into the picture in Indy, especially given the unpredictability of the Jonathan Taylor situation.
Ultimately, getting one or two of these fliers late in your draft makes sense, especially if you didn't draft a first-tier or second-tier RB. At the very least, you need to put these players on your early-season watchlist, as many will likely be picked up on waivers at some point in the season.
