It's one of the hardest positions to roster on any fantasy team. But be ahead of the game with one of the best running backs in dynasty fantasy football.
Last week, we broke down the top 10 quarterbacks in dynasty fantasy football, and included an additional five that are notable. If you don't have one of them on your team now, find a way to get one as soon as you can.
What about the ball carriers though? This is arguably one of the hardest positions to fill on your roster since it typically takes two starting spots and could fit into your FLEX position. But often, there aren't enough running backs to make roster spots worth it.
When focusing on the running back position, it's important to have at least one of the best to ensure a successful season. If you manage to have two or three on the other hand, that makes it even better!
Before we crack the top 10 running backs in dynasty football, let's look at the honorable mentions that would provide very serviceable RB2 roles on your team.
15. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
14. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
13. D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
12. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
11. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
With four running backs that finished in the top 10 last year, who moved up to dethrone their RB1 status?
After finishing in the top five in his rookie season, Najee Harris took a small step back as RB12 in standard leagues and RB14 in PPR. Still, in most league formats that slide right into an RB1 slot.
The Pittsburgh Steelers mainly focused on the defensive side of the ball in the draft but were able to add a guard later in the draft that they hope will be able to provide valuable support.
Najee's ability to be a pass-catching back increases his value as a fantasy running back, especially in PPR formats. Along with second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers' offense should increase its production heading into 2023.
Considering his age (25), Najee is a valuable asset in dynasty leagues and should be considered a prime target to acquire.
In a startup league, Najee is worth a late 2nd-round, early 3rd-round pick with an ADP of 27.
An electric running back that gets the ball from his college teammate who is now in the NFL. Travis Etienne had a great season last year and still finished in mid-RB2 land.
In a division that is theirs to lose, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be able to jump to immediate success early in the season and not have to look back at the end of the season thinking "What if?" Etienne had a rocky start because of the production the Jaguars had early.
Etienne was able to pick up in the middle of the season with a few top-10 finishes. Look for an increase in production as the running back makes another large leap in 2023.
With 45 targets through the air, he's not the top pass-catching back that I'd take in a draft, but he's certainly valuable considering he caught 35 of those targets.
The Jaguars running back finished in the top 10 last year in yards per carry with 5.1. Additionally, he finished in the top 5 in missed tackles forced per attempt. These are good stats to consider even if the Jaguars also added Tank Bigsby in the 2023 draft.
There was a highway robbery for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 because Kenneth Walker III should have won that with his performance starting in week five. For a rookie to have four top-10 finishes to really kick off his career, that's incredible for fantasy football.
Walker III is a very valuable pickup in fantasy football and is a borderline RB1 in your lineup. Considering he's just 22 years old, he will have years of success for your lineup and has plenty of opportunity before his second contract.
Generally, there is a decline in a player's effectiveness after the second contract, but with Walker III only entering his second year, you still have time to get what you need out of him. There is a good probability that he finishes closer to RB5 status than RB10 status by the end of 2023.
Many might be concerned with the addition of Zach Charbonnet through the NFL draft, but that's Seattle picking up an insurance policy more than them not liking what Kenneth had to do on the field. Charbonnet will take some carries, just like Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas, and Rashaad Penny did.
The NFL has started leaning towards having two serviceable running backs to keep your main back fresh. Don't regret not taking him because Walker III is the top back in Seattle.
In what could be his final year in Los Angeles, Austin Ekeler is looking to get a contract that actually matches his value on the field. One of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL, and he deserves that he should be paid more like it.
We saw how well that went for Leveon Bell when he demanded both running back and wide receiver money and got paid by the New York Jets, just to fall off. I would not think that Ekeler will follow the same trend.
Teams are more aware of what a running back is worth now. After a few failed contracts (Bell and Elliott to name a few), they're not looking to put out a ton of investment in them when they get hit more.
With all of that, Ekeler still is one of the best running backs in the league. Last year, he finished as RB1 in PPR leagues and RB4 in standard. The year before he was RB2 in both formats. That's very high value for a running back with nothing to prove.
This year, he has more to prove that he should get paid as a top back in the league. If you are In a new start-up and want to win now, look at drafting Austin in the late first or early second round.
An interesting selection from the Detroit Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs added to a running back room that included Deandre Swift and newly signed David Montgomery. Many fantasy owners saw this as confusion in a loaded backfield.
Luckily for you, if you have already taken that risk in a rookie draft, you were rewarded with Swift getting traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, Gibbs is looking to be one of the top picks in rookie drafts for a good reason.
Gibbs entered the NFL draft as the second-best running back coming out of college and he should be considered one of the best in the league when it comes to fantasy value.
The Lions have a high-powered offense and with their leading rusher leaving for New Orleans, that leaves a hole to fill. Jamaal Williams finished as RB7 in standard and RB13 in PPR leagues while Swift finished in the RB20s area in both formats.
Even with Montgomery coming in, he finished near Swift in both formats as well. Gibbs should be the day-one starter for the Lions and increase his fantasy value even more. Currently sitting with an ADP43, he is looking to be selected in the 3rd or 4th round in new start-ups.
I will be the first to admit that I have not been a huge Saquon Barkley fan when it comes to fantasy. For several seasons, he was riddled with injuries and on a very bad team. Now, the New York Giants have gotten better and things are looking bright.
The 26-year-old running back had a few bad years with injuries playing in only 15 games over two seasons. He bounced back with a top 5 season and finished as RB5.
If Barkley is fully back and healthy, this could be a good sign for fantasy owners that Barkley could continue to be a bonafide RB1 on their team.
Since the Giants have not really drafted or signed another serviceable back, Saquon is a true workhorse on the Giants' offense. Getting an 80%+ snap count is good for owners looking for high production.
Barkley is in a contract year and currently trying to negotiate terms for a long-term deal. Typically players in their contract year have some incredible numbers and are valuable to fantasy football.
After seven games, Breece Hall went down with a season-ending ACL tear against the Denver Broncos. He was off to a very hot start last season scoring no less than 13 points a game if you take away the 9 points in his first start.
Even in the game where he tore his ACL, he had 13+ points after scoring a touchdown on four carries and 72 yards. Breece is an electric player that should be considered as a pilar on your fantasy team for at least the next four years.
At just 21, Breece has a long career ahead of him. ACL injuries are not as career-ending as they once were and many running backs are making a return. Look at Saqion for instance, who came back and had an RB5 season.
I'd expect similar things from Breece this season with the addition of Aaron Rodgers in New York. Rodgers likes to make use of his running backs, just look at Aaron Jones over the last few years.
If your looking to draft Breece in a start-up, he can be found anywhere in the 3rd round. His current ADP is 28, but he's listed as RB3 by a lot of experts around the fantasy world.
Once considered the best back in the league, Jonathan Taylor took a step back last season with Injuries that kept him out of six games. Not that he was needed, the Indianapolis Colts were not good last year and would rather keep their young back healthy.
In his first two seasons, Taylor has finished in the top 5 in both years, including a RB1 finish in 2021 when he ran for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns. Taylor could repeat those numbers now that the Colts think they've found their franchise quarterback.
With Anthony Richardson making his way to Indianapolis, the belief is that the running game is only going to get better with some incredible RPO work from Shane Steichen. Given that Richardson will dump off to his running backs, this makes Taylor more valuable in the passing game as well.
Buy Jonathan Taylor this season because he's only going to increase his RB33 value from last year. The 24-year-old running back is a long way from being fantasy irrelevant and is working on a new contract with the team to keep him in Indy long-term.
Why not keep a running back that gets to run behind Quenton Nelson every game?
The prodigal son has emerged in Atlanta. Bijan Robinson is considered to be the best player in the NFL draft and already is valued as the 3rd best running back in a lot of formats. So why is he only ranked RB2 here?
Time is needed. Atlanta saw really good production from their running backs last year, so his stock should only increase. With the Falcons committing to use him as a receiver and running back, his PPR value is through the roof.
But this reminds me of our RB1 this year in his ability to play in both positions. A duel threat running back in fantasy football is highly valuable in PPR formats and should always be considered when making your picks.
If you are in a standard league, you might not value him as much because he could take a beating in the passing game. Easy enough, Bijan should always go 1.01 in rookie drafts and be selected in the early first round of start-ups.
Another running back that is incredible in both the run and pass offense. Christian McCaffrey had two rough seasons filled with injuries a few years ago. In fact, they were the same years that Saquon also suffered from injuries.
But McCaffrey (CMC) is now on a new roster, in a new city, on a different coast, in a completely different style of offense. Kyle Shanahan is committed to the run offense and CMC has filled a necessary void that has been missing since Frank Gore left.
The star running back turned two injury-filled seasons into RB2 production even after being traded in the middle of the season. In fact, he was in the middle of the pack when he was in Carolina but once moved to San Francisco, he turned into top 5 material immediately.
With a full offseason under his belt on the West Coast, look for McCaffrey to make a huge impact on the offense. The 49ers will need it considering they aren't sure who will be the starting quarterback yet with Brock Purdy still questionable to return at the start of the season.
McCaffrey should still be considered the best fantasy running back in the league and taken within the first three picks of a startup draft.
