The Daily Blitz: Bijan Robinson

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Friday, August 29, 2025

The Daily Blitz: EDSFootball.com Updates for August 29, 2025

Earlier today, we updated fantasy football rankings, projections for multiple teams and posted a new fantasy football mock draft on EDSFootball.com.

As we head into Labor Day weekend and the busiest part of fantasy football draft season, I have updated my positional rankings and overall top 200 fantasy football cheat sheet.

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More rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Top 150

2025 Fantasy Football QB Rankings

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Putting aside the debate over who should have won the NFL MVP award last season, it's clear that both Allen and Lamar Jackson had MVP-caliber seasons, especially as voters split their votes for MVP and the 2024 AP NFL All-Pro first team. Going into fantasy drafts this summer, Allen vs. Jackson will be the difficult (or easy) choice facing fantasy managers — and to be clear, the "easy" part is that you can't go wrong with either.

Allen posted five-year lows in several passing categories — attempts (483), yards (3,731) and touchdowns (28) — but his dual-threat skill set is what makes him so dangerous. Allen now has (at least) 12 rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons and 500-plus rushing yards in four consecutive seasons. He has finished as a top-two fantasy quarterback for five consecutive seasons.

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

What a year it was Jackson, who posted career highs in passing yards (4,172) and touchdowns (41) while leading the NFL in TD% (8.6%), yards per attempt (8.8) and passer rating (119.6)! It was the second time in his career that he has finished as fantasy's QB1. He posted a 9% TD% in his other overall QB1 season (2019), and then followed that up with a 6.9% rate in 2020. His career average is 6.4%. Long story short, he was absolutely phenomenal in 2024, but last year's ratios would be unsustainable for any quarterback including Jackson (even though he could repeat as fantasy's QB1). Although he has a max of five rushing touchdowns over the past four seasons, Jackson is the NFL's all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards, averaging a whopping 1,019 yards per 17 games over his career.

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football QB Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football RB Rankings

1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson (not Saquon Barkley) should be the RB1 in 2025 fantasy football drafts, especially considering Barkley's historic 2024 volume (most combined regular-season and playoff touches in a decade). The 23-year-old running back racked up 1,887 scrimmage yards and scored 15 total touchdowns on 365 touches including 61 receptions. From Week 6 on, Robinson averaged more fantasy points per game (21.1) than all other running backs. During that 12-game span, he averaged 19.8/97.6 rushing, 3.6/23.3 receiving and scored 14 total touchdowns.

2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Gibbs set or tied career highs across the board in rushing (250/1,412/16, 5.6 YPC) and receiving (52/517/4, 9.9 Y/R) in his second season. Gibbs was also top five among running backs with a minimum of 17 targets in yards per route run (1.67) and YAC per reception (11.5), per PFF. Gibbs was especially good when David Montgomery missed the final three regular-season games (RB1 overall), but he was also the RB3 (RB4 on a PPG basis) from Weeks 1 to 15 when Montgomery was also active.

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football RB Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football WR Rankings

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Posting career highs in his age-24 season, Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17) in 2024 to become the fifth triple crown winner since the league merger. Chase had at least five catches and/or 50 yards in all but one game in 2024, but he also had several monster games. There were nine 35-point wide receiver performances league-wide in 2024, and Chase had three (one-third) of them. From Week 5 on, Chase had a 31.46% target share with a weekly minimum of 24.32%. He's the easy choice to select first overall in fantasy drafts this summer.

2. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Lamb played several weeks dealing with a shoulder injury before shutting it down with a couple of games to go. While his (and Dak Prescott's) injuries factor in, his numbers were down considerably from 2023. Lamb set career lows in yards per reception (11.8) and target (7.9) and his per game averages dropped from 7.9/102.9/0.7 (2023) to 6.7/79.6/0.4 (2024). When everything's clicking, however, Lamb is as productive as any receiver in the league.

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football WR Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football TE Rankings

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Bowers led all tight ends in receptions (112), targets (153) and receiving yards (1,194) despite being a rookie with sub-par quarterback play. Only George Kittle scored more fantasy points on a per-game basis, and Bowers led the position in overall points. While it may be difficult to outproduce his rookie numbers, few, if any, tight ends are the focal point of their passing offense the way Bowers is. Even though the Raiders will run the ball more often in 2025, Ashton Jeanty's presence will benefit the pass catchers indirectly by helping to sustain longer drives and Geno Smith will make the passing attack more efficient.

2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

The good news is that McBride smashed previous career highs in targets (147), receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,146). Among all players (wide receivers included), he finished eighth, fourth, and 11th, respectively, in those categories. The bad news is that he had only two touchdowns and has a total of six through three NFL seasons. If there's a glimmer of hope, McBride finished top three in TE targets from inside the 20 (21, T-2nd), 15 (16, T-2nd), 10 (12, 1st) and 5 (seven, T-1st).

Yes, Brock Bowers deserves to be TE1 in fantasy drafts, but it's a 1A/1B (or 1A/1A) situation with Bowers and McBride. Even though I have Bowers ranked ahead of McBride, the former Colorado State tight end may offer a little more value nearly a round later.

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football TE Rankings

Top 200 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Ja'Marr Chase	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
2	Bijan Robinson	RB	Atlanta Falcons
3	Jahmyr Gibbs	RB	Detroit Lions
4	CeeDee Lamb	WR	Dallas Cowboys
5	Justin Jefferson	WR	Minnesota Vikings
6	Saquon Barkley	RB	Philadelphia Eagles
7	Malik Nabers	WR	New York Giants
8	Derrick Henry	RB	Baltimore Ravens
9	Christian McCaffrey	RB	San Francisco 49ers
10	Amon-Ra St. Brown	WR	Detroit Lions

> Continue reading our Top 200 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Cleveland Browns 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Cleveland Browns.

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QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Joe Flacco	266.4	164.5	1891.4	11.32	6.39	24.7	56.8	1.01	119.9
Dillon Gabriel	177.6	112.8	1198.8	6.22	4.44	22.5	95.6	0.68	77.59
Shedeur Sanders	148	94.7	1006.4	5.33	4.07	20.2	75.8	0.71	65.28
QB Totals	592	372	4096.6	22.87	14.9	67.4	228.2	2.4	262.77

Joe Flacco: While Flacco will open the season as the starter, it's also very likely that the rookies will both make starts in 2025. In his first stint with the Browns (2023), Flacco won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. In five starts (four wins), Flacco threw for 1,616 yards (323.2 per game), 13 touchdowns (6.4%) and eight interceptions (3.9%). The more games Flacco starts, the more ideal it will be for the team's top pass catchers as well.

Dillon Gabriel: The current quarterback depth chart is 1) Flacco, 2) Gabriel, and 3) Shedeur Sanders. While Gabriel may be the first rookie to draw starts, it's likely that Sanders will get a chance as well.

Shedeur Sanders: With two first-round picks (and low expectations for 2025), Cleveland will likely be in prime position to draft one near the top of the 2026 NFL Draft and it would make sense for them to get as many evaluation data points for both Gabriel and Sanders as possible before then.

MORE: Continue reading our Cleveland Browns 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Baker Mayfield	538.3	364.7	3956.5	28.53	13.19	61.3	239.1	1.96	281.67
Teddy Bridgewater	34.4	22.8	249.4	1.34	0.79	4.6	17	0.14	16.3
QB Totals	572.7	387.5	4205.9	29.87	13.98	65.9	256.1	2.1	297.97

Baker Mayfield: Mayfield set career highs in passing yards (4,500) and touchdowns (41), although he also led the NFL in interceptions (16). That said, he finished as fantasy's QB4 in 2024 after finishing as the QB10 in his first season with the Bucs. Only Lamar Jackson (16) had more QB1 finishes last season than Mayfield (13). While he'll have his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons, new OC Josh Grizzard was the passing game coordinator for Liam Coen, who's now Jacksonville's head coach. First-round pick Emeka Egbuka should make a significant and immediate impact, but regression and injuries/rehabs for left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receivers Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan to start the season could lead to a disappointing season compared to his fantasy ADP.

MORE: Continue reading our Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Indianapolis Colts 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Indianapolis Colts.

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QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Daniel Jones	439.1	281	2985.9	14.49	10.1	69.6	365.4	2.61	209.4
Anthony Richardson	109.8	56	757.6	3.73	3.84	34.8	198.4	3.13	76.16
QB Totals	548.9	337	3743.5	18.22	13.94	104.4	563.8	5.74	285.56

Daniel Jones: Jones has been named "the starting quarterback for the season." While there may not be a "short leash," it's certainly possible that both Jones and Anthony Richardson make starts in 2025. Jones is an underrated rusher and he shouldn't tank the passing attack the way Richardson may have.

Anthony Richardson: While he's been terrible as a passer — 50.6% completion rate through 15 starts with more interceptions (13) thrown than touchdowns (11), Richardson will have enormous rushing upside if/when he starts. In fact, he has scored nearly as many rushing touchdowns (10) as he's thrown. As much as Jones has been named the starter "for the season," it's definitely possible that Richardson draws starts this season.

MORE: Continue reading our Indianapolis Colts 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (7th Pick)

The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?

Practice, of course!

Leading up to the start of the 2025 NFL season, we will use the fantasy football mock draft simulator to complete fantasy football mock drafts. And we will do so using a variety of scoring formats — point per reception (PPR), half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues — and league sizes. The goal is to provide you with a good representation of the team that you may be able to draft given your league settings while also providing the rationale of why we made the picks we did.

> Our 2025 mocks will be centralized here: Fantasy Football Mock Drafts.

That said, nothing beats practicing yourself so (check out the simulator) and complete a mock in a matter of minutes.

Half-PPR Mock Draft: 12 Teams, 7th Pick

Starting positions: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST; Bench spots: 6

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1.07 - Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

Maybe Jaxson Dart will develop into a franchise quarterback, but New York's 2025 quarterback situation (Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Dart) is an upgrade over what they had last year no matter who is starting. Despite missing a couple of games and the state of the team's quarterback play, Nabers finished his rookie campaign as fantasy's WR7. With a league-high 10 games with double-digit targets and more targets than all receivers not named Ja'Marr Chase, Nabers never finished with fewer than four catches, seven targets or 41 yards in any game in 2024.

2.06 - Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Like with Derrick Henry, a concern with Taylor is the lack of receiving volume. That said, he should get more targets (and fewer rushing touchdowns vultured) from Daniel Jones than Anthony Richardson. Taylor, who missed Weeks 5-7, had only 12/59/1 receiving on 21 targets over the final 10 games of the season. But his rushing numbers over that span were elite — 231 carries for 1,082 yards, both of which were second to only Saquon Barkley, and seven touchdowns.

3.07 - Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

While he would be a WR1 elsewhere, Higgins will continue to benefit from being the 1B to Ja'Marr Chase. While he has missed exactly five games in back-to-back seasons, Higgins finished second (behind Chase) among all wide receivers in fantasy points per game in 2024.

4.06 - Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Adams, who was traded midseason from the Raiders to the Jets, still managed to extend his streak of 1,000-yard, eight-TD seasons to five. Even though he turns 33 on Christmas Eve and won't dominate targets the way he had at previous stops, he should have (or come close to having) another 1,000/8 season with good health from Matthew Stafford (back).

MORE: 2025 Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Football Projections

MORE: Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (7th Pick)

Friday, August 22, 2025

EDSFootball.com Updates for August 22, 2025

Earlier today, we updated fantasy football projections for several teams and posted a new fantasy football mock draft on EDSFootball.com.

2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Projected fantasy points are based on half-PPR scoring.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

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San Francisco 49ers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the San Francisco 49ers.

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Brock Purdy	499.1	335.4	4042.7	27.7	12.48	61.6	246.4	3.85	295.29
Mac Jones	37.6	24.8	267	1.47	1.05	9.5	30.4	0.19	18.64
QB Totals	536.7	360.2	4309.7	29.17	13.53	71.1	276.8	4.04	313.93

Brock Purdy: Purdy had a down year in 2024 but still finished as the QB10 on a points-per-game basis (18.6). Compared to career rates (in parenthesis), Purdy's 65.9% completion rate (67.5%), 4.4 TD% (6.0%), and 8.5 Y/A (8.9) were all lower in 2024. Yes, Deebo Samuel now plays for the Washington Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and nearly every other receiver not named Ricky Pearsall seem to have injury designations (or a suspension), but Purdy is a value when comparing my projections/rankings to his current ADP.

MORE: Continue reading our San Francisco 49ers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Baker Mayfield	538.3	364.7	3956.5	28.53	13.19	61.3	239.1	1.96	281.67
Kyle Trask	34.4	21.3	223.6	1.03	0.86	2.8	2.8	0.03	11.8
QB Totals	572.7	386	4180.1	29.56	14.05	64.1	241.9	1.99	293.47

MORE: Continue reading our Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

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Carolina Panthers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Carolina Panthers.

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Bryce Young	537.3	333.7	3626.8	21.76	11.28	45.7	262.8	2.86	252.99
Andy Dalton	37.4	24.1	261.8	1.65	1.01	4.3	13.3	0.18	17.46
QB Totals	574.7	357.8	3888.6	23.41	12.29	50	276.1	3.04	270.45

Bryce Young: Young was benched after a terrible start through the first two weeks last season (only 225 passing yards, 4.01 Y/A, no touchdowns and three interceptions). He didn't start again until Week 8, but he played much better, especially over the final three games (64.8%, 7.0 Y/A, seven touchdowns and no interceptions). After Carolina's Week 11 bye, Young was the QB8 in fantasy PPG (21.2) through the end of the season.

More: Bryce Young 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

MORE: Continue reading our Carolina Panthers 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

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New England Patriots 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the New England Patriots.

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Drake Maye	515	345.1	3605	23.43	13.39	68.8	440.3	3.03	273.35
Joshua Dobbs	32.9	20.9	220.4	1.15	0.89	4.5	22.5	0.27	15.51
QB Totals	547.9	366	3825.4	24.58	14.28	73.3	462.8	3.3	288.86

Drake Maye: Could Maye breakout in 2025? There are plenty of positive signs. The Patriots bolstered their pass protection and pass-catching weapons via free agency and the NFL draft including Stefon Diggs, LSU's Will Campbell (Round 1), Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson (Round 2), and Washington State's Kyle Williams (Round 3). Considering his rushing ability, Maye's floor is high even with a run-heavy approach under Mike Vrabel, but the improvement in offensive firepower gives him more upside as a passer in year two.

MORE: Continue reading our New England Patriots 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

2025 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts

The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?

Practice, of course!

That said, nothing beats practicing yourself so (check out the simulator) and complete a mock in a matter of minutes.

2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (2nd Pick)

Starting positions: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST; Bench spots: 6

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1.02 - Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

You could argue that Robinson (not Saquon Barkley) should be the RB1 in 2025 fantasy football drafts, especially considering Barkley's historic 2024 volume (most combined regular-season and playoff touches in a decade). The 23-year-old running back racked up 1,887 scrimmage yards and scored 15 total touchdowns on 365 touches including 61 receptions. From Week 6 on, Robinson averaged more fantasy points per game (21.1) than all other running backs. During that 12-game span, he averaged 19.8/97.6 rushing, 3.6/23.3 receiving and scored 14 total touchdowns.

2.11 - Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

McConkey finished as a top-12 fantasy wide receiver (the WR16 on per-game basis among those who played at least eight games) in 2024 and he was especially productive from Week 8 on. Over his final 11 games including the team's playoff loss, he racked up 67 catches for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns on 87 targets.

MORE: 2025 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Football Projections

3.02 - Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

4.11 - DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Smith missed four games in 2024 and while his numbers were down year over year, his per-game averages of 5.2 catches and 64.1 yards were very similar to the averages of his first three seasons (4.8/63.6). Smith finished the year as the WR17 on a per-game basis, and he should continue to be viewed as a mid-tier WR2 in fantasy.

MORE: Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (2nd Pick)

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

EDSFootball.com Updates for August 5, 2025

Earlier today, we updated our 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings and completed another fantasy football mock draft on EDSFootball.com.

With NFL team mandatory minicamps now behind us, I have updated my positional rankings and overall top 200 fantasy football cheat sheet.

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More rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Top 200

2025 Fantasy Football QB Rankings

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football QB Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football RB Rankings

1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football RB Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football WR Rankings

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

2. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football WR Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football TE Rankings

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football TE Rankings

Top 200 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Ja'Marr Chase	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
2	Bijan Robinson	RB	Atlanta Falcons
3	Jahmyr Gibbs	RB	Detroit Lions
4	CeeDee Lamb	WR	Dallas Cowboys
5	Saquon Barkley	RB	Philadelphia Eagles
6	Justin Jefferson	WR	Minnesota Vikings
7	Malik Nabers	WR	New York Giants
8	Puka Nacua	WR	Los Angeles Rams
9	Amon-Ra St. Brown	WR	Detroit Lions
10	Derrick Henry	RB	Baltimore Ravens

> Continue reading our Top 200 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (3rd Pick)

The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?

Practice, of course!

> Our 2025 mocks will be centralized here: Fantasy Football Mock Drafts.

That said, nothing beats practicing yourself so (check out the simulator) and complete a mock in a matter of minutes.

Half-PPR Mock Draft: 12 Teams, 3rd Pick

Starting positions: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST; Bench spots: 6

1.03 - Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

Perhaps a surprise by many to not take Saquon Barkley here, but I have Bijan Robinson and Gibbs ranked as the RB1/RB2, respectively, in my 2025 fantasy football RB rankings. Gibbs set or tied career highs across the board in rushing (250/1,412/16, 5.6 YPC) and receiving (52/517/4, 9.9 Y/R) in his second season. Gibbs was also top five among running backs with a minimum of 17 targets in yards per route run (1.67) and YAC per reception (11.5), per PFF. Gibbs was especially good when David Montgomery missed the final three regular-season games (RB1 overall), but he was also the RB3 (RB4 on a PPG basis) from Weeks 1 to 15 when Montgomery was also active.

2.10 - A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Leading the league in books read on the sideline during games, Brown missed four games in 2024 but channeled his inner excellence to finish with 67 receptions for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns. While there were some quiet games, Brown's 2024 per-game averages of receptions (5.2) and yards (83.0) weren't that much lower than his career averages (5.7/86.8). The only real concern with Brown from a weekly fantasy production standpoint is the potential for a big day from Saquon Barkley and the game script leading to low passing volume overall.

MORE: Jalen Hurts 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

3.03 - Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

4.10 - DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears

Moore posted a career high in receptions (98) in 2024 while posting career lows in yards per reception (9.9), yards per target (6.9) and ADOT (7.5). In fact, those numbers are much lower than his non-2024 career averages — 14.3 Y/R, 8.7 Y/TGT and 11.4 ADOT. With second-year improvements from Caleb Williams as well as improved coaching and play calling, we should see better overall numbers from Moore in 2025.

> Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (3rd Pick)

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Atlanta Falcons 2023 Fantasy Football Projections

Our Fantasy Football Projections will be viewable by both position and team.

Below you will find our 2023 fantasy football projections for the Atlanta Falcons.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Desmond Ridder	447.7	286.5	3089.1	16.34	10.74	48.3	193.2	1.45	195.46
Taylor Heinicke	61.1	38.8	430.8	2.57	1.71	12.4	46.5	0.31	30.6

Desmond Ridder: Ridder, who started four games as a rookie, enters 2023 atop the depth chart. In his four starts in 2022, he completed 73-of-115 pass attempts (63.5%) for 708 yards (6.2 Y/A) with only two touchdowns (1.7 TD%) and no interceptions. While the Falcons will continue to rely heavily on their ground game, the team's talented young pass catchers (Drake London, Kyle Pitts and rookie running back Bijan Robinson) will help him develop in his second season.

Taylor Heinicke: If Ridder struggles in 2023, it's possible that Heinicke could make some starts. Neither Ridder nor Heinicke are draftable in single-quarterback leagues.

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Bijan Robinson	246.3	1108.4	7.51	50.4	388.9	2	231.99
Tyler Allgeier	149.7	658.7	4.04	13.2	96.8	0.5	109.39
Cordarrelle Patterson	36.9	162.4	1.01	22.8	211.2	1.1	61.42
Keith Smith	1.5	5.3	0.03	1.5	10.6	0.1	3.12

Bijan Robinson: Robinson is the most talented back to enter the league in several draft cycles, and he landed in a spot where he has a chance to perform as a top-five fantasy back. Robinson profiles as a three-down back with outstanding size, speed, vision and contact balance and his 183 missed tackles forced over the past two seasons were 56 more than the next closest back, per PFF. Only the Bears (56.19%) ran the ball on a higher percentage of plays than the Falcons (55.29%) in 2022, but Robinson is also outstanding as a receiver as well.

Tyler Allgeier: Allgeier was a player I liked as a sleeper last year, and the fifth-rounder out of BYU eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie. He finished 2022 with 210 carries for 1,035 yards (4.9 YPC) and three touchdowns and added 16 receptions for 139 yards and a score. With the Falcons drafting Robinson at No. 8 overall, it obviously delivers a huge blow to Allgeier's fantasy stock. That said, he should still get around 10 touches per game in Atlanta's run-first offense.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Drake London	83.6	1006.7	5.6	176.07
Mack Hollins	37.4	469.9	2.6	81.29
KhaDarel Hodge	17.9	195.4	1	34.49
Scotty Miller	8.8	105.6	0.6	18.56
Josh Ali	3.7	42.2	0.2	7.27

Drake London: Atlanta was/is a low-volume passing attack, but London led the Falcons in targets (117, 29.25%), receptions (72), yards (866) and touchdowns (four) as a rookie. Among wide receivers with 35-plus targets in 2022, London ranked 14th in yards per route run (2.07), per PFF. When Kyle Pitts (knee) was sidelined down the stretch, London was at his best. He finished with 31/428 on 48 targets over the final five games of the year.

Mack Hollins: Hollins set career highs in targets (94), receptions (57) and yards (690) last season with the Raiders. Now with the Falcons as he enters his age-30 season, Hollins will be no better than fourth in the offensive pecking order behind Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Kyle Pitts	59.4	711	3.7	123
Jonnu Smith	21.1	225.3	1.3	40.88
MyCole Pruitt	4.2	44	0.2	7.7
John FitzPatrick	1.3	12.3	0.1	2.48

Kyle Pitts: A knee injury prematurely cut his second season short, but Pitts eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie (68/1,026/1) in 2021. If it weren't for the lack of touchdowns (one), his rookie season would have been viewed as a smashing success. Before his injury last year, his production dropped significantly (12.7 Y/R, 35.6 YPG, 47.5% catch rate and 1.69 Y/RR) compared to 2021 (15.1 Y/R, 60.4 YPG, 61.8% and 2.01 Y/RR). That said, the upside remains high going into his age-23 season.

More Atlanta Falcons pages:

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Atlanta Falcons 2023 Fantasy Football Projections

Our Fantasy Football Projections will be viewable by both position and team.

Below you will find our 2023 fantasy football projections for the Atlanta Falcons.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Desmond Ridder	447.7	286.5	3089.1	16.34	10.74	48.3	193.2	1.45	195.46
Taylor Heinicke	61.1	38.8	430.8	2.57	1.71	12.4	46.5	0.31	30.6

Taylor Heinicke: If Ridder struggles in 2023, it's possible that Heinicke could make some starts. Neither Ridder nor Heinicke are draftable in single-quarterback leagues.

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Bijan Robinson	250	1125	7.63	50.4	388.9	2	234.37
Tyler Allgeier	137.9	606.8	3.72	13.2	96.8	0.5	102.28
Cordarrelle Patterson	36.4	160.2	1	22.8	211.2	1.1	61.14
Godwin Igwebuike	8.7	37.4	0.22	3.1	22.9	0.1	9.5
Keith Smith	1.5	5.3	0.03	1.5	10.6	0.1	3.12

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Drake London	82.8	1001.4	5.5	174.54
Mack Hollins	37.4	469.9	2.6	81.29
KhaDarel Hodge	15.9	181.3	1	32.08
Scotty Miller	8.8	105.6	0.6	18.56
Josh Ali	3.7	42.2	0.2	7.27

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Kyle Pitts	59.4	711	3.7	123
Jonnu Smith	19.5	207.7	1.2	37.72
MyCole Pruitt	4.2	44	0.2	7.7
Parker Hesse	2.6	26.4	0.2	5.14

More Atlanta Falcons pages:

Friday, August 25, 2023

2023 Fantasy Football RB Rankings

FantasyPros tracks the accuracy of fantasy football rankings and Hanson's rankings have finished:

2022: 8th (out of 163 experts tracked)
2021: 6th (out of 172 experts tracked)
2020: 9th (out of 149 experts tracked)

Some teams have already played their final preseason game and as the NFL preseason winds down, we are that much closer to the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football.

That also means that we are in the thick of fantasy draft season.

To help you prepare for your fantasy football drafts, we will continue to keep our fantasy football rankings updated until the start of the 2023 NFL season.

Note: These rankings are for half-PPR scoring.

More scoring formats:

More 2023 fantasy football rankings:

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

After two injury-plagued seasons, McCaffrey played a full 17-game slate in 2022 split between the Panthers and 49ers. If there's a concern (albeit only a slight one), it's the potential for the 49ers to scale back CMC's workload to preserve his health for a full season including the playoffs, especially given their talented supporting cast when at full strength.

When healthy, however, few, if any, running backs have a higher floor and ceiling due to his ability as a runner and receiver. From Week 7 (when SF traded for him) through the end of the season, he tied Tennessee's Derrick Henry for the most fantasy points per game (half-PPR). McCaffrey has a minimum of 80 catches in each of his four full seasons, and he's averaged 113.1 yards per scrimmage per game over his career.

2. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

Granted permission to seek a trade early in the offseason, Ekeler enters 2023 with fresh incentives added to the final year of his contract. As one of the league's best receiving backs, Ekeler's elite production is game-script independent. In addition, he has led the NFL in touchdowns in each of the past two seasons with a total of 38 during that span. Ekeler led all running backs in half-PPR fantasy points in 2022, and he finished second behind Jonathan Taylor in 2021.

3. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

Chubb has a career average of 5.2 yards per carry, but he has also yet to average fewer than 5.0 YPC in any of his first five NFL seasons. The talented back carried the ball 302 times last season for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns, all of which set or tied career highs. While he's averaged only 1.6 receptions per game over his career, his passing-game role may (or should) expand with Kareem Hunt no longer on the roster.

4. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson is the most talented back to enter the league in several draft cycles, and he landed in a spot where he has a chance to perform as a top-five fantasy back. Robinson profiles as a three-down back with outstanding size, speed, vision and contact balance and his 183 missed tackles forced over the past two seasons were 56 more than the next closest back, per PFF. While Robinson is an outstanding receiver as well, only the Bears (56.19%) ran the ball on a higher percentage of plays than the Falcons (55.29%) in 2022.

5. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

There are certainly concerns — age, cumulative career workload, the team's offensive issues, etc. Even so, Henry has led the NFL in rush attempts in three of the past four seasons (including 349 in 2022) and he's guaranteed a massive workload, as long as he remains healthy. He set a career high in receptions (33) in 2022, but he actually averaged more receptions per game in 2021 (2.3) than 2022 (2.1).

Of course, it would be preferred for Henry to be more involved as a receiver, but his relative lack of involvement in the passing game has been an over-emphasized reason to avoid Henry (at least in half-PPR formats). Here is where Henry has finished on a points-per-game basis in half-PPR scoring over the past four years (min. 8G played): third in 2022 (17.9), first in 2021 (23.0), third in 2020 (20.2) and second (tied) in 2019 (19.0), respectively.

6. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Barkley had missed at least three games in each of the previous three seasons, but he stayed healthy in 2022 and delivered for fantasy managers. Perhaps less involved as a receiver than expected, especially given the team's 2022 wide receiver woes, Barkley ended the year with 352 combined touches including 57 receptions, 1,650 YFS and 10 touchdowns. Failing to reach an agreement on a long-term extension before the July 17th deadline, Barkley and the Giants agreed to terms on a modified one-year contract, which is helpful given the current landscape of tension between star running backs and teams.

7. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Sharing the workload with Ezekiel Elliott, Pollard rushed for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns and added 39 catches for 371 yards and another three touchdowns. With Elliott no longer on the roster (although there is at least a chance the still-unsigned Elliott could return), Pollard enters 2023 as a mid-tier RB1 in fantasy drafts.

8. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards (1,653), yards from scrimmage (2,053) and touches (393) in 2022. He dominated the team's running back touches, as the rest of the team's backs had a total of 77 (16.4%). In addition, Jacobs averaged a career-high 4.9 YPC and has now exceeded 50 catches in back-to-back seasons. That's the good news, but hasn't yet signed his franchise tender after the team and Jacobs failed to reach a long-term agreement before July's deadline. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently wrote, however, that Jacobs is "expected to report ... before their season opener."

9. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

When healthy and happy, Taylor has RB1 overall upside. After all, he's just two seasons removed from finishing as fantasy football's RB1. Beyond what he can do on the football field, however, it's been a summer full of concerns — requesting a trade, leaving and returning to camp (multiple times), PUP list, etc. Another concern is the potential for Anthony Richardson to steal carries from Taylor, who also may see fewer checkdowns if Richardson tucks it and runs when plays break down.

Update: Taylor has been given permission to seek a trade.

10. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

Before last season, Jones had three consecutive seasons with double-digit touchdowns. That said, he set career highs in rushing yards (1,121) and receptions (59) in 2022. Transitioning from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love adds some uncertainty, but Jones has 47-plus receptions in four consecutive seasons and 1,459-plus YFS in three of his past four seasons. Jones is undervalued heading into the 2023 season.

11. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

Missing multiple games in all but two seasons (2019 and 2021), Mixon has been an inefficient (career 4.1 YPC) workhorse (16.4 carries per game). In addition, he set career highs as a receiver in targets (75), receptions (60) and yards (441) in 2022. The Bengals and Mixon agreed to a restructured contract that keeps him in Cincinnati for 2023, but it's still unclear if his legal issues will impact his availability at any point during the season.

12. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

While the touches (381 to 313), targets (94 to 53) and yards from scrimmage (1,667 to 1,263) all dropped year over year, Harris managed to play a full 17-game slate once again despite some worries about a Lisfranc injury before the start of the season. An improved offensive line and offense overall should help a healthy Harris, who was RB14 in half-PPR in 2022. (Harris was a volume-based RB4 as a rookie in 2021.)

13. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

Stevenson is coming off a breakout season (1,040 rushing yards, 69 receptions for 421 yards and six total touchdowns). Damien Harris (106 carries in 11 games) is now in Buffalo, but the Patriots have signed Ezekiel Elliott to fill his void (and potentially more). Stevenson had multiple receptions in all but one game in 2022, and only three running backs — Austin Ekeler (107), Christian McCaffrey (85) and Leonard Fournette (73) — had more receptions than Stevenson last year. The biggest concern with the Elliott signing, however, is the potential to lose goal-line carries to the former Cowboy.

14. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

It's a new-look backfield for the Lions — D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams are out, and Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are in. Detroit's backfield ranked third in touches last season, and they were top 10 in RB targets. Gibbs lacks ideal size to be a workhorse back, but he will quickly develop into one of the league's best receiving backs and he has game-breaking speed (4.36 40-yard dash). It's possible, maybe likely, that Montgomery leads the backfied in touches while Gibbs leads it in fantasy points scored.

15. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

A Lisfranc injury delayed his NFL debut by a year, but Etienne finished as fantasy's RB17 (half-PPR scoring) in 2022 with 220 carries for 1,125 yards and five touchdowns and 35 catches for 316 yards. Earlier this offseason, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union wrote that Tank Bigsby, the team's third-round pick, could even "out-touch [Etienne] in some games depending on who has the hot hand." More recently, Doug Pederson praised Etienne's development as a runner while discussing a scenario where "maybe he's pushing 1,600, 1,700 yards as a rusher."

16. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

Conner has missed multiple games in all six of his NFL seasons including four games in 2022. In his two years with the Cardinals, he has a total of 385 carries for 1,534 yards (3.98 YPC) and 22 touchdowns while adding 83 catches for 675 yards and four touchdowns. The good news is that he should dominate backfield touches, as long as he remains healthy. The bad news is his number of scoring opportunities will likely be down (perhaps significantly), especially when Kyler Murray is sidelined.

17. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings

Mattison is poised for a breakout season (or at least a significant increase in workload) with Dalvin Cook released earlier this offseason. The fifth-year back has 90-plus rushing yards in five of the six games in which he has played more than 40 offensive snaps.

18. Breece Hall, New York Jets

Before Hall tore his ACL, his NFL career was off to a great start. The rookie from Iowa State averaged 5.8 yards per carry and 11.5 yards per reception through seven games. His workload had jumped considerably in Weeks 4-6 (61 touches) from Weeks 1-3 (34). Who knows how good his rookie season would have been if the injury hadn't happened? There are lots of reasons for fantasy managers to be excited about Hall's long-term outlook, but it wouldn't be a shock if he starts the 2023 season slowly as he works his way back from injury, especially with Dalvin Cook joining the Jets on a one-year deal.

19. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

Walker rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on 228 carries as a rookie. Expectations shot up following (Rashaad Penny's departure in) NFL free agency, but the Seahawks drafting a talented complement (Zach Charbonnet) in the second round should temper expectations. Walker finished 2022 as fantasy's RB16 in half-PPR scoring, and a similar level of production is most likely in 2023. Walker had been dealing with a groin injury, but he's returned to practicing in full.

20. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Once the Buccaneers released Leonard Fournette, who is still a free agent, White immediately moved atop the team's 2023 depth chart. As a 2022 rookie, he had 129 carries for 481 yards (only 3.7 YPC) and a touchdown in addition to 50 receptions for 290 yards and two touchdowns. His best game as a runner (22/105) was against the Seattle Seahawks and his new offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who was Seattle's quarterbacks coach last year.

21. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams

While he missed nearly all of 2021 with a torn Achilles, Akers has gone from workhorse to the coach's doghouse and back to workhorse, when healthy. Much of Akers' 2022 production came in the final six weeks of the season when he finished with 104 carries for 512 yards (4.92 YPC) and six touchdowns and 11 receptions for 99 yards on 12 targets.

22. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

Pierce had never exceeded 106 carries in his four seasons at Florida, but he reached that number through his first six games with the Texans. While he missed the final four games of the season with an ankle injury, he had 220 carries for 939 yards and four touchdowns through Week 14. He also added 30 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. The former Gator was the RB15 through Week 14. Despite Houston signing Devin Singletary, Pierce is still a viable RB2 for fantasy managers in 2023.

23. Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers

Sanders set career highs in rushing last season with 259 carries for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Through four NFL seasons, he has averaged 5.02 yards per carry running behind the league's best offensive line. With Jalen Hurts under center, Sanders (and Philly's running backs) weren't targeted often, but he had 50 receptions as a rookie in 2022. There's a good chance that he's more involved as a receiver than he was over the past several seasons. Sanders is dealing with a hamstring injury, but Frank Reich says he thinks that Sanders is "getting close."

24. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Fantasy managers now have clarity about Kamara's suspension (a negotiated settlement of three games), a positive development given it could have been twice as long. Over the past two seasons, Kamara has averaged only 3.9 YPC, rushed for half as many touchdowns as "tight end" Taysom Hill and had a total of only 104 receptions after finishing with 80-plus in each of his first four seasons. Even so, he has finished as the RB16 (2022) and RB8 (2021) on a PPG basis (half-PPR).

25. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens

Dobbins has averaged a phenomenal 5.9 yards per carry, but he has played a total of 23 games through three seasons. (On a positive note, he's an extra year removed from a torn ACL that forced him to miss the entire 2021 season.) While Lamar Jackson's elite rushing threat can put tremendous strain on opposing defenses, the flip side is fewer targets and checkdowns to running backs as Dobbins has averaged only 1.39 targets and 1.09 receptions per game over his career.

26. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos

Handling seven touches including four receptions in Week 2 of the preseason, Williams (knee) described getting tackled as "the biggest hurdle ... left with the whole recovery process." Returning to game action this quickly after tearing multiple ligaments is extremely impressive, to say the least. Through 21 career games, Williams has 250 carries for 1,107 yards (4.4 YPC, 52.7 YPG), 59 receptions for 392 yards and a total of seven touchdowns.

27. James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Cook was one of Buffalo's fantasy winners after the draft, as there was some projection that the Bills could target someone like Bijan Robinson if he slipped. (Of course, he didn't.) Heading into 2023 atop the depth chart, he'll split touches with veterans like Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, but he'll be in the (back-end) RB2 mix for fantasy managers this season. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey praised Cook's versatility and potential to be a "three-down back."

28. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions

The Lions had two backs finish as top-24 performers in 2022 — Williams (RB8) and Swift (RB22) — and no team's running backs scored more fantasy points than Detroit's. In other words, it's possible that the duo of Gibbs and Montgomery both perform as RB2-type backs (or better) in 2023. Montgomery has averaged only 3.94 YPC through four seasons, but he will have the opportunity to run behind a much better offensive line in Detroit than he had in Chicago. In addition, he is a capable receiver as well with a minimum of 25 receptions each year and a total of 155 through four seasons.

29. Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders

Given what he endured before last season (shot multiple times during a car jacking), Robinson had an incredibly impressive rookie season and shouldered a heavy workload, when healthy. He averaged 17.1 carries per game, although he was less involved as a receiver (12 targets in 12 games).

30. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

Pacheco generated some buzz last August as a seventh-round rookie, and then he delivered for fantasy managers who drafted the sleeper. He finished his inaugural season with 170 carries for 830 yards (4.9 YPC) and five touchdowns and added 13 catches for 130 yards (10.0 Y/R). Sitting atop the 2023 depth chart, Pacheco has a chance to improve upon his rookie numbers.

31. Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders

Fumbling issues plagued Gibson's 2021 season, and he was inefficient last season (3.66 YPC) with career lows in both touches (195) and yards from scrimmage (899). Gibson has a minimum of 36 catches in each season with a career-high 46 last year and coach Ron Rivera referred to him as a "matchup nightmare for the opponent." With J.D. McKissic no longer on the roster, Gibson expects his role to include "third-down back, end-of-game situation, end-of-half situation and things like that."

32. D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles

There's a good chance that Swift leads Philadelphia's backfield in fantasy production, as long as he stays healthy, but he has missed a minimum of three games every season in his young career. Swift is one of the league's best receiving backs with an average of 3.9 receptions per game in his career. While he'll benefit from playing in a high-powered offense and behind an elite offense line, a drop in target share is likely with Jalen Hurts (165 carries in 2022) under center. Only Chicago's running backs had fewer receptions than Philadelphia's last season.

33. Dalvin Cook, New York Jets

The wait is over, as Cook will join the Jets for the 2023 season. Appearing in all 17 games last year, it was the first time that Cook appeared in more than 14 games in a season. Cook's signing could lead to Hall being brought along more slowly, which could mean his best games could be in the first half of the season.

34. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears

Chances are that Justin Fields will lead the Bears in rushing, but Herbert has been highly efficient — career 5.02 YPC on 232 carries — through his first two NFL seasons. Given the volume of rush attempts by Fields, it should come as no surprise that the Bears ranked last in the NFL in running back receptions and 31st in running back targets in 2022. Even if Herbert leads the Bears running backs in both rushing and receiving, which I currently project, it's possible that fantasy managers are left wanting a bit more.

35. A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers

Whether fantasy managers roster Jones or not, Dillon has stand-alone fantasy value and has finished as a top-30 fantasy running back in back-to-back seasons. During that span, Dillon has 435 touches including 62 receptions on 80 targets for 2,092 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns.

36. Samaje Perine, Denver Broncos

Perine is poised for a "significant role" in Denver's backfield throughout the season, and potentially an even more significant role in the early part of the season even though Williams won't miss any regular-season games to start the year. Sean Payton has a long history of giving substantial workloads to the team's second back.

37. Rashaad Penny, Philadelphia Eagles

Through five NFL seasons, Penny has missed nearly as many games (40) as he has played (42). When healthy, however, he has averaged 5.7 yards per carry over his career and an even-better 6.2 YPC over the past two seasons (176/1095/8). Aside from durability concerns, Penny hasn't been a factor in the passing game — 36 career targets in 42 games.

38. Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints

Coming off a career season, Williams carried the ball 262 times for 1,066 yards and a league-high 17 touchdowns. As long as both Kamara and Williams are active (after Kamara's three-game suspension), he'll be a complementary option to Kamara, but Williams could get the larger share of valuable goal-line opportunities.

39. Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

The second-round pick was highly productive for the UCLA Bruins, and he has the skill set to be a foundation back. Unfortunately, Seattle is not an ideal landing spot for his 2023 fantasy outlook with Charbonnet expected to operate as the 1B to Walker's 1A in Seattle's ground attack. Given how much Pete Carroll would prefer to run the ball, however, there is a chance that he could approach stand-alone flex-level value even if Walker gets/stays healthy for a full season.

40. Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins

Following Wilson's midseason trade to Miami, both Raheem Mostert (Week 12) and Wilson (Week 15) missed one game each. In the games in which they both appeared, Wilson (82 touches) edged Mostert (80) in workload. Going into the 2023 season, I project Wilson to maintain a relatively slight edge, but the addition of De'Von Achane, their speedy third-round rookie, (and a potential signing of Dalvin Cook) only clouds the outlook even further.

41. Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins

Mostert missed only one game in 2022, but it was just the second season of his career where he didn't miss significant time. He has played only 61 games over the past six seasons. Without any new additions to the backfield, Mostert should get 10-12 touches per game as long as he's healthy, and he's never averaged less than 4.9 YPC in a season.

42. Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons

Allgeier was a player I liked as a sleeper last year, and the fifth-rounder out of BYU eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie. He finished 2022 with 210 carries for 1,035 yards (4.9 YPC) and three touchdowns and added 16 receptions for 139 yards and a score. With the Falcons drafting Robinson at No. 8 overall, it obviously delivers a huge blow to Allgeier's fantasy stock.

43. Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Athletic's Mark Kaboly wrote in June "[t]he way [Warren] attacks the hole during drills is something to be seen. ... there is no way [OC] Canada can keep him off the field as much as he did last season." Warren had 105 touches for 593 yards and a touchdown and finished as fantasy's RB51.

44. Devin Singletary, Houston Texans

Through four seasons in Buffalo, Singletary had more than 150 carries and averaged exactly 2.4 receptions every year. The workload will almost certainly decline in Houston, but he would become a RB2 if Pierce were to miss any time.

45. Jerick McKinnon, Kansas City Chiefs

McKinnon had nearly as many targets (71) as carries (72) last season, and he was extremely effective as a receiver. He ended the year with 56 catches for 512 yards (9.1 Y/R) and nine of his 10 touchdowns were receiving scores. While I have projected McKinnon for considerably fewer touchdowns in 2023, he could be a solid bye-week fill-in for fantasy squads, at a minimum.

46. Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots

By signing with the Patriots, Elliott boosts the fantasy stock (or at least diminishes a concern) for Tony Pollard, but it also knocks Stevenson down a couple of spots in my 2023 fantasy rankings. Elliott set career lows in his age-27 season (2022) with 231 carries and 876 rushing yards, and a realistic projection might be close to half of those numbers in 2023. Over the past three seasons combined, Elliott has averaged only 4.0 YPC, 6.2 Y/R and 4.3 yards per touch compared to 4.6, 8.6 and 5.2, respectively, over the first four years of his career (2016-19).

47. Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Sanders played a full 17-game last season, but he's currently dealing with a hamstring injury and appeared in only 12 games in both 2020 and 2021. While Sanders should be ready to go before Week 1, Hubbard would likely handle the largest share of the workload in the event that Sanders were to miss any time, and he averaged 4.9 YPC last season.

48. Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers

Mitchell won't offer much stand-alone value, but he would have enormous upside if Christian McCaffrey were to miss any time during the 2023 season. While CMC deserves to be considered at pick 1.01 in fantasy drafts, we've seen how productive non-CMC backs (including Mitchell) have been when given the opportunity.

49. Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars used a third-round pick on Bigsby, and the former Auburn Tiger has impressed in the spring and summer. Doug Pederson has said that Bigsby is "better pass-catcher [than anticipated]." There is plenty of upside, even though his ADP has been on the rise, given expectations that Jacksonville plans to shift more of the workload off of Etienne's plate.

50. D'Onta Foreman, Chicago Bears

Foreman rushed for more than 110 yards in five of the final 11 games in 2022 for the Panthers. During that span, he racked up 191/877/5 rushing (4.59 YPC). Even if Herbert is the favorite to lead the backfield, Foreman could end up getting a little more run than expected.

51. Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles

52. Damien Harris, Buffalo Bills

53. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

54. Chase Edmonds, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

55. Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens

56. Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

57. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs

58. Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

59. Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders

60. Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers

61. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

62. Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears