Fantasy Football RB rankings 2023: Where does 49ers star Christian McCaffrey stand this year?

The 2023 NFL season will kick off in under two months when the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions meet on September 7.

With the return of the NFL comes the return of NFL Fantasy Football, with millions of fans across the world ready to assemble their squads for the upcoming season.

The running back position is among the most important in terms of fantasy football, as every team can only have one RB1, so making sure you've got the right players in your line-up is essential.

For reference, all fantasy point scoring mentioned in this post will be the 1-point PPR scoring method.

2023 NFL Fantasy Football: Top 10 running back rankings

#10 - Joe Mixon, CIN

Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals ended 2022 as the 10th best fantasy RB, with 240.7 PPR points, and that's where he lands on the list for 2023.

Mixon missed time due to injury last year, and if he'd played the entire campaign he could have been even higher on the list. He remains a crucial part of the Bengals' offense, and they even shipped off backup Samaje Perine in free agency.

#9 - Josh Jacobs, LV

Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders was one of the surprise packages of the 2022 season as he had by far his best campaign to date. Jacobs was the third-best PPR running back as he amassed 328.3 points and was a first-team All-Pro for the first time.

However, before this year, Jacobs had never gone over 1,200 yards before his 2022 season, where he totalled 1,653. In addition, according to https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/, the Raiders have the second toughest schedule in 2023.

#8 - Jonathan Taylor, IND

Jonathan Taylor was a huge disappointment in fantasy football in 2022. After an outstanding 2021 season, where he led the entire NFL in yards and touchdowns, Taylor came crashing back to earth with a measly 146.4 fantasy point return.

This score was a whopping 226.7 less than a year prior, as he struggled with injuries and the Colts' offensive line was atrocious.

Taylor is a gamble pick early on, but if he can remain healthy and get back to his best, he could win you your fantasy league.

#7 - Bijan Robinson, ATL

There has been a lot hype around new Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, but how will he perform in fantasy?

Robinson did it all at Texas in terms of both rushing and receiving, but was an absolute bell cow of a running back. In 2022,Robinson had a huge 258 carries across the year, which he turned into 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He clearly knows how to find the endzone and will likely be the clear RB1 for the Falcons, so this could be a shrewd pickup.

#6 - Tony Pollard, DAL

Tony Pollard shocked everyone in 2022 when he stepped up and usurped long-time RB1 in Dallas, Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott was released following the 2022 season, paving the way for Pollard to take over as RB1.

Last year, Pollard was the 8th-best fantasy running back as he amassed 248.8 points across the season.

The sky is the limit for Pollard in 2023, as he finally gets the chance to prove he can be a lead back in an NFL offense.

2023 NFL Fantasy Football: Top 10 running back rankings

#5 - Nick Chubb, CLE

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb often goes under the radar in fantasy realms, but he's consistently among the best backs in the NFL.

Chubb was excellent on a poor Browns team in 2022, putting up a solid 281.4 PPR points, good enough for sixth among all running backs.

The Browns released Kareem Hunt during the offseason, so will likely be relying on Chubb to take on a bigger role in their offense going forward.

#4 - Saquon Barkley, NYG

Many NFL Fantasy Football players took a gamble on drafting Saquon Barkley in 2022, after he had suffered multiple season-ending injuries in years prior.

However, Barkley was back to his best last year, and was the lynchpin of the New York Giants' offense. Saquon racked up 284 fantasy points, his best return since his rookie year back in 2018.

Should Barkley remain healthy throughout 2023, he can definitely lead your fantasy team to a championship.

#3 - Derrick Henry, TEN

Derrick 'King' Henry has been the most dominant RB in the NFL of the last half-decade, and will likely be among the very best in the league once again in 2023.

Henry ranked fourth in terms of fantasy PPR points for all backs, with 302.8, which is a great return, considering he missed a large portion of the previous campaign with a broken bone in his foot.

Henry has been the bell cow of the NFL for a number of years, consistently ranking among the most carries in the league, giving him plenty of fantasy scoring opportunities.

#2 - Christian McCaffrey, SF

The San Francisco 49ers made a blockbuster trade during the 2022 season when they acquired RB Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers.

McCaffrey was a revelation with the 49ers as he instantly became the lynchpin of their offense. He ended the season as the second best running back in terms of fantasy football, as he remained injury-free after a tough spell on the sidelines.

If CMC can remain healthy, there's definitely a chance he could go 1st overall in many fantasy drafts.

Who had the most fantasy points as a RB last year?

#1 - Austin Ekeler, LAC

Austin Ekeler led all NFL RBs when it came to fantasy in 2022, as he once again proved to be an invaluable asset. Ekeler clocked up 372.7 PPR points throughout the year, and he was once again an elite rushing and receiving back.

Despite requesting a trade earlier in the offseason it looks like Ekeler will be staying put with the Los Angeles Chargers, which is great news for fantasy players.

Ekeler has struck up an excellent rapport with QB Justin Herbert, so seeing that the pair will be together heading into 2023 means he is #1 in terms of fantasy RBs heading into the new season.