Fantasy Football rookie RB rankings: Who comes out on top in 2023 NFL draft class?

Modified Aug 08, 2024 19:20 GMT

2023 NFL Draft - Round 1 — Bijan Robinson is the top RB of the 2023 NFL Draft class

The Fantasy Football season is back and in full swing now that the 2023 NFL Draft has officially concluded. Now that all of the prospects have transformed into rookies, rankings and projections can be more accurately assessed. Each NFL team's roster for the 2023 NFL season is much clearer after the draft and player roles are becoming more defined.

The running backs have always been some of the most important players during each Fantasy Football season. They have the ability to make or break a fantasy roster more than any other position due to their dynamic abilities and polarizing tiers. Elite running backs can carry a fantasy team to a championship, while teams that fail to solidify their position often find it difficult to remain competitive.

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Now that a brand new class of rookie running backs have entered the NFL ahead of the 2023 season, it's time to look at how they stack up against each other. Every Fantasy Football season features at least a couple of rookie running backs that develop into superstar contributors. The 2023 NFL Draft class features several that appear capable of doing so.

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Bijan Robinson is the clear frontrunner in the rookie running back class. He's as highly rated as a prospect as Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliot were in the years they came out of college. Both Barkley and Elliot lived up to their Fantasy Football expectations, immediately emerging as some of the top scorers. He will look to follow in their footsteps and live up to the enormous hype as well.

Robinson is also the only running back in the 2023 rookie class who is clearly projected to be a Week 1 starter. He's expected to be a featured player in the Atlanta Falcons' offense, despite a breakout rookie season for Tyler Allgeier last year. No other rookie running back this year has as clear a path to a starting role, increasing Robinson's value even more.

Following the top spot in the rookie running back rankings are a ton of talented players who are expected to carve out a role in their team's offensive scheme. Here's how the rest of the 2023 NFL Draft class ranks in Fantasy Football. While these rankings are important for season-long formats, they are even more crucial for Dynasty Leagues, including the annual rookie draft.