Running backs are always among the most important fantasy football players every NFL season. They are often targeted early and often in fantasy drafts due to their potential to completely alter the strength of an entire starting lineup. Most of them are also polarizing, holding huge upside in the right situations but dangerous bust potential in many weeks.
The crucial nature of running backs in fantasy lineup construction makes it necessary to carefully analyze all of the available options each week. This is especially true with all of the high ceilings and low floors across the position, meaning players should only be plugged into lineups in favorable situations (except for a rare few options that can be auto-started weekly).
These lineup decisions can directly impact the outcome of fantasy football matchups each week, so wise managers will consider all of the various factors for each of their options before finalizing their lineup.
This includes recent individual performances, injury situations to relevant players, direct weekly matchups, expected offensive output, projected target share, and potential game script, among many others.
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With so many variables to consider, wise managers take advantage of the Start/Sit Optimizer to help them with these crucial decisions. This valuable tool weighs every variable on any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. It can be a game-changer for any manager on their quest to a potential championship by theoretically maximizing their weekly fantasy scores.
Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season offers several important factors for running backs in fantasy football. After mysteriously receiving just one touch last week while dealing with an illness, Bijan Robinson will be looking to bounce back strong this week. Fellow rookie Jahmyr Gibbs will look to build off of a season-best performance last week, filling in for injured starter David Montgomery.
With the trade deadline less than a week away, it will be interesting to see if some superstars like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley are on the move, and how that affects their fantasy football value. It's entirely possible that both of them are playing their final game with their current team.
All of these various situations and many others were taken into close consideration to generate the following fantasy football rankings for the top 40 running backs in Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season. Rankings are another useful tool for managers looking to maximize their weekly scores, giving them an edge in fantasy football.
Week 8 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
- Christian McCaffrey
- Austin Ekeler
- Travis Etienne
- Tony Pollard
- Isiah Pacheco
- Breece Hall
- Raheem Mostert
- Alvin Kamara
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- D'Andre Swift
- Kenneth Walker
- Bijan Robinson
- Kareem Hunt
- Saquon Barkley
- Aaron Jones
- D'Onta Foreman
- Derrick Henry
- Josh Jacobs
- Joe Mixon
- Jonathan Taylor
- Alexander Mattison
- James Cook
- Gus Edwards
- Rhamondre Stevenson
- Rachaad White
- Javonte Williams
- Dameon Pierce
- Chuba Hubbard
- Darrell Henderson
- Zack Moss
- Najee Harris
- Brian Robinson
- Roschon Johnson
- Jaylen Warren
- Miles Sanders
- Justice Hill
- Tyler Allgeier
- Tyjae Spears
- Pierre Strong
- Ezekiel Elliot
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