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Three weeks of the 2023 XFL season are in the books, and the pecking order among fantasy-relevant players is starting to take shape. Three weeks of games might still not be enough to have concrete data, but we have a better idea of who are the top stud and which guys are worth playing in fantasy and DFS contests moving forward.
Our Week 4 XFL fantasy football rankings should be our best yet, so tune in and win big this week as football season rolls on! Touches, targets, and productivity trends will weigh heavily in our rankings. These positional XFL rankings are a team effort, combing the rankings and analysis of three rankers:
- Quarterbacks - Jackson Sparks
- Running Backs - Andrew Lennox
- Wide Receivers - Brant Henson
- Tight Ends - Jackson Sparks
If you weren't successful in season-long leagues or DFS XFL contests through the first three weeks, there's plenty of time to turn things around, so let's get to it!
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Quarterback XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Jackson Sparks
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Ben DiNucci | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 2 | AJ McCarron | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 3 | Brandon Silvers | Houston Roughnecks |
| 4 | Brett Hundley | Vegas Vipers |
| 5 | Jordan Ta'amu | DC Defenders |
| 6 | Jack Coan | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 7 | Kyle Slotter | Arlington Rengades |
| 8 | Paxton Lynch | Orlando Guardians |
| 9 | D'Eriq King | DC Defenders |
| 10 | Cole McDonald | Houston Roughnecks |
Ben DiNucci led the XFL in passing through two weeks, totaling 478 yards on 54 competitions. In Week 3, the gun-slinger completed 29 of his 37 passing attempts for 377 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 33 yards rushing. The Dragons are clearly a pass-first team with solid weapons, so the volume should remain consistent.
AJ McCarron continues to impress, even in the Battlehawks' first loss of the season. McCarron completed 26 of his 42 attempts for 262 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. St. Louis has established itself as a top-tier passing offense in the early part of the season.
Brandon Silvers has thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of his first three starts and a matchup with the winless Orlando Guardians should yield success for the QB in Week 4.
Brett Hundley has seemingly taken the job from Luis Perez, and he was electric in his first full game of action. Hundley threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns, adding 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Jordan Ta'amu got out to a cold start in the XFL but bounced back against the Battlehawks in Week 3. He posted over 200 total yards and two touchdowns in his best effort of the season. D'Eriq King will have to wait a little longer to have a chance at cracking the starting lineup.
Paxton Lynch finally got through a game without being benched, but the Guardians scored just nine points. However, Lynch racked up 219 yards passing, 43 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown. If he can heat up on the ground, he'll be on the fantasy radar later in the year.
Kyle Slotter has taken over the QB1 job in Arlington (previously Drew Plitt), so he's worth watching in Week 4.
Running Back XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Andrew Lennox
During Week 3, we saw the first XFL running back surpass 100 rushing yards in a single game this season. Additionally, a number of other running backs played significant roles and it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue into Week 4.
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Morgan Ellison | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 2 | Max Borghi | Houston Roughnecks |
| 3 | Abram Smith | DC Defenders |
| 4 | Ryquell Armstead | DC Defenders |
| 5 | Kalen Ballage | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 6 | DeVeon Smith | Arlington Renegades |
| 7 | Jah-Maine Martin | Orlando Guardians |
| 8 | Brian Hill | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 9 | Jacques Patrick | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 10 | Rod Smith | Vegas Vipers |
| 11 | Kelvin Taylor | Orlando Guardians |
| 12 | Mataeo Durant | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 13 | Brenden Knox | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 14 | Keith Ford | Arlington Renegades |
| 15 | DeJoun Lee | Houston Roughnecks |
Morgan Ellison has established himself as the top running back in the XFL over the past two weeks, going into Week 4 against San Antonio. He climbed up the running back rankings from the sixth spot to claim the number one position this week. In Week 2, Ellison made valuable contributions both on the ground and in the air, accumulating a total of 74 yards from 14 touches. In Week 3, he became the first XFL running back to surpass 100 rushing yards in a single game this season, while also forcing seven missed tackles. He rushed for 107 yards on 17 attempts, maintaining an impressive average of 5.7 yards per carry. Ellison enjoys the luxury of playing for a Seattle offense that is led by the league's top passer, Ben DiNucci. However, on the flip side, Ellison did not practice on Tuesday as he tried to protect his knee.
As we approach Week 4, it's becoming evident that the DC Defenders possess the strongest running game in the league. Abram Smith has demonstrated his value by rushing for 54 yards on 16 carries and catching three passes for 16 yards last week. Meanwhile, Ryquell Armstead had a solid performance by rushing for 51 yards on 11 carries against St. Louis. The Defenders have already carried the ball 114 times this season, while the rest of the league's teams have averaged a total of 71 carries. Given their successful running game, the Defenders are likely to continue to prioritize the run against the winless Vegas Vipers.
Max Borghi of the Houston Roughnecks continues to impress, as he cruised through Week 3 with a solid performance. The running back rushed for 74 yards on 15 attempts and also caught four receptions for 12 receiving yards. He remains the only running back in the league with more than one rushing touchdown. As Houston prepares to face Orlando in Week 4, it's worth noting that Orlando's defense allowed 80 rushing yards to Arlington in the previous week. However, it's important to keep in mind that Borghi is currently listed as questionable due to some knee issues.
Kalen Ballage has been a consistent presence at tailback for San Antonio in the first three games of the season. Last week, he shared time in the backfield with Jacques Patrick, who rushed for 36 yards on eight carries. Ballage, on the other hand, rushed for 35 yards on 10 attempts and caught one pass for eight yards against Houston. Moving into Week 4, Ballage and Patrick could potentially capitalize on an average Seattle defense.
Wide Receiver XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
The receiver pecking order has become easier to navigate with three weeks down but on the flip side, DFS rates are starting to catch up. If you are competing in a season-long league and you have one of the top three guys on your roster, you are probably feeling pretty good. Once you get out of the top few players who are guaranteed target hogs, the weekly variance becomes a lot tougher to predict. Let's take a look at Week 4's XFL wide receiver rankings:
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Jontre Kirklin | Houston Roughnecks |
| 2 | Jahcour Pearson | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 3 | Hakeem Butler | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 4 | Josh Gordon | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 5 | Cody Latimer | Orlando Guardians |
| 6 | Deontay Burnett | Houston Roughnecks |
| 7 | Austin Proehl | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 8 | Travell Harris | Houston Roughnecks |
| 9 | Blake Jackson | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 10 | Jalen Tolliver | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 11 | Tyler Vaughns | Arlington Renegades |
| 12 | Jeff Badet | Vegas Vipers |
| 13 | Jordan Veasy | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 14 | Cedric Byrd | Houston Roughnecks |
| 15 | Mathew Sexton | Vegas Vipers |
| 16 | T.J. Vasher | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 17 | Marcell Ateman | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 18 | Darrius Shepherd | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 19 | Juwan Green | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 20 | Lucky Jackson | D.C. Defenders |
| 21 | Brandon Arconado | Arlington Renegades |
| 22 | Charleston Rambo | Orlando Guardians |
| 23 | Andrew Jamiel | Orlando Guardians |
| 24 | Martavis Bryant | Vegas Vipers |
| 25 | Travis Jonsen | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 26 | Eli Rogers | Orlando Guardians |
| 27 | Justin Smith | Houston Roughnecks |
| 28 | Caleb Vander Esch | Arlington Renegades |
| 29 | Ben Putman | Houston Roughnecks |
| 30 | Chris Blair | D.C. Defenders |
| 31 | Damion Willis | Seattle Sea Dragons |
| 32 | Josh Hammond | D.C. Defenders |
| 33 | Cinque Sweeting | Vegas Vipers |
| 34 | Deddrick Thomas | Orlando Guardians |
| 35 | Darece Roberson | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 36 | Lance Lenoir | Orlando Guardians |
| 37 | Fred Brown | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 38 | Steven Mitchell | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 39 | Geronimo Allison | Vegas Vipers |
| 40 | Josh Malone | D.C. Defenders |
| 41 | Lujuan Winningham | Arlington Renegades |
San Antonio receiver Jalen Tolliver did not play last week with a groin injury. He has a chance to return this week, but monitor his status before firing him up in lineups. The San Antonio passing attack struggled without him a week ago but if he doesn’t go, T.J. Vasher and Travis Jonsen should see more targets.
Jontre Kirklin being ranked at the top looks like points chasing after his 6-77-2 stat line last week, but the speedy receiver has emerged as Brandon Silvers’ favorite target and Houston’s offense should roll this week against Orlando.
The Seattle passing attack is the most prolific in the league and while the duo of Jahcour Pearson and Josh Gordon is a great bet to produce, don’t overlook Blake Jackson. Jackson has not had a game below five receptions this season and put up a 5-44-1 line last week.
While the Orlando offense has struggled between consistent quarterback play along with giving their playbook away, former NFL veteran Cody Latimer has become a consistent performer. He has been the go-to guy for Paxton Lynch.
The big-bodied Hakeem Butler proved he is worthy of top-three status with a 9-105-1 line on 13 targets, dominating with a 32.5% target share. Butler has scored a touchdown in every game this season and has developed a strong rapport with A.J. McCarron.
Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Marcell Ateman has gone from top draft pick to afterthought. Ateman appears to have fallen behind Butler, Darrius Shepherd, and Austin Proehl in the pecking order.
Tight End XFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Jackson Sparks
We knew the tight end production in the XFL would be slim, but Week 3 was an extra-quiet slate of games for the position. For now, there are only three or four tight ends with guaranteed targets on a weekly basis.
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Sal Canella | Arlington Renegades |
| 2 | Alize Mack | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 3 | Ethan Wolf | DC Defenders |
| 4 | Jake Sutherland | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 5 | Deon Yelder | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 6 | Logan Carter | Orlando Guardians |
| 7 | Nate Becker | Arlington Renegades |
| 8 | Brandon Dillon | Vegas Vipers |
| 9 | Ryan Becker | Orlando Guardians |
| 10 | Travis Koontz | Vegas Vipers |
| 11 | Garrett Owens | Houston Roughnecks |
Through three weeks, Sal Canella has seen 19 targets, turning them into 16 receptions for 141 yards. He is first among tight ends in all categories and remains the clear-cut TE1 so far.
Alize Mack has drawn 14 targets through three weeks and might be in a tier of his own at tight end, just behind the Canella tier. Mack and Canella are the only tight ends with locked-in high upside usage.
Ethan Wolf has a strong case to be the season-long TE3 and he finally delivered a solid fantasy outing in Week 3. Wolf has seen at least three targets through his first three games but has yet to eclipse 19 yards. However, he caught a touchdown in Week 3 as quarterback Jordan Ta'amu finally put it all together.
Deon Yelder saw five targets for 42 yards and one through two weeks before being held without a target in Week 3. We thought he might be included in the list of players with decent floors, but that's clearly not the case. Ultimately, he's a low-ceiling guy, but should his tiny bit of production has been enough to keep him a fantasy-relevant option.
Jake Sutherland caught just one pass on one target in Week 3, but his lone reception yielded 23 yards and a touchdown. With how murky the position is, that's enough to put him on the fantasy radar. At the very least, we know he has good quarterback play with AJ McCarron.
Logan Carter has turned eight targets into just 23 yards. However, he's the lowest guy on this list you'll even want to consider playing, as the rest of the guys haven't seen targets in one of their two games. Carter has drawn at least two targets each week.
From Nate Becker to Garrett Owens in our rankings, none of them have any kind of fantasy floor but are either listed as the team's starting tight end or have seen usage in Week 1 or Week 2. If you're counting on one of these guys, you might be in trouble.
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