RADIO
We are almost a quarter of the way through the 2023 NFL season, and we have some surprises at the running back position.
Cardinals running back James Conner is tied with rookie sensation Bijan Robinson for No. 3 in rushing yards. There's another rookie who is within 10 yards of Bijan, but it's not the other first-rounder, Jahmyr Gibbs, who doesn't even qualify for this list because he isn't the starter, and it's not the Zach Charbonnet, either, who some thought would take carries from KWIII. Instead, it is the 188-pound track star De'Von Achane.
Colts star Jonathan Taylor is expected to be activated from the PUP list this week. What role he has on the team after his heavily-covered holdout will be of interest to everyone. Where will he fall in the Week 5 RB Rankings?
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1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey holds the top spot for the fifth straight week. Last week, he rushed for 106 yards on 20 carries, scoring three touchdowns on the ground, and added 71 yards and another touchdown through the air. You couldn't ask for a better start to the season from McCaffrey. He is being utilized more than he was last season. He has almost 100 more rushing yards than the No. 2 RB, D'Andre Swift, and 60 more yards from scrimmage than Justin Jefferson.
2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson did what he could to move the Falcons offense. He ran for 105 yards on 14 carries against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. It was his second 100-yard game, and, at 7.5 yards per carry, it was his most efficient game yet. But Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder kept ending drives by throwing interceptions and incompletions on third downs. The Falcons lost 7-23. Robinson will continue to be the only highlight of the Atlanta offense for the foreseeable future.
3. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
Walker has run for five touchdowns in the past three games. On Monday Night Football, he did it again, with 76 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts. He has yet to go over 100 yards in a game, but he consistently produces similar stat lines. He has pushed to the No. 9 spot on the rushing list.
4. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys didn't need a lot from Tony Pollard in a 38-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. He only carried the ball 11 times for 47 yards. Pollard's production varies greatly from week to week based on the Cowboys' game script and how Pollard is used.
This was the Cowboys' third blowout victory. In Week 1, Pollard only carried the ball 14 times but gained 70 yards and scored two touchdowns. This time, he didn't find the end zone, so he didn't put together quality fantasy production. His snap total was limited to 37 snaps. In Week 3, he was on the field for 70 snaps because the Cowboys needed him to try to come back. Fantasy managers will hope Cowboys games are closer so that Pollard will be used more frequently.
The Very Good
5. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
For the second straight week, Achane had more snaps and gained more yards than Raheem Moster. It was the first time he was on the field for more offensive snaps than Mostert. Acahne missed most of the preseason and Week 1 with a shoulder injury, so he started off slowly. In Week 2, he only had one carry. But since Week 3, he's been putting up unreal numbers.
In the past two games, he has run the ball 26 times for 304 yards and four touchdowns. The numbers he has put up in his past two games combined--on a fraction of the carries of the other RB1 contenders--have been enough to put him at No. 6 on the rushing yards list.
He has achieved a league-leading 11.4 yards per carry by breaking off multiple big plays. He leads the league with four rushes for 20+ yards and three for 40+.
5b. Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Mostert was the RB1 in fantasy football standard scoring after the first three weeks of the season. In Week 4, however, he only ran the ball seven times for nine yards. He also caught three passes for 36 yards.
Part of the problem was his usage. Achane was used on third and longs. Mostert was used in short-yardage situations. Three of his seven carries were on third and short, and one was by the goal line. But he did not succeed very often on those. He only gained one first down and did not score.
In the future, Achane might take over as the Dolphins' primary RB1, and Jeff Wilson Jr., who is considerably larger than both Achane and Mostert, might have a role in short-yardage situations when he returns from the IR.
6. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Derrick Henry came rushing back to relevance in Week 4 as the Tennessee Titans demolished the Cincinnati Bengals 27-3. Henry ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and threw a two-yard-touchdown pass.
Following the completion, Henry's first of the season, Henry leads all running backs and quarterbacks in passer rating and extends his streak to three straight years throwing a touchdown pass. In fact, he is four-for-four for 25 yards and three touchdowns in the past three seasons. Ryan Tannehill threw another interception in the win, bringing his total to four on the season. Is a quarterback controversy brewing in Tennessee?
7. D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
Swift has started since Week 2, after only getting a single carry in Week 1. He had a streak of two straight 130+ yard games going in Weeks 2 and 3, which powered him to No. 2 on the rushing leaderboard. But the Eagles relied on the pass in order to squeak out an overtime victory over the Washington Commanders. Swift only carried the ball 14 times and, while it wasn't beautiful, he averaged 4.00 yards per carry for 56 rushing yards. He also caught 4 passes for 23 yards.
Swift has gotten a lot of hype this year for producing after being traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles. People were asking why the Lions didn't keep him. But it is a good bet that he wouldn't be doing quite as well if he were still on the Lions, just like how Miles Sanders isn't doing as well on the Panthers as he did on the Eagles. Few teams have such a strong offensive line and run-favorable offense.
8. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
The veteran has been a bright spot for the surprisingly high-powered Cardinals offense early in the season. Conner has been a workhorse for the questionably talented Cards, as he has been piling up the carries (62) and rising to third on the rushing chart (318) while scoring two touchdowns and taking four carries for over 20 yards.
It's not just a matter of piling up numbers on big carry numbers. PFF has Conner graded as the fourth-best rusher of the season.
9. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville ended its losing streak, but starting running back Travis Etienne did not play well in London. Etienne ran for just 55 yards on 20 carries. He did not find the end zone and only gained a single first down. Not only was his 2.8 yards per carry figure terribly low, he only had a success rate of 30%. Any running back on a good week should be over 50%.
Etienne is an inconsistent, below-elite running back. He falls one spot.
10. Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders
Brian Robinson has slowed down a little after two double-digit fantasy weeks to open the season. He fell to just seven points in standard scoring in Week 3, and this past week, he only ran for 45 yards on 14 carries. His fantasy day was salvaged with a touchdown, which put him into double digits again. He is PFF's No. 12-graded rusher.
11. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Hall should be putting up much better numbers if his quarterback weren't injured. He's not getting many carries, as the Jets are always playing from behind the sticks. Against the Chiefs, with his team trailing big at halftime, Hall only had six carries. He ran for 56 yards and also caught three passes for 13 yards. This is his second game to have single-digit carries. He is only averaging eight carries per game. But of running backs with at least 16 attempts, he has the third-highest per-carry average.
12. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
Cook was averaging over 6.0 yards per carry in the first three weeks of the season, but Cook's critics could take a victory lap after his poor showing in Week 4. Cook only gained 29 yards on 12 carries. There are those who think he can't handle a full workload as an every-down running back. His targets in the passing game have also fallen. PFF's Nathan Jahnke worries that "he’s starting to share more time with the other running backs."
13. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Do you know who is not sharing carries? Bengals RB Joe Mixon. Mixon had almost all of Cincinnati's carries in Week 4. The problem? Cincinnati only ran the ball 18 times--and three of those were Joe Burrow. Mixon took his 14 carries for 67 yards. He had 19 carries against the Rams the week before but only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. In the first two weeks, the 27-year-old had 13 carries each.
I wouldn't call him a "disappointment" just yet. His volume is a little bit less than his fantasy drafters would have hoped, but his per-carry average is about what one would expect based on his history.
Big-Name Disappointments (So Far)
14. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
The NFL's 2022 rushing champion has continued to see elite usage in this Raiders offense and has garnered 80 touches through the first four weeks of the season. Unfortunately for Jacobs, it appeared that opposing defenses simply weren't going to let him beat them, as he was consistently faced with stacked fronts and found little room to run early on. Through the first two weeks, he was only averaging 1.6 yards per attempt.
He has improved in Weeks 3 and 4. While he is still not producing RB1 numbers, 62 yards in Week 3 and 58 in Week 4 on 17 carries in each game and one touchdown last week are starting RB numbers. Best of all, Jacobs has been heavily involved in the passing game. He caught eight passes for 81 yards in Week 4. At this rate, Jacobs could finish the season with 80 catches.
15. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
The talented Patriots back has been saddled with brutal matchups in 2023, as he's faced the Eagles, Jets, and Cowboys across the first four weeks of the season. The Cowboys weren't much easier for Stevenson. He only gained 30 yards on 14 carries.
Luckily, he still controls the majority of the volume. Despite New England's addition of Ezekiel Elliott to the backfield, the usage remains encouraging for Stevenson. His production should improve once the schedule opens up a bit down the road.
16. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
Herbert ran over the lackluster Broncos defense, gaining 103 yards on 18 carries. Playing the Broncos is a recipe for offensive success, but Herbert still deserves credit and should move up two spots ahead of Jones and Harris, who haven't been producing.
D'Onta Foreman appears to be the odd man out in the Bears backfield. Herbert and Johnson have evolved into what's essentially been a 50/50 timeshare over the last two weeks. That usage split - and the fact that this Chicago offense has been horrendous - limits the potential upside for both backs.
17. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
Jones was a terrible disappointment in his return to the Packers lineup in Week 4 after missing Weeks 2 and 3. Jones carries the ball five times for 18 yards. He also caught one pass for a loss of four yards. Jones is 29, due a huge payday next year (in the final year of his contract), and playing for a team that is still trying to figure out what its offense looks like and who its future quarterback will be.
18. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
After an up-and-down 2022 campaign, Harris has struggled to find consistency at the outset of the 2023 season. He's been fairly non-descript when running the ball. He just pushes forward with power, but he seldom musters enough yards for the Steelers offense to stay on schedule. He continues to cede pass-game work to Jaylen Warren.
The Steelers' offense is not just a problem for its running backs. The whole thing is a hash of poorly cooked casserole that ruins whatever fine ingredients are used.
19. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Barkley has missed two straight games, but he is likely to be back in Week 5. He practiced more in Week 4 than in Week 3 and went into the game as "doubtful." He gained 114 yards on 29 carries in the first two games of the season. He only caught nine passes. That's not what one would have hoped to see from Barkley, who was pegged as a possible RB1 candidate. While the Giants are a bad team, Barkley could turn it around as he gets comfortable.
The Surprises (Good and Bad)
20. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
David Montgomery is the RB1 in Detroit. Let's be clear. He had not 12 carries, not 22 carries, but 32 carries in Detroit's impressive victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
Why aren't the Lions playing Jahmyr Gibbs more? Because Montgomery is playing so well. He gained nine first downs and converted the necessary distance for success 50% of the time.
21. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
In his first game back from suspension, Kamara was a focal point of the Saints' offense. He was targeted 14 times in the passing game and caught 13 passes for 33 yards. Saints fans would like to see him do more with that much volume. That's a third of how many yards he was making per catch. He also ran the ball 11 times for 51 yards.
22. Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
After missing the season opener with an injury suffered in training camp, Moss has been a notable addition to the Colts offense over the last two weeks. He's gained 280 rushing yards and one rushing TD since joining the lineup. Will he continue to be the starter now that Jonathan Taylor has been activated? It's anyone's guess. JT might end up being traded.
23. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
The second-year back has played a surprisingly large role for the Rams across the first three weeks of the season. Expected Rams starter Cam Akers had disagreements with the coaching staff again and was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, leaving the entirety of L.A.'s backfield work to Williams. He appears to have little competition for the RB1 job and should continue to see elite volume going forward.
With 245 yards on 64 carries, he is in a class of RB efficiency that includes Joe Mixon.
24. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
Alexander Mattison had shined in previous spot starts for Minnesota, but he's stumbled out of the gate in his attempt to serve as a full-time replacement for Dalvin Cook. Mattison's poor efficiency prompted the Vikings to acquire Cam Akers from the Rams.
Mattison retains the starting job so far. He ran for 95 yards on 17 carries in Week 4 against the Panthers, while Akers only had five carries.
Talented with Questions
25. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs' offense revolves around Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift. Isiah Pacheco is just the wingman. He is a good runner, and he does what the team needs him to do. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry and has been PFF's No. 9-graded RB through four weeks.
Pacheco will have his weeks and have other weeks where he won't get many carries. Week 4 was one of his weeks. He ran for 115 yards, the third-most of the week, on 20 carries, and he scored a touchdown.
26. Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
After a career year with Philadelphia in 2022 led to a huge offseason contract with Carolina, Sanders' production has been underwhelming to this point, as he's currently averaging less than 3.4 yards per carry. However, he has been making a contribution in the passing game. This situation in Carolina is worse for him as a rusher, but he is being used more as some wished he was in Philly.
With the subpar quarterback room made up of rookie Bryce Young and veteran Andy Dalton at quarterback, Sanders and this Panthers offense will likely struggle more than they succeed.
27. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Pierce is more talented than his ranking. But he's stuck behind a very bad offensive line on a team with a talented rookie quarterback who's been effective when throwing the ball. Pierce often isn't a factor because the Texans have to throw the ball. In Week 4, he got the carries--24--but he only gained 81 yards on that.
28. Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
After Nick Chubb went down with a season-ending injury in Week 2, Ford answered the call to the tune of 125 total yards and a TD in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. His production did come back to Earth in a brutal Week 3 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, though he handled the bulk of Cleveland's offensive shares in front of recent signee Kareem Hunt. In Week 4, he only gained 26 yards on nine carries.
29. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
The Broncos have been content to ease Williams back in after he suffered a season-ending injury in 2022. The 23-year-old is yet to see more than 13 carries in a game this season, as he's shared work with veteran Samaje Perine. He gained zero yards on two carries in Week 4.
The 'Tweeners
30. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Bucs
After a rookie year spent eating into former Bucs RB Leonard Fournette's workload, Rachaad White has this Tampa Bay backfield all to himself this year. The usage has been elite to this point, but can he do anything with it? It looks like he can't. He's just not the most talented running back.
Injuries, Committees, and Other Things
31. Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens backfield is confusing at times. J.K. Dobbins went down. Justice Hill sometimes ends up being used as the featured back. But Edwards has started two straight games and carried the ball over 10 times in both. He's averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He isn't much used in the passing game. His two catches in Week 4 were his first two of the season.
32. Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers
While he put forth some nice production in the season opener with Austin Ekeler, Kelley has practically been a zero in Ekeler's absence. He was just meh in Week 4, with 65 yards on 17 carries. The Chargers are on bye in Week 5, and Ekeler might be back in Week 6, but it's too early to look forward to that matchup.
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