In a welcome change to years past, the 2023 incoming class of rookie running backs is a breath of fresh air for dynasty, as not only is it a top-heavy class but a very deep one as well. Fantasy football will look very different by the time September rolls around. As a preview of what is to come, here are my current 2023 dynasty rookie RB rankings as players continue preparing for the NFL draft.
Top 5 Dynasty Rookie RB Rankings 2023
1) Bijan Robinson, Texas
There should be zero surprises about who was sitting on top of our 2023 rookie RB rankings. It’s been Bijan Robinson for the last three years, and that will not change now.
It’s easy to get prospect fatigue, but Robinson is on a different level. He’s the total package at 5’11” and 215 pounds with 4.46 speed and lit up the NFL Combine with a 37″ vertical and a 10’4″ broad jump. At Texas, Robinson was efficient on every touch, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, with 4.39 coming after contact, and in 2022, he forced 104 missed tackles.
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Robinson finished No. 1 amongst 2023 eligible running backs at 2.34 YPTP (yards per team play) and rushed for 1,575 yards last season for the Longhorns. He eclipsed 100+ yards in nine of 12 games while also averaging north of 2.1 YPRR when split out.
He checks every single box and is as close to a “can’t miss” prospect as you’ll find. Not only is Robinson an elite rusher and a technician with his footwork, but he’s also a plus receiver out of the backfield and will see time split out of the backfield at the NFL level. He’s as close to a three-down workhorse as you will find. All we can hope is a team utilizes him in the same way.
Whether you’re in 1QB or Superflex leagues, Robinson is the 1.01, regardless of where he lands. Robinson, if you’re including rookies in the overall dynasty rankings, is already an RB1 in dynasty RB1 and the clear No. 1 amongst rookies.
2) Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
While Robinson is certainly the most well-rounded RB in this class, Jahmyr Gibbs might be my favorite to watch. The comparisons to Alvin Kamara write themselves. However, I do think there are just as many shades of Aaron Jones in some of his game as well.
There’s a smoothness in the way Gibbs runs the ball. In an instant, he can hit someone with a filthy cut and leave them gasping for air. While Gibbs did measure in a bit shorter than listed at 5’9″, I’m not concerned. I wish he would have weighed a bit more, but 199 will play just fine, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Gibbs is in the 205 range as a playing weight.
Unlike others in this class, Gibbs is a true pass-catching weapon. Not only does he run the traditional RB routes well, but you could split him out and have him run a rather diverse route tree, similar to Kamara, Austin Ekeler, or Christian McCaffrey.
Gibbs’ best trait is his contact balance. Rarely do you see him — especially in the open field — go down on the first contact. I have zero concerns about his ability to make the first defender miss, which is one of the biggest things in my grading, as you need that in a running back.
Nothing is more frustrating than a 40+ yard run being stopped by a CB or safety taking down a rusher in the open field. That’s not something I see being a concern for Gibbs. Once he makes a defender miss, the 4.36-speed kicks in, and he gashes a defense for a sizeable chunk. For me, Gibbs is in a tier by himself behind Robinson in dynasty rookie RB rankings for 2023.
3) Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Zach Charbonnet runs behind his pads and will lay the wood like Marshawn Lynch. From a footwork standpoint, he’s a true technician. If Charbonnet had home-run speed, I’d have no doubts that he’d be the 1B to Robinson in this class.
Nevertheless, Charbonnet’s 4.53 time at the NFL Combine was a solid time for him. You don’t need to run with the speed of Devon Achane to be effective.
A true workhorse for UCLA over the past two years, Charbonnet carried the ball 398 times for 2,511 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 6.31 yards per carry across his two years with the Bruins. At 6’0″ and 214 pounds, he’s a brutal assignment for would-be tacklers.
Charbonnet averaged 4.15 yards after contact per attempt, with 26.8% of his attempts generating a missed tackle and over 22% of his carries going for 10+ yards. Rounding out Charbonnet’s game is his receiving skill. He caught 60 of 69 targets at UCLA for 501 yards.
If Charbonnet had come out last year as was initially expected, he would’ve been the RB3 in the class behind Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III. A year later, odds are we see the same thing take place, this time behind Robinson and Gibbs. Yet, once landing spots are added, I would not be surprised to see Charbonnet in a coin flip for drafters as the RB2 of the class.
4) Kendre Miller, TCU
Few players in college football could say they rose up draft boards quicker than Kendre Miller. Yet, for some reason, he’s slipping in mock drafts, and I cannot figure out why.
Was it because he didn’t test at the NFL Combine and became a forgotten name? That’s a massive mistake if true, but the longer Miller slips, the better of a value he becomes.
At 5’11″ and 215 pounds, Miller hits all of the historical benchmarks for what RB size works in the NFL. With that size comes natural power, which Miller has no issue handing out. That’s why he averaged 3.61 yards after contact.
Miller is also incredibly light on his feet and has an arsenal of weapons. His contact balance and vision are also strengths and helped him record a missed tackle on 31.2% of his carries (67). Adding TCU’s run to the national championship, Miller rushed for 1,399 yards with 17 touchdowns on 224 carries this past season.
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I’d put Miller’s game film up against almost any running back in this class. He’s one of the safest RB picks you can make, as his skill set should allow him to succeed in a multitude of schemes.
The only thing lacking is receiving versatility. But that’s not to say he doesn’t catch the ball. It’s just that Miller’s value will come as a rusher, and you hope he gets a few targets a game for a boost to his floor.
For me, Miller is a first-round pick in 1QB leagues and an early second in Superflex formats — and in the upper Tier 2 range of prospects with WR Zay Flowers. But as noted earlier, even in 1QB formats, Miller is sliding into the back half of the second, which is a mistake to me but makes him arguably one of the best values of the draft if things stay like this.
5) Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
I’ll put a paycheck Israel Abanikanda will not be drafted as the RB5 in your dynasty rookie drafts. In the majority of mocks, Abanikanda is going in the middle of the third. If that holds, he could be the steal of the draft from the RB perspective and take many by surprise — similar to how Isiah Pacheco did last year.
Abanikanda would have blown up the NFL Combine if he would have tested. When he does his pro day, he’ll be your favorite analyst’s favorite “sleeper” or “undervalued guy that no one knows about.” Everything Abanikanda does is just smooth as silk. He glides and has an aesthetically pleasing rushing style.
He’s also flat-out talented. Just look at what he did this year: 14th in yards with 1,426 on 241 carries (5.9 YPC) and 20 touchdowns that tied him with Mohamed Ibrahim for the NCAA lead. Abanikanda averaged 2.46 yards after contact with 46 missed tackles and 38 carries of 10 yards or more.
But that doesn’t do it justice, as the film speaks more than I ever could. Not only does Abanikanda have 4.3 speed, but outside of Devon Achane, I’m not sure any running back gets up to top speed quicker than Abanikanda. He just obliterates angles. His tape vs. Virginia Tech (37 for 322 yards and six TDs) is a master class in speed, vision, contact balance, patience, acceleration, and power. He also won’t turn 21 until October.
Abanikanda will surprise many when they see him test. Draft capital will be interesting, but anything Day 2 or early Day 3 and I will be comfortable. With that said, it all comes down to how much a team likes him and their philosophy.
Abanikanda could be a fantasy starter or another Chuba Hubbard that lives his career as an RB4. I think the former is more likely, but I’m prepared for the latter. There’s a conversation that the following four running backs in my rankings are safer picks, but for now, I’m giving the edge to the upside and will let the NFL tell me how they should be ranked based on investment on draft day.
Dynasty Rookie RB Rankings: 6-25
6) Tyjae Spears, Tulane
7) Devon Achane, Texas A&M
8) Sean Tucker, Syracuse
9) Tank Bigsby, Auburn
10) Zach Evans, Ole Miss
11) Chase Brown, Illinois
12) Roschon Johnson, Texas
13) DeWayne McBride, UAB
14) Eric Gray, Oklahoma
15) Evan Hull, Northwestern
16) Kenny McIntosh, Georgia
17) Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky
18) Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
19) Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State
20) Travis Dye, USC
21) Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
22) Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State
23) Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State
24) Tavion Thomas, Utah
25) John Emery Jr., LSU
