The Big Day is approaching

The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner and I’m here to get all you fantasy football managers hyped up and ready to take advantage of this year’s DEEP running back class. Since redraft leagues are relatively quiet right now, we will focus on strictly dynasty running backs and how this class will help you build a strong core of young, high-performing studs.

The obvious Running Backs to draft

Let’s not spend too much time on this one. Most dynasty managers should be well aware of the top 3 running backs in this year’s rookie class: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Zach Charbonnet. These guys are sure-fire starters in year one. If I had to break it up into tiers I would have Bijan as Tier 1 and Gibbs and Charbonnet as Tier 2. The next tier gets way more interesting.

2nd Round Running Backs

Second round Running Backs you should be looking to draft are Devon Achane, Tyjae Spears, and Zach Evans. Devon Achane (5-9, 185lbs) is a little bit small for the position, but we’ve seen successful running backs his size before i.e Darron Sproles, Ray Rice, and Maurice Jones-Drew. Achane ran for 1,102 yards and also caught the ball 36 times for 196 yards. Achane is someone you can draft in the beginning to mid-second round. He may not be a starter by Week 1, but he’s a great player to have in PPR leagues.

If you had to pick one highlight to pitch a prospect to an NFL GM in draft meetings, what would it be? (post in comments)

Here’s ours for @GreenWaveFB RB Tyjae Spears:#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/UmnUcLQbgG

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) April 11, 2023

Tyjae Spears will be available in the mid to late second round. He is a very similar size to Devon Achane, however, is a much better rusher. Spears ran for 1,581 yards and caught the ball 22 times for 256 yards. Spears also totaled a whopping 27 rushing touchdowns in his final two years at Tulane. I see him being the biggest sleeper out of this year’s running back class. If he gets drafted by an NFL team that doesn’t have a set-in-stone RB1, look to snag him in your rookie draft before anyone else does (think Dameon Pierce).

Zach Evans will be available in the late second and possibly even the early third round of your rookie draft. What stands out to me from his college career is his average rushing yards. Evans averaged 7.3 yards per rush at TCU, then averaged 6.5 yards per rush his senior year at Ole Miss. If Evans gets drafted by a team with a solid offensive line, look to draft him in the 2nd round. He never rushed for 1000 yards in college but I can see him being an excellent red-zone running back who will score touchdowns.

When in doubt, draft an RB

This saying should only go for this year’s draft. The 2023 running back class is extremely deep and you have to take advantage of it. By Round 3 of your rookie draft, you barely know any of the quarterbacks and wide receivers. But this year seems like a lot of well-known running backs are still finding their way to the 3rd round. Names like Sean Tucker, Chase Brown, and Israel Abanikanda will still be on the board if you have a top-five pick in the 3rd round. They will most likely be bench stashes their first year but could easily see some playing time. They certainly pass the eye test, that’s for sure!

About the Author

Jon Kirkner is the Host of The Eye Test: A Fantasy Football Podcast and in 2023 became a writer for Belly Up Fantasy Sports. Jon loves to cover both dynasty and redraft leagues and the various conversations that come along with them. Read his most recent article on Bijan Robinson and his potential landing spots. You can also follow The Eye Test on Twitter to stay up to date on all things fantasy.