Top Five Running Back Sleepers

There are some strategies that advocate targeting running backs early and often. However, many other #ZERORB drafters bypass early RBs altogether. Regardless of your approach, running backs remain a pivotal focus in fantasy football.

By in large, top-tier running backs will accumulate the most points in fantasy lineups. That makes them an integral part of each and every lineup. Knowing which mid-to-late-round running back sleepers to target can make all the difference between a middling roster and a real championship contender.

Here are the Top Five Running Back Sleepers to target in your 2023 fantasy football draft or auction.

Breaking Down The Field

I researched the running back outcomes in 2022 to keep the same theme with the quarterback and wide receiver week-to-week data. Over 18 weeks, running backs scored 30 fantasy points or more in PPR formats in 26 games. Four of these scores reach the 40-point mark (Joe Mixon – 55.10, Alvin Kamara – 42.80, Christian McCaffrey – 40.60, and Josh Jacobs – 48.30). Austin Ekeler (4) and Josh Jacobs (4) posted the most impact games.

The top 12 running backs posted 17 of the 26 games with more than 30 fantasy points, compared to five by RB2s. Backs scored between 20 and 29.99 fantasy points 107 times, with RB1s accounting for 51 of those showings. They finished with a 106:67 boom or bust ratio (15 fantasy points or more/fewer than 10.00 fantasy points). The second 12 running backs had a much weaker ratio (58:100).

Austin Ekeler scores 20 or more fantasy points in nine games, giving him a 52.9% win rate in his impact ratio. Christian McCaffrey (8) and Derrick Henry (8) finished tied for second in this area. 

The highest floor ratio (76.5) went to Christian McCaffery (13 games), followed by Austin Ekeler (12) and Saquan Barkley (12), then Derrick Henry (10) and Nick Chubb (10).

After Week 10, only three back scores ranking outside the top 38 scored more than 20 fantasy points in a game (Brian Robinson – 20.50, JaMycal Hasty – 20.50, and Zack Moss – 21.10). 

Here’s a look at the top 24 running backs from last season with their highlighted week-to-week scores…

WHO ARE THE TOP FIVE RUNNING BACK SLEEPERS TO TARGET IN YOUR 2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTS?

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