Outlook: Any concerns that Ekeler's breakthrough 2021 performance was a fluke were resoundingly allayed last year when he racked up 1,637 yards and 18 touchdowns while appearing in all 17 games. The Chargers balked at handing the 28-year-old a new contract, which led to a trade request, but ultimately LA tweaked the final year of his deal to bring back their No. 1 back. In a mild surprise, the team made no notable additions at the position, so unless someone takes a major step forward there's little reason to believe we won't see a heavy dose of Ekeler again in 2023.

That "little reason," however, is the hiring of Moore, who oversaw a two-headed backfield in Dallas over the past few seasons and may want to divvy up the touches a bit more. Again, though, it's far from clear that LA has anyone on roster capable of handling a Tony Pollard-sized role. Unless someone emerges during the preseason, operate under the assumption that Ekeler will be the bell cow again this year and value him accordingly. He's an option to be the first back selected, and one could argue he carries fewer question marks than other names in the discussion: McCaffrey and Barkley (durability), Jacobs and Taylor (contract), and Bijan Robinson (inexperience).

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Outlook: Travis Etienne was considered one of the most anticipated rookie running backs of the 2021 NFL Draft, but missed his entire season due to a Lisfranc injury just a couple weeks before the regular season kicked off. James Robinson took over primary running back duties, but struggled, leaving the starting spot wide open when Etienne returned in 2022.

The duo split carries early on in the season, but Robinson was traded to the Jets midway through the year leaving the starting job to Etienne. He was relatively inconsistent but had a couple stretches throughout the season where he was a top-10 running back. However, there were several weeks where he finished with under 60 rushing yards and wasn't as big of a receiving threat as we thought heading into the season.

Etienne finished 2022 with 1,125 yards on just 220 carries (5.1 yards per carry), but only found the end zone five times in 17 games (12 starts). The running back with the 16th-most points among his peers in 2022 finds himself as a much-lower end RB1 in fantasy leagues in 2023. However, the Jaguars are one of the few teams yet to establish a solid No.2 option, meaning Etienne will likely be on the field more than most starting running backs. Former Brown, D'Ernest Johnson and rookie Tank Bigsby are next up on the depth chart and could eat into Etienne's workload if they impress during camp.

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Outlook: With Kareem Hunt's 123 carries and 35 receptions up for grabs, Ford, a 2022 5th round pick has a very real opportunity to be a fantasy factor in 2023 as Chubb's backup. After returning 30 kicks last season, and touching the ball only eight times on offense, Ford currently sits as No.2 on the depth chart for Cleveland. Ford brings average NFL measurables and decent college production to the table but would be in line for a huge workload if Chubb were to go down. As long as the Browns don't add a veteran back in camp, Ford is a solid handcuff.

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Outlook: After bouncing around the league the first few years of his career due to injury and lack of opportunity, Foreman made major fantasy waves last season on his way to a 203-914-5 line for the Panthers. Foreman's talent was never a question, as he had 2,000 rushing yard seasons both in high school and college at the University of Texas. Foreman flashed that rushing ability from Week 7 on, as he tallied five 100+ yard games for the Panthers over the final 11 games of the season. Despite showing out, the depressed market, his age, and one-dimensional game, the best Foreman could do was a one-year deal with the Bears. Unfortunately, he joins a crowded backfield, one that includes an incumbent, a 4th round rookie, and a quarterback who figures to be in the top 3 in rush attempts at his position. Because of lack of passing game versatility, and unclear path to touches, it's incredibly unlikely Foreman will see enough volume in 2023 to be as reliable an option as he was last season. Add him as an end of the bench RB 4/5 and hope for some backfield clarity.

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Outlook: While the Eagles' new acquisitions at running back are great for the offense as a whole, the player who was likely the biggest loser for the Eagles this offseason is running back Kenneth Gainwell. It looked for a moment as if Gainwell might potentially get an opportunity to start this season when they moved on from Miles Sanders, but that thought was quickly put to bed when the team brought in both Rashaad Penny and D'Andre Swift.

Gainwell played a minimal role in the Eagles' offense in 2022, carrying the ball just 53 times despite playing in every game. He did lead all Eagles running backs with 29 carries and 23 receptions but is unlikely to maintain a strong grasp on the pass-catching role now that Swift has arrived.

Gainwell projects as more of an insurance policy rather than a locked-in contributor, but he's playing behind two backs who both have a long history of injuries, so there's a decent chance that Gainwell ends up carving out a role at some point during the season. He's someone who should probably go undrafted in most leagues, but keep an eye on him throughout the season as he could end up being a very valuable waiver wire addition.

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Outlook: Whether it was too much time in the trainer's room, or the tendency to freelance too much, the Lions tired of D'Andre Swift and dealt him to the Eagles for a mid-round pick. To replace his role in the offense, Detroit spent the 12th overall pick on the electric Gibbs from Alabama. The All-SEC back was a versatile dynamo with both the Tide and Georgia Tech. The 200-pound runner was widely considered the best receiving back in the class, and brings 4.3 speed with him. If off-season minicamps are any indication, Gibbs is going to be moved around the formation a ton, and coordinator Ben Johnson has proved to have a knack for creativity, and making the best use of his offensive talent. While his upside is capped by the presence of free agent addition David Montgomery, Gibbs should lead this backfield in touches. With a 50-catch floor, look for Detroit to get the ball into his hands at least 200 total times, and in a myriad of different ways. He's sure to lose most goal line scores, and might be limited by game script (Montgomery will likely be the closer), but Detroit didn't spend that kind of draft capital to sit the kid. He'll be a PPR machine, but has RB1 upside even in standard leagues.

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Outlook: The Commanders' three-headed backfield situation in 2022 was an absolute nightmare for fantasy, but things got a lot more interesting when the team moved on from pass-catching specialist J.D. McKissic this offseason. While the Commanders did draft Chris Rodriguez in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, they have not otherwise addressed the position throughout the offseason and it seems likely that the duo of Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. will split touches in this backfield.

While it was Robinson who out-scored Gibson on a per-game basis in 2022, it's Gibson who possesses the skill set that is more likely to benefit from McKissic's absence. Gibson himself has caught 36, 42, and then 46 passes in his three seasons as a pro. His reception total in 2022 put him at 13th among all running backs - a ranking that would've almost certainly been higher had he not missed the final two games of the season.

Gibson is a size-speed specimen like few others in the league which really gives him the potential for a breakout season here in 2023. The biggest thing holding back Gibson is that Robinson did show himself to be at least a viable NFL grinder as a rookie, which will almost certainly mean that he'll continue to have a significant role even if Gibson is performing better on a per-touch basis. Nevertheless, from a strict fantasy standpoint, we should tend to prefer players who have the physical upside of commanding 40 percent or more of the team's carries while also seeing 70-plus targets. That's what Gibson provides and it's why fantasy managers should take the discount on him as the Washington running back to own, even if he ends up technically starting fewer games than Robinson.

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