Outlook: The Dolphins backfield was an absolute trash pile heading into the 2022 season and we really didn't get much clarity throughout the year. The situation hasn't changed much as the team is currently looking like it'll roll into the 2023 season with two former 49ers backs, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, competing for the top spot yet again.

Mostert is the player who conservative fantasy managers seem to have the most confidence in, but this situation is far from decided. He and Wilson finished with almost the exact same number of carries, very similar reception totals, and were within 30 snaps played of one another for the season in 2022. Neither player is a reliable fantasy asset, but Mostert's status as the perceived No. 1 back on the depth chart to start the season has meant that he's being selected significantly higher than Wilson, and sometimes even higher than rookie Devon Achane.

One thing to remember during early drafts is that the Dolphins have remained one of, if not the odds-on favorite to sign free agent veteran running back Dalvin Cook. Cook would provide a completely different skillset from the other backs in this offense and would almost certainly command the lead back role, so drafting any of the current Dolphins running backs comes with some serious risk. However, if you look closely at the types of backs who have been brought in by the current Dolphins staff, Cook doesn't fit the mold all that well. Sure, he's still got some juice, but he never had the 4.3 speed that the coaching staff tends to favor. Certainly, they could decide that it's worth it to shift their offense around a bit to bring in a proven star back like Cook, but they've also shown that they can have a successful overall offense even without a highly productive rushing attack, in no small part due to opposing defenses having to account for such impressive speed coming out of the backfield.

There are so many reasons to avoid Mostert in fantasy this season, but the truth is that there will probably be at least a few weeks where he emerges as an RB1 for fantasy. Unfortunately, those weeks will be incredibly difficult to predict, as they have been throughout his career in the NFL.

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Outlook: The Brian Robinson comeback story was one of the bright spots of the entire 2022 NFL season. The former Alabama running back was shot during a car-jacking prior to the start of his rookie season, but he was somehow able to get onto the field in Week 5. By Week 6 he was listed as the team's starter and he would go on to see at least 12 carries in all but one of his final 11 games, including five games in which he carried the ball 20 or more times. His 3.9 yards per carry average was admittedly ugly, but the confidence that his coaches showed in him was undeniable.

It's easy to see why Robinson is being prioritized by fantasy drafters when you simply take a look at his carry totals and the fact that he "started" almost every game for the team once he saw the field in 2022. But a deeper dive into the pass-catching situation in Washington will show you that his upside remains capped as long as he remains almost exclusively an early-down back. Robinson caught just nine passes on the year, a total that is almost unprecedently bad in today's NFL. Even notable non-pass-catchers like Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb are typically catching double that total over the course of a full season. While Robinson's numbers likely would've gone up a bit had he played every game, it's tough to deny that as of right now he might be the league's most one-dimensional running back, at least from a usage standpoint.

J.D. McKissic's removal from the backfield will have an effect on how things play out in this Washington, but all indications seem to point toward the pass-catching role expanding for Gibson while Robinson remains the early-down back. The early-down role was good enough to make Robinson a decent fantasy option during the weeks when he got into the end zone, but things got ugly when he didn't. Robinson scored 12 or fewer PPR fantasy points in nine of his 12 games played. Unless he sees an increase in goal-line touches that he converts into touchdowns, or he becomes significantly more involved in the passing game, look for Robinson to remain a frustrating fantasy asset in 2023.

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Outlook: Jamaal Williams made a huge fantasy impact last season with the Detroit Lions, finishing as the RB touchdown king with 17 scores. However, the majority of those touchdowns were from the goal line as Lions' quarterback Jared Goff was the main catalyst when driving down the field.

Williams still ran for the 10th-most yards in the league (1,066), but he finds a new home in New Orleans. He's clearly good enough to be a starter, but that's Kamara's job. Wait a minute... this sounds familiar. When Kamara was a rookie, he split carries with Mark Ingram. Ingram got the handoffs and Kamara hauled in receptions. They both made the Pro Bowl. It's uncertain if the Saints will attempt a similar system, especially since Sean Payton is no longer the coach, but it could be a perfect match.

This scenario is complicated by rookie Kendre Miller who could earn playing time with a solid training camp and be a thorn in the side of both Williams and Kamara. It's highly unlikely for Williams to repeat his monstrous TD season from a year ago, even with a Kamara suspension, and the battle for touches doesn't give bode well for a high-end ranking, making Williams more of an RB 3/4 in fantasy leagues.

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Outlook: One reason the 49ers made the move for McCaffrey was that Mitchell got hurt... again. Over two years in the NFL, Mitchell has appeared in 16 of 33 games due to a variety of injuries, which included two stints on Injured Reserve last year -- he also missed the NFC Championship Game with a groin issue. When healthy, he's been effective, averaging 4.9 yards on 252 career carries, though his lack of involvement in the passing game portends an early-down role even if McCaffrey were to miss time.

As a standalone talent, Mitchell is a borderline top-50 fantasy back, as the 49ers would like to give him enough touches each week to keep McCaffrey fresh over a 17-game season. He'd be a savvy handcuff for CMC owners as well, though Mitchell has serious medical issues that could make him a wasted pick if he can't stay off the IR. It's a definite "buyer beware" situation.

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Outlook: Outside of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, the 2023 draft class at running back wasn't considered particularly strong, though Charbonnet was certainly in the conversation for best of the rest. Whether there was value with the rookie in Round 2 is debatable, but the Seahawks took Walker 11 picks earlier in 2022, so they feel it's a place to target a running back. While it's dangerous to look at collegiate production as a measure for pro success, Charbonnet finished third in the country with 152.7 yards from scrimmage per game last year, making plays as both a runner and receiver.

At 6-foot, 214 pounds, the UCLA product has a good mix of speed, balance, and power, allowing him to break arm tackles and run away from defenders. He's capable as a pass catcher, and if his blocking is up to snuff, he could see passing-down duty early on. Barring an abysmal camp, Charbonnet should enter 2023 as the No. 2 back in Seattle, and fantasy owners can target him as an RB4.

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Outlook: After going undrafted last season, Warren joined the Steelers as a free agent and quickly proved he belonged in the NFL despite borderline measurables. Warren ended up playing a bunch of meaningful snaps on a team fighting for a playoff berth, finishing with almost 600 total yards. He provided a surprising little pop to the offense, giving the running game a burst. His 4.9 yards-per-carry average was outstanding considering he was running behind one of the worst run blocking units in the NFL. While he lacks standalone value because of how much the Steelers rely on Harris, he's definitely worth a look as a sneaky handcuff.

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Outlook: While veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson are likely to enter the season as the biggest parts of this Miami backfield committee, it's third-round NFL Draft pick Devon Achane who is really the most intriguing player from a fantasy standpoint.

Undersized at only 5'9" and under 190 lbs, Achane was an impressive all-purpose back in college. He rushed for over 1,100 yards with 11 touchdowns and caught 36 passes in his final collegiate season at Texas A&M. He then blazed in the testing process leading up to the draft, checking in with a 4.32-second forty-yard dash time. This running back archetype is exactly what the Dolphins have been acquiring clones of over the past two offseasons and there's an outside chance that the team will opt to move on from either Mostert or Wilson if they see enough from Achane during camp.

Achane will likely will start the season on the bench, but could be the player who possesses the most upside in the entire backfield. We've seen enough from Mostert and Wilson to know that both players are likely to cannibalize one another's touches while also being high injury risks. The Dolphins didn't really "feature" Mostert or Wilson in 2022, so they're obviously not sold on either of them being a true bell cow, which means that the opportunity is there for someone like Achane to impress and potentially become that guy.

We also know that head coach Mike McDaniel likes to rotate his backfield and keep players fresh, so there's a real possibility that Achane sees some playing time very early and he might be the team's best pass-catching weapon out of the backfield right away. Achane is the back with the lowest floor of this trio, but he's also the player who has the highest ceiling. If you're taking him as your RB4 or RB5, then you're likely solid enough at the position that you don't need him to be a starter right away. In that case, he's a great lottery ticket-type back who could hit big for you, but could also just fizzle out without costing you much of anything on draft day.

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Outlook: Allgeier had a very impressive rookie campaign in 2022: 210 rushing attempts for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns. It appeared that the Falcons had found their diamond in the rough, but that was quickly dusted when they selected Robinson in the draft. It's likely that Allgeier's numbers will dip, but it's still possible for him to succeed.

Allgeier will be a late-round pick due to the Falcons' run-pass ratio. Atlanta was one of just three teams last season to run the ball more times than passing it. Since Ridder has yet to show much promise, the Falcons will likely have a somewhat similar ratio in 2023.

Based on the hype, Robinson will get a lot more snaps than Allgeier, but don't rule out a 2017 Mark Ingram-Alvin Kamara scenario where they're both involved and providing fantasy value. The main difference between the two duos is that the Saints had a pure pounder and a receiving back, while each Falcon is solid in both aspects with Robinson being well above average in both categories.

Allgeier will likely land in the 11-13 round range in fantasy football drafts and be a viable bench piece to your squad. If Robinson should get injured, Allgeier proved last season that he's capable of filling an RB2 role.

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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: Edwards looked rusty at times in his return from his own torn ACL, and was a near fantasy non-factor after Dobbins returned fully healthy in Week 14. Despite averaging at least 5.0 yards per carry in every season of his career, Edwards has always felt like a marginal player. While he fit perfectly in the run-based Greg Roman scheme, and likely got more carries than he would have on most other teams, I think his time as a standalone fantasy player are over. Edwards has averaged a little over four receptions per season, and is a one trick pony in an offense that's trying to evolve. He'll undoubtedly play an important role for the Ravens in a practical sense, but in fantasy, his value rests solely as a handcuff to Dobbins.

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Outlook: Houston signed former Bills' RB Devin Singletary this off-season to back-up Dameon Pierce. Singletary held his own in Buffalo's pass-heavy offense, finishing as the 23rd best running back in fantasy football. However, Pierce is expected to be the main man behind/beside Stroud keeping Singletary in a pure backup role as opposed to a 1A, 1B situation.

With that being said, should Pierce be sidelined, Singletary has proven to be among the best backups in the league due to his starting experience at Buffalo. The soon-to-be 26-year-old rushed for 819 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a very solid 4.6 yards per carry in 16 games last season. Singletary got involved in quarterback Josh Allen's passing attack as well, collecting 38 receptions for 280 yards (7.4 yards per catch) and a touchdown.

Singletary won't be drafted high in fantasy football leagues, but he's definitely a good handcuff option in 2023. Since Pierce isn't much of a receiver, Singletary may get snaps on the field during obvious passing situations.

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Outlook: After missing two entire seasons due to injury, McKinnon has played in all but four games over the past three years combined. His usage remained low in 2021 when he logged a combined 25 touches, but last season it jumped to 128: that broke down to 72 carries for 291 yards, and 56 receptions for 512 yards. While the 803 total yards were nice, it was the 10 touchdowns that was a real eye opener with nine of them coming as a receiver -- that was good enough to tie for sixth in the NFL, and it was nearly double the next-highest running back (Aaron Jones, Christian McCaffrey, and Austin Ekeler each had five).

At 31, McKinnon is long in the tooth for the position, but Reid values his veteran savvy, and Mahomes clearly trusts him as a valuable piece of the passing game. Expect McKinnon to reprise his role as the primary receiving back, which should afford him fringe top-50 value. If he was your No. 5 back, you'd have assembled good depth for your squad.

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