Ultimate Strength of Schedule for 2022-23 NFL season: Top 6 RBs for fantasy football

Ahead of the 2022-23 NFL season, we take a look at an overview of the top 6 Running Backs (RB) for fantasy football with regards to the Ultimate Strength of Schedule: 

1) Jonathan Taylor

Coach Frank Reich is sensible to hold out Taylor and Hines considering the high injury rate among running backs generally, even if neither player has missed an NFL game due to injury. Reich suggested at least twice this summer that Hines will play a bigger role in the passing game than he did last year, but that’s really the only drawback for Taylor, who caught 40 passes last year after catching 36 as a rookie.

 

2) Christian McCaffrey

Despite having a healthy summer, McCaffrey will likely miss a third straight exhibition after two seasons hampered by injuries. Although neither D’Onta Foreman nor Chuba Hubbard is expected to get much action behind McCaffrey when the Panthers play the Browns in Week 1, it gives the Panthers a chance to assess their potential backups.

3) Derrick Henry

That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Henry has established himself as the Titans’ starting running back after recovering from a foot ailment that kept him out of action for eight games in 2021. Although the 28-year-old has claimed to be over his foot issue, there is little reason for the coaching staff of the squad to put Henry in unnecessary danger of injury before Week 1.

4) Austin Ekeler

Given his frequent use as a pass-catcher out of the Chargers’ backfield and as long as he stays healthy, the 27-year-old will continue to accumulate enough touches to be a viable fantasy asset. Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree, and Joshua Kelley are competing for the team’s No. 2 position now that Justin Jackson is no longer on the roster. Although Spiller hasn’t been given the position, the 2022 fourth-round pick has a good chance of securing it.

 

5) Najee Harris

 

Harris suffered from a slight foot issue earlier in August, but even if that hadn’t been the case, he might not be playing on Saturday since he’s a lock to be among the NFL’s top touch producers. He led all NFL backs in snaps (980) and touches in his first season due to his ability to withstand a heavy workload without missing any games (381). In order to take Harris off the field more frequently on snaps where he is unlikely to see the ball, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner suggested the Steelers would like Harris to play about seven fewer snaps per game this season, though perhaps without much of a sacrifice in terms of carries and targets.

 6) Dalvin Cook

Given his injury history and significance to the team, Cook might not play even if the other starters did. Behind Cook, the Vikings have four tailback alternatives, though Alexander Mattison might not get much playing time if the team uses this game to scout players on the fringes of the squad or the bubble.

 

 

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