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: A torn Achilles' kept Akers on the shelf for nearly all the regular season in 2021, but he returned to serve as the team's primary back during the Super Bowl run. Back at full health, the Rams expected Akers to serve in that role throughout 2022. Instead, he worked behind Darrell Henderson out of the gate and was publicly called out by McVay about a lack of urgency. The relationship between club and player deteriorated to the point that Akers was made a healthy inactive while the team looked to move him before the trade deadline.

The two sides ultimately reconciled, and the former Seminole put together some decent performances down the stretch, highlighted by three consecutive 100-plus-yard outings to close the year. It's like 2020 when the then-rookie took over as RB1 over the final month and into the postseason, fueling hype for a breakout that was derailed by the Achilles' injury.

Entering Year 4, it's still not clear what the Rams have in Akers. He has flashed game-changing ability, but he's been unable to sustain it. Despite playing in a typically pass-happy offense, he's never shown any aptitude as a pass catcher, managing just 27 receptions in 29 career games. Still, Akers has drawn praise during the offseason from McVay, who said the back will be a "central figure" on offense. He's a risk/reward RB3.

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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: Those who jumped on the "Saquon Barkley is off my draft board because he's always hurt" train prior to the 2022 season were proven wrong as the superstar running back seemed to return to form while also playing in all but one game. Barkley delivered the highest carry total of his career (295), resulting in a career-high in rushing yards (1,312). He also caught 57 passes, which was his highest total since his rookie season when he was playing with Eli Manning.

Barkley was a certified bell cow running back for the Giants in 2022 and there's really no reason to believe that he won't continue to be that this season, especially given that the Giants really did not address their running back room this offseason. Barkley should be in line for another 300-touch season if he can stay healthy, which makes him one of the most valuable players in all of fantasy football.

On the negative side, the Giants' offense was better than it looks on paper, but it's still not a high-end offense, so the chances of him significantly improving on his 10 touchdowns from a season ago are not great. He could get in the end zone a couple more times, but he's almost certainly not going to be a league leader in that department.

Additionally, there has to be some concern that Barkley may have seen near his ceiling in the pass-catching department as well. This isn't a question about Barkley's individual talent as a pass-catcher, but rather the Giants' offense as a whole and quarterback Daniel Jones in particular. We know that mobile quarterbacks tend to target their running backs out of the backfield less often than pocket passers do and Barkley made 57 receptions a season ago in an offense that seriously lacked playmakers at wide receiver and tight end. The team specifically addressed this problem by bringing in multiple pass-catchers, including Darren Waller, and it seems unlikely that they're going to suddenly start scheming more passes to their running back, even if he's among the best receivers at the position.

Nevertheless, Barkley is a very safe option that also carries tremendous name-brand value. Even if he lacks RB1 overall upside at this point, he should still be a lock to finish as a difference-making player at the position, so long as he stays healthy.

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Outlook: Should the Bengals part ways with Mixon before the start of camp, would they entertain inserting Brown as the starter? He's certainly proven he can handle the workload. As a senior at Illinois last season Brown amassed 1,883 scrimmage yards and scored 13 touchdowns. His 1,643 rushing yards were 4th most in FBS, and he was named 2nd team All-American. He's an effective one-cut runner with speed, and since he'll never see a stacked box, should have room to maneuver. He's a sneaky great fit for this offense as really runs hard behind his frame, and has three-down versatility. With a passing game like the Bengals have, Brown would only need some consistent opportunity to be a fantasy factor. If Mixon is jettisoned from this roster, and they don't replace him with a big name, Brown offers insane value, especially in early drafts and dynasty leagues.

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Outlook: Many fantasy managers had high hopes for 2021 rookie Michael Carter, but those who were paying closer attention should have known that he was always a trap. Breece Hall is simply the much more talented back and he was always going to take over that team's starting job while leaving scraps for the other players in the backfield. What we didn't expect was that not only would Hall take over the job by Week 4, but Carter himself would end up losing his top spot on the Jets' RB depth yet again even after Hall suffered a season-ending injury. In fact, despite playing in every game for the Jets in 2022, Carter failed to reach double-digit carries in any game after Week 9, and didn't see more than five carries in any of the Jets' final five games.

Now heading into his third season, some fantasy managers are beginning to do it to themselves yet again. Breece Hall's ACL injury means that he might not be ready to play in Week 1, so the tendency to look down the depth chart at the RB2 position simply becomes too enticing for some. Carter is being viewed by way too many managers as the "handcuff" for Hall, but there's really no reason to believe that will be true. His two years of experience in the Jets' offense and his pass-catching ability likely give him the edge over other players in this backfield, but we've already seen him lose his job to the likes of Zonovan Knight, who is also still on the roster. The Jets also drafted Israel Abanikanda in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, making this one of the most crowded backfields in the entire league.

Carter is currently a late-round pick in most drafts, but there's some real potential for that ADP to skyrocket if we find out that Hall is unlikely to play in Week 1. The talent is there for Carter to produce as an RB2 for fantasy if he's given the role-there's just no reason to believe that'll happen. For that reason, Carter could end up being a huge trap for fantasy managers late in draft season. He's fine to select now given his late-round ADP, but Abanikanda or Knight might end up being the best value of these backs in the unfortunate scenario where Hall ends up missing significant time.

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Outlook: As a 5th round pick stuck behind Cook and Mattison, Chandler didn't see the field until Week 18 with just six touches for 20 yards, but he likely has the upper hand as the backup, as only raw 7th rounder DeWyane McBride and kick returner Kene Nwangwu stands in his way. The Vikings seem intent to bolster the notion that runner backs have become replaceable parts in the modern NFL, as they have some of the fewest draft and financial capital invested in the position. While none of the backups are currently fantasy relevant, pay close attention to how this depth chart shakes out in camp. If McBride can develop 3rd down skills, his college production, and athleticism give him some serious upside on an offense as wide open as this one will be.

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