Pondering some tough flex choices for your fantasy lineup? Adam Rank sorts through the running backs, receivers and tight ends to present his top 150 flex options each week for the 2023 fantasy football season, with some useful nuggets of analysis sprinkled in. The ranking is based on a 1.0 PPR scoring format.
NOTE: In a typical week, this ranking will be posted on Tuesday. Injury designations will be added, adjusted or removed as teams' official injury reports are made available. The following three designations will be reflected:
- (Q) -- Player is listed as questionable on their team’s official injury report.
- (D) -- Player is listed as doubtful on their team’s official injury report.
- (OUT) -- Player has been ruled out on their team's official injury report.
TEAMS ON BYE:
- Cardinals
- Commanders
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FLEX RANKINGS: 1-50
- Before we get started, just want to give you a heads up: Derrick Henry is not currently on this list. I know Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that Henry is not in the concussion protocol, but because Tennessee's game this week doesn't come until Monday, we might not know until Sunday if Henry is going to play, so I'm going to stay away from him here for now.
- Tyreek Hill's still on pace for 2,000 receiving yards this season. And here's a fun note: He is the second player in Dolphins history with two receiving touchdowns of 60-plus yards in the same game. (By the way, Paul Warfield was the other guy. Thought I'd save you a Google.)
- I've been told you can't start running backs against the Lions -- and then Alvin Kamara went out and racked up 28.9 points against Detroit, more than every RB in Week 13 but Joe Mixon (29.7). Kamara's total came partially from his six receptions. This week, Kamara's got the Carolina Panthers, who give up the third-most fantasy points to RBs on average.
- DJ Moore has played seven full games with Justin Fields -- and Moore has logged 20-plus fantasy points in four of them.
- Isiah Pacheco should have been the player were taking from the Chiefs this season. He's had 20-plus touches in three consecutive games. He's had three total touchdowns over his last two. And who knows what kind of impact he would have had in the final drive of Kansas City's loss to Green Bay had he not been ejected with about a minute to go for throwing a punch? (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Pacheco will miss Sunday's game with a shoulder injury.)
- Mike Evans is second to Hill (12) with 10 receiving touchdowns this season. On Sunday, Evans also secured his 10th consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards. He should be going to the Hall of Fame. I don't think that's a controversial point of view. (I also want to give props to Baker Mayfield for giving Evans nearly two more targets per game than any other Bucs player during Evans' contract season. That's big love right there.)
- Jahmyr Gibbs posted 21-plus fantasy points in four of his last six games. You don't need to worry about him.
- Please stop saying that Travis Kelce's double-digit point total (12.1) was good for a tight end. You didn't draft him as some rando at the position. You likely drafted him to be your top point-scorer, at least of your non-quarterbacks. But he's averaged less than 12 points over his past five games. I mean, is he falling down to Kyle Pitts territory?
- Hill is the best receiver in fantasy, but I'm telling you, there might not be anybody as important as Deebo Samuel. He's coming off a career-high 35.8 fantasy points in Week 13. He's averaging 3.3 fantasy points per touch this year. And he makes Brock Purdy such a better player. In the four games since Samuel returned from injury, Purdy has logged 23-plus fantasy points three times.
- Nico Collins is likely already gone from your waiver wire. I mean, if you're reading this column this late in the season, your league is serious. But with Tank Dell suffering a fractured fibula on Sunday, Collins finished Houston's win over Denver with a 46 percent target share, which was the highest in the NFL in Week 13.
- Puka Nacua had struggled heading into Sunday's win over the Browns. But we were all in. And Nacua came through with 139 scrimmage yards, which was his highest single-game total since Week 7. I know he's got a tough matchup against the Ravens this week. But I'm back on the Nacua train.
- De'Von Achane has 21-plus fantasy points in each of his last four full games (not counting his one-carry cameo against the Raiders in Week 11). Achane is the second player since 1970 with nine-plus touchdowns in his first six career games.
FLEX RANKINGS: 51-100
- Tyjae Spears had six targets in Week 13, of which he caught four, giving him 20 total touches.
- Alec Pierce is coming off a great game, but Josh Downs has also been in the mix for the Colts, too. If Michael Pittman ends up hitting the free-agent market in the offseason, will Indy go with Pierce and Downs?
- Sam LaPorta had 29 fantasy points and led the Lions in targets, receptions and receiving yards.
- Elijah Moore had less than nine fantasy points with old Jets buddy Joe Flacco at QB in Week 13, but Moore also led the Browns with 12 targets, his highest single-game total since Week 13 of 2021. You can't ignore that.
- I'm torn between overreacting to Devin Singletary's five-point effort on Sunday and having faith. Looking back at my optimistic preseason scouting of Dameon Pierce, who posted 10.1 points, I'm leaning toward freaking out about Singletary.
- If using Jalin Hyatt off of his 109-yard Week 12 outburst feels like chasing fantasy points, well, that's because it would be. But he did play 60 percent of the snaps in that game, and I expect that number to increase.
- Jameson Williams has scored a touchdown in two of his last three games. He's starting to heat up. If you're looking to replace Tank Dell, this is the kind of player that you can target.
FLEX RANKINGS: 101-150
- Ezekiel Elliott had 21 touches in Week 13 and scored 10-plus fantasy points in two of his last three games.
- Roschon Johnson has logged five-plus targets in two of his last three games. The Lions have allowed an opposing running back to finish in the top 12 in scoring in four of their last six games.