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:
- Browns
- Buccaneers
- Chargers
- Seahawks
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FLEX RANKINGS: 1-50
- There are a lot of potential big-time returns to monitor this week. And I’m not just talking about Adam Copeland joining AEW. That already happened. But we could see Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Kupp, among others, back on the field in Week 5. Hopefully Saquon Barkley, too, because he is the Giants’ offense.
- Remember the rumors that the 49ers were looking to limit Christian McCaffrey’s workload this season? It was like when I said I was going to play just nine holes at Mission Hills in Palm Desert, California, this summer and ended up playing 36. McCaffrey leads the league in touches with 98 (the next-closest player has 88) and his 48.7 fantasy points led all players in Week 4. He’s scored a touchdown in 13 straight games. I know he’ll face the Cowboys’ top-ranked scoring defense in Week 5. But CMC is my 1.1 no matter what.
- The Bills did a great job of clogging the lanes against the Dolphins’ offense, which is why Tyreek Hill sort of stalled with 10.8 fantasy points on Sunday. You can talk about the blueprint to stop Miami heading into its Week 5 game against the Giants. But -- and I don’t mean this in a bad way -- the G-Men don’t have the same personnel as Buffalo.
- Stefon Diggs is currently on a heater. He’s coming off back-to-back 100-yard games and tied a career high with three touchdown catches in Week 4. Many of you will remember his 3-TD performance against the Patriots in a Week 16 Monday night contest a few years back, where he either miraculously won you a fantasy title or beat you for a title. I was in the latter group, which was not fun.
- Derrick Henry is back, having finished as RB7 in Week 4. He ran the ball 22 times for 122 yards and a score and even threw a touchdown pass. I know a lot of people were worried because he was out-snapped by backup Tyjae Spears in Week 3. But that game was a blowout loss for Tennessee. Don’t overreact to one-week swings.
- Puka Nacua, my bounce-back guarantee last week, now holds the record for most receptions (39) and receiving yards (501) in a player’s first four career games in the Super Bowl era. Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is expected to return to practice this week. But I’m keeping Nacua in my lineup. He might not continue to produce at such a torrid pace, but we can’t ignore what he’s done. And neither will Sean McVay.
- Chris Olave has yet to have the monster game we’ve been waiting for, as he still hasn’t scored a TD this season and was held to a career-low one catch for four yards on Sunday. In Week 5 he’ll face the Patriots, who do have some injuries on defense. Perhaps this will be the bounce-back game he needs.
- Kyren Williams’ start to the season should be an even bigger story. So many of us thought Cam Akers and Sean McVay had worked through their issues. Obviously, they had not and now Akers is with the Vikings. Williams rushed 25 times (for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns) and caught three passes in Week 4. Nobody is pushing him for snaps. Kyren is the air we are breathing in this fantasy life.
- David Montgomery finally got a win over the Packers. That must be a nice feeling. My dude has five touchdowns in three games played this season.
- I was being cautious with De’Von Achane last week. I had him in plenty of leagues and played him in about half because I wasn’t sure how the Dolphins were going to use him. But it looks like he’s going to get his share of opportunities each week. Achane only had eight rushes in Week 4, but he made the most of them (101 yards; 12.6 per carry). His six touchdowns over the last two games tied the NFL record for most TDs in any two-game span by a rookie since 1970. I’m confident he won’t keep up that pace, but you’d be wild to sit him.
- Brian Robinson Jr. has the second-most rushing first downs this season. If you’re not doing a point per first down in your league (it’s a thing, I swear), then you’re not doing it right.
- Terry McLaurin is an automatic start for me coming off his great game in a tough matchup versus the Eagles. He has a much more favorable draw this week against the Bears. I’m moving Jahan Dotson up in my rankings, too. Keep an eye on the status of Curtis Samuel (quad). Antonio Gibson is my dude if Samuel is out.
- Calvin Ridley caught a TD pass on Sunday, but his targets have decreased with each game this season and he hasn’t surpassed 40 yards since Week 1. Things could certainly even out, considering how Doug Pederson loves to spread the ball around, but the Week 5 matchup against the Bills is a tough one.
- I’ll just say this: The Texans’ offense has been amazing. Nico Collins had a career high with 168 receiving yards against the Steelers in Week 4. Tank Dell only had one catch for 16 yards in the game, but you’re going to want to start your Texans. That includes Dameon Pierce, who looked better versus Pittsburgh. And something that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet: Pierce had a touchdown catch nullified by a penalty. While that’s a bummer, it shows what he can do with an opportunity.
- James Cook is getting chances near the goal line, which is huge for his output. He has two this season after not having any last year. He’s been consistent, posting at least 10 fantasy points in each game this season.
- Mark Andrews really hadn’t generated buzz in fantasy leagues in a while, which is understandable considering he had only one receiving touchdown in his previous 11 games. And if you started, say, Sam LaPorta over him last week, that’s fine. But you should not start anyone outside of the elite fantasy tight ends over him. And he showed you why on Sunday, when he had a pair of scores in a tough matchup against the Browns.
- Isiah Pacheco had 20 rushes for 115 yards and a TD for the Chiefs on Sunday night. His touches and yards have increased with each game this season.
- Breece Hall has a great matchup against the Broncos this week. They have allowed the most fantasy points per game to running backs this season. I know that’s skewed because of the debacle versus Miami. But the Bears had a lot of success running the football against Denver on Sunday, too.
- Gabe Davis has seen his stock rise in recent weeks. He’s scored a touchdown in three straight games. Of course, now that I’ve mentioned the streak, it will end once you put him in your lineup.
- Rhamondre Stevenson has only one touchdown in his last seven games. His six fantasy points pushed him outside of the top 40 among fantasy running backs in Week 4. I’m getting scared.
- Scrubs was a top-five sitcom of all time. Sorry, that has nothing to do with fantasy football, but I wanted to see if you were still reading.
FLEX RANKINGS: 51-100
- I need to see Zay Flowers have a big game soon. He ran a season-low 22 routes on Sunday and he’s yet to break 80 yards in a game this season. If Mark Andrews is going to be all Mark Andrews, I might have to stay away from Flowers.
- George Pickens had seven targets that he turned into three receptions for 25 yards against the Texans. I’m not sure it’s going to get better for him if Kenny Pickett's injury keeps the QB on the sideline.