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:
- Packers
- Steelers
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FLEX RANKINGS: 1-50
- Bijan Robinson has scored at least 10 fantasy points in all five games he's played in his NFL career. He's responsible for a quarter of the Falcons' total touchdowns this season (two of eight). Washington has allowed 14 offensive touchdowns in 2023.
- Stefon Diggs has nine red-zone targets this season, tied for the second-most in the NFL. He also has five receiving touchdowns, tied for the league lead.
- Tony Pollard's 27 red-zone rushing attempts are tied for the most in the league. The Chargers' defense has been very generous to opponents in 2023, ranking 24th in points allowed.
- Joe Burrow looks like he’s back, which is amazing. And here’s a PSA for anybody out there who enjoys fantasy football: If you have a receiver who is chirping about not getting the ball enough, start him. That guy will go off. Ja’Marr Chase is the latest example. Chase finished with 52.2 fantasy points on Sunday after posting 57.6 points combined in the first four games of the season. He is the fifth player since 1950 to record 15-plus receptions and three receiving touchdowns in a game. And here I thought having DJ Moore on Thursday night was going to be enough to propel me to victory. Spoiler alert: It was not.
- Speaking of DJ Moore, he has a great matchup this week against the Vikings. Moore is averaging 3.24 fantasy points per target this season. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Justin Fields is going to target him almost exclusively. He’s going to see so much volume. I want my guy Tyler Scott to get into the mix. But it looks like Moore and Cole Kmet are going to be the target monsters.
- I love DK Metcalf this year. He's had at least 12 fantasy points in each game this season. I'm enthusiastic about the matchup against the Bengals, who are still working through some things on defense.
- Happy for my guy David Montgomery. He's had at least one touchdown in each game he's played in for Detroit this season, tallying six touchdowns in total. He might just best former Lion Jamaal Williams' league-high 17 last season.
- Cooper Kupp wasted no time getting back in the swing of things again for the Rams, who peppered him with targets Sunday in his first game of the season (12 targets, eight catches, 118 yards). And now he's got a pretty decent matchup on tap against the Cardinals. The best part of Kupp's return was that Puka Nacua, who launched his rookie breakout in Kupp's absence, was also involved in the offense (11 targets, seven catches, 71 yards, one TD). These two are going to be a menace.
- In the wake of De'Von Achane's knee injury, Raheem Mostert is back among the top 10 RBs. That's it for Dolphins backs this week, though I should note Jeff Wilson is worth a stash; he's eligible to come off IR this week.
- My "guarantees" have hit it over the past few weeks. Actually, I missed out on Breece Hall. On Fantasy Live, I said he was going to be the RB2 in scoring last week. I was wrong. He was the RB3. I'll try to be better for all of you. Hall had 22 rushing attempts, which is significant because the Jets talked about taking off the training wheels -- and they certainly followed through.
- I keep wondering if Travis Etienne is going to be The Guy. I’m keeping Tank Bigsby on my bench. Etienne was great in Week 5, racking up 30 touches for 184 scrimmage yards and two TDs. The only downside was that Travis posted that he was going against himself in fantasy football. I think he’s fine with it.
- DeVonta Smith is going to have a breakout this week, right? Right? Oh man, I'm starting to feel like I'm in that Anakin Skywalker-Padme meme.
- How about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Mike Evans has at least 17 fantasy points in three of four games this season. He's gobbling up all of the end-zone targets, as he leads the Buccaneers with five. Presuming the hamstring injury that took him out in Week 4 won't hinder him coming out of the Week 5 bye, he's an appealing play.
- In light of Justin Jefferson's placement on IR with a hamstring injury, Jordan Addison would be the add this week -- if he were still available in your league. He's probably not. So take a look at K.J. Osborn (WR37).
- Rhamondre Stevenson had another rough go of it on Sunday. He’s still playing 66.4 percent of the snaps, though. And with Bill Belichick starting over again, he’s going to need to lean on Stevenson.
- Terry McLaurin was a bit of a disappointment against the Bears. You wanted -- we all wanted -- big numbers from him, but he finished with four catches for 49 yards. He leads Washington in targets, receptions and receiving yards. But he didn't have a single red-zone target against Chicago week.
FLEX RANKINGS: 51-100
- Gabe Davis has been really good. On Sunday, he became the first Bills receiver since Sammy Watkins in 2015 to log at least one receiving touchdown in four consecutive games.
- I’m hopeful opportunity will lead to points for Dameon Pierce. He’s had 21-plus touches in back-to-back games. But he’s one of two players with 90-plus touches and only one touchdown this season. Joe Mixon is the other player in that category.
- Jonathan Taylor is back. He logged six carries and 10 offensive snaps with the Colts, but his workload will presumably be ramped up. Is THIS the week that happens? Maybe not. But he's going to be a force at some point. Just look at how great Zack Moss has been running in this offense.
- Keep track of the Bears’ injuries at running back. Roschon Johnson could get an opportunity to be the lead back if he returns this week. Otherwise, D’Onta Foreman is the next man up. (*UPDATE:\* Roschon Johnson has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings.)
- DeAndre Hopkins looked like vintage DHop with 22 fantasy points coming off 11 targets on Sunday. We’ll get to see him in action in London this week against the Ravens. I love these London games, even being on the West Coast. Mostly because we get to watch the game before the kids wake up.
- George Kittle has 10 receiving touchdowns over Brock Purdy’s 10 career regular-season starts. Travis Kelce is dealing with an ankle sprain. But it’s been Sam LaPorta who has crushed it. He’s currently the TE1 in fantasy points this season.
- I might not have Dallas Goedert (TE11) high enough this week. He enjoyed a huge breakout against the Rams last week, logging season highs in targets (nine), catches (eight) and yards (117), and scoring his first TD of the year. He's now had at least seven targets in three of his last four games. And he's got a great matchup against the Jets, who have allowed the most fantasy points per game to tight ends this year.
FLEX RANKINGS: 101-150
- Justice Hill is a player I don't trust, even with so many vacancies at the running back position. He's had fewer than 60 scrimmage yards in each game, and his value is heavily touchdown-dependent.
- Don't look now, but Rashee Rice has totaled seven red-zone targets over the last three weeks. He leads all Chiefs receivers in targets and receptions this year.
- Josh Downs had a great week, logging six targets, six receptions and 97 receiving yards. His yards-per-catch figure with Gardner Minshew at QB this season (9.2) is not as eye-catching as it is with Anthony Richardson (14.0), but the target volume has been higher with Minshew (20) than Richardson (13). I want to see how things go with Minshew while Richardson is out before I make Downs a true recommendation.