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:
- Bears
- Bills
- Giants
- Raiders
- Ravens
- Vikings
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FLEX RANKINGS: 1-50
- Christian McCaffrey has nine games with 20-plus fantasy points this season. He also has a league-high 16 scrimmage touchdowns. I’m just giving you some facts.
- Tyreek Hill has logged seven games with 100-plus receiving yards this season, and eight with at last 25 fantasy points. He's the second wide receiver to post seven-plus games with 25-plus fantasy points through the first 12 weeks of a season since 1991 -- joining Randy Moss. You know you're something special when you're name is being mentioned with Randy Moss.
- Why is Rachaad White so high on the list this week? Well, he has a matchup against the Panthers, who have allowed 18-plus fantasy points to the previously slumping Tony Pollard and Derrick Henry in consecutive weeks. Not that White needs to break out of a slump. He has the second-most receiving yards among running backs this season (364).
- It’s amazing how great Bijan Robinson can be when you give him the football. He’s averaging 21 touches in his last two games, with three touchdowns in those contests.
- Mike Evans has nine receiving touchdowns this season, second most in the NFL. Baker Mayfield is doing everything in his power to get Evans, in the final year of his contract, paid this offseason.
- I had colleague Andrew Siciliano question me when I said Rhamondre Stevenson was a must-start on Sunday. Don’t worry, we’ve been friends for 20-plus years. But let’s not overlook the fact that Stevenson has three consecutive games with 100-plus scrimmage yards despite the horrific quarterback play in New England.
- I know this usually isn’t a place where we talk about quarterbacks. But I took a massive L this year having Jalen Hurts rated below Patrick Mahomes coming into the season because I feared Hurts would regress in rushing touchdowns. He already has 11 rushing TDs, two away from matching his 2022 season total, with nine of those scores coming on the goal line (inside the 3). The reason I bring it up is because my D’Andre Swift shares would be amazing if Hurts was handing those off instead of running them in.
- Welcome back to Kyren Williams, who had 204 scrimmage yards in his return from an ankle injury on Sunday, making him the first Rams running back with 200-plus scrimmage yards in a game since Todd Gurley in 2018. Williams has 21-plus fantasy points in four of his last six contests. He has nine scrimmage touchdowns, tied for sixth most in the league, despite missing four games.
- Ja'Marr Chase has scored 15-plus fantasy points once in the last four games. Reviewing his output in the Bengals' first game since Joe Burrow was lost for the season, you will see that Chase caught four passes on six targets -- but that's kind of a lie, since two of those catches were on tipped balls. That doesn't feel like a sustainable formula for success. You have real decisions to make with Chase going forward.
- Calvin Ridley has done well the previous two weeks, and it might be related to Zay Jones' return. One thing that has impressed me: the way Jaguars coordinator Press Taylor has moved Ridley around the line. My colleague Cameron Wolfe reported last week that this was part of an effort to help Ridley counter the press coverage he's been facing. Credit to the Jaguars for doing that.
- Najee Harris was dealing -- and of course, it was after everyone moved on from him. Jaylen Warren, meanwhile, was held to 62 scrimmage yards. Why does it always seem like it's the other guy who does well for the Steelers at running back?
- Demario Douglas might not have much to work with at quarterback, but I love his matchup this week against the Los Angeles Chargers, who rank third in average fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers this season. (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Douglas has been ruled out with a concussion.)
- In Week 12, Rashee Rice became the first Chiefs rookie wide receiver to post 100-plus receiving yards in game since Dwayne Bowe reached that mark in 2007. The Chiefs need a receiver (other than Travis Kelce) to be that dude. I hope they realize -- like the Texans have with Tank Dell -- that a rookie can be that guy. I need it.
FLEX RANKINGS: 51-100
- Christian Watson has a receiving touchdown in two consecutive games. I still don't know what to make of Jordan Love and this Packers offense. But Watson probably shouldn't be on your bench.
- The Steelers offense is back. Pat Freiermuth had 21 fantasy points -- if the Steelers continue to operate in the middle of the field like they did in their win over the Bengals, you'll have a gem in Freiermuth.