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 his team’s official injury report.
- (D) -- Player is listed as doubtful on his team’s official injury report.
- (OUT) -- Player has been ruled out on his team's official injury report.
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FLEX RANKINGS: 1-50
- Before we get going here, I want to point out some prominent injuries. Guys like Brian Robinson Jr., Michael Pittman Jr., Christian Watson and Hunter Henry are some of the bigger names I’m keeping off the list right now. As always, there could be injury updates during the week. But even if they were to return, there will be questions about their effectiveness. (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Watson was listed as doubtful on Friday; Pittman and Henry are questionable.)
- I'm also keeping an eye on how injuries will impact guys who are on the list, whether they could lose playing time to returning teammates (like Ezekiel Elliott with Rhamondre Stevenson) or because they have been dealing with issues themselves (DJ Moore, Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Jordan Addison). (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Stevenson has been placed on injured reserve, while Sutton and Waddle have been ruled out, and Addison is questionable.)
- I know there are those of you who will do your fantasy championship games in Week 18. In the past, I would have found that silly. But the Week 18 games in real life are way more competitive now than they were back when two teams per conference received a bye week in the playoffs. I’m kind of down with it. You just have to convince those fantasy analysts who would rather take a week off to normalize Week 18 championship games.
- Kyren Williams is also about to win you a fantasy title.
- Welcome back, Justin Jefferson. If you're a Jefferson owner who survived his seven-game absence and made it to the finals, you’re going to love the matchup against Green Bay this week.
- Even with the Lions running the ball 30 times per game, Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to be a top-five option. But keep an eye on Jameson Williams, who will be worth thinking about when drafting next year, especially in best-ball drafts.
- Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery split carries in Week 16, and both scored touchdowns, with Gibbs doing it twice.
- The Buccaneers are now an offensive juggernaut, having scored on each of their first six drives against the Jaguars. OK, that might be more damning of the Jaguars defense. Still, Mike Evans notched a pair of receiving scores to add to his league-leading total (13).
- Loved seeing 13 targets for Chris Olave in Week 16. He finished with nine receptions for 123 yards and a two-pointer for 25.3 points (if you have yardage bonuses, as God intended). Would be cool if he could score more touchdowns.
- I’m glad the Chiefs finally put me out of my misery, with Travis Kelce's failure to live up to his first-round status knocking me out of the playoffs. I’m also looking to score many prominent players from KC on a massive discount next season.
- Bijan Robinson led the Falcons in carries (12), rush yards (72), receptions (7) and receiving yards (50) against the Colts. Even Kyle Pitts (three catches, 49 yards, one TD) was serviceable. Had a feeling Arthur Smith was going to have a bounce-back game. Just in time to have Atlanta's skill players disappear for the fantasy finals. Kidding! (I hope.)
- The Bears have improved significantly and would likely be in the playoff mix if they hadn't blown fourth-quarter leads at a historic level this season. Chicago is going to need DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, who both dealt with injuries on Sunday, to be healthy long-term -- and more help is needed offensively. (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Moore did not appear on the Bears' Friday injury report, and Kmet was listed as questionable.)
- Breece Hall led the Jets with 20 carries, 95 rushing yards, 12 receptions and 96 receiving yards. We were big on Hall in Week 16, loving the matchup against the Commanders. Oh gosh, the 49ers have the Commanders this week. So start all of your 49ers.
- Raheem Mostert continues to lead the Dolphins in carries, and he added a receiving score to give him 21 total touchdowns for the season, tied for most in the NFL -- but would it have killed him to punch a couple more into the end zone on the ground?
- Derrick Henry recorded a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown this weekend. He now has more passing touchdowns this season than Kenny Pickett. OK, that's not true -- but you believed it when you first read it! (Pickett does have just four more TDs than the running back in 2023.)
- DK Metcalf has five receiving touchdowns over his last four games. But Tyler Lockett led all Seahawks receivers with 11 targets in Week 16.
- Ezekiel Elliott is going to be one of those guys we talk about, as he’s pulling fantasy managers to the finals, most recently with 60 scrimmage yards and a score against Denver. Did the Pats take themselves out of the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with that victory? They did. But it was great for our fantasy teams.
- Here’s what I would tell anybody who started Joe Mixon this week: Good luck in your third-place game. What a huge letdown.
- If you’re reading this, congratulations: You survived Amari Cooper's jaw-dropping day. Or, better yet, you started Amari Cooper. It’s something you’ll talk about for years. Hell, I still talk about stacking Jamaal Charles with Alex Smith way back in 2013. That game actually ruined a friendship. (Just kidding -- that guy was no friend.)
- We loved Joe Flacco when he took over in Cleveland. Nobody has loved it more than David Njoku. It might have been (understandably) overshadowed by Cooper's afternoon, but Njoku scored a touchdown in a third consecutive game.
FLEX RANKINGS: 51-100
- Good to see Aaron Jones set season highs in carries (21) and rushing yards (127).
- Najee Harris had a monster game. Love him against the Seahawks in Week 17. Seattle has been better against the run in recent weeks, but it’s still a great matchup.
- Don’t look now; Jaleel McLaughlin had just about half the attempts of Javonte Williams but looked far more explosive.
- Starting George Pickens this week is going to be a classic case of point-chasing. But how can you not do it? Ditto for Gabe Davis. Those guys are like those dudes who flake on you all year, but absolutely nail the Christmas gift to make everything right.
- Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft all get enough targets to be viable, but to truly justify starting one of them, you’re really banking on that player scoring a touchdown. (Also, keep an eye on Wicks' status after he suffered a chest injury in Week 16.) (EDITOR'S UPDATE: Wicks was listed as questionable on the Packers' injury report.)
- We know to start Cooper Kupp. We know to start Puka Nacua. But what about Demarcus Robinson? He's become a real threat in this Rams offense. He caught all six of his targets and scored a touchdown on Thursday, when Matthew Stafford spread it around (dashing my hopes that Kupp would have a monster day, but still).
FLEX RANKINGS: 101-150
- The Texans apparently should have gone with Case Keenum the whole time, at least for the sake of Dalton Schultz owners. Schultz feasted against the Browns.