Eric Karabell ranks players based on their value for the rest of the 2023 season by position every week. Use the information to optimize the players on your bench for their future potential. Eric's top 100 can be found below the positions in this column.
Quarterback
Rankings changes: Four quarterbacks scored more than 30 PPR points in Week 12, and since this had been achieved only nine times all season, we noticed. Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts did not disappoint in their matchup, but they have been 1-2 in these rankings for a while. Cowboys veteran Dak Prescott rises all the way to No. 3, passing Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa and Lamar Jackson, while Texans rookie C.J. Stroud moves up a bit as well. Recent statistics matter over loyalty. The ESPN standard league trade deadline is Wednesday at noon ET, and if you can still acquire one of the top quarterbacks, we recommend it.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Jaguars starter Trevor Lawrence comes off his top two outings of the season, aided by rushing touchdowns, and he returns to the top 10, edging past the Bears' Justin Fields and 49ers' Brock Purdy. The Rams' Matthew Stafford delivered his first 20-point fantasy outing of the season, but the Browns and Ravens are up next, and another game looms with the 49ers. Vikings starter Joshua Dobbs had a rough Monday, and he may not start the next game. Things change quickly at quarterback!
Consider the pending schedule and bye weeks -- six teams are off this week, and two others the week after -- before trading. You may still desire trading for Cardinals runner Kyler Murray, for example, but he will not help at all as he sits in Week 14, and then he faces the tough 49ers.
Trade for: While the surprising Stroud has thrown for more than 300 yards in four consecutive games, with 10 touchdown passes in that span, he cannot match Prescott for fantasy production. Actually, even Allen and Hurts can't. Prescott has scored 28 PPR points in four of five games, accounting for 18 touchdowns, and schedule seems no barrier. Outside the top 10 quarterbacks, consider the lower cost to acquire the Broncos' Russell Wilson, Packers' Jordan Love and perhaps the Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, for they have appealing schedules.
Be cautious: Baltimore's Jackson continues his slide. Jackson has scored 15 PPR points in only one of the past five games, and he will not help in Week 13, as one of the quarterbacks on bye. Jackson may not be notably better statistically than your current QB, so don't make a trade just for the sake of doing so. The Chargers' Justin Herbert has been a bit all-or-nothing recently. Stroud still has games with the Jets, Browns and rejuvenated Broncos.
Running back
Rankings changes: Several of the top running backs probably deserve to drop in the rankings, but it is tough to find worthy replacements. The Chargers' Austin Ekeler has been held to single-digit PPR points in his past two games, and the Giants' Saquon Barkley in two of three. Should Lions rookie Jahmyr Gibbs or Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson pass them? Perhaps not yet. Barkley, Ekeler and the Saints' Alvin Kamara fall in the overall rankings behind more consistent wide receivers, but they retain their running back standing. The Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco and Titans' Derrick Henry move up, and the Rams' Kyren Williams may be top 10 if not for games with the Browns and Ravens the next two weeks. The schedule matters.
Trade for: Trade whatever it takes for the incredible 49er Christian McCaffrey, who is so alone in the top tier at the position that it is quite silly, but after that, there are so many questions at running back. Perhaps Barkley and Ekeler will be fine. Robinson and the Colts' Jonathan Taylor are trending in the right direction. The Dolphins' Raheem Mostert seems safe for volume. The Titans' Henry is a well-known December fantasy hero.
Be cautious: The Jaguars' Travis Etienne Jr. has been quiet for three consecutive weeks, perhaps due to workload concerns, though high volume remains. The Bengals' Joe Mixon lacked volume and production in his first game sans QB Joe Burrow. Injured Seahawk Kenneth Walker III (oblique) may return soon, but games with the Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles loom. It is not a good time to invest in Seahawks.
Wide receiver
Rankings changes: Little changes at the top, though the Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase returns to the overall top 10, and the Buccaneers' Mike Evans joins him. The Texans' Nico Collins, Jets' Garrett Wilson and 49ers' Deebo Samuel resume their place in the position's top 20, while the Jaguars' Calvin Ridley closes in. Quiet Rams starter Cooper Kupp and Panthers veteran Adam Thielen continue to plummet.
Trade for: There's a reason why wide receivers easily outnumber running backs in the overall top 10. Wide receivers are more consistent and durable. There are 25 flex-eligible players with 160 PPR points this season, and six are running backs. The Texans' Tank Dell, 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk and Eagles' DeVonta Smith all share targets with high-profile players, but it hasn't seemed to matter. These receivers are safe, too.
Be cautious: Quarterback play may continue to be a concern for the Bengals' Chase, the Raiders' Davante Adams, Browns' Amari Cooper and Titans' DeAndre Hopkins. The Vikings' Justin Jefferson (hamstring) may return in Week 14, after the bye, but there is some risk there.
Tight end
Rankings changes: There is considerable ranking action after the top 10, with the Steelers' Pat Freiermuth, Rams' Tyler Higbee and Chargers' Gerald Everett among the top tight end scorers for the week, and Eagles star Dallas Goedert (forearm) perhaps returning this week. Packers rookie Tucker Kraftreplaces injured Packers rookie Luke Musgrave as a reasonable deep-league option. Falcons Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith are again, curiously, barely factors in the Atlanta offense. Six tight ends make our overall top 100, but after them, it is hard to recommend trading for a tight end.
