April’s Top 5 Rookie RBs for Building Your Dynasty
Every season, fantasy managers are looking to use the rookie draft to improve their rosters and build their dynasty. Regardless of format, RB is a very important position, and hitting on your rookie RBs is becoming increasingly important, because of how replaceable the position is for real NFL.
An RB could go from a starter to a bench player in less than a year, and as such, having a stable of running backs is important for any fantasy manager. They don’t all have to be starters right away, they might be just a single injury away from carrying a large workload for their NFL team, and then they could turn out to be fantasy gold.
In this article, we take a look at the Top 5 Rookie RBs for building your dynasty according to the RotoHeat rookie rankings. RotoHeat has both 1QB rankings and SuperFlex rankings, to help you draft the best players in upcoming 2023 rookie drafts.
1 Bijan Robinson, Texas
It should come as no surprise that Bijan Robinson is the #1 RB in rookie drafts. He is the closest thing to a “for certain” prospect in a while, especially at the running back position.
And it does not stop there, because Robinson is not just the best running back in this draft class, he is arguably the best player for fantasy purposes, regardless of format. The consensus right now among RotoHeat rankers is that Bijan Robinson should be taken at the 1.01 in rookie drafts, even when we are talking SuperFlex leagues.
Robinson is built like the prototypical running back, has all the tools you want to see from a three-down running back, including good hands in the passing game, and he should be the starter regardless of what team decides to draft him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
2 Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
In second place behind Bijan, we have Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs is a relatively slender running back, who appears unlikely to be a workhorse running back in the NFL, because of his size and build.
However, that should not shy fantasy managers away from Gibbs. Gibbs is a highly efficient runner, who uses his elusiveness and contact balance to create yards. Furthermore, Jahmyr Gibbs is the best pass-catching running back in this draft class. Gibbs could end up being a running back who receives in the neighborhood of 70-80 catches every season if not more.
This gives Gibbs great value in any PPR format, and he is going to be used as a runner too. This combination of rushing attempts and catches should give Gibbs a very solid weekly floor, which makes him the second-best running back for building your dynasty team in 2023.
3 Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
When it comes to producing at the college level, Zach Charbonnet has done it in back-to-back seasons for the UCLA Bruins. What’s even better is that Charbonnet did it in both the running and the passing game, showing fantasy managers as well as the NFL, that he can fill all the needs that a team might have at the running back position.
Charbonnet can handle being the workhorse back on an NFL team, now it just remains to be seen where he lands, and what role that team is willing to give him.
Unless he is explicitly drafted for a backup role behind a superstar RB, Charbonnet certainly has the talent to become a starter in the NFL and is quite a safe bet to be a producer for your fantasy team for years to come. This makes Zach Charbonnet a very good pick in rookie drafts as someone who can help you build your dynasty roster for several years to come.
4 Tank Bigsby, Auburn
About two to three years ago, having Bigsby as the fourth-best RB for building your dynasty in this draft class would have been considered blasphemous. Back then it was basically Tank Bigsby and Bijan Robinson neck-on-neck with each other for that top spot whenever they would declare for the draft.
Since then, Bigsby has lost some value in the eyes of scouts and fantasy managers. Here at RotoHeat we still have him as the #4 RB in April’s rankings. Bigsby is a big back, which is what makes him enticing in a draft class of primarily smaller RBs.
Bigsby is built to be an early downs runner, who does possess the ability to catch the ball on check-downs and flat routes. He won’t be running any routes down the field, however. In a year, where a lot of the aging running backs in the NFL seems to either be on their way out or taking a step back, Bigsby could be someone who brings a bruising running style to an NFL team that could be looking for a strong runner to gain some tough yards.
5 Kendre Miller, TCU
Despite only having been the starter at TCU for one season, Kendre Miller made the most of his opportunity in 2022, where he helped TCU make it to the College National Championship game. Miller is dynamic and runs hard, which could translate well to the NFL.
Like Bigsby ahead of him on this list, Miller is not much of a pass-catching threat, but his incredible 2022 breakout season might entice an NFL team to take a chance on Miller, who displays the ability to become a lead back on early downs.
Given Miller’s skill set as a very efficient runner, might also help him produce even if he does not become the lead back in his rookie season, which should be something fantasy managers keep in mind.
April’s Top 5 Rookie RBs
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