2023 fantasy football flex rankings: Top 150 RB/WR/TE options in Week 17

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.

JUMP TO:

  • Nos. 51-100
  • Nos. 101-150

FLEX RANKINGS: 1-50

Table inside Article
RankPosition RankWeek 17 Opponent
1. Christian McCaffrey RB1 at Commanders
2. Kyren Williams RB2 at Giants
3. Tyreek Hill WR1 at Ravens
4. Justin Jefferson WR2 vs. Packers
5. CeeDee Lamb WR3 vs. Lions
6. A.J. Brown WR4 vs. Cardinals
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown WR5 at Cowboys
8. Deebo Samuel WR6 at Commanders
9. Rachaad White RB3 vs. Saints
10. Alvin Kamara (Q) RB4 at Buccaneers
11. Jahmyr Gibbs RB5 at Cowboys
12. Stefon Diggs WR7 vs. Patriots
13. Mike Evans WR8 vs. Saints
14. Cooper Kupp WR9 at Giants
15. Jonathan Taylor RB6 vs. Raiders
16. Puka Nacua (Q) WR10 at Giants
17. Rashee Rice WR11 vs. Bengals
18. Chris Olave WR12 at Buccaneers
19. James Cook RB7 vs. Patriots
20. Travis Kelce TE1 vs. Bengals
21. Bijan Robinson RB8 at Bears
22. DJ Moore WR13 vs. Falcons
23. Breece Hall RB9 at Browns
24. Isiah Pacheco (Q) RB10 vs. Bengals
25. Raheem Mostert (Q) RB11 at Ravens
26. Davante Adams WR14 at Colts
27. Travis Etienne RB12 vs. Panthers
28. Derrick Henry RB13 at Texans
29. Brandon Aiyuk WR15 at Commanders
30. DK Metcalf (Q) WR16 vs. Steelers
31. Courtland Sutton (OUT) WR17 vs. Chargers
32. D’Andre Swift RB14 vs. Cardinals
33. De’Vone Achane RB15 at Ravens
34. Kenneth Walker (Q) RB16 vs. Steelers
35. Tony Pollard RB17 vs. Lions
36. Ezekiel Elliott RB18 at Bills
37. Jaylen Waddle (OUT) WR18 at Ravens
38. Calvin Ridley WR19 vs. Panthers
39. DeAndre Hopkins WR20 at Texans
40. David Montgomery RB19 at Cowboys
41. Joe Mixon RB20 at Chiefs
42. Chuba Hubbard RB21 at Jaguars
43. Garrett Wilson WR21 at Browns
44. Amari Cooper WR22 vs. Jets
45. Josh Jacobs (D) RB22 at Colts
46. Chris Godwin WR23 vs. Saints
47. David Njoku TE2 vs. Jets
48. Sam LaPorta TE3 at Cowboys
49. Devin Singletary RB23 vs. Titans
50. Saquon Barkley RB24 vs. Rams

  • 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.

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FLEX RANKINGS: 51-100

Table inside Article
PlayerPosition RankWeek 17 Opponent
51. James Conner RB25 at Eagles
52. Aaron Jones RB26 at Vikings
53. Tee Higgins WR24 at Chiefs
54. DeVonta Smith WR25 vs. Cardinals
55. Trey McBride TE4 at Eagles
56. Najee Harris RB27 a Seahawks
57. Ty Chandler RB28 vs. Packers
58. Evan Engram TE5 vs. Panthers
59. Austin Ekeler RB29 at Broncos
60. George Kittle TE6 at Commanders
61. Tyler Lockett WR26 vs. Steelers
62. Javonte Williams RB30 vs. Chargers
63. Drake London WR27 at Bears
64. Nico Collins WR28 vs. Titans
65. George Pickens WR29 at Seahawks
66. Brandin Cooks WR30 vs. Lions
67. Adam Thielen WR31 at Jaguars
68. Jordan Addison (Q) WR32 vs. Packers
69. Zay Flowers (Q) WR33 vs. Dolphins
70. Jaylen Warren RB31 at Seahawks
71. Diontae Johnson WR34 at Seahawks
72. Josh Downs WR35 vs. Raiders
73. Jake Ferguson TE7 vs. Lions
74. Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR36 vs. Steelers
75. Rashid Shaheed WR37 at Buccaneers
76. Jerry Jeudy (Q) WR38 vs. Chargers
77. Curtis Samuel WR39 vs. 49ers
78. Dontayvion Wicks (Q) WR40 at Vikings
79. Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB32 vs. 49ers
80. Dallas Goedert TE8 vs. Cardinals
81. Antonio Gibson RB33 vs. 49ers
82. Khalil Herbert RB34 vs. Falcons
83. Kyle Pitts TE9 at Bears
84. Gabe Davis WR41 vs. Patriots
85. Odell Beckham Jr. WR42 vs. Dolphins
86. Noah Brown WR43 vs. Titans
87. Jerome Ford RB35 vs. Jets
88. Demarcus Robinson WR44 at Giants
89. Jakobi Meyers WR45 at Colts
90. Jameson Williams WR46 at Cowboys
91. Isaiah Likely TE10 vs. Dolphins
92. Josh Palmer (OUT) WR47 at Broncos
93. Terry McLaurin WR48 vs. 49ers
94. Wan’Dale Robinson (Q) WR49 vs. Rams
95. Romeo Doubs WR50 at Vikings
96. Chase Brown RB36 at Chiefs
97. DJ Chark WR51 at Jaguars
98. Demario Douglas WR52 at Bills
99. Gus Edwards RB37 vs. Dolphins
100. Zach Charbonnet RB38 vs. Steelers

  • 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).

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FLEX RANKINGS: 101-150

Table inside Article
PlayerPosition RankWeek 17 Opponent
101. Tyler Boyd WR53 at Chiefs
102. Cole Kmet (Q) TE11 vs. Falcons
103. Zamir White RB39 at Colts
104. Tyjae Spears RB40 at Texans
105. Darius Slayton WR54 vs. Rams
106. Dalton Kincaid TE12 vs. Patriots
107. Elijah Moore WR55 vs. Jets
108. Alec Pierce WR56 vs. Raiders
109. Jalin Hyatt WR57 vs. Rams
110. Darren Waller TE13 vs. Rams
111. Roschon Johnson RB41 vs. Falcons
112. Dalton Schultz TE14 vs. Titans
113. Tucker Kraft TE15 at Vikings
114. Pat Freiermuth TE16 at Seahawks
115. Jonathan Mingo WR58 at Jaguars
116. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Q) RB42 vs. Bengals
117. Kareem Hunt RB43 vs. Jets
118. Parker Washington WR59 vs. Panthers
119. Gerald Everett TE17 at Broncos
120. Darnell Mooney (OUT) WR60 vs. Falcons
121. Taysom Hill TE18 at Buccaneers
122. Michael Wilson WR61 at Eagles
123. Josh Oliver TE19 vs. Packers
124. Khalil Shakir WR62 vs. Patriots
125. K.J. Osborn WR63 vs. Packers
126. Chigoziem Okonkwo TE20 at Texans
127. Jaleel McLaughlin RB44 vs. Chargers
128. Rondale Moore WR64 at Eagles
129. Cedric Tillman WR65 vs. Jets
130. Tyler Allgeier RB45 at Bears
131. AJ Dillon RB46 at Vikings
132. Tanner Hudson TE21 at Chiefs
133. DeVante Parker WR66 at Bills
134. Justice Hill RB47 vs. Dolphins
135. Kenneth Gainwell RB48 vs. Cardinals
136. Samaje Perine RB49 vs. Chargers
137. Treylon Burks WR67 at Texans
138. Rashod Bateman WR68 vs. Dolphins
139. Logan Thomas TE22 vs. 49ers
140. Tyler Higbee TE23 at Giants
141. Josh Reynolds WR69 at Cowboys
142. Rico Dowdle (OUT) RB50 vs. Lions
143. Latavius Murray RB51 vs. Patriots
144. Miles Sanders RB52 at Jaguars
145. Jamaal Williams RB53 at Buccaneers
146. Dawson Knox TE24 vs. Patriots
147. Kylen Granson TE25 vs. Raiders
148. Xavier Gipson WR70 at Browns
149. Greg Dortch WR71 at Eagles
150. Michael Gallup WR72 vs. Lions

  • 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.

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