The 2023 free agent running back class has a blend of experience and upside that should make it impactful on the dynasty fantasy football market. The Giants placed the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley, and the Raiders placed the franchise tag on Josh Jacobs. The loss of both from the free agent class hurts the overall quality of the running back market.
Miles Sanders enters free agency on a high because he ran for a career-high 1,269 yards, the fifth-best at the running back position in 2022. However, the passing game is a severe limitation to Sanders’s fantasy upside. After catching 50 passes as a rookie, Sanders has caught 28, 26, and 20 passes and has not topped 200 receiving yards. Sanders is in the early 20s in ADP valuations in dynasty formats but is a lower upside play than a player like Montgomery, who can carve out a sustainable passing game role. Kenneth Gainwell would be the in-house beneficiary if Sanders departed Philadelphia this offseason.
Damien Harris has a similar rushing-centric profile as Miles Sanders. Harris ran for 15 touchdowns in 2021, but he was hurt in 2022 and was held to only 106 carries after he fell below Rhamondre Stevenson on the depth chart. Overall, Harris only has 40 receptions and 449 carries in his career, so he does not have much mileage. Coming off a down season, Harris should be reasonably priced in the free agent market and ranks in the 40s in dynasty ADP.