Fantasy Football: Breakout running backs for 2023 drafts

• Cam Akers is finally the unquestioned starter in L.A.: Akers is coming off three straight 100-yard games and is in the best situation of his NFL career.

• Javonte Williams should be excellent if healthy: Sean Payton has a history of producing top-five fantasy running backs. Williams should get there eventually, but his health is the big question.

• Dominate your fantasy league in 2023: For up-to-date fantasy draft rankings and projections, check out PFF’s fantasy rankings tool!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

These breakout players have an ADP between 48 and 120 on ESPN, but I have them ranked notably higher, and they each have a good chance of producing the best season of their career.

For help on draft strategy, rankings or for more details about other players, check out the rest of my summer content below. For rankings with better filtering along with auction values, check out our draft rankings page.

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Last updated: 7:15 a.m. Thursday, August 31

Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams (ADP: 76.5)

Akers is the Rams' unquestioned starter for the first time in his career.

Akers made a name for himself late in his rookie season, posting a 171-yard rushing game in the regular season and a 131-yard rushing performance in a playoff win.
He tore his Achilles in the summer of 2021 but returned at the end of the regular season and played a limited role in the playoffs.
Akers and the Rams weren’t on the same page to start the 2022 season; he barely played in Week 1 and missed games in October.
He regained his starting job by December and ended the season with three straight 100-yard performances. He ended the year with six consecutive games as a top-21 fantasy running back, including one game at the top spot.
On average, Akers scored a touchdown in two out of every three starts and put up 10.4 rushing fantasy points per start, eighth and ninth, respectively, among the 45 running backs who played at least five games over the last season.
He knows this is a big season why he is the unquestioned starter, and coach Sean McVay has acknowledged that Akers will be a central figure in the team’s offense.
Despite having three years of NFL experience, he just recently turned 24 years old, so there is still a chance Akers can improve.

James Cook, Buffalo Bills (ADP: 72.0)

Cook showed off his big-play potential as a rookie, but Buffalo added two veteran backs who may limit Cook’s touches.

A season ago, Cook gained at least 15 yards on 12.4% of his carries and at least 20 yards on 6.7% of his carries. He finished the campaign with an average of 5.7 yards per attempt. All three figures ranked first among the 51 running backs with at least 85 rushing attempts last season.
The former second-round pick started the season with just a small role in the Bills offense. It wasn’t until the last five weeks of the season that he started to play more than 30% of the Bills' offensive snaps. He finally played 50%-plus in the Bills' regular-season finale.
With Devin Singletary now playing for the Houston Texans, Cook is in line to take the starting role.
Singletary was RB20 in 2021 when he didn’t have competition from Cook, who could be even better without Singletary.
The Bills added veteran Damien Harris, who can help in short-yardage situations, but Cook should see the bulk of the carries and targets.
He was heavily involved in the passing game in training camp and is growing into an every-down running back.
Cook also took every snap with the starters through two preseason games.
In the third game, Harris played and took some snaps with the starters, particularly late. It’s clear Cook will get most of the work, with the goal-line work being the biggest question mark.
The number of targets the Bills' running backs have received has increased in each of the last three seasons. If Cook can match his big plays as a runner with a lot of targets, he could be a top-10 fantasy running back this season.

Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos (ADP: 78.7)

Williams was one of the most electric running backs in the NFL before his ACL and LCL tear.

Williams has been excellent at making defenders miss. His 3.8 forced missed tackles per game as a runner over the last two seasons ranks fifth among running backs, even though he's been a part of a committee nearly every game.
Similarly, his 1.25 forced missed tackles on receptions per game ranked sixth last season.
In Week 4, Williams played 23 of a possible 25 snaps in the first half, so it seemed like he would finally get the playing time fantasy managers were hoping for. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL and LCL on the first offensive play of the second half and missed the rest of the season.
He avoided the PUP list to start training camp and even played in the second preseason game.
Some running backs were able to be the same player they once were a year after an ACL tear, but some players needed an extra season of sub-optimal play before rebounding.
The Broncos didn’t invest much at running back despite Williams’ injury. Their main free-agent addition at the position was Samaje Perine from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Perine's 3.3 yards after contact per attempt over the last two seasons rank 11th among running backs with at least 145 carries. Williams is at 3.4, which ranks 10th.
Still, if Williams is 100% healthy, he can play as many snaps as the Broncos will give him. If Williams is struggling, Perine is more than capable of starting.
Williams was the primary early-down back in the second preseason game, while Perine was the primary third-down back. Williams’ saw five targets on eight routes in that game, suggesting that Denver knows what he can do as a receiver.
Williams could benefit significantly from a new coaching staff and an emphasis on the offensive line.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton led a New Orleans Saints offense that targeted its running backs 2,276 times from 2006-2021, 300 more times than any other team.
Williams could follow in the footsteps of several past Saints running backs and finish among the top five at the position if he is 100% after his injury.