X’s End of Season Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings

The NFL regular season has officially come to a close, and it was one that will stand out in history due to  the large amount of injuries, particularly to starting quarterbacks. This allowed for many breakout performances on offense as well as some disappointing performances as well. I have been working on a dynasty league positional ranking system for fantasy football which I have updated over the course of the season, and now that the season has officially ended I decided to post my end of season rankings, as well as mention my biggest risers and fallers over the course of the year. 

Positional Rankings

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

1. Breece Hall

2. Jahmyr Gibbs

3. Christian Mccaffrey

4. Bijan Robinson

5. Jonathan Taylor

6. Saquon Barkley

7. Kyren Williams

8. Travis Etienne

9. De’Von Achane

10. Kenneth Walker

11. Isiah Pacheco

12. Rachaad White

13. James Cook

14. Josh Jacobs

15. Javonte Williams

16. David Montgomery

17. Alvin Kamara

18. Joe Mixon

19. D’Andre Swift

20. Brian Robinson

21. Raheem Mostert

22. Tyjae Spears

23. Rhamondre Stevenson

24. Tony Pollard

25. Najee Harris

26. Jaylen Warren

27. Derrick Henry

28. Aaron Jones

29. James Conner

30. Devin Singletary

31. Chase Brown

32. Keaton Mitchell

33. Jerome Ford

34. Nick Chubb

35. Zach Charbonnet

36. Kendre Miller

37. Austin Ekeler

38. D’Onta Foreman

39. Khalil Herbert

40. Ty Chandler

41. Alexander Mattison

42. Chuba Hubbard

43. Gus Edwards

44. Zamir White

45. Dameon Pierce

46. AJ Dillon

47. Zack Moss

48. Roschon Johnson

49. Tyler Allgeier

50. Antonio Gibson

Wide Receivers

1. Justin Jefferson

2. Ja’Marr Chase

3. CeeDee Lamb

4. AJ Brown

5. Amon-Ra St. Brown

6. Puka Nacua

7. Tyreek Hill

8. DJ Moore

9. Devonta Smith

10. Brandon Aiyuk

11. Tank Dell

12. Garrett Wilson

13. Jaylen Waddle

14. Michael Pittman

15. Chris Olave

16. Tee Higgins

17. Jordan Addison

18. DK Metcalf

19. Deebo Samuel

20. Jayden Reed

21. Zay Flowers

22. Davante Adams

23. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

24. Rashee Rice

25. Nico Collins

26. George Pickens

27. Drake London

28. Terry McLaurin

29. Christian Watson

30. Cooper Kupp

31. Mike Evans

32. Keenan Allen

33. Amari Cooper

34. Stefon Diggs

35. Deandre Hopkins

36. Courtland Sutton

37. Diontae Johnson

38. Christian Kirk

39. Calvin Ridley

40. Marquise Brown

41. Jakobi Meyers

42. Jameson Williams

43. Jerry Jeudy

44. Gabe Davis

45. Tyler Lockett

46. Chris Godwin

47. Josh Downs

48. Romeo Doubs

49. Demario Douglas

50. Mike Williams

Tight Ends

1. Sam LaPorta

2. TJ Hockenson

3. Mark Andrews

4. Dalton Kincaid

5. Trey McBride

6. Jake Ferguson

7. George Kittle

8. Cole Kmet

9. David Njoku

10. Travis Kelce

11. Kyle Pitts

12. Evan Engram

13. Dalton Schultz

14. Dallas Goedert

15. Michael Mayer

16. Pat Freiermuth

17. Isaiah Likely

18. Luke Musgrave

19. Hunter Henry

20. Cade Otton

21. Tyler Higbee

22. Darren Waller

23. Juwan Johnson

24. Tucker Kraft

25. Noah Fant

Biggest Risers

Baker Mayfield

Although it seemed like everyone wrote Baker Mayfield off, he proved all the doubters wrong this season by having a career year in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay was projected to be one of the league’s worst teams after Tom Brady’s retirement but thanks to Baker Mayfield the team won the NFC South, and allowed Baker Mayfield to put himself in the running for the Comeback Player of the Year award. He posted career highs with 4,044 passing yards and a 64.3completion percentage, in addition this was his first season breaking the 4,000 passing yard threshold. Baker more than lived up to a one year deal he signed this offseason and after leading the Bucs to the playoffs he should finally have a new long term home in Tampa Bay.

CJ Stroud

The Houston Texans singlehandedly turned around the culture of their franchise by drafting Stroud. He quickly took the NFL by storm and has looked incredible, making receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell look like future stars and showing explosive arm talent every week. His playmaking ability has propelled this offense into one of the league’s best and he has helped lead the Texans into the playoffs by clinching the division title in week 18. CJ Stroud finished his rookie year with 4,108 passing yards, 23 TDs and 5 INTs, solidifying him as a top 5 dynasty quarterback.                                                       

Jordan Love

As much as it pains me to say this as Bears fan, Jordan Love proved many of the doubters wrong over the second half of the season and played very well. Like the Packers quarterbacks before him, he had a great first season throwing for 4,159 passing yards, 32 TDs, and a 63.6% completion percentage. His passing yards and completion percentage actually exceeded Rodgers and Favre’s first year, and his high level of play propelled the Packers into the final wild card spot. The future is very bright for Jordan Love and the Packers and he looks like a top ten quarterback now.

Kyren Williams

When Cam Akers quickly fell out of favor with the Rams coaching staff, a void was created at the running back position and Kyren Williams more than filled it. Kyren took over the role in week one and never looked back, only becoming more explosive as the season went on. Kyren started the season hot with two games rushing for more than 100 yards, but spent a four week stint on injured reserve. Despite this, he came back from injury better than ever and was a league winner for fantasy teams. He never ran for less than 85 yards the last six weeks and proved to be a true workhorse. His hot stretch made him punch a ticket to becoming a pro bowler for the first time, and despite missing four games he still rushed for 1,144 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He has more than earned the right to that backfield, and the Rams finally have the workhorse they have been desiring since Todd Gurley pre career ending knee injuries. Some may call this reactionary due to his late round stature, but I truly think he is a top ten dynasty running back due to how Sean McVay loves his workhorse running backs.

De’Von Achane

When the Dolphins drafted De’Von Achane in the third round, everyone immediately envied them adding yet another speedster to their offense and were excited to see the results. While injuries derailed Achane from playing a full season, the games he was fully healthy he showed flashes of greatness. Achane started the season with three consecutive 100 yard games, his first one rushing for 203 yards and 4 all purpose touchdowns. However, he went on IR after week 5 and missed six weeks of the season, causing him to be limited in carries even after his return. When Achane is on the field, his explosive play making ability makes him a walking highlight reel, and although he was splitting carries with Raheem Mostert all year, Mostert is 31 years old and also has had health concerns in years past. Eventually, this will be Achane’s backfield and his potential alone based off that three week stint puts him in the top ten dynasty running back rankings.

CeeDee Lamb

While CeeDee has always been a great wide receiver, this season he took that next step into the top tier of elite wide receivers with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. He posted career highs in every statistical category, as he had 1,749 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns and finished the number one ranked receiver in fantasy rankings. Now that the Cowboys are focusing on a pass first offense that runs through CeeDee, he has earned his stake as a top three receiver in dynasty and I expect him to continue putting up insane numbers.

Puka Nacua

The breakout of Puka Nacua was one of the most fun stories of the 2023 season, going from a largely unknown 5th round draft pick to a household name by the end of the season. Puka wasted no time getting acquainted with the Rams offense, as he started the season with a 119 yard performance in week one and finished with a rookie record of 1,486 receiving yards, and in addition he also caught 6 TDs. He is the biggest riser in everyone’s fantasy rankings this season, as he went from a fringe top 75 receiver in the preseason to making a huge jump and finishing as my number six overall receiver in the rankings.

Tank Dell

Tank Dell was on pace for one of the best rookie seasons this year before suffering a season ending injury in week 12. His connection with CJ Stroud was a nightmare to defend, having three games with over 100 yards and a touchdown. He finished his abbreviated rookie year with 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He proved to be quite the steal in this years NFL draft, more than living up to expectations of a third round draft pick.

Jayden Reed

Over the course of the second half of the season, Jayden Reed and Jordan Love really developed a rapport which led to an impressive rookie season for Reed. This chemistry they built allowed Reed to become the number one option in the offense, and in the last nine games he finished with 479 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Reed’s late season stretch moved him up the rankings from outside the top 50 receivers to a top 25 receiver with a super bright future.

Nico Collins

Nico Collins had shown some flashes in his first two seasons, but the addition of CJ Stroud helped him have an enormous third year breakout. Opposite of Tank Dell, Nico Collins held it down and stepped up for the Texans big time. He had four different weeks where he had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. He finished this season with career highs of 1,297 receiving yards and 8 TDs. His jump in production moved him from outside of the top 50 to top 25 at the receiver position.

Sam LaPorta

The Detroit Lions hit an absolute home run drafting Sam LaPorta in the second round. He fit perfectly in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s offense and put up one of the best rookie seasons for a tight end of all time, finishing with 889 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. His season shot him up to the number one ranked tight end in dynasty, and he gives the Lions a much needed, exciting second option behind Amon-Ra St Brown on offense.

Trey McBride

In what was largely a forgettable season for Arizona, Trey McBride proved to be a lone bright spot. He finished his second year with 825 yards and 3 TDs, and when Kyler Murray came back from his ACL tear he quickly became his favorite target. These numbers are exciting for a second year tight end and with Kyler Murray another year removed from injury I expect him to continue his elite level of play next year and in the future for years to come.

Biggest Fallers

Trevor Lawrence

In his pivotal third year, T-Law did not make the jump that analysts and fans thought he would this season, as he struggled with injuries, interceptions and inconsistent play all season and his mediocre late stretch was a big reason for the Jaguars late season collapse, as they went 1-5 in the last six games and fell out of the playoff race. He has not looked like the “generational” prospect people thought he was.

Deshaun Watson

When Deshaun Watson signed the first fully guaranteed contract in NFL history for five years, $230 million, most fans expected him to actually play consistently. There were questions this year that Watson’s head is not fully in it anymore due to sitting out games he was medically cleared to play, and when he did play this season his numbers were quite underwhelming. Watson only played six games and never threw for 300 yards, something that came to him with ease when he played on the Texans. The Browns have looked like a better team with Joe Flacco at quarterback than Watson, and the Browns are stuck with a contract that is impossible to move on from if Watson continues to not meet expectations.

Sam Howell

Howell began the season exceeding all expectations, as he had the second most passing yards in the league at the midseason mark. However, it went downhill fast from here, as Howell had quite the struggle with turnovers all year and his interceptions got so bad over the last month of the season that he was benched in the last two games for Jacoby Brissett, a sign that indicates that the Commanders will draft a quarterback to replace Howell this offseason after finishing with the second overall pick in the draft. 

Tony Pollard

After a breakout season last year, the Cowboys felt so confident in Pollard’s ability as a lead back that they decided to move on from Ezekiel Elliott and give Pollard the reins. Unfortunately for Dallas, the results were not as good as they had hoped. Pollard ended up showing that he is more of a committee running back than a workhorse, and with more touches his efficiency took a huge dip. His yards per carry dropped from 5.22 to 3.99, and his total touchdowns were cut in half from 12 to 6. Pollard’s inconsistency now poses the question of whether Dallas needs to add someone to the backfield next season or move on with Pollard playing on the franchise tag this season, putting a fork in Pollard’s dynasty value for now.

Aaron Jones

Even though the Packers defied expectations this season, one person who failed to live up to the hype was Aaron Jones. Jones struggled with lingering injuries all year, and now that he will be heading into his 8th season as an NFL running back health is now a long term concern with him. It seems like a decent possibility that he could be a cap casualty this offseason for the NFLs youngest team.

Austin Ekeler

Ekeler was perhaps the biggest bust in fantasy football this season. After finishing as the number one running back in PPR leagues last year, Ekeler followed it up with his worst season as a starter. He was terribly inefficient on the ground with 3.5 yards per carry, and anytime the Chargers tried to depend on Ekeler to run the ball they struggled. It is likely that Ekeler is done as a starter in the NFL, and although it is likely he will have a role somewhere as a change of pace back, his value in dynasty has quickly evaporated.

Dameon Pierce

With Houston expected to switch to a pass first offense after drafting CJ Stroud and firing Lovie Smith as head coach, a decline in Pierce’s production was expected. However, his decline ended up being quite dramatic as he never rushed for more than 100 yards this season once, saw his yards per carry drop from 4.3 to 2.9, and ended up progressively losing touches to Devin Singletary every week who proved to be the more efficient and elusive back. Now that he is not under Lovie Smith’s run heavy offense, he appears to have been just another late round, flash in the pan running back with not much long term value.

Miles Sanders

Now you may have noticed, Miles Sanders was not even on my list of running back rankings. That is not a mistake on my end, that is just how far his stock has fallen. Miles Sanders was one of the flashiest running back signings of the offseason when he signed a four year, $25.4 million contract with Carolina. The excitement dwindled rapidly after Miles Sanders was one of the leagues worst and most inefficient backs in the first month of the season, and once he suffered a minor injury he was benched for Chuba Hubbard just six weeks into the season. With Carolina looking for yet another new coaching staff, Sanders having even a small role next year is far from a guarantee, and it appears that Sanders success in 2022 was just a product of the Eagles incredible offensive line.

Terry McLaurin

When the Commanders hired Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator, it was expected by many that Scary Terry would take the next step into the tier of top 15 wide receivers. That did not end up happening, as Bieniemy’s offense saw quarterback Sam Howell spreading the ball out to various weapons on offense with no true number one option. While Terry did not necessarily have a bad season, as he finished with 1,002 receiving yards and 4 TDs, it was disappointing to see that he did not make the jump to stardom that some had hoped which made him fall a bit in this years rankings.

Cooper Kupp

Coming back from an ankle and hamstring injury, Kupp had an up and down year. Some of his struggles were due to nursing injury, but Puka Nacua’s breakout also put Kupp into the number two role which lowered his week to week consistency. While Kupp has still shown the ability to be explosive, it seems clear that he is not in 2021 form anymore and that this offense will be run through Puka Nacua in the future.

Stefon Diggs

In the first half of the season, Diggs was in top ten form and looking as electric as ever. However, Diggs went on a major cold streak in the second half of the season and began to look every bit of the wrong side of 30 years old. He did not score a touchdown in the last month of the season and had his worst statistical season since 2019, which was before the trade out of Minnesota making this his worst season in Buffalo. Diggs looks to be on a sharp decline, causing him to take a deep dive in the dynasty rankings with so many young receivers on the rise.

Travis Kelce

While some people think it may be the Taylor Swift curse that caused Travis Kelce to decline, the reality is that Kelce finally started to play like his age. After turning 34 years old midseason, his numbers seemed to subsequently take a dip. While he was still putting up games with solid yardage, he was not the monster he once was as he did not catch a touchdown after week 11 and failed to crack the 1,000 yard threshold for the first time since 2015. While he is still a great tight end to have on your fantasy team, he is no longer the undisputed top dog at the position anymore, especially with all the breakout seasons at tight end this year.

Overview

Overall, this season was a lot of fun and really shook up fans expectations for the future. There was major changes specifically at the quarterback and tight end positions that have really forced dynasty players to increase their research. I will keep updating my list all offseason to include rookies and free agent signings so keep an eye out for that.

What do you think about my end of season dynasty rankings? Do you have a specific question about a ranking in particular I didn’t go in depth about? Let me know in the comments.