Which Backfields Are Open for the Taking?

With RBs changing teams, there will be new fantasy football opportunities.

4for4 released its list of available carries for the upcoming 2023 NFL football season, and there are some surprises. The available carries list shows how many carries from each team in 2022 are unaccounted for as running backs changed teams this offseason. It’s not always a one-for-one match—teams may change their offensive philosophy from year to year—but in general, if a team lost some of its top running backs from the previous year, they are going to have to involve new running backs to pick up the slack.

So, which backfields should you take a look at to try to find a sleeper RB?

Denver Broncos

319 available carries, No. 2 most

The Broncos rank second for most unaccounted-for carries going into 2022. After Javonte Williams went down in Week 4, they employed a rotating mishmash for backs, including leading RB Latavius Murray, Melvin Gordon, Chase Edmonds, Mike Boone, and Marlon Mack. None of those guys are on the roster anymore. Besides Williams, only Tyler Badie, who had one carry last season, is returning.

That means Samaje Perine is a good pick in deep leagues. Even if Williams is fully-healthy in Week 1, the Broncos will need a backup running back. In the first four games of last season, Broncos then-RB2 Melvin Gordon averaged 9.3 carries as Williams’ backup and went over 10 carries three times. That was with Nathaniel Hackett as coach. Now former Saints coach Sean Payton comes in. The Saints were one of the most run-heavy teams under Payton.

Next