Eric KarabellESPN Senior WriterNov 15, 2023, 05:00 AM6 Minute Read

Eric Karabell ranks players based on their value for the rest of the 2023 season by position every week. Use the information to optimize the players on your bench for their future potential. Eric's top 100 can be found below the positions in this column.

Quarterback

Rankings changes: Revitalized Cowboys star Dak Prescott was the high QB scorer of Week 10, and he is on quite a statistical roll over the past four games. How far should he rise? Does he deserve to be ahead of Texans rookie C.J. Stroud? What about Ravens star Lamar Jackson, who boasts only one top-10 QB performance in the past six games? For now, Jackson drops out of the top 5 QBs, and Stroud, Prescott and healthy Cardinal Kyler Murray are ready to pass him soon. The tiers of safe fantasy quarterbacks may end there with those 10, though the Commanders' Sam Howell continues to thrive and, we assume, the Bears' Justin Fields will play again at some point soon.

New Vikings hero Joshua Dobbs rises to the No. 16 spot, pushing aside struggling Jaguars disappointment Trevor Lawrence, who hasn't reached 20 fantasy points in a game this season and comes off a brutal outing with 2.1 points. Dobbs also passes the Browns' Deshaun Watson. Later in the rankings we moved up the Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield and Seahawks' Geno Smith, while the Saints' Derek Carr, Colts' Gardner Minshew and Titans rookie Will Levis head in the other direction.

Trade for: Stroud versus Prescott is a fine debate, but at this point, both seem well worth acquiring via trade. We discussed Howell in recent weeks, and he just continues to deliver excellent numbers. Murray looked healthy to us on Sunday.

Be cautious: We didn't think we would get to this point with Jackson, but fantasy managers need numbers, and he has underwhelmed in recent weeks. Dobbs is a nice story recently, but there is a reason he has worn so many uniforms in recent seasons, too. Do not assume Lawrence turns his season around or the Bears stick with Fields if he struggles upon return. They are playing for the draft pick.

Running back

Rankings changes: Washington's Brian Robinson Jr. and Lions rookie Jahmyr Gibbs scored the most points at the position in Week 10, but they remain in timeshares. Robinson did most of his damage catching the ball. Gibbs scored two touchdowns, even with David Montgomery healthy. Texans veteran Devin Singletary had his biggest game of the season, and with Dameon Pierce hurting and slumping, perhaps Singletary becomes a weekly flex option. He moves up in the rankings, along with now healthy Dolphins rookie De'Von Achane, healthy Cardinal James Conner and Ravens revelation Keaton Mitchell.

Meanwhile, some of the top running backs from preseason drafts continue their disappointing, or at least inconsistent play. The Titans' Derrick Henry rushed for fewer than 25 yards for the second game this season. The Cowboys' Tony Pollard has reached double-digit PPR points in one of his past six contests. The Packers' Aaron Jones looked great in Week 9, but not so much this past week. We cannot assume Pollard and Jones turn things around.

Trade for: The Lions may have a pair of RB1 options soon, with Montgomery close to joining Gibbs at top status. The way this team runs the football, this is a realistic scenario. Seattle's Kenneth Walker III regained his lost touches from prior weeks, and he scored 19.7 PPR points. The Colts' Jonathan Taylor is clearly in control of volume again, as Zack Moss barely touched the football in Week 10. Fantasy managers take note: 12 NFL teams still have yet to serve their bye week. If trading for someone, this may be a differentiator, especially if your fantasy playoffs begin in Week 14 (Cardinals, Commanders off).

Be cautious: Look no closer than the AFC North for confusion -- and potential danger-- at running back. The Ravens, Browns and Steelers have timeshares. Each was effective Sunday, but hard to rely on in fantasy. The Ravens' Mitchell had only four touches. Kareem Hunt has six touchdowns in five weeks but not enough rushing yards or catches to otherwise sustain fantasy relevance. Steelers Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris scored touchdowns in Week 10, but the Browns and Bengals are up next. Cincinnati's Joe Mixon may lack upside, but he is the safest fantasy running back in this division, still.

Wide receiver

Rankings changes: Chargers star Keenan Allen led the position with 40.5 PPR points, edging out the Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb, but it is clear each player belongs in the top 5. After all, Allen and Lamb each average better than 22 PPR points per game, good enough for the top 5 for the season. Fantasy managers must also take seriously the recent numbers from Texans Tank Dell and Noah Brown, each of whom joins Nico Collins (who missed Week 10) at WR3 status. Nice job, Texans!

Carolina's Adam Thielen, however, has averaged a mere 11 PPR points over the past three games, which is enough to send him spiraling into WR3 range. He joins the Titans' DeAndre Hopkins and Bengals' Tee Higgins there, while popular Jaguar Calvin Ridley, so coveted on draft day, has reached 15 PPR points in only two games all season. He saw only three targets on Sunday. At least the Jets' Garrett Wilson remains heavily targeted -- and productive.

Trade for: With seven wide receivers in the overall top 10, time is running out to trade for one of these supremely valuable players. The top receivers are simply safer and more consistent than the top running backs, and their quarterbacks are elite. Saquon Barkley, obviously, lacks an elite QB. The 49ers looked good coming off their bye week, so now it makes sense to trade for Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. The Vikings' Justin Jefferson did not play in Week 10, but his return is looming, as the team remains a strong playoff contender.

Be cautious: The schedule seems to improve for the Jaguars, but the offense is struggling. Do not assume Ridley starts playing like a WR2. The magic ran out with Thielen and rookie Bryce Young. And we have had enough of the Packers' Christian Watson. Don't worry about what round you drafted him in. The numbers just are not there.

Tight end

Rankings changes: Arizona's Trey McBride certainly enjoyed Murray's return to the lineup, as he caught 131 yards worth of passes, second at the position to the Vikings' T.J. Hockenson. McBride has been inconsistent, but a pair of top-2 position performances in the past three weeks is enough to vault him into TE1 status. Cowboys sophomore Jake Ferguson may join him soon. The Bengals' Tanner Hudson is relevant, all of a sudden, while the Jaguars' Evan Engram, Patriots' Hunter Henry and Falcons' Jonnu Smith did little in Week 10.