Ideal Landing Spots in Free Agency: Running Back

The 2023 NFL free agency period is around the corner, which means we’ll get to see plenty of familiar faces land in new places.

The fantasy fallout is always a mystery. Some landing spots will be great, some will be terrible. When a player leaves one team and lands on another, it also opens up opportunity on the team they left and closes some on their new team. 

Let’s take a look at some of the top free agent RBs in 2023 and pick out their ideal fantasy landing spots.

Check out our ideal landing spots for quarterbacks.

David Montgomery

Ideal Fit: Buffalo Bills

With Devin Singletary likely leaving through free agency, the Bills are left with James Cook and Nyheim Hines in their RB room. David Montgomery is basically just an upgraded version of Singletary. I don’t know if Montgomery is good enough to thrive for fantasy anywhere else that needs an RB this offseason, but he’s certainly good enough to be relevant if given a large enough role, which is what he’d have in Buffalo. 

Miles Sanders

Ideal Fit: Philadelphia Eagles

For Miles Sanders, the ideal spot would be to just stay in Philly. It’s really, really tough to imagine him having a better season somewhere else in 2023. His 1,269 rushing yards and 11 TDs may both go down as career highs for him. Sanders proved in 2022 that he can rack up the points when leading a backfield. His impressive 5.0 career yards per carry average speaks volumes about his home-run ability. The only concern is Jalen Hurts stealing so many touchdowns, and perhaps a jump in Kenneth Gainwell usage.

Devin Singletary

Ideal Fit: Chicago Bears

Perhaps it’s just because of how he’s been used throughout his career in Buffalo, but Devin Singletary is not a name I’d be excited about to land in a “featured back” role in 2023. So my ideal spot would be Chicago, where I’d envision Singletary server as an above-average backup to Khalil Herbert. I think the Bears could get Singletary for much cheaper than re-signing Montgomery, and it wouldn’t change their offense dramatically. 

Kareem Hunt

Ideal Fit: Miami Dolphins

Kareem Hunt had a down 2022 season despite playing in all 17 games, averaging just 3.8 YPC and 4 total TDs — both career lows excluding his short 2019 season with the Browns. But we know Hunt is talented, and he has very little tread for a will-be 28-year-old, so I could easily see him in a featured role in 2023. I’d like to see him get another shot at that.

Damien Harris

Ideal Fit: Baltimore Ravens

Damien Harris’ style just seems to fit the Ravens’ MO — though with Greg Roman out in Baltimore, perhaps that statement isn’t as true as it feels. Either way, Harris would be an upgrade over Gus Edwards, but still behind J.K. Dobbins. Harris in a featured-back role isn’t exciting, so slotting him in as a TD-dependent back in a good offense feels like as good as it would get for him, and he certainly has a nose for the end zone (15 TDs in 2021).

Alexander Mattison

Ideal Fit: Kansas City Chiefs

Please put this man in a three-down role in a good team. Please. 

Rashaad Penny

Ideal Fit: Minnesota Vikings

Rashaad Penny had a special run to close out 2021, but I wouldn’t consider landing him a featured role, coming off an injury, as the “ideal” scenario. But put him in Minnesota to replace Alexander Mattison behind Dalvin Cook. Cook has had some durability concerns, and Penny could be a Mattison-esque handcuff, turning into a must-start if Cook were to miss time.

Jamaal Williams

Ideal Fit: Detroit Lions

Why would we want to change anything about Jamaal Williams’ spot in 2023? With the Lions last year, Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing TDs. He added 1,066 rushing yards, too. 

Jeff Wilson

Ideal Fit: Los Angeles Rams

Jeff Wilson is good enough to contend for a lead back role, and that’s exactly what he’d be able to do with the Rams. Wilson has a ton of big-play potential. 34% of his yards came on rushes of 15-plus yards last season, giving him the fifth-best “breakaway” rate among RBs, per FTN Data. The names in front of him were Kenneth Walker, Tony Pollard, Travis Etienne and Rhamondre Stevenson. Not bad company.

Some Others

D’Onta Foreman: Carolina Panthers. He rocked in 2022. Give him another chance.

Jerick McKinnon: Kansas City Chiefs. It wasn’t consistent, but it’s hard to envision McKinnon landing somewhere else that would utilize him in such a fantasy-friendly way.