Will JK Dobbins Be A Top-10 Fantasy RB In 2023? Fantasy Football Outlook

Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and made an immediate impact in his rookie season. Dobbins averaged six yards per carry on 805 rush yards and nine touchdowns. His six yards per carry rank as the fourth highest for a rookie running back with 100-plus carries in NFL history. 

Dobbins was never able to build off his impressive rookie campaign. He tore his ACL in the Ravens' preseason finale in 2021 and missed the entire season. Last year, the running back struggled to return to form as he worked his way back from his gruesome injury.

Can Dobbins return to his rookie level? Will he be a top-10 fantasy RB in 2023? Let's take a look. 

J.K. Dobbins 2022 Season 

When Dobbins took the field in Week 3 of the 2022 season, it was the first action he saw since the 2020 playoffs. ACL injuries are hard to come back from. So, it was expected that the running back wasn't going to have that initial speed/burst right away. 

Dobbins tried to fight through some knee pain early in the season, but just four weeks after his return in Week 3, the running back landed on injured reserve with left knee soreness – resulting in an arthroscopic mid-season surgery. 

Despite missing six games to clean up his knee, Dobbins returned and showcased glimpses of his rookie self. He totaled 90-plus rush yards in three of his final four games and scored over 13 points twice during that stretch. On the year, the Ravens' running back totaled 520 yards on 92 carries (5.65 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in eight games. 

Will J.K. Dobbins Be A Top-10 Fantasy RB In 2023?

It was clear that Dobbins wasn't 100% in his first season post-ACL injury, and it's not uncommon to see. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was in a similar spot one year earlier, coming off a torn ACL in 2020. Barkley put together an inefficient 2021 season but finally broke back onto the scene in 2022 with a Pro Bowl season.

Yes, Dobbins and Barkley are two different players. However, the potential for the Ravens' running back to finish top-10 at the position can be within reach. Despite missing nine games in 2022, the former Ohio State star still averaged 10.2 PPR fantasy points per game and over five yards per carry.

It might be hard for Dobbins to finish as a top-1o running back, though, with Baltimore wanting to pass more in 2023, but he's a talented back on a great offense. His 5.9 yards per carry in his career on 226 carries is no fluke, and he'll likely put up RB2 numbers in fantasy football this season. 

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