1. Breece Hall (NY Jets)
If Breece didn’t get injured, he would’ve taken the league by storm. He was 1st among rookie RBs in yards after contact/attempt (min 75 carries), and was 2nd among all NFL RBs in yards per route run (min 30 targets)
2. Dameon Pierce (Houston Texans)
Pierce was extremely productive on an extremely bottom-tier offense. He was 3rd among rookie RBs in yards after contact/attempt (min 75 carries), and was 2nd in missed tackles forced/attempt (min 75 carries). He’ll shine on an improved offense.
3. Tyler Allgeier (Atlanta Falcons)
Allgeier came on late but still found a way to reach a 1000-yard rushing season. Part of the reason for that is his efficiency – he was the only rookie RB to be top-10 among qualifying NFL RBs in both yards after contact/attempt and missed tackles forced/rush.
4. Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks)
Walker has shown he can handle a serious workload, and has a knack for the big play, leading all rookie RBs in run plays of 15+ yards. Walker was middle of the pack in yards after contact and missed tackles forced/rush.
5. Jaylen Warren (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Warren didn’t get a chance to shine, but he was very efficient on the opportunity he was given. 4th in yards after contact/attempt, 3rd in missed tackles forced/rush, and 3rd in yards/route run among qualifying rookie RBs. Look out for Warren in 2023.
6. James Cook (Buffalo Bills)
Cook showed a very versatile skillset in his limited opportunities in 2022. He posted a very respectable 1.43 yards/route run, which was 2nd among rookie RBs. He also showed some chops in the run game, especially his big-play ability.
7. Brian Robinson (Washington Commanders)
Robinson’s numbers were simply due to volume. He got better down the stretch, but he was pretty inefficient as a rookie. His 2.69 yards after contact/attempt and 0.16 missed tackles forced/rush was subpar compared to his rookie counterparts.
8. Rachaad White (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
White was given an opportunity to take the reins from the least efficient rushing RB in 2022, Leonard Fournette, but he failed to do so. Among all 10 rookie RBs with 75+ carries, White ranked last in both yards after contact/attempt and missed tackles forced/rush.
9. Isiah Pacheco (Kansas City Chiefs)
If Pacheco wasn’t on the Chiefs, he probably wouldn’t have been fantasy relevant. Pacheco wasn’t making guys miss at a high rate, wasn’t doing much after contact on a regular basis, and wasn’t too involved in the receiving game.