Giants' Saquon Barkley headlines early-round running backs to avoid in fantasy football

The 2023 NFL season kicks off on Sept. 7, which means fantasy football drafts are in full swing. Although the running back position continues to prove its worth, there are several underwhelming options sporting inflated ADPs that may not be worth investing a high draft pick in.

Here are three running backs projected to go in the early rounds that might not live up to the hype in 2023. 

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (ESPN ADP: 11.3)

Although he put together a resurgent season, finishing as the RB5, 2022 was a mixed bag for Barkley. As the focal point for the Giants' offense, the 26-year-old rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns last season while catching 57 passes for 338 yards. However, after receiving a career-high 35 carries in Week 10, Barkley was as inefficient as ever until New York scaled back his workload. 

From Weeks 11 through 14, Barkley was the RB26 on a points-per-game basis, averaging a mere 2.88 yards per rushing attempt. Fortunately, Barkley bounced back just in time for the playoffs, finishing as the RB5 across his final three games. 

Even so, last season's inconsistent play, coupled with Barkley being another year older, makes the tailback's RB3 price tag in drafts hard to justify. Not to mention that the Giants clearly made an effort to improve the passing offense for quarterback Daniel Jones to succeed this season. The additions of several intriguing pass catchers, including Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, will undoubtedly limit Barkley's work in the receiving game.

Plus, the dual-threat Jones will continue to be a threat to steal touchdowns, just as he did seven times in 2022. Investing in an arguably more exciting option like Bijan Robinson or Tony Pollard seems like a wiser decision than Barkley, given the cost.

Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 30.7)

The 2021 first-round pick finally got a taste of NFL action after a Lisfranc injury sidelined him for his rookie season. Even though he recorded 1,125 yards on an efficient 5.1 yards per carry, Etienne underwhelmed in enough aspects that his RB10 pre-draft ranking makes for a questionable price point. 

Aside from fumbling five times, the second-most by a running back last season, Etienne simply wasn't the pass-catcher he was touted as coming out of Clemson. He caught just 35 of his 45 targets for 316 yards. 

Etienne also showed signs of decline fairly early into the season that persisted until the end of the year. As noted by "The Fantasy Sanctuary" YouTube channel, from Weeks 7 through 17, Etienne was the RB17 in PPG in PPR scoring formats. It's possible that Etienne's recovery from injury and adjustment to the NFL may have been the cause of his underwhelming output. 

Nevertheless, Etienne will have fewer opportunities this season, so we could see more of the same or even worse from him. Jacksonville spent a third-round pick on Auburn running Tank Bigsby and plans on using him often. Bigsby is expected to handle some of the early down work in Jacksonville and was given priority in goal-line situations over Etienne in the Jaguars’ third preseason game. 

Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers (ADP: 32.4)

After finishing as the RB3 overall as a rookie in 2021, Harris had astronomical expectations last season, but a variety of factors led him to disappoint. The former first-round pick dealt with injuries, a poor offensive line and a changing of guards at quarterback en route to an RB14 finish in PPR scoring formats. 

Despite being fully healthy and Pittsburgh's commitment to improving its offensive line this offseason, Harris' efficiency issues are impossible to overlook. Since Harris debuted in 2021, Mark Ingram II and Alexander Mattison are the only running backs with at least 200 rushing attempts who have averaged fewer than his 3.9 yards per carry.

Additionally, Harris shares time with 2022 undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren, who flashed during his rookie year and the 2023 preseason. While Warren probably won't unseat Harris for the lead-back role despite what some may believe, the former will continue to cut into the latter's workload on passing downs. Last season, Harris recorded 41 receptions compared to the 74 passes he caught as a rookie.

Part of those results can be attributed to the transition from a nearly-retired Ben Roethlisberger to Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, but last season's production should give a strong indication of Harris' future outlook. At his current RB11 price on ESPN, Harris feels like an overvalued selection who you may regret taking instead of a wide receiver.