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Miles Sanders put together the most-productive rushing season of his NFL career last year, while also setting a new career-high in fantasy football. He also demonstrated two important factors for his fantasy outlook this year. He showed that he's more than capable of handling a full workload as a featured back, while also playing a full season for the first time since his rookie year.
While Sanders is, once again, expected to be a featured running back this season, he will do so with a new team for the first time. This makes him an interesting fantasy football target for the upcoming 2023 NFL season.
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Miles Sanders' 2023 Fantasy Outlook
Miles Sanders set new career highs in many rushing categories during the 2022 NFL season last year. This includes his 259 carries for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, surpassing his previous personal bests by a wide margin. His previous career-highs included 179 carries, 867 yards, and six touchdowns.
The timing of his breakout season with the Philadelphia Eagles was also improtant for Sanders as it was a contract year for him. He ended up signing a brand new four-year contract with the Carolina Panthers during the free agency period, changing teams for the first time. While this can often make fantasy expectations tricky, Sanders is entering a fairly familiar situation.
Frank Reich was signed by the Panthers during the offseason, as well, to take over as their head coach. He previously spent time as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, so he and Sanders already have a relationship. This may be why the Panthers signed Sanders in the first place, potentially at the request of Reich.
Sanders is currently locked in as the Panthers' starting running back for the 2023 NFL season. Considering his implied workload and knowledge of Reich's offensive preferences, this could mean another strong fantasy football season for him.
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Is Miles Sanders a good pick in Fantasy Football this year?
Miles Sanders is probably in a better situation in fantasy football ahead of the 2023 NFL season than he was last year during his breakout campaign. He had a ton of competition for touches last year on a loaded Philadelphia Eagles' offense, including their running backs and pass-catchers. He also lost some of his ground work, and specifically touchdown opportunities, to quarterback Jalen Hurts' elite rushing abilities.
Now with the Carolina Panthers, a strong case can be made for Sanders being their single best offensive weapon. This means they are much more likely to lean on his abilities heavily, while likely designing much of their offensive scheme around his skillset, especially with Frank Reich in charge. This is probably even more true considering the Panthers are starting a rookie quarterback this year.
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The best way to take some of the pressure off of Bryce Young while he develops his game is to establish a strong ground game. While Chuba Hubbard is a solid RB2, Miles Sanders is expected to receive a large portion of the workload. He's also already proven to be a strong receiver out of the backfield, including a career-best 50 receptions for 509 yards.
Sanders is projected to play an important role for the Panthers this year. As long as he can stay healthy, he could be set up for another step forward in fantasy football as well.
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Where should you draft Miles Sanders this year?
Miles Sanders currently ranks as the RB19 and 49th overall player in upcoming 2023 fantasy football drafts, according to his recent ADP. This means he mainly profiles as an RB2 on most fantasy football rosters this year. Managers looking to target the Panthers' new weapon will likely have to do so in either the fourth or fifth rounds, depending upon the league format and scoring settings.
Sanders holds a similar ADP other veteran running backs, such as Alvin Kamara and JK Dobbins. While both possess elite upside, they also come with a ton of risks as well. Kamara will be suspended for the first three games of the 2023 NFL season and also has more competition for backfield touches than usual. Dobbins has a high ceiling this year, but is always a major injury risk as he's struggled to stay healthy.
Considering his current ADP, Sanders makes for a solid choice during 2023 fantasy football drafts. He appears to have a safer floor than many of the other similar options, while also having, at least, a comparable ceiling to most of the other players in the same range. He profiles as a solid RB2 on just about any fantasy roster and makes for an intriguing high-volume target.
