Tony Pollard could be one of the most captivating dynasty players in fantasy football in 2023, and we now know that he will be back with the Dallas Cowboys on the franchise tag.
Pollard, who is coming off a career season with 1,000 rushing yards, 39 receptions, 371 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns, underwent ankle surgery in late January and is expected to return to full strength before training camp. However, could potential suitors be turned off by the coincidence of Pollard getting hurt during a year in which he earned the most touches of his career? It remains to be seen.
For 2023 fantasy football season-long rankings, FantasyPros ranks Pollard as the No. 16 overall player and the No. 10 RB. Below, you’ll find his dynasty rankings.
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Tony Pollard 2023 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings (RBs)
- Pro Football Focus: 34th overall, RB13
- ESPN: 53rd overall, RB20
- FantasyPros: 35th overall, RB14
Analyzing Tony Pollard’s Dynasty Rankings
The market appears to be all in on Pollard in 2023 and beyond. After finishing as the RB8 last season, the fantasy community seems to be expecting more of the same from Pollard in what could be a featured role. He figures to be the main guy in Dallas.
Can Pollard be a featured back?
If you’re drafting Tony Pollard in the third or fourth round of a fantasy draft, you’re expecting him to shoulder the load as a team’s three-down tailback. However, I do worry a bit about Pollard’s running ability between the tackles. The fifth-year pro has the wheels to break big runs on the outside and turn catches into big gains. But he almost always had Ezekiel Elliott there to do the grunt work between the tackles.
Unless the Cowboys use a high draft pick on a RB, Pollard will likely get the chance to carry a heavier load, as Dallas opted to cut Elliott.
What to Keep in Mind Before Drafting Pollard
I want to preface this by saying I really do like Tony Pollard. He’s a fun player to watch, and gave Dallas some much-needed speed out of the backfield. But it pains me to say that I think Pollard will wind up being one of the most over-drafted players in fantasy this year.
Pollard’s stock simply couldn’t be higher than it is right now. He’s coming off a career year in which he almost rendered Elliott useless. It’s now looking like he’ll be the featured guy in Dallas, and therefore, I expect the fantasy football community to salivate and elevate Pollard into perhaps the second round of drafts. And frankly, that might be too much of a price to pay for Pollard.
From a dynasty perspective, now is the time to buy Pollard, as I suspect his price in a trade will only increase after free agency. Unless he lands in another committee (an unlikely scenario), I don’t see how Pollard’s stock decreases. Inversely, sellers would be wise to hold onto Pollard and use his free agent signing as an opportunity to sell him at his peak price.
