With NFL preseason action wrapped up, that means that fantasy football season is in full swing. Drafts are taking place everyday now, and if you haven't drafted yet, chances are you will be doing so over the next few days. With the season opener less than two weeks away now, fantasy owners should be putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the season.

Every year, the position group that seems to throw fantasy football owners through a loop the most is the running back spot. Considering how you need two running backs when many NFL teams rely solely on one guy at the position for production makes it seem like you need to attack the position early, but you can almost always find players to fill in on a weekly basis here when needed as well.

There was a lot of running back turnover this past offseason, which means that some running backs who weren't really options this year could end up leading you to glory. It's important to know which running backs are in those types of situations, so with that in mind, let's take a look at the five running backs who will gain the most touches in 2023 thanks to their new roles.

Fantasy Football running backs who will gain touches in 2023

5. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears

Khalil Herbert spent the first two seasons of his career working behind David Montgomery, but now that Montgomery is gone, the Chicago Bears lead running back role belongs to Herbert. Even with Montgomery leading the way last year, Herbert was still a viable fantasy option from time to time in 2022 (129 CAR, 731 YDS, 4 TD, 9 REC, 57 YDS 1 TD), and he should be able to take a big step forward as a result.

Montgomery had 201 carries last year, meaning that Herbert should easily be in store for 200-225 carries if he can stay healthy this year. Justin Fields will have his own share of carries, and D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson will take some carries away, but with another 100 carries to his name, Herbert should become an immensely valuable running back option for fantasy owners in 2023.

4. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Tony Pollard was a top-10 fantasy football scoring running back last year, and he wasn't even really the Dallas Cowboys lead running back. Pollard's timeshare with Ezekiel Elliott in the Cowboys backfield is over, and after his monster 2022 campaign (193 CAR, 1003 YDS, 9 TD, 39 REC, 371 YDS, 3 TD) Pollard looks set to easily become a top five running back in 2023.

Elliott had 231 carries last season, and now that he's gone, those carries will become Pollard's as he has virtually no competition at running back. Dallas is going to throw the football more this year after they traded for Brandin Cooks, but Pollard could amass 300 carries if he can stay healthy, which is precisely what fantasy owners will be looking for if they invest a high draft pick in him.

3. James Cook, Buffalo Bills

James Cook got swallowed up in the Buffalo Bills versatile running back room last season, but heading into 2023, he appears set to be the leader of the unit for the Bills. Cook was solid when he got the ball last season (89 CAR, 507 YDS, 2 TD, 21 REC, 180 YDS, 1 TD), and with an increase in volume, he's looking like a very playable option for fantasy football owners.

Devin Singletary, who is now on the Houston Texans, led the Bills with 177 carries last year, and most of those carries should go to Cook. He should be able to at least reach the 200 carry mark in 2023, with only Damien Harris presenting a real challenge for snaps, and when you factor in his pass-catching abilities, Cook seems like a slam dunk fantasy option in the high-powered Bills offense.

2. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rachaad White was a prominent fantasy option in PPR leagues last year, and now that he has taken over as the lead running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he should only continue to improve in his second year in the league. White's numbers weren't outrageously good in 2022 (129 CAR, 481 YDS, 1 TD, 50 REC, 290 YDS, 2 TD), but with an increase in volume, he immediately will become a starting running back in the fantasy world.

Leonard Fournette is out of the picture, and he had 189 carries last season. With no real threat to take the ball from him, White could reach the 250 carry threshold in 2023, and remain a top pass-catching option in Tampa out of their backfield. Tampa's offense may be sluggish at times, but White is going to get the ball one way or another, making him a strong fantasy football target.

1. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings

Alexander Mattison had proven time and again that he was a starting caliber running back over the first four seasons of his career, and after the Minnesota Vikings released Dalvin Cook, he will now get that opportunity. Mattison had his worst season in the NFL last year (74 CAR, 283 YDS, 5 TD, 15 REC, 91 YDS, 1 TD), but he's in line for a big starting workload for the Vikings with Cook gone.

Cook racked up 264 carries last season, and pretty much all of those are Mattison's now. Mattison has proven himself to be basically a clone of Cook's, and with no competition for snaps, he should be in for a massive boost in production. Going from 74 carries to around 250 seems drastic, but realistically speaking, that seems to be the massive jump that is in store for Mattison in 2023.