In fantasy football, the running back position must be the most exciting position to fill on your roster. Nowadays, coaching staffs expect running backs to be all-around producers, not just on the ground but through the air. That’s why the past few seasons we’ve had a resurgence in the position, especially among the younger running backs. It means most fantasy football team owners will have ample opportunity to pick one or two top running backs. During a season, it gets interesting as injuries set in.
As most fantasy football leagues are twelve-team leagues, we’ll focus on the top twelve running backs, then rank the next best twelve and so on, until we reach running backs who’ll likely need an injury to become relevant outside of the bye weeks.
1. Todd Gurley II Rams
2. Ezekiel Elliott Cowboys
3. Le'Veon Bell Steelers
4. David Johnson Cardinals
5. Kareem Hunt Chiefs
6. Saquon Barkley Giants
7. Alvin Kamara Saints
8. Leonard Fournette Jaguars
9. Melvin Gordon Chargers
10. Dalvin Cook Vikings
11. Devonta Freeman Falcons
12. Jordan Howard Bears
No real surprises here. The top workhorse running backs are all in the top five. It helps Ezekiel Elliott that the Cowboys' passing game is expected to struggle with the roster losses of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Based on the preseason game the other night, David Johnson looks to be in mid-season form.
Alvin Kamara gets a boost in value since Mark Ingram will be out for the first four games of the season. If you’re surprised Jordan Howard is in the top twelve, don’t be. As second year quarterback Mitch Trubisky continues to develop in his second season, the Bears will still lean heavily on Howard. If Trubisky breaks through as some expect, Howard could have a career season. Saquon Barkley is hands down the number one rookie to have on your fantasy football roster.
13. Jerick McKinnon 49ers
14. Derrick Henry Titans
15. Alex Collins Ravens
16. Joe Mixon Bengals
17. Christian McCaffrey Panthers
18. LeSean McCoy Bills
19. Kenyan Drake Dolphins
20. Lamar Miller Texans
21. Rashaad Penny Seahawks
22. Jay Ajayi Eagles
23. Ronald Jones II Buccaneers
24. Rex Burkhead Patriots
This is a great group of fantasy football RB2s for twelve team leagues. As for the first six, you’ll likely see them all produce RB1-type numbers most weeks. Jerick McKinnon, Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Christian McCaffrey, and Ronald Jones are favorites to contend for a top twelve finish at season’s end.
25. Royce Freeman Broncos
26. Mark Ingram Saints
27. Jamaal Williams Packers
28. Marlon Mack Colts
29. Dion Lewis Titans
30. Marshawn Lynch Raiders
31. Kerryon Johnson Lions
32. Isaiah Crowell Jets
33. Tevin Coleman Falcons
34. Carlos Hyde Browns
35. C.J. Anderson Panthers
36. Sony Michel Patriots
Not to be out done, Royce Freeman looks like a player who should unseat teammate Devontae Booker as the team’s starter. This means fantasy football team owners should target Freeman not Booker. As for the rest, they should all have significant roles in the offense but be splitting time with someone else. Without an injury or a substantial role in the passing game (especially in ppr leagues) their impact on the bottom line of fantasy football games may be insignificant except in certain weeks.
Note, Marshawn Lynch (and maybe even Carlos Hyde) should be more valuable for scoring touchdowns than producing significant yards between the twenties. Avoid Lynch in dynasty leagues except in the late rounds.
And Sony Michael is being over drafted (fifth to sixth round) as a low end RB3 in fantasy football. Michael is a tremendous talent. However, he’s not alone in the Patriots backfield, i.e., Rex Burkhead and James White. Plus, we’ve seen many talented running backs go to the Patriots but not excel. This is not the running back you want on a winning fantasy football team. The Patriots' offense runs through Tom Brady --- period. Treat Sony Michael as a low end RB3 for fantasy football draft purposes.
37. Matt Breida* 49ers
38. Tarik Cohen Bears
39. Devontae Booker Broncos
40. Giovani Bernard Bengals
41. Nick Chubb Browns
42. Duke Johnson Jr. Browns
43. Corey Clement Eagles
44. Jordan Wilkins Colts
45. Aaron Jones Packers
46. Ty Montgomery Packers
47. Chris Thompson Redskins
48. Bilal Powell Jets
Most of these players have one thing in common: they can catch the football out of the backfield or in open space. Among this group,Giovanni Bernard is an intriguing fantasy football draft prospect. With the Redskins' Derrius Guice done for the season, the Redskins could look to trade for Bernard who knows their playbook. The Redskins' Chris Thompson should continue to have a significant role at least on passing downs.
In PPR leagues, rank Christian McCaffrey and Chris Thompson five spots higher and Duke Johnson ten spots higher than they are ranked above.
“ * “ denotes an injury at the time of writing.