Another offseason is in the books, as football is finally here! You’ve drafted your teams, now it’s time to set your lineups. Picking the right players on a weekly basis is the key to actually winning your matchups, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the fantasy football Week 1 running back rankings.
Fantasy Football Week 1 Running Back Rankings: Football Is Back!
Tier 1: Week-Winning Upside
- Christian McCaffrey
- Alvin Kamara
- Dalvin Cook
- Aaron Jones
- Derrick Henry
- Austin Ekeler
Don’t overthink this – Christian McCaffrey is the top running back in fantasy football by a comfortable margin. Jameis Winston starting is good news for Kamara, and he’ll be the only proven target in the passing game with Michael Thomas sidelined. Mike Zimmer loves to run the ball, and Cook should see plenty of targets in the passing game.
Aaron Rodgers is back, which means Aaron Jones is a full-go for 2021. Derrick Henry doesn’t catch passes, but he runs the ball so well that it doesn’t really matter. Ekeler is basically the anti-Henry, as his high role in the passing game gives him limitless potential.
[pickup_prop id=”10302″]
Tier 2: Low-End RB1
- Nick Chubb
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Joe Mixon
- Jonathan Taylor
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Antonio Gibson
The Cleveland Browns vs the Kansas City Chiefs has a good shot of being the highest-scoring game of the week, so Nick Chubb should have plenty of touchdown opportunities. Ezekiel Elliott has a bit of a capped ceiling with Zack Martin sidelined and an unfavorable gamescript likely, but the volume will still be there. Joe Mixon is the only man in town and should plenty of touches in Cincinnati’s backfield.
Carson Wentz and Quenton Nelson should be back in Week 1, which means Jonathan Taylor is a safe play with decent touchdown upside. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has no backfield competition and a good shot of being the third passing option in the most dangerous aerial attack in the league. Antonio Gibson is everyone’s favorite breakout running back and should see more work in the passing game in Year 2.
All we're thankful for is Antonio Gibson switching hands with the ball to wave to the defender on this TDpic.twitter.com/30NVxkbMQe
— PFF (@PFF) November 27, 2020
Tier 3: Solid RB2
- Najee Harris
- Saquon Barkley
- Chris Carson
- Gus Edwards
- David Montgomery
- James Robinson
- Darrell Henderson
- Raheem Mostert
- Miles Sanders
- Myles Gaskin
- Kareem Hunt
- Mike Davis
Najee Harris is going to see the majority of Pittsburgh’s touches, but don’t be surprised if it takes some time for him to really find his form. He is a rookie, after all. In a similar vein, rumor has it that the Giants are going to take their time ramping Barkley up to a full workload. Pete Carroll fired Brian Schottenheimer for throwing the ball too much, which is great news for Chris Carson.
Gus Edwards will inherit the J.K. Dobbins role in Baltimore’s offense, which will carry a lot of value against a bad Raiders team. James Robinson won’t earn the same market share in 2021 that he had in 2020, but he’ll still be the primary ball-carrier on an improved offense. The Sony Michel acquisition was about improving the depth chart, not replacing the starter. Darrell Henderson should still be a great play.
Raheem Mostert is the starting running back in a Kyle Shanahan offense. Trey Sermon will get some touches, but Mostert will be the primary guy. Miles Sanders is the clear starter in his backfield, but the Eagles aren’t going to score too many points, and Jalen Hurts will steal a lot of goal line opportunities. Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman are similar talents, but Davis should remain the unquestioned starter in Week 1 while Gallman learns the playbook.
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Tier 4: Flex Play
- Ronald Jones
- Josh Jacobs
- D’Andre Swift
- Melvin Gordon
- Damien Harris
- James Conner
- Chase Edmonds
- Zack Moss
- Ty Johnson
- Kenyan Drake
- Jamal Williams
- James White
Ronald Jones can be very effective in a winning game script, and Tampa Bay is currently seven-point favorites against the Dallas Cowboys. Josh Jacobs is in a similar boat, except the Raiders will probably get crushed by the Baltimore Ravens. I am all-in on D’Andre Swift as a season-long play, but injury worries push him down the fantasy football Week 1 running back rankings.
That D’Andre Swift cut 🤧 pic.twitter.com/MyS1OrHCF8
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) December 26, 2020
Javonte Williams will take the starting job by the end of the year, but Melvin Gordon will be the Week 1 starter. Damien Harris is a great two-down runner, but he’s never going to get the passing work required for a high ceiling. James Conner and Chase Edmonds are a lot closer than anyone wants to acknowledge, and I’m probably staying away from both of them.
The Michael Carter hype train is out of control. Ty Johnson is probably going to start and, if I were a betting man, I’d say he’d be one of the biggest Week 1 waiver claims. Jamal Williams will probably see more touches than usual with a banged-up Swift ahead of him. Mac Jones winning the starting job is the best thing for James White, as rookies tend to check down more than experienced quarterbacks.
Main photo:
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