Months and months of preparing are officially for not, as Week 1 of the NFL season sent us all into a frenzy trying to update our projections for the rest of the season. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the fantasy football Week 2 running back rankings.
Fantasy Football Week 2 Running Back Rankings: Where Does Elijah Mitchell Fall?
Tier 1: Workhorse Week-Winners
- Christian McCaffrey
- Alvin Kamara
- Aaron Jones
- Nick Chubb
- Dalvin Cook
- Joe Mixon
Barring injury, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where Christian McCaffrey isn’t the projected RB1 in any given week. Alvin Kamara remains the best weapon in New Orleans by a country mile and should face a favorable gamescript against a less-talented Carolina Panthers team. Aaron Jones got off to a rough start in Week 1, but he should bounce back against an awful Detroit Lions team. If he doesn’t, then it’s officially time to panic.
Nick Chubb could very well end up being the RB1. The former second-round pick has great odds of hitting over 100 yards and two scores against the Houston Texans. Dalvin Cook has the workload and talent for fantasy football stardom, and a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals means that this should be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. Joe Mixon had one of the highest snap shares in the league, and Joe Burrow looked solid in Week 1.
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Tier 2: Low-End RB1
- Austin Ekeler
- Derrick Henry
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Najee Harris
- D’Andre Swift
- Antonio Gibson
Austin Ekeler didn’t see a single target during his first week with a new head coach. He did, however, see red zone carries, and I refuse to believe that a receiving back as good as Ekeler can be completely phased out of a passing attack solely because of scheme. The targets will come in time, although there might not be as many as last year.
Last week showed what happens to Derrick Henry in a bad gamescript, but the Titans should be more competitive against Seattle’s subpar defense. Ezekiel Elliott played in over 80% of the snaps in Week 1, and Dallas will probably run the ball more than they did in their season-opening loss.
The results weren’t there, but Najee Harris played in every snap last week. That type of workload means that results will follow eventually, even in a bad offense with terrible blocking. Based on passing volume alone, D’Andre Swift is going to be a low-end RB1 for the remainder of the season. Antonio Gibson got the workload we all hoped for last week, but you do have to knock him down a bit due to the new quarterback.
D’ANDRE SWIFT IS A STAR ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/KeKKab1NzP
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) September 12, 2021
Tier 2: Solid RB2
- Jonathan Taylor
- Chris Carson
- David Montgomery
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Kareem Hunt
- Darrell Henderson
- Melvin Gordon
- Damien Harris
- Miles Sanders
- Myles Gaskin
- Saquon Barkley
- Ty’Son Williams
Nyheim Hines isn’t going away, but the Colts lack of talent at wide receiver means that there are enough targets for the both of them. Chris Carson has a favorable matchup and complete control of the backfield, the only problem is that Russell Wilson tends to score touchdowns before the team gets in the red zone. David Montgomery found a way to be productive in a terrible matchup with a negative gamescript, so he should be a safe play against the Bengals.
The Chiefs don’t like to run the ball, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire had complete control of the backfield when they did take to the ground. Cleveland’s matchup is so good that Kareem Hunt has a very good shot of earning a touchdown or two. Darrell Henderson played in all but two snaps of LA’s season-opening win, and I don’t see a reason why that workload would change.
Miles Sanders looked great in Week 1, but Jalen Hurts’ rushing ability means that he could steal a few rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley clearly isn’t himself yet, and he’s staring down a short week against a great defense. Ty’Son Williams looked better than Latavius Murray, but Baltimore’s coaching staff seems intent on splitting the workload.
Miles Sanders has hops 🐰 pic.twitter.com/RcqJgGeqe4
— DIE-HARD 🦅 Fans (@Eaglesfans9) September 12, 2021
Tier 3: Solid Flex Play
- James Robinson
- Nyheim Hines
- Javonte Williams
- Elijah Mitchell
- Chase Edmonds
- James Conner
- Mike Davis
- Josh Jacobs
- Jamaal Williams
- James White
- Leonard Fournette
- Ronald Jones
- Devin Singletary
- A.J. Dillon
- Mark Ingram
- Carlos Hyde
Carlos Hyde got a larger workload than anyone would’ve liked in Week 1, but James Robinson appears to be the pass-catching back in Jacksonville. Nyheim Hines won’t do much on the ground, but he could very well lead the Colts in targets. Javonte Williams played second-fiddle to Melvin Gordon in Week 1, but he should earn a larger role as the season progresses. That probably won’t happen in Week 2, which pushes him down these fantasy football running back rankings.
Elijah Mitchell was the must-add waiver claim of the week and he will have some fantasy value, but he didn’t see a single target in Week 1 and you can never trust Kyle Shanahan. Chase Edmonds got the passing work, while James Conner had the goal line work. This adds up to a fantasy situation you want to avoid.
George Kittle is truly one of one
Kittle pancakes TWO Lions defenders on this 38 yard touchdown run by Elijah Mitchell pic.twitter.com/UfncSJOE89
— Jordan Elliott (@splash_cousin) September 14, 2021
Josh Jacobs saw an even split with Kenyan Drake in Week 1, and now he has to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bruce Arians says Ronald Jones will be the starter in Week 2, but trusting Bruce Arians is a good way to lose your fantasy matchup. Mark Ingram is Houston’s lead back, but he’ll only be valuable in positive gamescripts, and Houston won’t have too many of those.
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