Despite the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the NFL seems intent on having a 2020 season. With the opt-out window shortly coming to a close, it’s time to look at the updated fantasy football running back rankings. Running back is arguably the most important position in fantasy, as true three-down running backs are in short supply. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the current rankings heading into the abbreviated training camp.
Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings (2020 NFL Season)
Top-Tier RB1’s
1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Saquon Barkley [Fantasy Profile]
3. Dalvin Cook
4. Ezekiel Elliott [Fantasy Profile]
5. Alvin Kamara
These five players, in some order, are generally accepted as the best of the best for fantasy football. Christian McCaffrey is coming off of one of the best seasons in history and received an upgrade at quarterback. Expecting him to repeat his 2019 heroics is probably asking too much, but he’s the unquestioned first-overall pick in fantasy.
Saquon Barkley is the focal point of his offense, is as talented as anyone, and has Establish the Run Truther Jason Garrett as his offensive coordinator. If anyone can usurp McCaffrey, it’s Saquon. Dalvin Cook is back in camp, which means that he will be the unquestioned starter on a run-heavy, high-scoring offense. With Stefon Diggs out of the picture, he’s a safe bet to finish second on the team in receptions.
Ezekiel Elliott doesn’t have the same burst that he used to, and Mike McCarthy is much more of a pass-heavy coach than Jason Garrett. However, Elliott is still earning the big bucks, and that offensive line is still great. He’ll get his touches, and the Cowboys should score a bunch of touchdowns. Alvin Kamara is the only one in this tier that doesn’t have full control of his backfield, but he’s so efficient that it doesn’t matter.
RB1 With Top-Tier Upside
6. Clyde Edwards-Helaire [Fantasy Profile]
7. Kenyan Drake [Fantasy Profile]
8. Miles Sanders [Fantasy Profile]
9. Joe Mixon
10. Josh Jacobs [Fantasy Profile]
11. Austin Ekeler [Fantasy Profile]
12. Nick Chubb [Fantasy Profile]
Clyde Edwards-Helaire might be a rookie, but he’s the unquestioned starter following the Damien Williams opt out. Andy Reid can make any running back great, and the Kansas City Chiefs are going to score a lot of touchdowns. If “Arizona Cardinals Starting Running Back” was a single person last year, they would’ve finished as the RB3 in half-point formats. Kenyan Drake is the unquestioned starter and this offense should get even better with DeAndre Hopkins and expected growth from Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury.
Doug Pederson typically uses a committee approach for his running backs, but all signs point towards Miles Sanders being a huge part of this offense. Philadelphia didn’t sign a running back and the receiving corps is already depleted, so Sanders should pick up right where he left off late in 2019.
Joe Mixon is as talented as any running back in the league and has complete control of his backfield. However, the relative uncertainty of rookie Joe Burrow and the underwhelming coaching staff keeps him out of the top tier. I don’t think Josh Jacobs will receive the passing work that everyone wants, seeing as the team brought in Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Lynn Bowden in the NFL Draft. However, if I’m wrong and Jacobs sees a dramatic increase in targets, he’s a top-tier player.
Austin Ekeler isn’t a 250-carry guy, but his work in the passing game keeps him as an RB1, even though losing Philip Rivers will affect his target share. Kareem Hunt is going to steal too much of the passing work for Nick Chubb to be anything more than a low-end RB1.
RB2 With RB1 Upside
13. Derrick Henry [Fantasy Profile]
14. Chris Carson
15. Todd Gurley
16. Aaron Jones
Derrick Henry has a fantastic year last year, but it’s hard for a one-dimensional running back to repeat that success, no matter how talented. If Ryan Tannehill regresses, it’s hard to see Henry putting up an RB1 finish. Chris Carson isn’t a sexy pick, but he should be healthy for the start of the season. Russell Wilson will ensure this team has plenty of scoring opportunities, and Brian Schottenheimer will ensure that Carson never stops touching the ball.
Todd Gurley doesn’t need to be his old self to be fantasy-relevant in Atlanta. Devonta Freeman was literally the worst running back in football last year, and Gurley is set to receive the majority of that vacated workload. Even league-average play should project him to a high-end RB2 finish. Aaron Jones is absurdly talented, but the Green Bay Packers don’t seem to want to use him as a feature back. Touchdown regression is coming, and bringing back Jamal Williams and drafting A.J. Dillon makes it hard to imagine Jones earning a full workload.
RB2 Volume Hogs
17. David Johnson
18. Raheem Mostert
19. Leonard Fournette
20. David Montgomery [Fantasy Profile]
21. James Conner
22. Ronald Jones [Fantasy Profile]
23. Le’Veon Bell [Fantasy Profile]
24. Mark Ingram
David Johnson’s best days are behind him, but he’s the only running back in Houston and Bill O’Brien is going to be motivated to give Johnson as much work as possible. Raheem Mostert received his contract extension and should be the primary guy in San Francisco. Of course, the presence of Tevin Coleman along with Kyle Shanahan’s habit of switching the starter keeps him from being higher on this list.
Leonard Fournette received a lot of work last year, but that was primarily due to Jacksonville having no better options. With Chris Thompson in town, Fournette’s going to see a drastic drop in targets. David Montgomery remains the only man in Chicago, but his play left a lot to be desired last year, and Chicago’s offense isn’t exactly a high-scoring machine.
At this point, it’s impossible to count on James Conner staying healthy for a full season. Even if he plays a full 16 games, there’s no guarantee that Ben Roethlisberger stays healthy and plays like his old self. Ronald Jones could be the next LeGarrette Blount for Tom Brady, as he’s the only noteworthy guy on the roster with experience in the offense.
Adam Gase and Le’Veon Bell are not on great terms, the offense has no weapons, and the defense is going to force the Jets into playing catch up and abandoning the run. The offensive line should be better, but that’s not enough to make Bell too attractive for fantasy. Mark Ingram won’t be a true workhorse and he could lose the starting job to J.K. Dobbins as the season progresses. However, for now, he’s going to be the starter on the best running team in football.
Workload Uncertain
25. Jonathan Taylor
26. James White
27. Derrius Guice
28. Devin Singletary [Fantasy Profile]
29. Sony Michel
30. Kareem Hunt
31. Matt Breida
32. Marlon Mack
33. Zack Moss [Fantasy Profile]
34. Tevin Coleman
35. Jordan Howard
If Jonathan Taylor wins the starting job from Week 1, he’ll be much higher than this. However, Marlon Mack will probably eat into his workload, and there’s no guarantee that he ever receives passing work. Cam Newton will target the running back if the running back can catch, and James White might just be the second-best receiver on the Patriots. Devin Singletary is probably going to receive the early-down work for the Bills, but Zack Moss should receive the goal line touches and passing work.
Sony Michel doesn’t make plays in the passing game and is coming off a foot injury, but Cam Newton’s presence and the return of David Andrews should help his production on the ground. Matt Breida is above Jordan Howard in these rankings, as Breida is the better receiving back and the Dolphins probably won’t be winning too many games.
The Rest
36. D’Andre Swift
37. Kerryon Johnson
38. Melvin Gordon
39. Phillip Lindsay
40. Cam Akers
41. Darrell Henderson
42. Duke Johnson
43. Ke’Shawn Vaughn
44. Boston Scott
45. Justin Jackson
46. Latavius Murray
47. J.K. Dobbins
48. Alexander Mattison
49. Tarik Cohen
50. Rex Burkhead
There’s no way of predicting whether Kerryon Johnson or D’Andre Swift will win the starting job, so both players end up as the best of the rest. Melvin Gordon received the big payday in the offseason, but Philip Lindsay won’t go down without a fight. This is probably going to be similar to the Lindsay-Freeman split of years gone by, except with Lindsay playing the role of Royce Freeman.
Cam Akers could very well win the Week 1 starting job, but it’s far from a foregone conclusion. Henderson has experience in the system, and COVID-19 will make Akers’ acclimation to the NFL even more difficult. I expect Miles Sanders to be the lead guy in Philadelphia, but Boston Scott is an absolute steal if I’m wrong. Ditto for Justin Jackson in Los Angeles.
Alexander Mattison is perhaps the most valuable handcuff in the NFL and could carry some standalone value. Damien Harris is getting the offseason love, but Rex Burkhead is more likely to take the starting job if Sony Michel gets injured.
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