Last article, we covered quarterbacks. Now, let’s move on to everyone’s favorite topic: RB Rankings. RB remains vital for a successful fantasy squad, and these RB Rankings will help you know who to take, and when to take them. Without further ado, let’s get to the rankings.

The Running Backs

Name: Rushes-Rush Yds-Rush TD:Fumbles, (Targets-Catches-Receiving Yds-Receiving TDs) Fantasy points in 0.5 PPR.

Tier 1: Supreme elite fantasy overlords

1. Saquon Barkley 263-1,348-12:1, (108-79-662-4)335.5
2. Christian McCaffrey 256-1,159-9:2, (124-96-733-4)313.2
   So yes, I have Barkley as my top overall back. I don’t blame you for liking McCaffrey more, his 2019 was off the charts. But hear me now. Saquon got hurt, and I do not appreciate the Panther offense much in 2020. I don’t think Bridgewater helps McCaffrey a bunch, the line is not great, and I suspect the offense outside CMC struggles. Barkley has an improved line, a QB heading into year two, and weapons developing around him. The Giants offense has so much potential in 2020, and Barkley stands to benefit the most from that.

Tier 2: Standard elite

3. Ezekiel Elliott 298-1,364-11:3, (69-56-439-3)289.3
4. Derrick Henry 297-1,487-13:3, (33-25-257-2)273.9
5. Alvin Kamara 194-938-8:2, (101-82-619-4)266.7
6. Dalvin Cook 253-1,152-11:3, (69-56-531-1)265.3
   These guys are breadwinners and will bring home the bacon. Zeke is going to get insane volume. And that offense should keep defenses honest. Henry will likely win the rushing title once again, raising his floor to a level where his poor receiving numbers don’t hurt him as badly. And instead of the 81 catches Kamara has recorded for three straight years, I am projecting a gaudy 82! Last year’s touchdown regression is an anomaly. Cook has all the potential to outperform his projections, his talent was never the issue. Landing any of these guys gives you a legit and surefire RB1 guy. They are foundational talent to build your roster around.

Tier 3: Really freaking good

7. Nick Chubb 280-1.411-10:1, (40-31-249-1)246.5
8. Josh Jacobs 266-1,258-10:1, (48-35-298-2)244.1
9. Aaron Jones 216-1,088-11:3, (62-43-383-2)243.6
10. Miles Sanders 232-1,034-7:2, (68-52-479-4)241.3
11. Leonard Fournette 248-1,006-7:1, (76-59-439-3)233
12. Joe Mixon 252-1,109-8:1, (51-42-359-3)232.8
13. Austin Ekeler 141-678-3:3, (97-75-819-5)232.2
14. Chris Carson 259-1,159-8:5, (51-40-336-3)230.5
15. Kenyan Drake 219-1,087-9:2, (67-51-319-2)230.1
16. Todd Gurley 226-936-9:3, (63-46-428-2)222.4
17. Le’Veon Bell 228-912-7:2, (81-59-451-2)217.8
18. Antonio Gibson 150-716-7:2, (78-57-587-3)216.8
    Here is where we get into the guys with RB1 potential, but perhaps a couple of small concerns. Chubb has Hunt stealing some touches, but his volume should still be very nice. Jones is sure to see a TD regression, plus the addition of Dillon could mean fewer goal-line touches. I am so high on Sanders in 2020, but the injuries to the offensive line are very concerning. Ekeler no longer has Rivers, but his receiving chops are beyond reproach from me. Carson has fumble and health concerns, but wow has he been consistently excellent. Drake should get plenty of volume but will Kyler and the WRs siphon off value? Fournette has a massive ceiling and floor gap, and more question marks than The Riddler’s jacket. His move to Tampa Bay has made his ceiling higher and floor lower. Jacobs could be severely under projected here, but I have concerns about Richard. Gurley’s ceiling and floor gaps rival Fournette’s. And Bell plays for Adam Gase, which is a terrifying concept, but we know about his talent. Gibson only recently snuck into this tier, and his upside is incredible. OROY contention from Gibson in 2020. These are the low-level RB1-high level RB2 guys.

Tier 4: Still nice, less certain

19. Clyde Edwards-Helaire 182-806-5:1, (70-51-462-4)205.3
20. David Montgomery 256-1,109-7:3, (38-28-194-2)195.3
21. David Johnson 209-828-6:3, (56-43-397-3)195
22. James Conner 186-818-6:2, (61-48-426-2)194.4
23. Jonathan Taylor 192-1,045-8:3, (26-19-202-1)185.2
24. D’Andre Swift 183-794-6:1, (45-37-381-2 )183
25. Raheem Mostert 179-971-8:3, (29-20-221-1)180.2
26. Melvin Gordon 193-798-7:2, (54-39-279-2)179.2
27. Marlon Mack 170-749-6:0, (43-35-334-2)173.8
28. Devin Singletary 180-918-5:3, (42-28-200-3)170.8
    Here we go with guys who no longer carry the safest floors. But under the correct circumstances, I could foresee RB1 production for any of them. CEH has a fantastic ceiling, but he is a rookie, with limited training camp, in an offense full of elite weapons around him. Montgomery’s injury clouds his future, but the volume is there if healthy. Which David Johnson will we see in 2020? And can Conner stay healthy for a year? His upside is fantastic if so. Taylor will be fighting Mack early on, but either could wrestle RB1 status away from the other. Swift was everyone’s favorite rookie RB pre-draft, but Lions backs haven’t treated me well. Mostert should be leading a committee, but we thought the same thing last year about Coleman. Gordon is hurt by Lindsay, and the fact that Denver has plenty of receiving weapons. And Singletary has Moss to deal with, with  no guarantees he keeps the gig. All in all, these guys could make or break your team. They are low-end RB2-high-end RB3 types.

Tier 5: Upside, but scary

29. Cam Akers 183-802-7:3, (41-29-226-2)168.3
30. Mark Ingram 160-800-7:1, (34-23-184-2)162.9
31. James White70-286-2:0, (90-65-567-4)153.8
32. Phillip Lindsay 171-789-5:0, (42-30-178-1)147.7
33. Tarik Cohen 61-253-1:3, (96-74-534-4)142.7
34. Kareem Hunt 80-345-2:1, (65-51-452-4)140.2
35. Jordan Howard 150-675-8:1, (22-13-118-1)138.8
36. Kerryon Johnson 164-656-5:1, (34-26-226-1)136.2
37. Sony Michel 220-800-6:1, (22-15-134-0)135.9
38. Darrell Henderson 119-501-5:2, (40-31-279-2)133.5
39. Duke Johnson 71-320-3:1, (61-47-428-3)133.3
40. Latavius Murray 149-623-5:1, (33-25-221-1)131.9
41. Chris Thompson 86-339-2:1, (76-59-425-2)128.9
42. J.K. Dobbins 113-598-4:1, (39-25-216-2)128.9
    There is still potential value to be found here. If Akers or Henderson emerges as the guy, you want him. The same goes for Ingram and Dobbins, and Vaughn and Jones. White is a PPR beast and moves up in full point PPR situations. Lindsay has Gordon to deal with now, but he has been pretty consistent and has a decent floor. Cohen in PPR is gold, even though his ground volume is lacking. Hunt is similar, although I do suspect Chubb’s presence eventually moves him out of Cleveland. Howard has limited upside, but his floor isn’t too bad. Johnson saw his value crater with the addition of Swift, but if healthy he could produce. Michel has health concerns, but when healthy he is serviceable Duke Johnson would become much more intriguing with a David Johnson injury. But he should contribute through the air. Murray has a decent floor and very high upside if Kamara drops. And Peterson is somehow still viable due to the Derrius G-word scenario, although his ceiling is admittedly uninspiring. Some of these guys could produce serious value, however, I would feel more comfortable with the previous guys slotting into my two RB spots. But flex guys and depth are still valuable.

Tier 6: This better not be your RB1

43. Tevin Coleman 131-535-4:1, (32-23-196-2)119.6
44. Jalen Richard 64-281-1:1, (62-50-424-2)112.5
45. Ryquell Armstead 148-534-3:1, (32-23-202-1)109.1
46. Matt Breida 133-638-3:1, (24-15-140-1)108.3
47. Zack Moss 103-560-3:0, (35-22-141-1)105.1
48. Nyheim Hines 51-184-1:1, (59-46-391-2)97.5
49. Jamaal Williams 73-301-2:0, (44-32-236-2)93.7
50. Boston Scott 93-383-3:3, (29-23-219-1)92.7
    Now we are down to very risky guys indeed. Counting on these guys, without other circumstances playing a role in doing so, is full of risk. But as with all risks, there is a potential for reward. Coleman could become very valuable with a Mostert injury. Richard gets a boost from Bowden being traded with his pass catching upside. Armstead will likely be the RB1 when he returns from Covid. Breida is a Howard injury away from a very intriguing option as well. Moss needs to beat out Singletary to be viable in my eyes, and a messed up training camp won’t help that. Hines should still see volume in the passing game, but Mack and Taylor make it hard to trust him consistently. Williams was hurt by the Dillon addition, but he is versatile and won’t just be phased out. Injuries will help his cause. And Scott will be serviceable regardless of what transpires, but I fear his ceiling is pretty limited. I like a lot of these guys as handcuffs or stashes for depth and the situational potential they possess. Not as your RB1 or RB2 though.

There you have it guys, the RB Rankings are here to help you win your draft. Happy drafting, and thank you for reading. If you like what you see, tell a manager, and if you don’t, then keep your mouth shut! I jest, lemme hear it, your feedback is always appreciated. Follow me on Twitter @realryanhicks, and follow @BellyUpFantasy for all your fantasy sports needs. Be sure to check out our consensus rankings to see where everyone at Belly Up Fantasy has these guys.