New 2020 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings Redraft

As we all cling to the hope that there will be a full NFL Season in 2020; we prepare for our Redraft leagues and look at the 2020 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings. With training camps underway now is an opportune time to dive into the 2020 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings. But before we do so, let’s get reacquainted with the tiered rankings logic.

Elite (Tier 1)

Fairly self-explanatory. These running backs have the ability to carry your fantasy football team(s) regardless of format.

Supers (Tier 2)

Like the ELITE RBs they can carry your team but have a lower floor and aren’t quite as consistent due to mitigating factors. (I.e. Injuries, lack of passing game involvement)

Next Level Players (Tier 3)

This level of Running Back can carry your fantasy football team a few times per season.

Promising (Tier 4)

You’ve seen flashes of the three previous tiers; but there will be a couple head-scratchers along the way.

Status Quo (Tier 5)

You as a fantasy owner know what you’re getting, albeit nothing special.

Complement (Tier 6)

This set of Running Backs has a fairly low fantasy floor for any number of reasons and hover around their weekly projections.

Wait & See (Tier 7)

It’s exactly what it sounds like… just want to see more before taking the plunge


2020 Fantasy Football Redraft Running Back Rankings
Elite (Tier 1)
1	Christian McCaffrey	Carolina Panthers	The scheme change opens the door for Barkley but McCaffrey's skill-set and volume/opportunity is what 1.01 fantasy football selections are made of. McCaffrey led all non-QBs in snaps in 2019 - 1056 (93%). Not to mention, Teddy will check it down.
2	Saquon Barkley	New York Giants	The NFL's most gifted ball-carrier, I almost ranked him as the top overall RB. If he does in fact finish ahead of McCaffrey it should come as no surprise. Barkley is a remarkable consolation prize at 1.02.
3	Ezekiel Elliott	Dallas Cowboys	Elliott offers as solid a weekly fantasy floor as any RB in the game in what should be one of the most explosive offenses in the league; which also features three All-Pro offensive linemen. However, that oline is a little in-flux at moment. Monitor closely.
4	Dalvin Cook	Minnesota Vikings	Dalvin Cook put the ridiculous "lack of athleticism" stigma behind him after finishing 2nd only to Christian McCaffrey in fantasy points per game (20.9) in PPR leagues a season ago. Another year in Gary Kubiak's system, as the focal point of the Viking's offense will continue to pay huge dividends. Cook's injury history is the only reason why he is ranked lowest among the ELITEs. I believe Cook is in line for a special 2020 campaign, one that results in him leading the NFL in rushing. His Fantasy Football strength of schedule is quite delectable despite a tough fantasy playoff stretch.

Supers (Tier 2)
5	Alvin Kamara	New Orleans Saints	Ankle and knee injuries robbed Kamara of his trademark balance and quickness for the balance of 2019. Now with a clean bill of health, and an eye on a new contract I expect Kamara to approach the form he demonstrated in 2018. If he replicates that type of production, he will outpace this ranking.
6	Joe Mixon	Cincinniati Bengals	The masses have started to appreciate Joe Mixon's ability considering the amount of yardage he generated independent of his porous oline in 2019. I have news for you, he's just scratching the surface.
7	Derrick Henry	Tennessee Titans	When the season's change and the temparture dips the freshly minted Derrick Henry becomes virtually unstoppable. It would be a welcomed development if he were more involved in the passing game, but if not, he's still going to CRUSH.
8	Nick Chubb	Cleveland Browns	If not for the spectre of Kareem Hunt, Chubb would be ranked higher. His prowess as a ball-carrier is evident but the additional upside represented by the new outside zone running scheme, a substnatial improvement of the oline and the legitimate possibility of increased involvement in the passing game should set fantasy owners at ease in drafting Chubb during mid-first round if not higher.

Next Level Players (Tier 3)
9	Josh Jacobs	Las Vegas Raiders	Fantasy enthusiasts planning on fading Jacobs early in drafts due to his lack of receiving output should re-consider. In addition to the reports coming out of Las Vegas, there is data that suggests Jacobs will be a larger part of the passing game in 2020. Add that to his short area explosiveness and elusiveness and I'm sold. I'll wager this isn't going to be a committee approach with Jalen Richard and Lynn Bowden Jr. but rather Jacobs' backfield on all three downs.
10	Clyde Edwawrds-Helaire	Kansas City Chiefs	Skill-set, landing spot, and draft capital in the case of CEH is a beautiful alchemy but selecting him does not come without risk; that is until Damien Williams (my pick for Super Bowl MVP for what it's worth) opted out of the 2020 NFL Season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. I had Clyde Edwards-Helaire ranked at the top of the "Promising" tier originally but with this news Kansas City's backfield has come into more focus. There will be occasions where Edwards-Helaire won't be involved because Andy Reid is in a pass-happy, play-calling euphoria. Despite the valleys in week-to-week performance, the peaks should be tremendous.
11	Austin Ekeler	Los Angeles Chargers	Ekeler won't return the absurd value he did in 2019 finishing as the RB4 in PPR formats despite his mid round ADP; but I still expect RB1 fantasy ouput given his dual-threat role in the offense and the added benefit of a mobile QB to keep backside defensive ends from crashing down at the mesh point.
12	Aaron Jones	Green Bay Packers	I don't like what I've done here. Jones was phenomenal in the outside zone scheme and I find it hard to imagine that he doesn't see a similar workload in 2020 (260 - 280 touches)... hell he was the driving force on an offense for a team that played in the NFC Championship. But Jones' yardage totals weren't exactly overwhelming. Replicating his league leading TD total last season is a stretch and I don't think you can summarily dismiss Jamaal Williams or A.J. Dillon. Jones is a popular fade in among fantasy analysts and while I agree I won't take the plunge in the 1st round in 2020, if he starts to slide into the 2nd or better yet is available in the third round, don't hesitate to pounce in your redraft league.
13	Leonard Fournette	Jacksonville Jaguars	I understand fantasy owners' frustration with Leonard Fournette, but positive regression is on the way. Those of you holding onto Fournette's lack of TDs last season, pace of play with new OC Jay Gruden and negative game scripts have to come to terms with the fact that behind a poor offensive line and with a rookie QB Fournette: finsihed 5th in runs over 10 yards, caught the most checkdowns (30) in the NFL, led the NFL in highest team share of designed runs (81%), and was 1 of 2 backs to play over 80% of snaps on 1st, 2nd and 3rd down in 2019. He also caought 76 passes on 100 targets and not a single one went for a score. Law of averages folks. Give me that volume as I don't expect there to be much change in 2020 other than Fournette being a bit more efficient with his opportunities. With this 3rd/4th round ADP... I'm thinking league winner, in my humble opinion.
14	Miles Sanders	Philadelphia Eagles	Opportunity is king in fantasy football especially at the running back position and things are shaping up nicely for Miles Sanders. Im not ready to rule out GM Howie Roseman adding a veteran to the mix but Sanders will lead Philly's rushing attack regardless. A well-rounded back, that contributes in the passing game on an offense that should be quite potent assuming their perimeter weapons stay healthy should net fringe RB1 value at a minimum. However, don't expect 350+ touches, that's not HC Doug Pederson's style. I like Sanders, but I'm not as bullish as those that have him ranked among the ELITES and SUPERS.

Promising (Tier 4)
15	Kenyan Drake	Arizona Cardinals	I can appreciate both the hype and trepidation surrounding Kenyan Drake. That being said his ADP has him coming off he board at the 1st/2nd round turn in PPR leagues so decisions, decisions. Drake's 2019 performance during the second half of the season (and fantasy playoffs) were of league-winning caliber but he's never put a full season of production together. So what do you hang your hat on in order to take the plunge late 1st, early 2nd round? You'll have to place your faith in a three-down role, in what will be an explosive, high tempo offense. Drake was among the most elusive backs in the NFL in 2019 and is a quality receiver out of the backfield. There will be no shortage of screen passes and scoring opportunities as long as he remains healthy. The Cardinals acquired Drake at the trade deadline last year, traded away David Johnson during the offseason and waited until the 7th round of the draft to add talent to the position (Eno Benjamin). He's a bit of a risky proposition but his upside warrants the gamble. Though, it is important to note that Kilff Kingsbury has lauded Chase Edmonds the moment he arrived in Arizona.
16	Todd Gurley	Atlanta Falcons	80-85% of his peak should be plenty to net RB2 fantasy value right? As a football fan it hurts seeing Gurley robbed of his edge and explosiveness but I think he can still be a very solid contributor to your fantasy football team particularly when involved in the passing game.
17	Le'Veon Bell	New York Jets	People throwing dirt on Juice's name. It was a rough go for Lev Bell in 2019... poor oline, quarterback play and coaching but there should be more scoring opportunities with decent quarterback play in 2020. Furthermore, Bell is a horse... and while I don't expect him to approach his 1.01 form as a member of the Steelers he should approach 1400-1450 total yards from scrimmage 7-9 TDs improving on his 1250 and 5 in his first year back from a layoff.
18	Mark Ingram	Baltimore Ravens	Always under-appreciated. Ingram remains the lead-back, heart and soul of perhaps the best rushing attack in the NFL.
19	Jonathan Taylor	Indianapolis Colts	Taylor had a massive workload in college averaging just under 310 carries a season and while I think he will eventually see a similar workload as the bell cow in Indianapolis, he'll have to wait until 2021 to get that kind of volume. Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines will have their roles... But Taylor is such a special ball-carrier, I'm willing pay up a little for his 200-225 touches particularly behind an excellent offensive line.
20	Chris Carson	Seattle Seahawks	Don't sleep on Chris Carson. Though his physical, bruising running style has resulted in a series of injuries including a hip fracture last season; the injury didn't require surgery and he is expected to be ready Week 1. Seattle has added needed depth to the position but there is no real threat to his customary early down role in the offense. After posting back-to-back 1000 yard rushing campaigns and 9 total touchdowns in consecutive seasons pencil in Carson for another 1200 ruhsing yards and 8ish scores. Don't expect gaudy receiving totals but Carson's no-nonense, downhill approach and Seattle's commitment to the running game should net high end RB2 value.
21	James Conner	Pittsburgh Steelers	There ceratinly is a risk-reward component when it comes to James Conner but it's a contract year and I'm rolling the dice. Chances are slim that Conner plays a full slate but he's going to get every opportunity to carry the mail against a very favorable run defense schedule. I expect rookie Anthony McFarland to have a role given his explosiveness and unique skill-set compared to the other RBs on the Steelers roster; but Conner should eclipse 250 touches if he stays healthy given Pittsburgh's propensity for featuring a single back. Reports suggests the Steelers may lighten his workload but I'm gonna ride the solid volume and scoring upside as long as I can, even if he breaks down.
22	David Montgomery	Chicago Bears	Don't let the hate for David Montgomery that permeates the analytics community distract you from the fact that Montgomery had 276 touches as a rookie. While there was no efficiency to be found, context is necessary. Poor quarterback play, an abysmal performance by the offensive line and negative game scripts due to an injured and battered defense contributed to a disappointing fantasy debut from Montgomery. Does this mean he isn't good at football? Of course not! Perhaps the most frustrating thing regarding Montgomery's fantasy prospects is head coach Matt Nagy not involving Montgomery more in the passing game (25 catches in 2019) depsite Montgomery being polished enough to split out wide. Will Nagy adjust? That remains to be seen, but I'm going to follow the volume particularly with a 5th round ADP. Competent QB play from Nick Foles (crossing my fingers) should bode in Montgomery's favor and new hires in OC Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo should help remedy some of the run-blocking struggles. Oh, and there's certainly the possibility that Montgomery can improve as a player from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign. What a novel idea...
23	Melvin Gordon	Denver Broncos	If nothing else Denver has ran the ball well over the past couple seasons and while Phillip Lindsay deserves a lot of credit he didn't generate that yardage by his lonesome. A lot of people have soured on Melvin Gordon especially after how poorly he and his representative(s) handled his contract dispute juxtaposed with Austin Ekler's breakout in 2019. However, I still believe there is good football in Gordon. Efficiency in particular has been a concern, but that cannot be attributed to Melvin Gordon solely given the his former team's struggles. I anticipate a 60-40 workload share in favor of Gordon (follow the money) given he is the superior pass protector in Denver. Gordon's rough average of 48 receptions and nearly 12 total TDs per season over the last 4 years has gotten lost in translation. Furthermore, his weekly fantasy average has substantially outpaced Lindsay's over the last two seasons; 2018 (23.0 vs 14.9) and 2019 (15.1 vs 12.4) in favor of Gordon.
24	David Johnson	Houston Texans	2016 was a long time ago... but Carlos Hyde enjoyed a renaissance of sorts as a Texan in 2019 splitting work with the perpetually underappreciated Duke Johnson. Duke and Carlos finished ranked 29th and 30th respectively in PPR leagues last season. If (big if) David Johnson is healthy he should net an RB2 campaign in 2020 (at a minimum). Hard to imagine Bill O'Brien won't attempt to vindicate his trading of DeAndre Hopkins for David Johnson and a 2nd round draft pick (peanuts by the way) by utilizing David Johnson heavily. While David Johnson has long since lost his luster and looked "cooked" at times a season ago, the volume I anticipate he will receive in an offense led by Deshaun Watson will benefit the shrewd fantasy owner.
25	Raheem Mostert	San Francisco 49ers	He'll always be subject to a certain level of weekly volatility with Kyle Shanahan's penchant for the "hot hand" approach BUT his weekly upside in a superior rushing attack and a cupcake strength of schedule is lovely.

Status Quo (Tier 5)
26	Ronald Jones	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	If you weren't a fan of Ronald Jones ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft, I'd expect your vitriol towards him hasn't wavered. However, it is disingenuous to suggest he hasn't made significant strides since his rookie season that wasn't. Yes, the bar was set low, but despite a poor run blocking group up front and Bruce Arians/Jameis Winston chucking the ball in the air an inordinate amount of times (lack of volume) Jones managed a Top 25 finish in PPR leagues in 2019 despite not becoming the starter until mid-season. Entering the 2020 offseason many posited that Tampa Bay was an ideal fantasy landing spot for a running back considering that the Bucs had moved on from Peyton Barber (whom Jones thoroughly outplayded) and the lingering dissatisfaction with Jones' performance. However, the Bucs didn't address the position until the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft with K'Shawn Vaughn; followed by a late free agency acquisition of LeSean McCoy. Neither move has shaken my confidence in Jones heading into the 2020 season. You could see his confidence has been restored as a ball-carrier in 2019 under a new coaching staff. Jones has made strides as a competent receiving threat out of the backfield and as long as he continues to improve in pass pro, he should enjoy the biggest workload of his career; in what everyone expects to be an explosive offense absent a litany of turnovers with Tom Brady under-center. You may disagree with my assessment that he is the Buccaneers' best overall option at running back but don't let misguided, group-think in a vacuum color your opinion of Ronald Jones as a fantasy asset.
27	Jordan Howard	Miami Dolphins	Throwbacks like Jordan Howard are always under-appreciated. Howard having the 3rd most rushing yards in the NFL since he entered the league in 2016 isn't by happenstance. He is expected to be the early down/short yardage back in MIiami, a role that suits him just fine. His upside will always be capped because it's unlikely he'll be involved much in the passing game (an area in which he's improved) but he is a virtual lock for 1100 total yards and 7 TDs on the cheap in the 8th round of your fantasy draft.
28	D'Andre Swift	Detroit Lions	I consider Swift an even more explosive CEH. Obviously, Edwards-Helaire is in a superior offense thus ranked higher in these rankings but I believe Swift is the more talented player and the Lions very quietly have upgraded their offensive line and offense as a whole. Swift in all likelihood will share the load with Kerryon Johnson but I expect Swift to be the "1" in the Lions' presumed 1:2 punch.
29	Devin Singletary	Buffalo Bills	I'm a fan of Zack Moss, but Singletary is too "nice" to play second fiddle. "Motor" Singletary made LeSean McCoy expendable in Buffalo last offseason, quickly supplanted T.J. Yeldon, and eventually became the go-to back in Buffalo during his rookie season after his apprenticeship under the legendary Frank Gore. Singletary is never going to wow the analytics community but his natural ability to create/maximize yardage will continue to allow him to "overachieve" and garner an estimated 60% share of the workload in Buffalo's backfield this season.
30	Cam Akers	Los Angeles Rams	Akers is an analytics buff's dream and his tape ain't bad either. Most impressive was his production behind a horrendous offensive line in college. He finds himself in a good spot schematically with Sean McVay's outside zone scheme, one-cut system... a perfect match for his skill-set. However, I have questions regarding the Rams' offensive line and I'm not certain he'll be the bell cow many expect, at least not in 2020. Malcolm Brown will continue to have a role (vulture) and there is a remote chance Darrell Henderson's role could grow. Akers is gonna be good but you shouldn't expect the next coming of Todd Gurley. My biggest concern is that his pass protection may limt his opportunites on third down.
31	Kareem Hunt	Cleveland Browns	Hunt is a baller. He has considerable standalone value even with a healthy Nick Chubb leading the backfield in opportunities.
32	James White	New England Patriots	Though Brady may have exited stage left, OC Josh McDaniels is still dialing it up for the Patriots offense. As long as that is the case, James White will continue to have a substantial role as the primary pass catching back in New England.

Complement (Tier 6)
33	Tevin Coleman	San Francisco 49ers	Pigeon-holed in his 1B role Coleman leads the pack among complementary running backs.
34	Marlon Mack	Indianapolis Colts	Probably too low on Marlon Mack. I've really grown to appreciate him as a ball-carrier. Going from a guy who always had a propensity to bounce everything outside, to becoming a patient, instictive runner with tremendous footwork; shades of Frank Gore.
35	Phillip Lindsay	Denver Broncos	Lindsay's totals may decrease with Melvin Gordon and a host of new weapons in Denver but he should still have standalone value and he's a coveted handcuff.
36	Tarik Cohen	Chicago Bears	James White "lite" in PPR leagues.
37	Adrian Peterson	Washington Football Team	Pretty sure he's a cyborg at this point.
38	Zack Moss	Buffalo Bills	Moss may draw "yawns" from the analytics community and my ranking of him may appear to be a slight but that is not my intent. I love Zack Moss' film and he's a very good running back. I believe he will pair well with Devin Singletary, but it's Singletary that caps' Moss' upside.
39	Matt Brieda	Miami Dolphins	There are flashes of brilliance but understand and value him for what he is. An explosive change of pace back, who should get most of the passing down work in Miami.
40	J.K. Dobbins	Baltimore Ravens	He might just be a tease in 2020 assuming Mark Ingram stays healthy. But his time is coming...
41	Kerryon Johnson	Detriot Lions	Kerryon is talented, no question but he's got stiff compeition now in the form of D'Andre Swfit and he can't stay healthy. Though limiting Johnson to an early down/short yardage role may be just what the doctor ordered.
42	Duke Johnson	Houston Texans	Per PFF, only Josh Jacobs and Kareem Hunt have forced more missed tackles than Duke Johnson over the last three seasons. SMH @ Bill O'Brien.
43	Latavius Murray	New Orleans Saints	The Saints are going to score a ton of points and Murray will get his fair share of opportunities.
44	Sony Michel/Lamar Miller	New England Patriots	I think the Patriots want Michel to be something that he really isn't. A throwback, dotting the "I" isn't what I envisioned for Michel in the NFL. Perhaps that changes with Cam Newton at quarterback. UPDATE: With Michel and Miller currently on the Physically Unable Perform/Active List, Damien Harris slides in as the 44th ranked RB overall.
45	A.J. Dillon	Green Bay Packers	He's a throwback and it appears that the Green Bay franchise understands that isn't a bad thing. 2021 in all likelihood will be the breakout but he's going to make some of his doubters, believers, this upcoming season.
46	Justin Jackson	Los Angeles Chargers	Jackson has played really well when called upon but has only played in 20 of a possible 32 games due to injury. Joshua Kelley is coming either way...
47	Malcolm Brown	Los Angeles Rams	Gonna drive Cam Akers' fantasy owners crazy...
48	Antonio Gibson	Washington Football Team	Hmmm... May not be avoiding this backfield entirely after all...
49	Chase Edmonds	Arizona Cardinals	We've seen the flashes in Kliff Kingsbury's system and Drake isn't exactly a bell cow.
50	Tony Pollard	Dallas Cowboys	I'm not convinced Pollard's role will increase substantially despite his dynamic ability.

Wait & See (Tier 7)
51	Alexander Mattison	Minnesota Vikings	Another highly coveted handcuff who lacks standalone value.
52	Anthony McFarland	Pittsburgh Steelers	I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to draft him well ahead of RB52.
53	DeeJay Dallas	Seattle Seahawks	Carlos Hyde will get first crack at the early down role if Chris Carson isn't healthy but DeeJay's prospects as the Seahawks' 3rd down back is more intriguing at this juncture.
54	DeAndre Washington	Kansas City Chiefs	He'll have a role but don't count on him having a signficant share of the backfield. The Chiefs will be throwing anyway.
55	Darrynton Evans	Tennessee Titans	Am I too low on him? I'm too low... aren't I?
56	Boston Scott	Philadelphia Eagles	Keep a close eye on him. If the Eagles do not add a veteran to the mix prior to your draft move him up to the complement tier.
57	Joshua Kelley	Los Angeles Chargers	If anything happens to Ekeler or Jackson he's not relenquishing his foothold.
58	Giovani Bernard	Cincinnati Bengals	His role SHOULD be minimal.
59	Nyheim Hines	Indianapolis Colts	I can see Philip Rivers shot putting the ball to Hines on third downs already.
60	Darrell Henderson	Los Angeles Rams	Again... Akers owners are going to be incensed.