2020 NFL Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs

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Aug 20

By AJ Olona

Fall is right around the corner, and as we prepare for the first leaf to fall from the tree, I only have one question for you, are you ready for some football? With the first pick in the 2020 NFL Fantasy Football Draft...... You know what, before we reveal our top pick(s), allow us to help you out with our position rankings so we can help you win your fantasy football league this year.

Best of the Rest

60) Peyton Barber - Washington Football Team: Washington is going to use a lot of players in the backfield this year. But none of them will be great.

59) Carlos Hyde - Seattle Seahawks: Coming off of a 1,000 yard campaign with the Texans, Hyde is listed behind both Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny on the depth chart.

58) Darrell Henderson - Los Angeles Rams: Cam Akers has already taken ahold of the driver seat in LA’s backfield.

57) Lynn Bowden - Las Vegas Raiders: Bowden did everything for Kentucky last year. Look for the rookie to get some touches all over the field.

56) Jamaal Williams - Green Bay Packers: After over 700 total yards and 6 total touchdowns in 2019, the Packers invested a second round pick in RB AJ Dillon. Aaron Jones will still get a majority of the carries.

55) LeSean McCoy - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: McCoy will be hard to trust after being inactive for a long stretch of the Chiefs Super Bowl run in 2019.

54) Zack Moss - Buffalo Bills: Look for the rookie to get some action behind Devin Singletary.

53) Frank Gore - New York Jets: If Le’Veon Bell were to get hurt, Gore is worth a look. Other than that, he will only get some occasional touches in this offense.

52) Latavius Murray - New Orleans Saints: Murray has shown that he is able to fill in nicely when given the opportunity. Alvin Kamara will be on the field a lot, however.

51) Ito smith - Atlanta Falcons: With Todd Gurley’s health a question, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ito Smith get integrated into this offense more and more as the season goes on.

50) Nyheim Hines - Indianapolis Colts: At the end of 2019, Hines was being utilized a lot for the Colts. Despite having both Marlon Mack and rookie Jonathan Taylor, the Colts have used Hines a lot so far in training camp. Look for him to be on the field a decent amount.

49) Alexander Mattison - Minnesota Vikings: Mattison will be able to fill in nicely as a starter if Dalvin Cook ever gets injured, or decides to hold out for a new contract.

48) AJ Dillon - Green Bay Packers: While Aaron Jones is the clearcut starter, Dillon is a second rounder. Look for him to get some opportunities.

47) Kerryon Johnson - Detroit Lions: Health has been the issue for Johnson thus far in his career. Rookie D’Andre Swift is already listed as the starter.

46) Rashaad Penny - Seattle Seahawks: The former first round pick has yet to step up as a consistent starter and unseat former undrafted free agent, Chris Carson.

45) Jerrick McKinnon - San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers got rid of Matt Breida and decided to keep McKinnon after back to back seasons with two separate season ending injuries. They may have some plans for him in 2020.

44) Boston Scott - Philadelphia Eagles: While we expect Miles Sanders to take a huge step forward this year, Boston Scott could fill in on occasional passing downs.

43) Chase Edmunds - Arizona Cardinals: Edmunds filled in nicely when he got the chance last year. He proved that he will be able to get you some spot points throughout the year, if he is healthy.

42) Antonio Gibson - Washington Football Team: Now that Derrius Guice is out of Washington, rookie Antonio Gibson might be able to take over for the aging Adrian Peterson as the starter later in the season.

41) David Montgomery - Chicago Bears: Montgomery had a rough rookie year, and may be out for a significant amount of time in 2020.

40) Keyshawn Vaughn - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Don’t be surprised of Vaughn takes over as the lead back for the Bucs mid way through the season.

39) Lamar Miller - New England Patriots: While its always hard to trust what the Patriots will do at running back, Lamar Miller looks to regain his former glory.

38) Jk Dobbins - Baltimore Ravens: Mark Ingram and Lamar Jackson will get a lot of carries and rushing yards this year. But look for the rookie to force his way on the field for this high powered offense.

37) Tevin Coleman - San Francisco 49ers: Last year, all three of the running backs of the 49ers were able to put together some good weeks. Because of that, it’ll be hard to fully trust any back for the 49er’s.

36) Matt Breida - Miami Dolphins: Its hard to see who is the clear cut starter for the Dolphins. Right now, the Dolphins have Jordan Howard listed as the starter. Breida was great the last few years when healthy for the 49ers, even though he was in a backfield committee. Look for him to be able to do it again.

35) Jonathan Taylor - Indianapolis Colts: Marlo Mack is coming off of a great year for the Colts and looks to be the starter. But expect Taylor to be on the field a lot as Frank Reich referred to the two as a “1-1 punch”. Don’t be surprised if Taylor is a top 10 fantasy running back by the end of the year.

34) Phillip Lindsay - Denver Broncos: While Melvin Gordon was brought in in the offseason and listed as the starter, Lindsay is coming off of two 1,000 yard rushing seasons and does a lot for this offense.

33) Kareem Hunt - Cleveland Browns: After his suspension in 2019, Hunt was able to put up solid numbers on a consistent weekly basis, even with Nick Chubb being the star running back for the Browns.

32) Ronald Jones II - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 13 Bye Week

With the addition of future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, Jones II should help open up the offense and finally have a decent year. But do not expect him to post a 1,000 yard rushing season. Tampa Bay will be a pass first offense in 2020.

31) Raheem Mostert - San Francisco 49ers

Week 11 Bye Week

Raheem Mostert can be good in spurts or maybe for a few games, which he showed flashes of last season. If he can hold off Tevin Coleman from stealing too many touches, he will be a relevant back as he was in 2019. However with the 49ers, any running back could be the starter any given week. They really feed into the “hot hand” approach.

30) Cam Akers - Los Angeles Rams

Week 9 Bye Week

Todd Gurley is out and headed to Atlanta, so this rookie will fight to be the lead back and could take away some touches from Darrell Henderson. Akers is already listed as the started and looks to help this Rams offense get back in business. Los Angeles has been friendly to fantasy backs the last few years.

29) Sony Michel - New England Patriots

Week 6 Bye Week

With Brady gone, the Patriots could rely a little bit more on the run. But don't expect a big year from Michel in 2020. New England likes to use the running back by committee approach and it is hard to trust any given back on any week.

28) Adrian Peterson - Washington Football Team

Week 8 Bye Week

Washington just cut ties with Derrius Guice this off season, so it allows Peterson to once again be the lead back. Will he be the same at 35 as he was at 25? Probably not, but he can still be productive on an awful team. With little help at the receiving position, it will be hard to Peterson to stand out.

*Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, Pool*

27) David Johnson - Houston Texans

Week 8 Bye Week

Johnson was part of the big acquisition that sent DeAndre Hopkins from Houston to Arizona. We really like David Johnson, but the injury bug has not been kind to him. Maybe a change of scenery will help? It has felt like such a long time since Johnson was considered one of the best backs in the league. Last year Carlos Hyde eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the Texans. We will find out soon enough what David Johnson can do in Houston!

*James P. McCoy/Buffalo News via AP, Pool*

26) Devin Singletary - Buffalo Bills

Week 11 Bye Week

Singletary could be a sleeper pick this year in a Bills offense that could do some special things. While Buffalo improved throughout the offense, it might make things a little easier on the running back. He showed some splashes as a rookie and looks to take another step forward. Heres to hoping that he finds the endzone more than 4 times this year.

25) Tarik Cohen - Chicago Bears

Week 11 Bye Week

Talk about running back by committee in Chicago! Cohen is fast and electric, but will share touches with teammate David Montgomery. While Montgomery could take a lot of the handoffs, the Bears might look to get the ball in the hands of Tarik Cohen more often than they did in 2019. If Montgomery’s injury keeps him out for a significant time, Cohen’s value increases that much more.

24) Jordan Howard- Miami Dolphins

Week 11 Bye Week

The former Bear and Eagle has been hampered by injuries , but has been productive. Can he stay healthy for the Dolphins? How often will Matt Breida touch the ball? Stay tuned!

23) D’Andre Swift - Detroit Lions

Week 5 Bye Week

The Lions might have found their running back of the future, and they got a steal! We really like what Swift brings to the table, as he was a stud at the University of Georgia. Already listed ahead of Kerryon Johnson on the depth chart, don't be surprised if he contends for Offensive Rookie of the Year and saves some fantasy seasons. Swift has missed seven practices throughout training camp so far. We are starting to worry that health could be an issue throughout the season.

22) Todd Gurley II - Atlanta Falcons

Week 10 Bye Week

Once again, a big name player to change teams in the off-season. Gurley still has a lot left in the tank, but he needs to stay on the field and avoid injures at all costs. Even on a down year in 2019, Gurley was able to find the end zone 14 times. While he wasnt the game breaker he was a few years ago, don’t be surprised if he touches the ball a lot more than he did in LA last year.

21) Marlon Mack - Indianapolis Colts

Week 7 Bye Week

The Colts selected Jonathan Taylor in last year's draft and we think that he could be the future for the Colts. But do not expect Mack to go down quietly in the night. Mack put up great fantasy numbers last year and he could put up decent numbers in 2020 as well, even while splitting carries with Jonathan Taylor.

20) Melvin Gordon III - Denver Broncos

Week 8 Bye Week

The hold out last year hurt Gordon's production, but with a new season and a new team don't be surprised if he puts up very solid numbers in 2020. Having Phillip Lindsay in the backfield with him will make it hard to trust him consistently.

19) James Conner - Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 8 Bye Week

This could be a bounce back year for Conner, and I am sure having Big Ben back under center will help. When Conner is healthy, he can be a force to be reckoned with. Look for him to be much more productive than he was in in 2019.

18) Le’Veon Bell - New York Jets

Week 11 Bye Week

The New York Jets are a disaster of a team, and if we had to pick one bright spot, it would be Le'Veon Bell. But he needs to play better in 2020. This could possibly be a big bounce back year for Bell, and having a healthy and improved offensive line will help but do not expect him to replicate his stats from his glory days in Pittsburgh.

17) Chris Carson - Seattle Seahawks

Week 6 Bye Week

Carson has had back to back 1,000 yard rushing seasons, and we see no reason for him to slow down now. The addition of Carlos Hyde could see Carson lose some touches, but Carson will still be a major factor in the Seahawk's offense this year.

16) Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Kansas City Chiefs

Week 10 Bye Week

Talk about being thrown into a starting role. Clydde Edwards-Helaire will be the starting running back in Kansas City because of Damien Williams deciding to opt out of the season for COVID-19 reasons. It is very rare that we have high hopes for a rookie running back, but keep in mind what team he plays for. The Chiefs are going to score a lot of points, and Edwards-Helaire is going to be a big part of that. I see him winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, and leading all rookies in rushing.

*Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Chargers*

15) Austin Ekler - Los Angeles Chargers

Week 10 Bye Week

Austin Ekeler is not really known as being a true, three down running back, but is more known for his catches out of the backfield. If you are planning to play in a PPR league, draft Ekeler as soon as possible, because he is going to get you points and look to prove that 2019 was not a fluke.

14) Mark Ingram - Baltimore Ravens

Week 8 Bye Week

Do not sleep on Ingram having another solid year. In fact he could rush for 1,000 yards again in 2020. Even though the Ravens drafted J.K. Dobbins out of Ohio State in last year's draft, Ingram is their guy. The Ravens could have a solid 1-2 punch in Baltimore in 2020. Oh and they also have some guy named Lamar Jackson who is also a threat to go over 1,000 rushing yards in 2020!

13) Kenyan Drake - Arizona Cardinals

Week 8 Bye Week

After the Cardinals traded for Drake last year, he had a very solid 2nd half of the season with 643 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns. If he can do that for a full season as the clear cut starter, watch out!

12) Josh Jacobs - Las Vegas Raiders

Week 6 Bye Week

Josh Jacobs had a very impressive rookie season with over 1,100 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns all while missing 3 games in 2019 due to injury. Jacobs is very hard to bring down in space. Expect more of the same in year 2!

11) Leonard Fournette - Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 7 Bye Week

Leonard Fournette rushed for a career high in yards in 2019. Now we are all not expecting much from the Jaguars in 2020, but Fournette will still be a very solid pick in fantasy this year, especially if he can stay healthy.

10) Joe Mixon - Cincinnati Bengals

Week 9 Bye Week

Joe Mixon was a solid player on a horrible team in 2019. With another 1,000 yard rushing season, Mixon is trying to secure a contract extension and prove that he could be the main guy for years to come. With the addition of rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, Mixon could have his best year yet.

9) Aaron Jones - Green Bag Packers

Week 5 Bye Week

Aaron Jones was a touchdown machine in 2019, scoring a total on 19 touchdowns. Those numbers will most definitely take a dip in 2020 with the addition of running back A.J. Dillon out of Boston College but you can still draft Jones with confidence.

8) Miles Sanders - Philadelphia Eagles

Week 9 Bye Week

Miles Sanders got off to a slow start in 2019, but caught fire the 2nd half of the season, and helped the Eagles make the playoffs. He is now the feature back that the Eagles have been waiting for since they drafted LeSean McCoy way back in 2009 out of Pittsburgh. He expects to feast in 2020.

7) Dalvin Cook - Minnesota Vikings

Week 7 Bye Week

We really want to put Cook a little higher on the list, but injuries have been a concern for the running back out of Florida State. He did have a very solid year in 2019, rushing for over 1100 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. If he stays healthy, he will have another monster year while he tries to lock in a new contract.

6) Nick Chubb - Cleveland Browns

Week 9 Bye Week

Nick Chubb has been nothing short of amazing for the Browns his first few years in the league. It could be argued that he is the most well-rounded running back in the NFL. He could make a push for the rushing title in 2020. While Kareem Hunt will still some touches, Chubb will be a solid RB1 on any team.

*Vernon Bryant / Cowboys Staff Photographer*

5) Ezekiel Elliott - Dallas Cowboys

Week 10 Bye Week

There is not much to say about Elliott, except that he is the Cowboys offense! I can already hear his name being called for the Hall of Fame. But the Cowboys did add CeeDee Lamb to an offense that already has Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. The Cowboys are going to throw the ball a lot in 2020. But you can still draft Zeke with confidence that he will have another amazing year in 2020.

4) Alvin Kamara - New Orleans Saints

Week 6 Bye Week

Alvin Kamara is one of the best, if not the best, dual threat running back options in the NFL. He was not overly spectacular in 2019, but we are confident he will get back to putting up monstrous numbers this season. It does also help that future Hall of Famer Drew Brees runs that offense.

3) Derrick Henry - Tennessee Titans

Week 7 Bye Week

Henry lead all running backs in 2019 in every rushing category, and is poised for another big year in 2020. If this guy is running at you at full speed, you are going to get the hell out of the way, because no one runs harder than Henry. While he doesn’t catch the ball as much as some of the other guys in the top 10, he showed towards the end of the year that the Titans offense runs through him.

2) Saquon Barkley - New York Giants

Week 11 Bye Week

Even though Saquon Barkley dealt with some injuries last season, he still put up very solid numbers. And he did this for a team that spent most of the year in the cellar in the NFC East. When healthy Barkley is considered one of the best in the league. He is always a threat to put up monster fantasy numbers every week.

1) Christian McCaffrey - Carolina Panthers

Week 13 Bye Week

This guy is so fun to watch! There is a chance he could shatter some NFL records when it is all said and done. He is already in some elite company and it is only going to be his 4th year in the league. Not only is he at the top of the running backs list, but he could and should be the first overall pick in Fantasy Football in 2020.

Follow AJ on Twitter @age_lona and Shawn @ShawnSportsNut

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