Back with Running Backs in Fantasy Football

I’m back with my fantasy football running back rankings. Here are the top 12 running backs you need for fantasy football this season.

1: The undisputed best running back in the league this season is Jonathan Taylor. He combines explosiveness with brute force which easily makes him the number one overall draft pick in most fantasy leagues. The crazy part about Taylor is that he has no injury concerns and in the last weeks of the football season last year, he was playing quite literally out of his mind. He won the league for the lucky managers that started him in those final weeks. Taylor looks like the focal part of his offense and this easily makes him the best running back.

2: Christian McCaffrey is the second-best running back for fantasy. Although he has the most upside in the league, because of his versatility as a pass catcher and a running back, I don’t think he’s better than JT. McCaffrey also looks like the leading player in his offense and should be getting a crazy volume of touches. Let me tell you, though, that I am not drafting McCaffrey no matter what. His injuries over the past few years have told me that it’s bound to happen again this year. I’m putting him at 2 because of his upside.

3: I really like Austin Ekeler as a fantasy option. Although he’s playing in a pretty clogged offense with a young star quarterback, I think he’s a player very similar to McCaffrey in his versatility. I love Ekeler’s upside, just like McCaffrey’s, but Ekeler’s injury concerns aren’t as prominent. Ekeler’s is just plain good and should be getting a lot of touches even in the packed Chargers’ offense. Furthermore, Ekeler is very eager to “carry your fantasy team,” as he’s tweeted in the past.

4: The King sits at number four. The only way to describe Derrick Henry is that he’s a beast. He mows through grown men like they’re little children. The speed at his size is also unbelievable, he’s the perfect combination. I would put him at three but he injured his foot last season in week 10 and I don’t see him regaining that dominant form again. I still see him being an imposing threat, just not 125+ yards per week dominant.

5: Najee Harris is at number five. It’s crazy to think that a second-year player is the fifth-best running back in fantasy football and some people doubt him this year just because there have been rumors he’s not getting as many touches as last year. Najee Harris will easily be the best player on a Steelers' offense that has not found their QB1 or a solid WR1 yet. Although the offensive line isn’t the best in Pittsburgh, look what he did last season with a mediocre offensive line. I see much of the same.

6: Dalvin Cook is at number six. It’s hard to put him any earlier just because of how clogged the Vikings’ offense is. Cook is also not going to be the goal-line running back most likely, that will go to Alexander Mattison. Although the Vikings don’t have a great QB, I still think their offense is going to be pass-oriented with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, so use caution when drafting Cook, but I still think he’s a solid option.

7: Saquon Barkley is at number 7. Everyone is putting him so low in their rankings and I am so confused as to why. Barkley is literally the best player on the Giants and even more so on the Giants' offense. I believe Barkley’s injury concerns are past him and he’ll be back better than ever. He’s an explosive running back and the only way he can go is up in his development. Barkley is going in the mid-late second round which is blasphemy, he’s such a steal.

8: Alvin Kamara would be such a steal if the hand of justice wasn’t looming above his head. His battery charge case was moved to September 29^th so he’s ready to go until that date but proceed with caution because he might be hit with a pretty hefty sentence and/or a suspension from the NFL. This is so unfortunate because Kamara is one of the most elusive running backs in the NFL and his fantasy value is through the roof. Keep this in mind when drafting Kamara.

9: Joe Mixon is a good running back, although I usually stay away from him. First, last year was the only year that he’s done significant damage, he may get injured and the Bengals seem like a very pass-heavy offense with a stacked wide receiver room. There are just so many other options, before and after him, but I think Mixon will be a pretty reliable running back this season. He may not get a large volume of touches, but he’ll get his touchdowns.

10: Aaron Jones is at number 10. I’m so happy he’s finally getting the biggest role he’ll have on the Packers probably in his whole career. Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger so he’ll rely a little more on his running back. Davante Adams, the best receiver in football was traded to the Raiders over the offseason and now Rodgers is stuck with good ol’ Allen Lazard as his WR1. Jones doesn’t have the explosiveness or the brute force we see from other running backs, so even if he did get a lot of touches, he can’t do much with them. Furthermore, AJ Dillon, the backup running back, is massive, so he’ll be getting most of the goal line touches for the Packers (more touches on the goal line = more touchdowns = more points).

11: D’Andre Swift is at number 11. I’m not going to try to sugarcoat it. The Lions' offense will be comically bad this season. Jared Goff is terrible, the wide receivers are really bad. TJ Hockenson really needs to perk up and show what he’s made of for me to give him any credit. The only weapon in this offense will be Swift, the elusive running back. The offensive line improved over the offseason, but I just don’t like D’Andre Swift for some reason. He was a promising player in his rookie season, but I don’t think it’ll translate into better performance this season.

12: Javonte Williams is such an underrated player. Everyone keeps putting him way too low. Look at last season, even with the starting job being fought for, Williams still performed. He’s a massive guy that will easily get a lot of touchdowns this season. He’s not a pass-catching back, which will hamper his points scored but I just see a massive role for him in the Broncos' offense this season. The only thing stopping me from putting him earlier is two young, talented receivers on the team as well and a new QB in Russell Wilson. It’s also the reason I was considering not even putting him on this list.