This week on the Power Rankings Digest we take a look at the the top 25 fantasy RBs.
For these rankings I am using a .5 point PPR format. This is important to note because it can drastically alter the value of a RB.
The 2020 season is going to be here before you know it, so let’s start prepping!
- Christian McCaffrey: Saquon Barkley is close here, but CMC just gets too much volume in the pass game to be overtaken for the one spot. The Carolina Panthers extended him this offseason and I expect first year head coach Matt Rhule to lean on their star RB.
- Saquon Barkley: If you told me Barkley finished the year as RB1 I wouldn’t blink. He is uberly talented and is going to be in an offense that will feed him the ball.
- Ezekiel Elliot: I think an argument could also be made for Elliot being the number one back in fantasy. He has finished the last two years with over 1300 yards rushing and over 70 targets each year. If he continues to get that volume he will be a great fantasy back. You can’t go wrong with any of these top three backs.
- Alvin Kamara: Kamara burned a lot of people last year, including me, when it seemed he couldn’t find the end zone all last year. He finished the season with only five rushing touchdowns. I expect some positive regression to take place this year and Kamara to find the end zone a few more times. He has also averaged 100 targets in each of his first three seasons with the Saints. That is tremendous volume and upside for a RB in a PPR format.
- Dalvin Cook: Cook had an outstanding year last year. He had his highest target share since being in the league and still rushed for over 1100 yards. The Vikings lost offensive coordinator, Kevin Stefanski, to the Browns, but I think the Vikings, under Mike Zimmer, will always want to be a run first team. Cook should be primed for another good year.
- Joe Mixon: Mixon is one of, if not the, most talented backs in the NFL. He had absolutely no help last year and was still productive. The Bengals offensive line is improved, they drafted Joe Burrow and they get AJ Green back from injury. All these things should help Mixon be more efficient and create more space for him.
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire: If you’ve listened to The Coach’s Corner podcast (and if you haven’t what are you waiting for?!), you know that the Chiefs didn’t draft CEH to sit the bench. He will be the featured back in the best offense in football. I expect great things from him this year.
- Derrick Henry: Henry’s biggest knock is the volume he receives in the pass game. Last year was his highest target total since entering the league and that was only 24 targets. He will carry the ball more than anyone else in the league though and he should produce one again this year.
- Nick Chubb: Chubb’s stats were hit a little down the stretch once Kareem Hunt returned from suspension. There is definitely risk in drafting him because of that, and also because he does not receive a ton of targets. He only had 36 last year and with Hunt healthy and on the team from the start of the year in 2020, I don’t expect that number to go up.
- Todd Gurley: This is also based on his health. If he is healthy he could easily finish as a top 10 RB. There is no one in Atlanta to steal touches from him. He also is playing in a high scoring offense so there should be plenty of opportunities for touchdowns. There is value on Gurley right now for where he is being drafted too. His ADP is RB23 right now.
- Kenyan Drake
- Josh Jacobs
- Miles Sanders
- James Conner (Must be healthy)
- Chris Carson
- Aaron Jones
- Leonard Fournette
- Austin Ekeler
- Le’Veon Bell
- Raheem Mostert
- David Johnson
- Mark Ingram
- Melvin Gordon
- Devin Singletery
- Jonathan Taylor
Guys who just missed the top 25: Kareem Hunt, Cam Akers/Darrel Henderson, David Montgomery, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, D’Andre Swift
The zero RB theory has been very popular the past few years and there seems to be a shift back to drafting RBs early and often. This year seems deeper than previous years. Finding a guy like Todd Gurley later in the draft with the top 10 upside could just win you your league.
