The 2020 NFL Draft is over, giving us a clearer picture of rosters for the 2020 season. With that fantasy football rankings can be released. Here are the 2020 fantasy football running back rankings. (Note: These are best used for standard-scoring leagues and will be updated until the season starts)
[Related: 2020 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings]
1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
McCaffrey was the best fantasy running back last season and there is no reason to expect that to change. His pass-catching and rushing abilities give him a huge edge.
2. Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ offense gained a lot of yards last season and now Mike McCarthy needs to help them find the endzone more. If the offense scores more, Elliot should be able to improve on his fourth overall ranking last season.
Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans)
3. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Henry dominated last season and led the league in rushing yards. If he offered more receiving ability he could be the top fantasy running back. With Ryan Tannehill back under center, expect Henry to keep wearing down defenses if he doesn’t hold out.
4. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
He played in just 13 games, but Barkley still ranked 10th among fantasy running backs last season. The Giants also addressed the offensive line in the 2020 NFL Draft, so Barkley can run free more this year.
5. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings made a plan to run the ball more last season and Cook reaped the benefits. He ranked fifth in fantasy points despite only playing in 14 games. Cook should be able to at least match his ranking from last season.
6. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Kamara had a down year in 2019 and finished as the 16th ranked running back last year. He only played in 14 games, but only averaged 12 points per game. If he is healthy, Kamara should catapult back up the fantasy rankings.
7. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
In 2019, Chubb ranked sixth for fantasy running backs. He will likely take a small hit this season with Kareem Hunt being active for the full season. The Browns did improve their offensive line though in the draft, so Chubb shouldn’t fall down rankings too far.
8. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
As a rookie last season, Jacobs ranked 14th and only played in 13 games. The offense added weapons in the draft, which should open up the field for him. Jacobs has every opportunity to be a top 10 fantasy running back this season.
9. Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals
After trading for him last season, the Cardinals shipped out David Johnson in the DeAndre Hopkins trade. That should open up a lot of opportunities for him after he averaged 11.7 points per game this year.
10. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
The free Aaron Jones movement was unleashed and it paid off. He ranked third in fantasy points, but was aided by the fact that Jamaal Williams wasn’t always healthy. Green Bay then added A.J. Dillon to their backfield in the 2020 NFL Draft. Jones will likely take a step back this season, but will still be productive.
11.
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Mixon ranked 11th in fantasy points last year. He will likely finish around the same range because the offensive line may not be any better than it was last season. He is a solid player, but can’t be counted on to consistently produce huge numbers.
12. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Melvin Gordon held out last season and Austin Ekeler took advantage, ranking seventh. Now, Gordon is gone and it is Ekeler’s backfield. The offense may take a step back without Philip Rivers under center, but Ekeler’s ability to be a three-down back should help him push for a top-15 ranking this season.
13. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs felt so strongly about Clyde Edwards-Helaire that they spent a first-round pick on him after already having a great offense. He is a perfect fit for their offense and will produce in both the running and passing game.
14. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
Chris Carson has been a workhorse back for Seattle who ranked ninth last season. Rashaad Penny got more involved in the offense last year though, so it may be more of a timeshare situation. Carson will still produce, but is more likely an RB2 now.
15. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
Darren Sproles has retired and Jordan Howard has been traded to Miami, which opens things up for Sanders. He ranked 15th last year and should be able to match that mark this season.
16. Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets
The Jets and Bell did not have seasons that they liked last year, but that should improve. They addressed the offensive line and with Sam Darnold healthy for a full 16 games, Bell should be able to improve in 2020.
17. Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens
Ingram was the eighth-ranked running back last season after playing 15 games. He will take a hit this season though, as the Ravens plan to use all four of their talented running backs. Justice Hill, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will all take carries away from Ingram.
18. Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons
The biggest question mark for Gurley is his health. Ever since the diagnosis of his arthritic knees, he hasn’t been the same. Atlanta will make him the workhorse back, but he could be limited on how many carries he gets or he could wear down. Picking Gurley is risky.
19. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis has a great offensive line and loves to run the football. That is something that Jonathan Taylor is used to from his time at Wisconsin. His speed and power are a great combination, but Marlon Mack could take some carries away from him.
20. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
While Fournette ranked 13th last year for running backs, the Jaguars are in full rebuild mode. The line won’t be improved and the Jaguars will trail in a lot of games, which means they will be throwing a lot, hurting Fournette’s value.
21. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers
Conner played 10 games and averaged 11.2 points per game. That should rank him around this range, with the Steelers having a stable of backs to use now. Benny Snell, Jaylen Samuels and Anthony McFarland will all get carries this season.
22. David Johnson, Houston Texans
For some reason, the Texans thought it would be a great idea to acquire David Johnson for DeAndre Hopkins. Johnson will get a lot of work, but he isn’t the player he once was.
23. Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos
The Broncos made a splash signing with Gordon and now have several running backs that need to be fed. Gordon is the most accomplished, but Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman will also get a lot of touches.
24.
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco running backs should never be fully trusted in fantasy, but Mostert did play very well down the stretch. He should be the back to own in the backfield, but Tevin Coleman and whoever else Kyle Shanahan finds will also get carries.
25. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills
Frank Gore is now a Jet, but the Bills drafted Zack Moss to complement Singletary in the backfield. Singletary finished the year as the 31st-ranked running back in just 12 games. His three-down abilities should move him up rankings this year.
26. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
With Todd Gurley in Atlanta, the Rams need a workhorse running back. Akers figures to be that back, although he will have to compete with Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson. The rookie could be a steal in fantasy drafts this year if he does win the job.
27. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears
Chicago’s offense stalled out last season, but Montgomery ranked 22nd for running backs last season. The optimal situation would be he and Tarik Cohen splitting carries more evenly.
28. Sony Michel, New England Patriots
Tom Brady may be gone, but the Patriots will still likely use a stable of running backs. Michel ranked 24th last season, but the offense won’t be quite as good this year.
29. D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
Even though they just drafted Kerryon Johnson just a few years ago, the Lions decided to select D’Andre Swift in the 2020 NFL Draft. Swift will be a valuable asset to the offense due to his ability to catch passes.
30. Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bruce Arians said that Jones will be the top back. If he can catch passes out of the backfield from Tom Brady and pick up some yards on the ground, Jones will fall within the top 30 running backs in fantasy football.
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