Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings And Tiers

Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs the ball while being tackled by Los Angeles Rams cornerback Blake Countess (left) and linebacker Mark Barron (26) during the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

The fantasy football season is steadily approaching. Before you know it, it will be time to breakout a few cold ones (juice if your under age I suppose) and draft your teams for the 2017 season. Here are my running back rankings and tiers to help make your tough choices a little easier

These rankings are based on .5 PPR (points per receptions) scoring. Now let’s dive in!

Tier 1: Money In The Bank

This is the gold standard of the running back position. If you have a top-3 pick in your draft don’t hesitate to select one of these studs. As long as these guys stay healthy, anything less than a top-5 finish at their position would be a shocker.

1. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

2. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

Tier 2: The Next Best Thing

This pair of running backs has the combination of top-3 upside and a high floor to go with it. Both have multiple years of top level production and at least one top-5 finish in the last two years. Look for both guys to be drafted in the 1st round.

4. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills

5. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

Tier 3: Take Your Pick

This is where the real debate starts. All of these running backs carry some questions. While some would argue that Melvin Gordon proved himself last year, others would argue he still needs to prove his rookie year was a fluke. While all carry top-5 upside, their floors are lower than the previous guys listed.

6. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears

8. DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans

9. Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

Oct 23, 2016; London, United Kingdom; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs the ball against the New York Giants in the second quarter at Twickenham Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports /

Tier 4: The Touches Tier

While this tier of running backs may not carry the flash of higher ranked guys may, there is no doubt this guys are in line for plenty of touches/opportunities to showcase their talents. A heavy workload is not common for running backs but all these guys have a chance to supply your fantasy team with just that.

10. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

11. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

12. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans

13. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders

Tier 5: Make Or Break

At this point it truly comes down to which talent and situation you are backing. Most of these players are either vying to prove they are still the #1 option in the run game for their squads or attempting to carve out a much bigger role than some anticipate.

14. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns

15. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

16. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

17. Mike Gillislee, New England Patriots

18. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers

19. Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts

20. Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs

21. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

Tier 6: Wide Range Of Outcomes

This tier features a bevy of running backs that are presumed starters for their teams. All carry top-15 upside, although finishing outside of the top-30 wouldn’t be shocking. If your draft strategy is to go wide receivers early and often then try to land a couple of these guys in the mid rounds.

22. Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers

23. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

24. Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions

25. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman (26) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Tier 7: Low Risk, High Upside

At this point of choosing a running back the risk has vastly declined. With that being said, all of these players carry big upside for the price tag. These guys are more than likely looking at a time share of some sort. This is also where you will see the handcuff approach start to unfold. I personally don’t use this approach and instead look for players that have proven production even in a time share situation or a talented rookie with a chance to compete for a starting job.

26. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons

27. Bilal Powell, New York Jets

28. Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions

29. Danny Woodhead, Baltimore Ravens

30. LaGarrette Blount, Philadelphia Eagles

31. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

32. Eddie Lacy, Seattle Seahawks

33. Matt Forte, New York Jets

34. Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings

35. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

36. Samaje Perine, Washington Redskins

37. Terrance West, Baltimore Ravens

38. Paul Perkins, New York Giants

39. Adrian Peterson, New Orleans Saints

40. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

41. Joe Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Nov 7, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back C.J. Prosise (22) carries the ball against the Buffalo Bills during a NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Bills 31-25. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Tier 8: Let It Fly

You are not looking for starting running backs at this point. This group of players are all worth taking a flier on to fill holes in your fantasy team throughout the season. These players can all be an injury/surprise breakout away from helping your team get over the hump.

42. Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns

43. C.J. Prosise, Seattle Seahawks

44. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals

45. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers

46. Jamaal Charles, Denver Broncos

47. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

48. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

49. Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins

50. Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles

Next: Rookie RB Rankings for dynasty leagues

Stay tuned for more fantasy football rankings! For those of you DFS players, we have all the MLB and PGA picks that you need!

Home/Fantasy