Fantasy football 2019: Running back tier rankings
By Bill Pivetz
Fantasy Football 2019 Running Back Tier Rankings
This tier features some backups and starters with short leashes.
Anderson showed that he can still perform at a high level when he took over the starting job from Todd Gurley. Now that he’s the backup in Detroit, he should get some more playing time. Word coming out of the Lions camp is that they want to use a timeshare. He could see the LeGarrette Blount role, which came with 150 rushing attempts.
The run Derrick Henry went on all but locked up Lewis as the backup. If you play in a PPR league, Lewis is worth a late-round pick. The Titans get Delanie Walker back and added Adam Humphries but the rest of the receiving corps is inconsistent. Lewis has 144 receptions and 1,096 yards in his last four seasons.
The 49ers had a three-headed running back trio before Jerick McKinnon landed on the PUP list. Breida will back up newly signed Tevin Coleman. From Week 2-12, Breida rushed for 692 yards and three touchdowns on 116 attempts. Coleman was the starter for the Falcons last season and had 4.8 yards per attempt. I can see both backs getting some touches throughout the season.
While Barber is listed as the Bucs starter, I don’t think he lasts long in the role. He racked up 871 yards and five touchdowns on 234 carries. The front office seems to be going in another direction. I would not draft Barber in any league.
The Redskins have a handful of running backs on the roster. Along with Peterson, they have Derrius Guice, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine and Bryce Love. Peterson is the likely backup, Thompson is the receiving back and Guice is expected to be the starter. Should Guice get injured, Peterson is a high-end RB3 on a rebuilding offense.
This has been a battle that goes back to last season. Ballage is running with the first-team offense in training camp but we could see Kenyan Drake get the start come Week 1. Drake is dealing with a foot injury. Though, if he’s healthy by the start of the season, Ballage goes back to RB2 on the Dolphins. He’s a stash for a potential breakout season.
Jones is the other option in Tampa Bay. If he does become the starter, I believe he will have a good season. Running backs in a Bruce Arians offense tend to perform well. If the front office doesn’t believe in Barber, and they likely don’t, Jones will get more than the 30 touches he got last season. In a year with few three-down backs, Jones could emerge as a top-25 option by the end of the season.
McCoy had a very bad season last year, rushing for 514 yards and three touchdowns on 161 carries. The year before, he had 1,138 yards and six scores on 287 attempts. The Bills drafted Devin Singletary but McCoy will be the starting back with Frank Gore behind him. Because of the struggles the offense will likely go through, McCoy can’t be drafted higher than an RB3.