Fantasy Football: 2020 RB rankings (1-20) with projections

Tier 2

Who you choose to draft in Tier 2 really depends on your format and your risk-aversion. These running backs are all very close in projections, making the rankings vary greatly from PPR to standard. Players like Miles Sanders and Kenyan Drake could be seen as more high risk, high reward than Derrick Henry or Joe Mixon, who have capped ceilings, but proven production. I would definitely target at least one Tier 2 running back, as the position isn’t very deep this year and the next tier has much higher bust potential.

Rushing: 221 carries, 1060 rushing yds, 9 rushing TDs

Receiving: 70 targets, 55 receptions, 352 receiving yds, 1 receiving TD

Scoring: 254.2 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 8, standard rank 11

Kenyan Drake hasn’t had a full season as the undisputed starter in his career, and his production in Arizona last year was wildly inconsistent. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get into why you should draft him. The starting running back for the Cardinals last year, be it David Johnson, Chase Edmonds, or Kenyan Drake, scored 319.1 PPR points last year, which would have been the RB2. Rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury proved last year that he believes in the bellcow RB, and Drake proved himself the best back on the team. He has immense potential, especially in PPR formats.

Rushing: 288 carries, 1382 rushing yds, 12 rushing TDs

Receiving: 25 targets, 19 receptions, 281 receiving yds, 1 receiving TD

Scoring: 249.3 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 6, standard rank 5

The centerpiece of the Titans offense was RB5 in PPR and RB2 in standard leagues last year, but it’s hard to see him having a better year than that. He topped 300 carries, had 1540 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns. He’s not a receiving back, severly limiting his upside, especially in PPR formats, but he’s about as reliable as it gets in Tier 2.

Rushing: 275 carries, 1224 rushing yds, 9 rushing TDs

Receiving: 47 targets, 37 receptions, 307 receiving yds, 1 receiving TD

Scoring: 248.1 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 7, standard rank 8

Mixon overcame a terrible offensive line in 2019 to finish as the RB13, but he only scored 12 PPR points in 1 of his first 7 games. The whole offense should be better this year, but by how much? I wouldn’t expect Mixon to break out just because of a rookie quarterback and a rookie tackle who missed last year to injury. I don’t really see top-5 potential in Mixon while being stuck in this offense, but with his workload, he’s a lock to finish as a top-15 back.

Rushing: 212 carries, 954 rushing yds, 6 rushing TDs

Receiving: 74 targets, 58 receptions, 522 receiving yds, 2 receiving TDs

Scoring: 249.6 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 12, standard rank 14

Yeah, I’m a Miles Sanders truther. I concede that it’s unlikely that Eagles head coach and RBBC advocate Doug Peterson will let Miles Sanders be a workhorse, but the thing is, he doesn’t have to be a workhorse to finish as an RB1. Carried by an elite offensive line and sizable receiving production, Sanders is a great second round pick. If Peterson gives in and lets Sanders loose on the league, he becomes a top-6 back in PPR.

Rushing: 209 carries, 961 rushing yds, 10 rushing TDs

Receiving: 60 targets, 44 receptions, 370 receiving yds, 2 receiving TDs

Scoring: 247.1 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 9, standard rank 10

Aaron Jones isn’t primed for another RB2 overall finish, as he won’t get as many snaps or touchdowns as last year. A.J. Dillon, who draws comparisons to Derrick Henry, could steal some goal line carries, but Jones is still the starting running back on a good offense, not to mention very talented. It’s hard to love him as your best running back due to his weekly inconsistency, so he’s best paired with someone more reliable.