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

Tier 4

This tier will continue into the next edition of my rankings. It consists of players who are technically in RB2 territory, but I’d much rather not have as my second running back. They are ranked as RB2s due to the apparent lack of depth at the position this year. This positional scarcity should make running backs more valuable and these players will be reached on in drafts. Try targeting two players from the top three tiers, grab receivers in the middle rounds, and avoid reaching on Tier 4 backs.

Rushing: 212 carries, 848 rushing yds, 8 rushing TDs

Receiving: 63 targets, 44 receptions, 438 receiving yds, 2 receiving TDs

Scoring: 228.6 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 19, standard rank 20

David Johnson earned another chance this offseason, as the Texans destroyed their team to trade for him and wideout Brandin Cooks. Johnson will be given every chance to succeed, but he’s never actually been that good at running the football, averaging 4.0 YPC in his career. His receiving value has always been where he shines, but fellow receiving back Duke Johnson Jr. could cap his ceiling in that department. Whenever I get excited about David Johnson, I’m reminded of this video below.

Yikes indeed. I don’t think I’d want this speed demon as my RB2.

Rushing: 194 carries, 837 rushing yds, 8 rushing TDs

Receiving: 67 targets, 49 receptions, 392 receiving yds, 2 receiving TDs

Scoring: 227.9 PPR points, Half-PPR rank 20, standard rank 22

Melvin Gordon excels in both the receiving game and around the goal line, but isn’t efficient with his touches. Like David Johnson, he has a 4.0 career YPC, indicating that he’ll provide most of his value with receptions and touchdowns. Even worse, he ranked 64th last year in fantasy points per opportunity, which is horribly inefficient. He should receive much fewer touches this year, in a slow-paced offense with Phillip Lindsey and Royce Freeman sharing the backfield.  He has low-end RB2 written all over him.

Well, that’s it for the first edition of my 2020 running back rankings. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out my WR rankings here: 1-25, 26-50, and my strategy on drafting a QB here. The next twenty running backs will come out soon!