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Ranking the top 127 running backs in 2020 fantasy football (Updated)

Christian McCaffrey was a league winner last season. Will he be able to hold off the running back crowd again in 2020 or will someone like Saquon Barley usurp the king? We rank running backs in fantasy football.

Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images

Football is just about back! Players have begun reporting for training camp and Covid-19 test is underway. The players and owners figured out protocols and rules for the 2020 season, and so now we have players reporting to camp while others opt out of the season. The biggest opt out for running backs so far has been Damien Williams. His absence gives rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire a clear path to the starting job and moves him up in the rankings.

Below you will find our pre-training camp fantasy football running back rankings. Training camp is meaningful and what we learn over the month will help us rank these players more accurately. However, with no preseason games and limited media coverage due to Covid-19, it is going to be tougher to evaluate camp battles, but it’s never been that easy either.

Nonetheless, there will be information that helps better inform our rankings. Movement over the next month will come courtesy of injuries, camp battles, and even hype. Below, you can check out our running back rankings for the 2020 season. We are using half PPR to balance between standard and full PPR for the time being.

Covid-19 update

Damien Williams, Jaylen Samuels, and Ryquell Armstead have all been placed on the Covid-19 injured reserve list to open camp. We don’t know if it is because they tested positive or were around someone who was positive, so we can’t be sure just how long they will be on the list. It could be a week or it could be some amount of time longer.

Tier 1

Christian McCaffrey was so far ahead of every other fantasy running back this season that he could lose a big chunk of his fantasy points and still be the No. 1 back. So, even if new head coach Matt Rhule doesn’t use him as much as they did last season, there’s still a strong chance he ends up the top fantasy back again.

Saquon Barkley had a down season in 2019 due to a rookie quarterback and a high ankle sprain, but he was a beast to end the season. Daniel Jones wasn’t awful last year and had some huge games, so there is upside with him at the helm, while Barkley should be the engine of their offense.

Tier 1 could just be McCaffrey, but with his usage is somewhat in question. I think it’s safe to lump him, Barkley, and Ezekiel Elliott into the same top-tier luxury apartment.

Tier 2

Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook both are Tier 1 capable, but Cook is looking for a new contract and Kamara, well, he probably should be in Tier 1. Kamara has the ability to go off for a season and lead your fake team to a championship, but he’s also going to need to get his touchdown numbers back up, which is never a given.

Derrick Henry’s schedule has me bullish on him despite his lack of receptions. The Titans should be favored in around 10 games and have a good run defense strength of schedule. Henry’s floor is lower than the other top backs but he will get plenty of opportunities to run and score.

Tier 3

Last season we saw the Bengals Joe Mixon break out late, as the team finally just let him lead the way, as their quarterbacks weren’t able. This year they should have Joe Burrow, which will help their overall offense, giving Mixon more scoring opportunities. If they’d up his targets, he really could take off this year with a better quarterback.

Tier 3 goes all the way to Aaron Jones and is full of players with great upside. Nick Chubb gets a much better offensive line to run behind this season. Miles Sanders doesn’t have to share touches with Jordan Howard anymore. Josh Jacobs, if he wasn’t hurt last season, would have likely finished in the Top 10 fantasy running backs. Kenyan Drake, if he can repeat his second half, could end up in the top five this season. Austin Ekeler was dominant when Melvin Gordon was out last year and has McCaffrey upside if they use him similarly. And Aaron Jones, despite likely producing fewer touchdowns, has that upside in an offense that wants to run the ball.

Running back rankings for half-PPR 2021 fantasy football

Rk Name Team
Rk Name Team
1 Christian McCaffrey CAR
2 Dalvin Cook MIN
3 Alvin Kamara NO
4 Saquon Barkley NYG
5 Derrick Henry TEN
6 Nick Chubb CLE
7 Jonathan Taylor IND
8 Austin Ekeler LAC
9 D'Andre Swift DET
10 Ezekiel Elliott DAL
11 J.K. Dobbins BAL
12 Aaron Jones GB
13 Cam Akers LAR
14 Josh Jacobs LV
15 Miles Sanders PHI
16 Joe Mixon CIN
17 Clyde Edwards-Helaire KC
18 Antonio Gibson WAS
19 David Montgomery CHI
20 James Robinson JAC
21 Chris Carson SEA
22 Kenyan Drake ARI
23 Kareem Hunt CLE
24 Melvin Gordon III DEN
25 Ronald Jones II TB
26 Raheem Mostert SF
27 Zack Moss BUF
28 Najee Harris FA
29 Travis Etienne FA
30 Myles Gaskin MIA
31 David Johnson HOU
32 Leonard Fournette TB
33 Tony Pollard DAL
34 James Conner PIT
35 Chase Edmonds ARI
36 AJ Dillon GB
37 Devin Singletary BUF
38 Damien Harris NE
39 Tarik Cohen CHI
40 Nyheim Hines IND
41 Latavius Murray NO
42 Le'Veon Bell KC
43 Darrell Henderson LAR
44 Phillip Lindsay DEN
45 Todd Gurley II ATL
46 Jamaal Williams GB
47 Marlon Mack IND
48 J.D. McKissic WAS
49 James White NE
50 Sony Michel NE
51 Benny Snell Jr. PIT
52 Jeff Wilson Jr. SF
53 Kerryon Johnson DET
54 Ke'Shawn Vaughn TB
55 Duke Johnson Jr. HOU
56 Rashaad Penny SEA
57 Alexander Mattison MIN
58 Gus Edwards BAL
59 Boston Scott PHI
60 Matt Breida MIA
61 Joshua Kelley LAC
62 Carlos Hyde SEA
63 Tevin Coleman SF
64 Giovani Bernard CIN
65 Salvon Ahmed MIA
66 La'Mical Perine NYJ
67 Justin Jackson LAC
68 Ito Smith ATL
69 Darrynton Evans TEN
70 Mark Ingram II FA
71 Malcolm Brown LAR
72 Jerick McKinnon SF
73 Rex Burkhead NE
74 Damien Williams KC
75 Anthony McFarland Jr. PIT
76 Mike Davis CAR
77 Wayne Gallman NYG
78 Bryce Love WAS
79 Jordan Howard PHI
80 Jalen Richard LV
81 Kenny Gainwell FA
82 Darrel Williams KC
83 Adrian Peterson DET
84 DeeJay Dallas SEA
85 Lynn Bowden Jr. MIA
86 Chris Thompson JAC
87 Brian Hill ATL
88 Ryquell Armstead JAC
89 Dare Ogunbowale JAC
90 Devine Ozigbo JAC
91 Royce Freeman DEN
92 Ty Johnson NYJ
93 Jordan Wilkins IND
94 Kalen Ballage LAC
95 Justice Hill BAL
96 Peyton Barber WAS
97 Eno Benjamin ARI
98 Frank Gore NYJ
99 LeSean McCoy TB