Post Draft Rankings, Running Backs



The NFL Draft is over, so it's time to go back, revisit rankings, and see how the draft spots have impacted the way we view the players at the four crucial positions heading into (fantasy) football season. Today I continue with the running backs.

This is my take on the Top 50 for 2020. The battle for the top really comes down to a pair of guys. It's brutally hard to repeat as the top back, so it's reasonable to assume that Christian McCaffrey might struggle to be No. 1 again. If you were to predict Saquon Barkley, I wouldn't argue. But McCaffrey had a great season, and to me he's earned the right to be at the top to start the season. While the top was easy to identify, what you'll see on this list is that running back by committee, which seems to be the preferred mode for 90 percent of teams, is pervasive. That means a lot of backs will have fantasy relevance and fantasy value, but it also means there is a widening gulf between the elite and the rest. It's also a group that will no doubt be greatly impacted by injuries, which is what took Barkley down from being a consensus No. 1 pick in 2019. 

Also tough was looking at some players that exploded in 2019 that are likely due for some regression, like Aaron Jones. He was RB2 in 2019, but that was thanks to 19 TDs. Seems tough to believe we'll see that many again. Meanwhile some, like Joe Mixon, were trapped behind terrible lines and could well bounce back. In short, this is my best guess right now, but it's fair to say that to some degree running back feels like a bit of a crapshoot, albeit one that has huge implications for teams. This is why people often go running back early and often in drafts.

Top 50 RBs:
1. Christian McCaffrey, Panthers
2. Saquon Barkley, Giants
3. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
4. Dalvin Cook, Vikings
5. Alvin Kamara, Saints
6. Nick Chubb, Browns
7. Derrick Henry, Titans
8. Joe Mixon, Bengals
9. Aaron Jones, Packers
10. Leonard Fournette, Jaguars
11. Miles Sanders, Eagles
12. Kenyan Drake, Cardinals
13. Austin Ekeler, Chargers
14. Josh Jacobs, Raiders
15. Todd Gurley, Falcons
16. David Johnson, Texans
17. Raheem Mostert, 49ers
18. David Montgomery, Bears
19. Le'Veon Bell, Jets
20. Mark Ingram, Ravens
21. Devin Singletary, Bills
22. Clyde Edwards-Hellaire, Chiefs
23. Chris Carson, Seahawks
24. Phillip Lindsay, Broncos
25. Melvin Gordon, Broncos
26. Jonathan Taylor, Colts
27. James Conner, Steelers
28. Ronald Jones, Buccaneers
29. Tarik Cohen, Bears
30. James White, Patriots
31. D'Andre Swift, Lions
32. Kareem Hunt, Browns
33. Cam Akers, Rams
34. Matt Breida, Dolphins
35. Darrell Henderson, Rams
36. Kerryon Johnson, Lions
37. Marlon Mack, Colts
38. Boston Scott, Eagles
39. J.K. Dobbins, Ravens
40. Jordan Howard, Dolphins
41. Latavius Murray, Saints
42. Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers
43. Derrius Guice, Redskins
44. Tevin Coleman, 49ers
45. Zach Moss, Bills
46. Duke Johnson, Texans
47. Antonio Gibson, Redskins
48. Sony Michel, Patriots
49. Justin Jackson, Chargers
50. A.J. Dillon, Packers

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