RADIO
The 2017 draft class of running backs is certainly one of the most highly touted of recent memory. Dynasty owners who have been stuck with the classes of 2015 and 2016 are rejoicing at the potential running back landscape after the 2017 class finally hits the field. Names in this class like Leonard Fournette, Christain McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook and Joe Mixon should be focal points of dynasty rosters for close to the next decade.
That being said, the crop of young running backs that developed over the course of the 2016 season was also impressive. Things seem to finally be looking up for the running back position overall with depth that the position was lacking in previous seasons.
Parsing all of the young playmakers into dynasty ranks can be challenging, but we will use this list to determine the running back tiers, which is subject to change throughout the 2017 preseason and regular season.
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2017 Dynasty Running Back Rankings
Tier One
1. Ezekiel Elliott
2. David Johnson
3. Le’Veon Bell
Fantasy owners will notice similar names on this to redraft lists in both standard and PPR leagues, with the order slightly different. Ezekiel Elliott should be drafted higher than either Johnson or Bell due to his youth and relatively stable quarterback and offensive line situations. Don’t expect 1,600 rushing yard seasons to pile up over the course of his career, but Elliott should be able to expand his passing game role to something a bit closer to Johnson and Bell as he ages vs. the 32 catches he saw as a rookie. David Johnson will turn 26 near the end of the 2017 season, but has the potential to be a top-five running back for the next few seasons due to this pass catching ability, even with the uncertainty around him with aging teammates Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald contemplating retirement yearly. Le’Veon Bell is actually younger than Johnson, but has a few strikes against him (injuries, possible suspension, looming free agency) that place him squarely third on this list. Bell could continue to play year-to-year for the Steelers, but ultimately, he wants to lock in a long term deals somewhere. If those question marks were not on Bell, he could easily be switched with Johnson.
Tier Two
4. Jordan Howard
5. Melvin Gordon
6. Devonta Freeman
7. Jay Ajayi
Howard would have been the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 if Ezekiel Elliott didn’t come into the league. He benefited from a new-look offensive line with the addition of All-Pro Josh Sitton, however the Bears are a team in disarray. Even though Howard will only turn 23 during the 2017 season, he could arguably be near the lower end of this tier, rather than its top member. It took both Melvin Gordon and Jay Ajayi until year two to become the running backs fantasy owners were hoping for. They both play on middle-of-the-road offenses and face little competition for work in the immediate future. Both are injury risks (Gordon has microfracture surgery and Ajayi’s knee is bone on bone currently), but you could do worse than either of these players as an RB1. Devonta Freeman is safest out of the group by far and at age 25, has a long career ahead of him. Freeman should be ranked as the top member of this group with the lack of organizational concerns and overall potency of the Falcons offense. He's got more tread on his tires than the others in this tier, but he is as well-rounded of a running back as there is in the NFL, rushing for over 1,000 yards and catching over 50 passes in each of the last two seasons.
Tier Three
8. Leonard Fournette
9. Christian McCaffrey
10. Todd Gurley
11. LeSean McCoy
12. Lamar Miller
13. Joe Mixon
The first of the rookie running backs show up in tier number three. Fournette should shoulder the largest workload to start with 300 touch potential in 2017 and beyond. This big back should flourish being and improving offensive line and dedication to the running game in Jacksonville. Christian McCaffrey and Joe Mixon both have a world of talent, but questions remain about their short term situations. There is little doubt that each of these players should have increasing roles after the 2017 season, and can play in both the running and passing games. 1,500 total yards from each of these players should not be out of the realm of possibilities starting in 2018. Bunching McCaffrey and Mixon closer together would be preferred.
Todd Gurley is one of the most talented running backs in the NFL, but that talent was certainly stuck in neutral in 2016. There is a hope that new head coach Sean McVay is able to build a creative offensive scheme to better suit Gurley. Until fantasy owners see some success from the Rams, Gurley should be at the bottom of this tier. LeSean McCoy and Lamar Miller are more veteran than the rest of the players in this tier, McCoy just turned 29 in July and Miller is 26 with over 900 career carries. McCoy is the safest of these players in 2017, but also should reach 2,000 career carries and near 2,500 total touches, that’s a lot of wear and tear. Expect his performance to start to decline going forward. Miller doesn’t have the yearly upside as the rest of the players in this tier and should be considered the worst of this bunch, but fantasy owners can expect low end RB1 numbers for the next season or two.
Tier Four
14. Derrick Henry
15. DeMarco Murray
16. Dalvin Cook
17. Paul Perkins
18. Isaiah Crowell
Both Titans runners start this tier, and while it’s unclear when Derrick Henry will get the starting nod from DeMarco Murray, the clock is ticking. They will both run behind the number four offensive line according to Pro Football Focus heading into 2017, but long term, Henry should be valued higher. Murray could end up elsewhere in 2018 which could help or hurt his value depending on landing spot. He’s been very durable since his early injury worries in Dallas (played 16 games in two of the last three seasons), but belongs lower in this group due to his lack of certainty. The next two young backs are on teams with question marks. There is little doubt in Dalvin Cook’s talent level (he gained over 1,900 yards from scrimmage in each of the last two seasons at Florida State), but he could be transitioning to a new quarterback in 2018. Cook is the most talented of any of the backs in this tier and could even be ranked in the tier higher. Paul Perkins flashed at the end of 2016 with three out of four games with over 15 carries. He comes into 2017 as the starter, but there isn’t much long term security for the fifth round pick from 2016. Isaiah Crowell will be in the best situation of his career in 2017 behind a revamped offensive line, but he will be a free agent after 2017. If the Browns lock him up long term, he belongs near the top of this tier at least. Expect his first 1,000 rushing yard season in 2017.
Tier Five
19. Ty Montgomery
20. CJ Anderson
21. Spencer Ware
22. Tevin Coleman
23. Alvin Kamara
24. Samaje Perine
25. Ameer Abdullah
This tier may look a lot different once we enter the 2018 season. There are no less than three players (Ty Montgomery, Spencer Ware, Ameer Abdullah) that may not have their starting job by the end of 2017. Montgomery flashed after he stepped in at running back from 2016, and he clearly has the pass catching skills to be valuable in PPR leagues especially. If Montgomery can hold off rookies Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones, he could be even more sought after next season. CJ Anderson has the best track record of the backs in this tier, but simply can’t stay healthy (he’s started only 19 games in the last three seasons). If healthy, Anderson should be the class of this tier. It appears that Spencer Ware and Samaje Perine will start the season in timeshares, but could potentially either win or lose the starting job as the season progresses. Ware appears to be on the way out and Perine appears to be gaining momentum and should be ranked as such. Alvin Kamara, Tevin Coleman and Ameer Abdullah will each be in a timeshare for at least 2017 and could be sharing the backfield in 2018 and beyond as well. Swapping Abdullah with Coleman and Kamara would be preferred.
Tier Six
26. C.J. Prosise
27. Marshawn Lynch
28. Danny Woodhead
29. Bilal Powell
30. Carlos Hyde
31. Mark Ingram
Carlos Hyde deserves to be at least one tier above his current ranking. He is arguably one of the top-ten most talented running backs in the NFL, and will an offensive minded coach in Kyle Shanahan; it could be a match in heaven, even if 2017 isn’t great. CJ Prosise may have the most secure role on the Seahawks as the pass catching back with room for potentially more. Again, Prosise will need to stay on the field in order to reach even some of that potential. Marshawn Lynch may be able to provide some short term production for a team looking to win it all in 2017 or 2018, but should be list low due to an uncertain future. It’s surprising, but Danny Woodhead is already 32 years old and is also coming off an ACL injury. His role should be well defined in 2017 with RB2 upside, but there is uncertainty ahead with a team losing pieces right and left. Mark Ingram has been cast aside in many dynasty circles, but he has some upside for 2017. He should be a weekly flex in PPR leagues, and if he receives a strong free agent contract for 2018, could continue on that path. He should be ranked near the top of this tier with Hyde instead of Prosise.
Tier Seven
32. Latavius Murray
33. Eddie Lacy
34. Robert Kelley
35. James White
36. Mike Gillislee
37. Kareem Hunt
The highest upside for 2017 from this tier belongs to power backs Eddie Lacy and Mike Gillislee. These players both have double digit touchdown upside for the 2017 season, but beyond that, their outlook is murky to say the least. Lacy is on a one year contract and will not be as much of a factor in PPR leagues. Kareem Hunt may have the most long term upside of any of the backs in this tier. Depending on Spencer Ware’s 2017 performance, the keys to the kingdom in the Chiefs backfield could be turned over to the third round pick. Hunt has also shown improvement as a pass catcher with 41 receptions his senior season at Toledo and could be at least an RB2 in PPR leagues following the 2017 season. He should be near the top of this tier.
Frankly, it’s surprising both Latavius Murray and Rob Kelley are near the top of this tier with just some many questions regarding their playing time and role in their respective offenses. As of this writing, Murray is still on the PUP list recovering from ankle surgery and could be losing the majority of his work to rookie Dalvin Cook. Kelley has a rookie of his own to worry about in Samaje Perine, the bruiser from Oklahoma. Kelley may have some short term value for 2017, but Perine should be taking over as the early down leader at some point. James White’s floor should be safe for the next season or two in New England as a pass catching option, but his quarterback’s time could be up at any point. White is accurately ranked with the other backs in this tier.
