X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2018 Rankings Analysis - Running Backs in Standard Leagues

The yards are getting harder and harder to come by for today’s running backs in the NFL.

There were only nine 1,000-yard rushers in the NFL last season, the second-lowest amount over the past 15 years. The 2018 rushing champion, Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt, led the league with the lowest amount of yards (1,327) since 1990. This makes finding the right running backs more crucial than ever for fantasy football owners trying to win their leagues.

Here is a look at the top running backs in standard fantasy leagues heading into the 2018 season:

Editor's Note: RotoBaller’s Dynasty content delivers year-round dynasty fantasy football rankings, trade advice, rookie analysis, and player outlooks. Build a title-winning roster with sleepers, stash targets, and our full dynasty fantasy football guide.

 

2018 Running Backs Rankings - Standard Leagues

Position Tier Position Rank Overall Rank Player Name
1 1 1 Todd Gurley
1 2 2 Ezekiel Elliott
1 3 3 Le'Veon Bell
1 4 5 Leonard Fournette
1 5 7 David Johnson
2 6 9 Alvin Kamara
2 7 10 Dalvin Cook
2 8 11 Kareem Hunt
2 9 15 Melvin Gordon
2 10 18 Saquon Barkley
3 11 20 Devonta Freeman
3 12 23 LeSean McCoy
3 13 25 Jerick McKinnon
3 14 27 Jordan Howard
3 15 29 Christian McCaffrey
3 16 30 Joe Mixon
4 17 41 Alex Collins
4 18 43 Dion Lewis
4 19 45 Kenyan Drake
4 20 46 Mark Ingram
4 21 48 Jay Ajayi
4 22 50 Derrius Guice
4 23 53 Rashaad Penny
4 24 55 Ronald Jones II
4 25 56 Royce Freeman
4 26 58 Derrick Henry
4 27 62 Sony Michel
5 28 67 Lamar Miller
5 29 68 Duke Johnson
5 30 72 Chris Thompson
5 31 85 Carlos Hyde
5 32 86 Aaron Jones
5 33 89 Tevin Coleman
6 34 92 Marlon Mack
6 35 93 Nick Chubb
6 36 95 Marshawn Lynch
6 37 97 C.J. Anderson
6 38 98 Rex Burkhead
6 39 100 Jamaal Williams
7 40 106 Isaiah Crowell
7 41 107 Kerryon Johnson
7 42 110 D'Onta Foreman
7 43 113 Bilal Powell
7 44 120 LeGarrette Blount
7 45 124 Tarik Cohen
8 46 134 Devontae Booker
8 47 138 Frank Gore
8 48 142 Theo Riddick
8 49 145 Giovani Bernard
8 50 146 James White
8 51 147 Ty Montgomery
8 52 148 Doug Martin
8 53 149 Peyton Barber
8 54 151 Latavius Murray
8 55 158 DeMarco Murray
9 56 162 John Kelly
9 57 163 Jonathan Stewart
9 58 175 Chris Ivory
9 59 178 Chris Carson
9 60 179 Corey Clement
9 61 180 Matt Breida
9 62 182 Orleans Darkwa
9 63 185 Javorius Allen
10 64 189 Wayne Gallman
10 65 190 Ameer Abdullah
10 66 192 T.J. Yeldon
10 67 193 James Conner
10 68 200 Jeremy Hill
10 69 204 Samaje Perine
10 70 207 Charles Sims
10 71 211 Mark Walton
10 72 212 De'Angelo Henderson
10 73 213 Jalen Richard
11 74 219 Charcandrick West
11 75 220 Corey Grant
11 76 225 Adrian Peterson
11 77 233 Deandre Washington
11 78 237 Nyheim Hines
11 79 240 C.J. Prosise
11 80 243 Mike Gillislee
11 81 244 Mike Davis
11 82 249 Kalen Ballage
11 83 257 Matt Jones
12 84 263 Terrance West
12 85 268 Robert Kelley
12 86 270 Chase Edmonds
12 87 273 Justin Jackson
12 88 286 Jeremy McNichols
12 89 308 Ito Smith
12 90 293 Jacquizz Rodgers
12 91 298 Jeremy McNichols
13 92 304 Elijhaa Penny
13 93 314 Justin Jackson
13 94 329 Malcolm Brown
13 95 330 Thomas Rawls
13 96 333 Ito Smith

Tier 1

Gurley was 2017’s Most Valuable Player in fantasy football. He was tops among running backs in combined yards and touchdowns, second in rushing yards, second in receiving yards among RBs, and did all this despite sitting out the final game of the regular season. Gurley has proven he can stay healthy in the NFL after an injury-prone college career (four missed games in three seasons) and is one of the few workhorses left in the world full of running-back-by-committee situations.

Elliott ruined a chunk of his sophomore season because of his off-the-field antics, costing himself six games and possibly a second-straight rushing title. He ran for 983 yards and seven touchdowns in only 10 games, though, and added 26 receptions for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Do not have such a short memory that you forget that this guy galloped for 1.631 yards and 15 touchdowns during his 2016 rookie campaign.

Sometimes holding out and missing most of training camp and the preaseason hurts a football player. Not Bell. He did not show up until September 1st last year and still racked up 1,291 rushing yards, 85 catches for 655 receiving yards, and scored 11 touchdowns, which is good considering he may report that late again this year. The Steelers ride Bell harder and longer than most offenses ride their top tailbacks, so look for him to be among the leaders in touches, targets, total yards and touchdowns as long as he does not pull a Ricky Williams and get suspended again.

Fournette is the centerpiece of Jacksonville’s offense and has nobody behind him on the depth chart that is any threat to his spot in the catbird seat. He rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns during his sterling rookie season despite missing three contests. It would have been nice if the Jaguars upgraded the skill-position players around him (Blake Bortles is back? Donte Moncrief? Austin Seferian-Jenkins?) so defenses could not stack the box against him. Fournette has the ability to run for 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns despite the astounding lack of talent surrounding him, however.

2017 was a lost season for Johnson, who was ranked as one of the top four players overall in fantasy football because of the spectacular 2016 season he had (1,239 rushing yards, 80 receptions, 879 receiving yards, 20 total touchdowns). He fractured his wrist early on and needed season-ending injury which ultimately ruined his year and intensified the ulcers inside his fantasy owners. Johnson will still carry Arizona’s offense on his back and be one of the best players in fantasy football, although you should be concerned that with both quarterback Carson Palmer and head coach Bruce Arians retiring the Cardinals offense might take a step back in 2018.

Tier 2

Kamara was a rookie wunderkind who took the NFL and the fantasy football world by storm last season. With the combo of Sean Payton orchestrating the offense and Drew Brees passing and handing off to him, Kamara piled up 728 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and 81 receptions for 826 yards and another five scores. As long as Payton manages his workload properly, Kamara should be a sophomore superstar and not suffer a sophomore slump.

Cook was on his way to a Rookie of the Year award when he tore his ACL and went from being one of the top 10 players in fantasy football to being no good to anybody until 2018. He galloped for 354 yards and two touchdowns in one month and will be the bellcow back in Minnesota’s formidable offense this year, provided there are no complications during his comeback.

Hunt capped his rousing rookie year by winning the rushing title and being arguably the fantasy MVP of the first half of the season. The sledding got tougher for him as the season slogged along, though. He did not score a touchdown during an eight-game period between October and November and his fantasy value was on the verge of completely falling into an abyss until he rebounded with five touchdowns and a couple 100-yard rushing efforts over the final four games.

Gordon finished seventh in the rushing race with 1,105 yards last season, scored a dozen touchdowns and had a career-high 58 receptions for 476 yards. The linchpin of Los Angeles’ rushing attack had his third straight season of averaging less than four yards per carry, though, so even though his numbers have increased each year it is only because the volume of his touches has increased. Only three times did Gordon fail to get at least 70 combined yards in a game in 2017.

Barkley has a much better chance to be the next Todd Gurley than he does being the next Trent Richardson. His track star big-play ability, his Tesla-like way of slamming into his highest gear in record time, and the way he makes defenders whiff on tackles due to his shifty moves and sharp cuts easily installs him as the top rookie running back entering the season. He will breathe new life into Eli Manning and the Giants offense and become the franchise running back for millions of fantasy squads.

Tier 3

McCoy is the one and only weapon in Buffalo’s offensive arsenal, and with either A.J. McCarron or rookie quarterback Josh Allen running the team in 2018, the Bills will likely be leaning on “Shady” more than ever. McCoy will be 30 when the season starts, which is normally never good for tailbacks who have logged plenty of carries over their careers.

Freeman still has Tevin Coleman taking 40 percent of his touches and is beginning to build a concussion history that has to concern fantasy owners. 1,000 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns are still realistic marks for Freeman, however. McKinnon is a feast-or-famine player that could make or break fantasy squads this year. He is penciled in as San Francisco’s top runner and could be a huge part of an explosive offense led by Jimmy Garappolo because of his above-average pass-catching prowess, yet he has never scored more than five touchdowns in a season and has not proven that he can handle being a No. 1 back over an entire season.

Howard has been a fantasy force throughout his first two seasons despite being surrounded by CFL-caliber talent. If Howard can post back-to-back 1,000-yard years with no help, think of what he can do if quarterback Mitchell Trubisky takes his game to another level and takes the Bears offense from below-average to average.

McCaffrey and Mixon had disappointing rookie seasons, but their fantasy futures are still as bright as the pyrotechnics at a Metallica concert. Despite rushing for only 435 at just a 3.7 yards-per-carry clip, McCaffrey was able to be a help in PPR leagues because of his 80 receptions. He needs to improve on breaking tackles (no plays over 40 yards in 2018). Mixon was handed Cincinnati’s top tailback spot on a silver platter and did not do much with it, but he should be No. 1 on the depth chart again and has a revamped offensive line blocking for him this season.

Tier 4

Collins was one of the biggest surprises at the position in 2017, coming out of nowhere to bless fantasy owners with 973 rushing yards. Baltimore spent more time and money upgrading its receiving corps than its backfield this offseason, so he should be a safe starter heading into the new year. Lewis took millions to leave Tom Brady and New England and split time with Derrick Henry in Tennessee. The move probably will not help his fantasy value, nor Henry’s. Ingram will miss the first four games of the season due to violating the NFL’s drug policy, so his stock could not be lower even though he is coming off a career year.

Tier 5

Duke Johnson set personal bests with 74 receptions for 693 yards while scoring a career-high seven total touchdowns, and he cashed in this offseason for $15.3 million. But with Cleveland signing Carlos Hyde and drafting Nick Chubb, do not think for a minute Johnson will be an every-down back. Thompson has become one of the most exciting players in the NFL and is one of the top three running backs when it comes to catching passes out of the backfield, but he is much more valuable in PPR leagues than he is in standard leagues and has to return from a broken leg.

Tier 6

"Beast Mode" a.k.a. Marshawn Lynch has rushed for 1,000 yards six times during his illustrious career and had 891 yards in his triumphant return to football in 2017, but newly-signed Doug “Muscle Hamster” Martin could cut into his carries. Oakland may lead the league in clever nicknames, but probably not rushing yards.

Anderson is not explosive and has only rushed for seven scores in the past two seasons, but he is an upgrade as Carolina’s early-down back over the ankle-twisting Jonathan Stewart. Mack is the frontrunner to be Indianapolis’ top tailback. He has not shown me much, but a healthy Andrew Luck could help Mack stumble into more touchdowns than you would expect.

Tier 7

Crowell got a raw deal in a Cleveland offense that would stop running the ball in the second halves of games when they started trailing. He has not missed a game in four years and is primed for his first 1,000-yard season as long as his Jets do not spontaneously combust on offense. Detroit just refuses to give quarterback Matthew Stafford a running back capable of a 1,000-yard year. Blount should score eight touchdowns for Stafford and the Lions, but do not bank on more than 700 rushing yards.

 

Updated Tiered Rankings and Analysis

 


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF