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

Updated Running Back Draft Rankings for Half-PPR Scoring

Updated fantasy football running back draft rankings, tiers and analysis for half-ppr scoring. Bill Dubiel analyzes key RB draft targets and avoids for 1/2 PPR.

Running back is the most volatile position in fantasy football. It's possible to put together a winning team while going "zero RB" (not picking a running back in the early rounds), proving how much change there can be in many running backs' value over the course of a year. I don't recommend doing this, for what it's worth.

This year we have a pretty well-established "big four" at the position, although that is contingent on Ezekiel Elliott's holdout situation--and it may be five if not for Melvin Gordon's holdout situation. After that there is a pretty clear second tier...and then it gets dicey.

Given how strong the first couple of tiers are this year, my advice is to jump on one relatively early this draft season to secure a solid floor/ceiling combo for the 2019 season.

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

 

Half-PPR Fantasy Football Rankings - Running Backs

Below are RotoBaller's consensus staff rankings for the 2019 fantasy football season. These rankings are compiled by Nick Mariano, Pierre Camus, Scott Engel, Bill Dubiel, Dominick Petrillo and Spencer Aguiar.

In case you missed it, our very own "Big Pick Nick" Mariano was the #11 overall most accurate industry expert ranker for the 2018 season, and #9 overall in 2017. Additionally, industry legend Scott Engel recently joined the RotoBaller team and provides his insights as well. Scott is an FSWA Hall Of Famer and award winner.

Position Rank Overall Rank Player Name Position Tier Overall Tier
1 1 Saquon Barkley 1 1
2 2 Alvin Kamara 1 1
3 3 Christian McCaffrey 1 1
4 4 James Conner 1 1
5 8 David Johnson 2 1
6 14 Joe Mixon 2 2
7 16 Nick Chubb 2 2
8 17 Dalvin Cook 2 2
9 18 Le'Veon Bell 2 2
10 19 Todd Gurley 2 2
11 21 Devonta Freeman 3 3
12 22 Ezekiel Elliott 3 3
13 25 Leonard Fournette 3 3
14 26 Kerryon Johnson 3 3
15 29 Damien Williams 3 3
16 30 Chris Carson 3 3
17 32 Aaron Jones 3 3
18 36 Sony Michel 4 4
19 38 Marlon Mack 4 4
20 40 David Montgomery 4 4
21 42 Josh Jacobs 4 4
22 47 Derrick Henry 4 4
23 49 Mark Ingram 4 4
24 56 Phillip Lindsay 5 5
25 60 Duke Johnson 5 5
26 61 Melvin Gordon 5 5
27 64 James White 5 5
28 66 Tevin Coleman 5 5
29 70 Miles Sanders 5 5
30 72 Austin Ekeler 5 6
31 74 Derrius Guice 5 6
32 76 Kenyan Drake 5 6
33 80 Tarik Cohen 6 6
34 82 Devin Singletary 6 6
35 83 Latavius Murray 6 6
36 96 Rashaad Penny 6 7
37 97 Jordan Howard 6 7
38 99 Royce Freeman 6 7
39 104 Kalen Ballage 6 7
40 107 Peyton Barber 6 7
41 110 Matt Breida 6 7
42 119 Tony Pollard 7 8
43 120 Carlos Hyde 7 8
44 122 Justin Jackson 7 8
45 123 Darrell Henderson 7 8
46 128 Dion Lewis 7 8
47 129 Darwin Thompson 7 8
48 131 Adrian Peterson 7 8
49 139 Ronald Jones II 7 9
50 141 Jaylen Samuels 7 9
51 142 Frank Gore 7 9
52 143 LeSean McCoy 7 9
53 145 Mike Davis 7 9
54 150 Chris Thompson 8 9
55 157 Damien Harris 8 10
56 159 Justice Hill 8 10
57 160 Kareem Hunt 8 10
58 162 Ito Smith 8 10
59 166 C.J. Anderson 8 10
60 170 Alexander Mattison 8 10
61 171 Jalen Richard 8 10
62 175 Nyheim Hines 9 11
63 176 Malcolm Brown 9 11
64 183 Ty Montgomery 9 11
65 197 Jamaal Williams 9 11
66 202 Rex Burkhead 9 11
67 207 Giovani Bernard 9 11
68 209 Chase Edmonds 9 11
69 212 Gus Edwards 9 12
70 229 Theo Riddick 10 12
71 230 Brian Hill 10 12
72 236 Karan Higdon 10 12
73 252 Benny Snell Jr. 10 13
74 266 Corey Clement 10 13
75 271 Zach Zenner 10 13
76 273 Travis Homer 10 14
77 275 Damarea Crockett 10 14
78 279 Ryquell Armstead 10 14
79 282 Bilal Powell 10 14
80 283 Mike Weber 10 14
81 295 Alfred Morris 11 14
82 306 T.J. Yeldon 11 14
83 311 Dexter Williams 11 14
84 316 Dare Ogunbowale 11 14
85 330 Dontrell Hilliard 11 15
86 342 Rhett Ellison 11 15
87 349 Trayveon Williams 11 15
88 356 Darrel Williams 11 15
89 365 Qadree Ollison 11 15
90 376 Alfred Blue 11 16
91 385 Trenton Cannon 11 16
92 395 Ty Johnson 11 16
93 399 Kenneth Dixon 11 16
94 403 Cameron Artis-Payne 11 16
95 409 Josh Adams 11 16
96 414 Jordan Wilkins 12 16
97 421 Spencer Ware 12 17
98 431 Alex Barnes 12 17
99 435 Bryce Love 12 17
100 438 Wayne Gallman 12 17
101 452 Jeff Wilson 12 17
102 459 Devontae Booker 12 17
103 462 Wendell Smallwood 12 17
104 465 Darren Sproles 12 17
105 466 Rod Smith 12 18
106 470 Mike Boone 12 18
107 473 Ameer Abdullah 12 18
108 475 Kyle Juszczyk 12 18
109 476 Myles Gaskin 12 18
110 477 Raheem Mostert 12 18
111 478 Andre Ellington 12 18
112 479 Rodney Anderson 11 18
113 480 James Develin 11 18
114 481 Jordan Scarlett 11 18
115 482 C.J. Prosise 11 18
116 484 Devine Ozigbo 12 18
117 486 Mark Walton 12 18
118 487 J.D. McKissic 12 18
119 488 Deandre Washington 12 18
120 489 Elijah Holyfield 12 18
121 491 Josh Ferguson 13 18
122 494 Marcus Murphy 13 18
123 496 Buddy Howell 13 18
124 498 LeGarrette Blount 13 18
125 499 Paul Perkins 13 18
126 500 Dwayne Washington 13 18
127 505 Jeremy McNichols 13 18
128 506 D'Ernest Johnson 13 18
129 507 Elijhaa Penny 13 18

 

Tier 1

This is a pretty typical top tier, with the feature back dual threats taking the top four spots. If we knew they were going to play 16 games, Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon would likely find themselves in this spot, but obviously they're both a complete question mark until they sign somewhere.

Personally, I like David Johnson as maybe the third back in the group (behind McCaffrey and Kamara) given how different his circumstances are this year versus in 2018. Johnson proved he could be an elite player in 2016, then unfortunately lost his entire 2017 to injury. His 2018 season was a mess thanks to the incompetence of former offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, brutal offensive line play and a quarterback in Josh Rosen who simply didn't represent an aerial threat. With Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury now in place, Johnson should be able to find (and be delivered the ball in) space and get back to his running and gunning ways of 2016.

 

Tier 2

I love Nick Chubb heading into 2019 and would not argue with anybody who put him in that first tier to be honest. The Browns have an improving offensive line, an offense positively loaded with weapons, and the departure of Duke Johnson should free up some receptions out of the backfield for Chubb. At the very least I like him better than Mixon in the early goings.

A healthy Dalvin Cook has sky-high potential in the Vikings offense that should lean on the run a bit more given that Gary Kubiak is now influencing the decision-making. The obvious risk factor is his injury history, and that has to be factored into your draft strategy. Understand what the upside is but don't necessarily count on 16 games from him

 

Tier 3

Kerryon Johnson represents an interesting case heading into 2019, and he's one of my top breakout targets for 2019. Johnson was immediately effective for the Lions, averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 12.5 carries per game along with four targets per game. With Theo Riddick now gone, I expect Johnson to maintain that carry average while adding more targets, which should allow him to be a true dual-threat feature back. C.J. Anderson will certainly be in the mix, but it's the Kerryon Johnson show in 2019.

Aaron Jones is criminally underrated here, and I know that's become a popular opinion in many fantasy circles. Jones has averaged 5.5 yards per carry over the last two years, but has suffered from limited playing time and some minor injuries. Jones should be the leader in the backfield this season and get enough work in the passing game to make him a solid value at his current ADP.

 

Tier 4

The hate on Marlon Mack due to the Thanos-like disappearance of Andrew Luck has gone way too far. Mack averaged a healthy 4.66 yards per carry and found pay-dirt 10 times in just 12 games in 2018. Although it's now Jacoby Brissett under center instead of MVP-caliber Andrew Luck, the Colts offensive line is one of the best in football heading into the season, and there will obviously be a renewed focus on the run game. Mack is a strong RB2 and should provide consistent value every week.

I'm not sure why Mark Ingram is widely regarded as a low-end RB2 going into this season. The bruising Alabama product will have the clear lead in the Baltimore backfield, which should be one of the most run-heavy offenses in football. We've seen from his time in New Orleans that Ingram is also a capable pass-catcher, and with Lamar Jackson still adjusting to NFL defenses Ingram will be an integral part of the offense on all three downs. I love him as a top-15 back and I think he's a steal at his current ADP.

 

Tier 5

Tevin Coleman may also be an excellent value given that Jerick McKinnon appears to be out of the picture for the time being. He should receive the healthy portion of the split between him and Matt Breida, and his reunion with Kyle Shanahan can be nothing but good news.  Coleman's best season (2016) came under Kyle Shanahan's guidance in Atlanta, and it saw him score 11 touchdowns as a secondary back to Devonta Freeman. As the 1A he should be a top-20 back in an improving 49ers offense.

James White is possibly the premier pass-catching back in the NFL, putting up an 87-751-7 receiving line in 2018 while adding 425 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He was ticketed for a RB1 season until Sony Michel was finally unleashed, and White regressed to more of a change-of-pace option. That time share should return for 2019, rendering White no more than an every-week flex option with RB3 upside.

 

Tier 6 and Lower

The above rankings don't reflect the LeSean McCoy release (McCoy has been removed but no other changes have been made yet). The obvious change is going to occur with Frank Gore and rookie Devin Singletary. What I'm picturing is the sort of 1A/1B setup that the Saints had with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. Note: I am not comparing them in skill or production, merely the opportunity that will be presented. Both backs should start the season with RB3 value in the run-heavy Bills offense, but Singletary obviously has the upside of the two.

Jaylen Samuels may very well have stand-alone flex value even if James Conner is fully healthy all year. Samuels will be deployed like Ty Montgomery was with the Packers--he may be a running back in some situations and act as a wideout in others. In the high-powered Steelers offense that means he should be startable in most weeks, and should Conner go down he would immediately become a RB2 for me.

More Fantasy Football 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

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
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
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
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
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
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

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

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF