Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances from Week 2

Running back rankings for half-PPR fantasy points scored in Week 1. Kyle reacts to the best fantasy football RB performances and projects them moving forward.

Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season was the complete opposite of Week 1 where most of the top running backs dominated. In Week 2 we didn't see too much from Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, or Najee Harris, but some old faces in Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Jones, Nick Chubb, and Austin Ekeler reminded us that they are still forces to be reckoned with.

So far D'Andre Swift, James Robinson, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire have finished the Top 10 two weeks in a row in half-PPR scoring. After all three disappointed fantasy managers and faced some injury adversity last season, they are all healthy and producing for your lineups early into 2022. Now be sure to pull out your lucky four-leaf clover so I don't jinx your teams!

Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 2 based on fantasy points scored in half-PPR formats. Make sure to bookmark our live fantasy football scoreboard so you can see all the live scoring and top fantasy football performances each week, during the games, and afterward as well.

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Top 10 Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 2

Here were the top 10 running back from Week 2 of the NFL season:

1. Nick Chubb

Arguably the purest runner in the NFL (I see you JT stans), Chubb had himself a day against the Jets. The fifth-year pro from Georgia rushed 17 times for 87 yards and 3 scores. He also added 3 receptions for 26 yards, which is something fantasy managers love to see. Chubb had 56 yards after contact and averaged 3.29 yards after contact per rushing attempt (per PFF). Watching him carry the football while displaying incredible patience and exploding upfield through the hole is a sight to behold on Sundays.

It is difficult to expect this type of weekly production from Chubb each week due to Kareem Hunt on the roster and the Browns facing a tougher schedule without quarterback Deshaun Watson once Week 5 starts, Chubb will be relied upon heavily by this offense nonetheless. While the split backfield can be frustrating at times for fantasy managers, it is arguably better for his career longevity and should keep him fresher throughout the season for the Browns and your fantasy team.

The concerning issue for Chubb in fantasy is the Browns being in negative game scripts. They face a bevy of quarterbacks in the middle of the season including Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, and Tom Brady all in a row. It is hard seeing the Browns keeping up with those teams sans Watson. If they are trailing in the second halves of games it's more likely we would see Kareem Hunt in the backfield as he tends to be the receiving and long third-down back on the roster. You can however still roster Chubb with confidence as a low-end RB1 / high-end RB2 throughout the season.

2. Aaron Jones

After a lackluster Week One in which Jones only touched the ball 8 times for a total of 76 yards in a 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in which head coach Matt LaFleur promised to get Jones more involved in the offense, we should have seen this one coming.

Jones carried the ball 15 teams for 132 yards and a score while adding 3 receptions for 38 yards and another score through the air. He looked dominant on Sunday Night Football exploding through the holes and getting upfield in a hurry. While like Chubb his Top-5 upside is probably capped with AJ Dillon being featured on the team, Jones is a player you should feel good about having on your roster this season.

He is a fantastic pass catcher and will be relied upon by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The one concerning issue for the Green Bay offense is how slow their pace of play has been two weeks in as well as their overall lack of points (just 34 in two games). Without star receiver Davante Adams they will rely more on their defense and try to grind out games this season. The good news is in this space the wide receivers will likely suffer more in Green Bay than the running backs will.

3. Tony Pollard

Everyone's favorite handcuff this season, Tony Pollard showed us some flashes of his brilliance in the Cowboys' Week 2 win over the Bengals. There was a big dropoff in total points from Jones to Pollard, but nonetheless, third place is still third place. Pollard only rushed 9 times for 43 yards but added a score. He thrived in the passing game for Dallas with 4 receptions for 55 yards including a 46-yarder.

There are concerns about the Cowboys' offense with quarterback Dak Prescott sidelined and there should be. Nonetheless, if you are rostering Pollard you likely wouldn't be able to get much for him at this point so you might as well hold as it is likely both running backs could be relied upon more heavily just like they were this past Sunday.

It isn't likely that Pollard will overtake Elliott, especially on third-downs as he has had some issues in pass protection, but he is a player who would be a Top 12 start each week if an injury happened to Elliott once quarterback Dak Prescott is back. Pollard is more of a low-end RB2 / high-end RB3 at this point, but he could be a valuable depth piece nonetheless.

T-4. D'Andre Swift

A player who is already looking like a league-winner, Swift had another solid performance in Week Two. As mentioned in last week's column, Swift's incredible receiving ability likely keeps him game-script proof regardless of the game score and situation in Detroit.

Swift only carried the ball five times for 56 yards but he added two catches for 31 yards and a score. He was previously battling a foot injury during the week and the Lions didn't want to overuse him in this game to keep him healthy for the rest of the season. Jamaal Williams had 12 rushes for 53 yards and will be a factor in the Lions running game all year. Nonetheless, Swift has an elite ceiling very few RBs have and should be viewed as a Top 5 RB start every week.

With young cornerstones in Swift, Amon Ra St-Brown, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, Taylor Decker, TJ Hockenson, and rookie Jameson Williams it's hard not to be bullish for the Lions' offense going forward. While Jared Goff may limit them in real life, he has been capable of supporting multiple players for fantasy. These aren't your same Lions anymore and could be an exciting team to watch for years. Things are looking up in Motown.

T-4. Damien Harris

Like the Terminator, Damien Harris is a player who always finds a way to keep coming back even if we keep writing him off. Harris had the bulk of the Patriots' carries on Sunday, rushing 15 times for 71 yards and a TD. He also added 2 receptions for 16 yards, much to the frustration of Rhamondre Stevenson fantasy managers.

A player who had a spectacular 2021 season for fantasy, many were torn on Harris for 2022 expecting him to have some negative TD regression after he crossed the goal line 15 times last season. While Stevenson lurks in the background, Harris is still likely an RB2 in this offense after he has out carried Stevenson in each of the last two weeks.

While Harris isn't an overly exciting or flashy player, he isn't the kind of guy we should be counting out for fantasy. Patriots backfields under Belichick have always been tough to decipher, but that doesn't mean we should take the easy road and avoid Patriots RBs altogether.

T-6. Christian McCaffrey

A familiar face in the weekly Top 10, McCaffrey had a solid Week 2 performance against the New York Giants. CMC rushed 15 times for 102 yards and added 4 receptions for 26 yards. A touchdown would have vaulted him into the top 3 RBs of the week.

The Panthers are now 0-2 and the vultures appear to be circling for head coach Matt Rhule. As he is fighting to save his job, his only choice is to continue playing McCaffrey as much as possible each week. The only other back who saw carries was D'Onta Foreman with two rushes for just 9 yards. McCaffrey is an elite fantasy option and it is nice to see him back and healthy in Carolina, but he may not see 100 receptions this season with Baker Mayfield as his quarterback.

CMC should still be considered a Top 3 RB going forward each and every week, but there are some reg flags appearing in the Panthers' offense, especially in the passing game. McCaffrey may not be able to get to 100-reception levels as he has in years past.

T-6. James Robinson

One of the feel-good stories of the 2022 season, Robinson has looked great coming off an Achilles tear that happened in December of 2021. It's almost as if the same rules of medical sports science that were relevant five years ago no longer apply as science continues to become more advanced. Most fantasy managers largely avoided Robinson all offseason due to the harsh reality of the injury and the history of running back careers post-Achilles was nothing short of a graveyard of running backs past.

Robinson had 23 carries for 64 yards and a TD on Sunday against the Colts and also had 2 receptions for 14 yards.  While Travis Etienne does lurk in the Jaguars backfield as well, it appears that Robinson is the lead running back for the team with Etienne being featured as more of a pass catcher.

Even though J-Rob has finished in the Top 1o each of the last two weeks, he should still be viewed as a high-end RB2 for the time being. The Jaguars' offense is starting to look more improved under head coach Doug Pederson and things could be looking up. If you are in a keeper or dynasty league, you should be thrilled with Robinson's production so far.

8. David Montgomery

Not overly flashy, speedy, or expensive, David Montgomery is like an older Dodge Neon that always seems able to get where you need it to go no matter the situation or how badly it is treated. While Khalil Herbert was heavily involved in the Bears' Week 1 win over the 49ers, Montgomery reasserted himself with a solid performance against the Packers on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.

Montgomery had 15 carries for 122 yards while adding 2 receptions for 14 yards. Due to the reality that the Bears may not win too many games this season, we should be concerned about his weekly upside potential, especially as it relates to touchdowns. Khalil Herbert will be involved in the offense and Justin Fields will likely have to run quite a bit with an offensive line that appears about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. These factors hurt Montgomery's fantasy value.

While Monty has never displayed elite athleticism, he has been solid for fantasy in years past due to sheer volume similar to Najee Harris in 2021. There is a new Bears regime in town and Montgomery is a free agent after the 2022 season. While he can still likely be a high-end RB2 for your fantasy teams, there are too many variables working against him right now. He should be considered a sell-high candidate after this performance unless we believe with all certainty that he will be a high-volume RB each and every week.

9. Austin Ekeler

A fantasy darling of seasons past, Austin Ekeler reminded us of why he will be just fine for fantasy this year, at least in full PPR formats.  On TNF, Ekeler rushed just 14 times for 39 yards against the Chiefs' defense, but he had 9 receptions for 55 yards.

Watching Ekeler this season is going to be similar to a behind-the-scenes look at how sausages are made. We may not enjoy seeing the process up close, but we are still comfortably enjoying the end result. What is overly concerning with Ekeler is that he has only had 200+ carries once in his career and has typically made the bulk of his value in the receiving game. In 2021, Ekeler rushed 206 times and had 12 rushing TDs. His rushing TD totals in the years prior? 1, 3, 3, and 2. It was inevitable he was due for some negative TD regression in that area.

It's probably not time to panic on Ekeler, but he was expensive on draft day. What you should be concerned about if you are an Ekeler fantasy manager is that there may be someone else in your league who drafted Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, or Ja'Marr Chase in the 1st Round and may also have Saquon Barkley, D'Andre Swift, or Leonard Fournette, leaving you at a noticeable disadvantage. Nonetheless, Ekeler will be fine for fantasy in the high-powered Chargers offense without much competition for carries around him. It just may not be as pretty as it once was.

10. Clyde Edwards-Helaire

A player many had left for dead this offseason, CEH's fantasy value probably fell a lot further than it should have as he officially entered the dreaded RB dead zone once the draft season officially rolled around. On TNF against the Chargers, Ekeler rushed 8 times for 74 yards while adding 4 receptions for 44 yards. He finished inside of the top 1o on the week yet again.

While the Chiefs' offense came back to earth against a solid Chargers defense, they still found ways to win. This is an offense that is going to struggle with picking up big plays in chunks without Tyreek Hill and likely we should have seen CEH being such a large beneficiary from defenses still treating the Chiefs offense like the offenses of old and not stacking the box.

While Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco are also in the Chiefs running back room, CEH appears to be the leader of the Chiefs backfield. He is a dual-threat with his prime receiving ability and could be in line for a solid season. While we need to see a few more games before we anoint him, CEH is looking like an incredible value for fantasy currently.

Looking Forward

How did you fare in Week 2? The good news is there is still plenty of the season left to go.

While we shouldn't expect all of these running backs to finish in the Top 10 each week, it's important to remember that for some of them their opportunity cost in drafts was low.

Having running back depth can be crucial for your team over the grind of a fantasy season and we should always be looking to find value at RB whenever possible.

Are there any running backs not on this list who you expect to bounce back in Week Thee? Feel free to get at me on Twitter.

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