Draft season is just around the corner! If you’re not one of the degenerates like me drafting best ball teams all offseason, this is your return after a 10+ month break to the most exciting part of the fantasy football season.
Fantasy football managers are getting better at every aspect of the game, with the draft likely being where the biggest gains are being made. People have locked in sleeper and bust takes, are weighing early season versus late season production, and drafting high-upside rookies. Something that too many drafters haven’t adapted to, though, is tiered rankings.
Ranking your running backs 1 through 60 simply isn’t taking into account the value differentials in your draft. Often, when looking at your 1 through 60 rankings for running backs, there’s five guys that you could rearrange on any given day, but that sixth back is clearly not as good as the first five. Tier-based rankings allow for that to be taken into account.
This article provides RB Tiered Rankings, but you can also find my WR Tiered Rankings here.
Tier 1 – The Elite 4
I’m not taking any stands against ADP with this tier. These are the four backs we’ve seen combine talent and situation to put together a great fantasy season. While Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley are reaching the end of their primes, their insane upside and good situations keep them in this tier at least another year.
1. Bijan Robinson (ATL)
2. Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)
3. Christian McCaffrey (SF)
4. Saquon Barkley (PHI)
Tier 2 – Elite with a Risk
While an argument could be made for each of these players to be in the first tier, there’s a major flaw in their profile that keeps them out. De’Von Achane and his quarterback have elevated injury risks, Derrick Henry is aging and without a pass-catching profile, a drop in touchdown luck would hurt him more than others. Jonathan Taylor plays in an offense that could absolutely crater this year, putting his touchdown production in jeopardy. Finally, we just don’t know how Ashton Jeanty’s game will translate in the NFL. All have elite talent, but fantasy isn’t just about that.
5. Ashton Jeanty (LV)
6. De'Von Achane (MIA)
7. Derrick Henry (BAL)
8. Jonathan Taylor (IND)
Tier 3 – Bellcows
With how NFL offenses have shifted towards committee backfields, bellcow backs are becoming increasingly rare outside of the top, elite rushers. That means that these backs, who may not be among the elite talents in the league, are becoming increasingly valuable.
9. Kyren Williams (LAR)
10. Chase Brown (CIN)
11. Breece Hall (NYJ)
12. Josh Jacobs (GB)
13. Omarion Hampton (LAC)
Tier 4 – High Upside Starters
This tier is filled with talented running backs that are pretty safe in their role as the starter on their team. They also feature a path to being a high-end RB1 this upcoming season. Those paths range from their offense overperforming leading to a high touchdown output to simply staying healthy for the whole season.
14. Bucky Irving (TB)
15. James Cook (BUF)
16. Kenneth Walker III (SEA)
Tier 5 – Uncertain Producers
While uncertainty is often seen as a bad thing, in fantasy, it can be something to seek out. These running backs have some level of uncertainty around them stemming from age, injury, or competition in their backfields. These are the type of boom-or-bust picks that can make or break your fantasy team.
17. James Conner (ARI)
18. TreVeyon Henderson (NE)
19. Isiah Pacheco (KC)
20. RJ Harvey (DEN)
21. Alvin Kamara (NO)
22. Chuba Hubbard (CAR)
23. Joe Mixon (HOU)
Tier 6 – The Safety Blankets
This is when the running back supply starts to really dry up. While these players round out the presumed starting running backs in the league, they’re likely more of high-floor players than high-ceiling. While it can be comforting to add one of these backs into your RB2 spot, they don’t have the breakout ability to win your league that same way some others could.
24. Tony Pollard (TEN)
25. Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS)
26. David Montgomery (DET)
27. Aaron Jones Sr. (MIN)
Tier 7 – Lots of Upside, Lots of Downside
This tier of running backs’ floor is essentially zero. You could draft them, but they still may never give you a productive RB2 week all season. With that risk, though, there is tremendous upside. These backs, through injuries ahead of them, or a good scheme fit in a new system, could find themselves providing RB1 numbers in your RB2 or even flex spot.
28. D'Andre Swift (CHI)
29. Tyrone Tracy Jr. (NYG)
30. Kaleb Johnson (PIT)
31. Jordan Mason (MIN)
32. Jaylen Warren (PIT)
33. Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
34. Javonte Williams (DAL)
35. Tyjae Spears (TEN)
36. J.K. Dobbins (DEN)
Tier 8 – Messy Backfields
Again, uncertainty is something to target at the running back position. Unlike Tier 5, though, this tier features a much lower floor as a whole and running backs with lower chances of hitting their ceilings. Still, players in this tier aren’t generally being selected to slot into one of your starting spots Week 1. Instead, this tier offers opportunities to win a starting job, fit a fantasy-relevant role on a good offense, or maybe just stay out of jail. All for a player that will open the season on your bench.
37. Travis Etienne Jr. (JAX)
38. Bhayshul Tuten (JAX)
39. Najee Harris (LAC)
40. Austin Ekeler (WAS)
41. Tank Bigsby (JAX)
42. Quinshon Judkins (CLE)
43. Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)
44. Cam Skattebo (NYG)
45. Rico Dowdle (CAR)
46. Rachaad White (TB)
47. Jaylen Wright (MIA)
48. Dylan Sampson (CLE)
Tier 9 – High Upside Handcuffs
This may be the most important running back tier to get right, and the one most based on chance. I can’t tell you which starting running backs will get injured, but I can tell you that some will. When they do, these are the handcuffs that could replace them and slot directly into your starting lineup. They’re available at the end of most drafts, yet they could be the player leading you to a championship during the back half of the season.
49. Isaac Guerendo (SF)
50. Tyler Allgeier (ATL)
51. Trey Benson (ARI)
52. Will Shipley (PHI)
53. Ray Davis (BUF)
54. Roschon Johnson (CHI)
55. Marshawn Lloyd (GB)
56. Blake Corum (LAR)
Tier 10 – Dart Throws
This tier rounds out the running backs, and offers a dart throw for Week 1 production. While backs like Justice Hill have a higher median output than these players, these are the running backs that could earn a bigger role than expected come Week 1. If not, not a problem, they’ll be off your roster in favour of your first waiver wire addition. If they do hit, though, they’ll be the waiver wire player that the rest of your league goes searching for after Week 1, only to find them on your team already.
57. Devin Neal (NO)
58. Jerome Ford (CLE)
59. Tahj Brooks (CIN)
60. Jaydon Blue (DAL)