While compiling my yearly fantasy football rankings, it made me miss hoodie weather. I will not miss peeling myself off my car’s leather seats and walking around with a back sweat circle. Football season cannot come soon enough.
Thanks to last year’s awesome rookie running back class, running back position is pretty deep this year in fantasy. You’re will always have a drop-off after the first two or three running backs are off the board, but you can still get quality running backs deep in this year’s draft.
Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley are the two guys many will choose with the first overall pick in your draft. Could any other running back be selected before them?
Which rookie running backs should you keep an eye on?
Here are our top 100 running backs for the 2018 fantasy football season.
- Todd Gurley – Los Angeles Chargers – Gurley rushed for 1,305 yards and added another 788 yards in receiving yards. He scored a total of 16 touchdowns in 2017. The offense ran through Gurley last year with quarterback Jared Goff still developing as a NFL quarterback. The addition of Brandin Cooks could lead to a higher percentage of passing plays, but Gurley does damage in that area too, so I don’t predict much of a decline in his overall touches.
- Le’Veon Bell – Pittsburgh Steelers – Bell didn’t participate in training camp last year and started the year a little slow. He finished strong and compiled 1,291 rushing yards and caught 85 passes for 655 yards. He scored a total of 11 touchdowns in 2017. He is sitting out training camp again due to a heated contract negotiation, so I expect him to start slow again this year. Bell will get 30+ touches per game and will be in ‘football shape’ by Week 3.
- David Johnson – Arizona Cardinals – If you selected Johnson early last year, you may be gun shy about picking him in the first round again. He suffered a severe wrist injury in the first game of the season and never saw the field again in 2017. He was a beast in 2016 with over 2,000 total yards and 20 touchdowns and it’s not like he blew out a knee. He will come into this season with an entire year of rest on his legs. Johnson is a talented player and think he will have another fantastic fantasy season.
- Ezekiel Elliott – Dallas Cowboys – The four-game suspension cloud hung over Elliott during the first-half of last season. I think he should have just sat the first four games and been done with it. His first four games weren’t very good, but was finally hit a groove by the time he ran out of suspension appeals. The Cowboys are officially his team now that Dez Bryant was cut and Jason Witten retired. Quarterback Dak Prescott lost his two best targets and will need Elliott to carry the team on his back. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elliott averaged 30 carries per game this season.
- Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints – Kamara came out of nowhere last season. The Saints decided that they had the personnel to become a run-first team and they had a ton of success. Kamara only had 728 rushing yards, but his caught 81 passes for 826 yards. He also scored a total of 13 passes. Drew Brees started to trust Kamara more and was getting him the ball in the red zone. Mark Ingram will miss the first four games due to a PED suspension, so Kamara will come out of the gate strong. Kamara was only targeted 100 times, so catching 81 balls is a testament to his consistent hands.
- Leonard Fournette – Jacksonville Jaguars – Fournette rushed for over 1,000 yards and caught 36 passes for 302 yards in his rookie season. He missed three games due to injury, so he may have been in the hunt for the rushing title if he was healthy all year. The Jaguars got a taste of the postseason for the first time in a long time, so they will be more confident this year. I expect Fournette to continue to receive around 25 to 30 touches a game. Their defense should get them solid field position, so I could see him eclipsing last year’s total of ten touchdowns.
- Dalvin Cook – Minnesota Vikings – Cook looked like a potential Rookie of the Year candidate early last season, but he tore his ACL in Week 4. He is 100% healthy and don’t sleep on him. The Vikings are going to ride him and let their defense win games. I don’t see the gameplan changing with Kirk Cousins in town. Cook will most likely slide in your draft and be the 10th or the 11th running back taken, but he will finish the year as a top-ten fantasy running back.
- Saquon Barkley – New York Giants – There were so many rookie running backs that had a lot of success in 2017. Barkley is the best of this year’s class, so people are reaching for him early in drafts. The Giants have a lot of their offensive weapons healthy, so their offense will be much better than the second-half of last year. The reason I dinged Barkley a little is because the Giants signed Jonathan Stewart, who is a nice third-down back for them. He could also be a potential touchdown vulture, like he was in Carolina.
- Kareem Hunt – Kansas City Chiefs – Hunt came out of the gate on fire in his rookie year. He hit a wall after Week 5, but turned it back up late in the year. The Chiefs needs Hunt to repeat last year’s numbers since QB Patrick Mahomes needs a productive running game to move the safeties in and free up passing lanes. Hunt is a safe pick and think he would be a very good RB1 if you wait into the second round to select a running back.
- Melvin Gordon – Los Angeles Chargers – Gordon may never be a huge-gain running back. He will nibble yards away and average 3.5 to 3.9 yards per carry. The Chargers tried to spell him at times with backup Austin Ekeler. They saw success by doing that, but they still want to give Gordon 25 carries a game. He is entrenched in his position, but I do think there is a slim chance Ekeler could start to eat into his touches if he gets off to a rough start. Gordon ended the year with big numbers, so I doubt Ekeler will be much of a true threat.
- Devonta Freeman – Atlanta Falcons – Freeman suffered through some injuries last year, but still played in 14 games. The injuries bothered his performance in a couple games, but he still scored eight touchdowns and over 1,100 total yards. Freeman is still the #1 back and will get most of the red zone touches over Tevin Coleman. Freeman would be an excellent RB2 on your team.
- Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers – McCaffrey would be higher on this list if these were PPR rankings. He had 80 receptions for 651 yards and five receiving touchdowns last year. He only had 117 carries for 435 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He was basically the backup running back to Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton. McCaffrey will be the starting running back this year now that Stewart is in New York. I still don’t see him getting more than 200 carries, but his value will be from his receiving numbers.
- LeSean McCoy – Buffalo Bills – McCoy will receive plenty work with the Bills quarterback situation in flux. It doesn’t matter if A.J. McCarron, Nathan Peterman or Josh Allen win the starting job, they will be handing the ball off or throwing swing passes to McCoy or Chris Ivory. I think McCoy is underrated and could turn in another top-seven fantasy season this year. There is some risk in drafting him since there have been some allegations from his ex-girlfriend that he may have had a role in a robbery/assault…but these are only allegations at this time.
- Jerick McKinnon – San Francisco 49ers – The Niners have been searching for their franchise running back since Frank Gore left town. Carlos Hyde didn’t have much success and now they hope McKinnon could be the running back to take them to the next level. McKinnon has had success being the backup in Minnesota the last couple years. He has good hands, but his ability to making big gains on the ground has been slipping. He has only averaged 3.5 yards per carry the last two years. I think he would be a better third-down back, but with enough carries, he could be a solid RB2.
- Jordan Howard – Chicago Bears – I’ve been a fan of Howard’s since he was in college. I had really high hopes for him going into last season, but Tarik Cohen stole a little of his thunder. Cohen flamed out towards the end of the year and Howard was strong all season long. I expect Cohen to get the ball in creative ways and will be a safety blanket for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the passing game. Howard should be a good RB2 this year.
- Joe Mixon – Cincinnati Bengals – I was a bit torn about Mixon heading into this year, but he’s really the only Bengals running back I’d draft this year. Jeremy Hill is in New England and we know Giovani Bernard is just a third-down back. Mixon should get an overwhelming percentage of carries for the Bengals. Just that fact alone makes him a nice RB2. His yards per carry was only 3.5 last season, but as I said before, if he gets nearly all the carries, his cumulative stats should be good.
- Kenyan Drake – Miami Dolphins – Many fantasy football players have told me they are staying away from Drake in drafts. They fear that rookie Kalen Ballage and veteran Frank Gore will eat into this touches per game. They could very well do that, but Drake should still be a big part of the offense. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is back from a season-long injury and the last time he was healthy, the Dolphins were a 10-6 playoff team. He relied on the running game and will need it again.
- Royce Freeman – Denver Broncos – Freeman was a workhorse for Oregon and was a member of some really good teams there. He’s a North/South runner that has good vision. Devontae Booker is technically ahead of him on the depth chart, but he hasn’t performed very well in his first two seasons in the league. I’m bullish on Freeman this year and have him a little higher than most people. I’ll be taking him targeting him in nearly every draft.
- Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans – Henry waited for his time and the starting job is now his. He has been the backup to DeMarco Murray for the last two seasons. Henry will still share some touches with newly-signed Dion Lewis, but he’s more of a receiving threat out of the backfield. The Titans have been one of the most prolific running teams the last two years, and nothing has changed. They will still run the ball 30+ times a game.
- Jay Ajayi – Philadelphia Eagles – Ajayi have been all over the place in rankings this preseason. People are either excited to see Ajayi on the Eagles for an entire season or they are scared that the talented Eagles backfield will eat into his carries. I think he’s a solid RB2 and will be the starting running back for an explosive offense. Even if the other backs get some touches, Ajayi should still get plenty of red zone touches.
- Rashaad Penny – Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks have had a rotating group of running backs since Marshawn Lynch ‘retired’. They haven’t found ‘the guy’ to replace him, and they’ve had a run of bad luck with a slough of injuries at the position. Penny is a big back and had a great career at San Diego State. He didn’t get a lot of national attention, but I think everyone will see what he can do soon. He recently broke his pinkie finger, but should be ready for Week 1.
- Chris Thompson – Washington Redskins – Thompson came into the preseason as the team’s third-down back with rookie Derrius Guice set to be the starter. Guice unfortunuately tore his ACL, so Thompson jumped up in the rankings. Thompson has good hands, but needs a lot of touches to put up a lot of yards. Thompson will benefit from Guice’s untimely injury, but Samaje Perine could be the back to benefit the most. Perine will get more carries while Thompson will be in for most of the passing downs.
- Alex Collins – Baltimore Ravens – Collins had a breakout season as the Ravens backup running back. He had a lot of success with limited carries. His yards per carry was mediocre the first half of the season, but he was breaking off some long runs by the end of the year. He would be higher on this list, but he will be sharing carries with Javorius Allen.
- Lamar Miller – Houston Texans – This is the area of the rankings where there isn’t a huge different between the starter and backup running back. Miller should be the running back you want in Houston, but D’Onta Freeman should also get some touches. Miller has a longer track record and will be interested to see how many touches he will get during a full season with Desean Watson under center.
- Mark Ingram II – New Orleans Saints – Ingram will have to sit out the first four games after failing a drug test, but should be an RB1 for the remaining twelve games. The Saints are a run-first team and Ingram and Kamara are the stars of the offense. If you can stomach punting the first four games with at least one sub-par running back, Ingram should be a game changer for your team.
- Sony Michel – New England Patriots – I’m a bit hesitant to put Michel this high since Bill Belichick doesn’t have a very good track record of being patient with rookie running backs…especially one with a past fumbling issue. The Patriots backfield will always cause headaches in fantasy since they change roles week-to-week. I still think Michel’s upside is worth putting him this high.
- Dion Lewis – Tennessee Titans – Lewis resurrected his career in New England by being an excellent third-down back. He can do a lot of damage when given free space on the edges. He has good hands and will be a nice change-of-pace back behind Derrick Henry.
- Tevin Coleman – Atlanta Falcons – Coleman would be the starting running back on many teams, but he’s the backup to Devonta Freeman in Atlanta. I almost want to put an asterisk next to ‘backup’ since he’s used more than nearly every backup. Also, Freeman has a history of missing a few games every year due to injury. At the very worst, Coleman is a flex play every week.
- Tarik Cohen – Chicago Bears – Cohen has Darren Sproles-like ability to make plays for his size. Jordan Howard is the starting back, but Cohen does most of his damage with short passes. New head coach Matt Nagy has hinted that he plans on getting Cohen the ball in some unique ways this year.
- Marlon Mack – Indianapolis Colts – The Colts backfield situation is a tad muddy with Mack competing with Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines for the starting job. Mack should win the job, but Wilkins is making it interesting in camp. Hines should be the third-down back since his hands are good and does his best work when given the ball in space. Mack can do a little bit of everything and is a better fit as the starter since he can also pass block.
31. Ronald Jones – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Marshawn Lynch – Oakland Raiders
33. Duke Johnson – Cleveland Browns
34. Isaiah Crowell – New York Jets
35. Rex Burkhead – New England Patriots
36. Kerryon Johnson – Detroit Lions
37. Jamaal Williams – Green Bay Packers
38. Nick Chubb – Cleveland Browns
39. LeGarrette Blount – Detroit Lions
40. James White – New England Patriots
41. Austin Ekeler – Los Angeles Chargers
42. C.J. Anderson – Carolina Panthers
43. Samaje Perine – Washington Redskins
44. Theo Riddick – Detroit Lions
45. Latavius Murray – Minnesota Vikings
46. Aaron Jones – Green Bay Packers
47. Peyton Barber – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
48. Carlos Hyde – Cleveland Browns
49. Matt Breida – San Francisco 49ers
50. Ty Montgomery – Green Bay Packers
51. Giovani Bernard – Cincinnati Bengals
52. Chris Carson – Seattle Seahawks
53. Corey Clement – Philadelphia Eagles
54. Doug Martin – Oakland Raiders
55. Devontae Booker – Denver Broncos
56. Nyheim Hines – Indianapolis Colts
57. Jordan Wilkins – Indianapolis Colts
58. D’Onta Freeman – Houston Texans
59. Bilal Powell – New York Jets
60. Frank Gore – Miami Dolphins
61. Kenneth Dixon – Baltimore Ravens
62. Spencer Ware – Kansas City Chiefs
63. Darren Sproles – Philadelphia Eagles
64. James Conner – Pittsburgh Steelers
65. Javorius Allen – Baltimore Ravens
66. Jonathan Stewart – New York Giants
67. Chase Edmonds – Arizona Cardinals
68. John Kelly – Los Angeles Rams
69. Chris Ivory – Buffalo Bills
70. Rod Smith – Dallas Cowboys
71. Mike Gillislee – New England Patriots
72. Kalen Ballage – Miami Dolphins
73. Tavon Austin – Dallas Cowboys
74. T.J. Yeldon – Jacksonville Jaguars
75. Jeremy Hill – New England Patriots
76. Ameer Abdullah – Detroit Lions
77. Elijah McGuire – New York Jets
78. C.J. Prosise – Seattle Seahawks
79. Samaje Perine – Washington Redskins
80. Jaylen Samuels – Pittsburgh Steelers
81. Joe Williams – San Francisco 49ers
82. Mark Walton – Cincinnati Bengals
83. Boston Scott – New Orleans Saints
84. Bo Scarbrough – Dallas Cowboys
85. Wayne Gallman – New York Giants
86. Ito Smith – Atlanta Falcons
87. Alfred Blue – Houston Texans
88. Terrance West – New Orleans Saints
89. Jalen Richard – Oakland Raiders
90. Rob Kelley – Washington Redskins
91. Josh Adams – Philadelphia Eagles
92. Thomas Rawls – New York Jets
93. J.D. McKissic – Seattle Seahawks
94. Jacquizz Rodgers – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
95. Charcandrick West – Kansas City Chiefs
96. Cameron Artis-Payne – Carolina Panthers
97. Wendell Smallwood – Philadelphia Eagles
98. Justin Jackson – Los Angeles Chargers
99. De’Angelo Henderson – Denver Broncos
100. Charles Sims – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!
About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.