There are three weeks left in the regular season, so time for those in dynasty leagues to make final adjustments to their rosters, trying to latch onto players who might emerge in 2019. With that in mind, I offer my revised top 100 running backs list.
There are compiled differently than our typical rankings, which involve stat projections for each player. For these ones, I’ve just got the list of all of the running running backs in front of me. I spend 30-45 minutes coming over the list, moving guys a few spots up or down until it feels right.
Seems like there are three super-elite running backs at the top, and I don’t care much what order they’re in. I put Saquon Barkley slightly ahead of Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott because he’s younger.
Running back is a young man’s position, and the oldest in my top 10 is Melvin Gordon (who’s just 25). Only one player in my top 30 is older than 26. That’s Mark Ingram, who’s slotted 20th.
The most interesting names in the top 20, I think, are LeVeon Bell and Kareem Hunt. With those guys, you don’t where they’re playing in 2019. With Hunt, I’m assuming he’ll miss the first half of the 2019 season, but I think he’s a second-chance guy. I don’t think he’s going to be treated like another Ray Rice or Colin Kaepernick, where teams aren’t willing to sign him.
I struggled with the Seattle running backs. Chris Carson is really good. He’s a starting NFL running back. But they also spent a first-round pick on Rashaad Penny, and he’s had a few carries where he’s looked just fine. I imagine those guys will be a one-two punch in 2019. With both of them being violent, high-contact running backs, I imagine both will miss some games with injuries.
Rankings assume standard scoring, with fantasy teams allowed to keep players indefinitely.
DYNASTY RANKINGS (running backs) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rk | Team | Player | Age |
1. | NYG | • Saquon Barkley | 21 |
2. | LAR | Todd Gurley | 24 |
3. | DAL | Ezekiel Elliott | 23 |
4. | CAR | Christian McCaffrey | 22 |
5. | NO | Alvin Kamara | 23 |
6. | LAC | Melvin Gordon | 25 |
7. | PIT | James Conner | 23 |
8. | CLE | • Nick Chubb | 22 |
9. | CIN | Joe Mixon | 22 |
10. | MIN | Dalvin Cook | 23 |
11. | ARI | David Johnson | 26 |
12. | GB | Aaron Jones | 24 |
13. | DEN | • Phillip Lindsay | 24 |
14. | NE | • Sony Michel | 23 |
15. | PIT | LeVeon Bell | 26 |
16. | JAC | Leonard Fournette | 23 |
17. | DET | • Kerryon Johnson | 21 |
18. | ATL | Devonta Freeman | 26 |
19. | UFA | Kareem Hunt | 23 |
20. | NO | Mark Ingram | 28 |
21. | CHI | Tarik Cohen | 23 |
22. | SF | Matt Breida | 23 |
23. | IND | Marlon Mack | 22 |
24. | NE | James White | 26 |
25. | SEA | Chris Carson | 24 |
26. | TEN | Derrick Henry | 24 |
27. | ATL | Tevin Coleman | 25 |
28. | WAS | • Derrius Guice | 21 |
29. | SEA | • Rashaad Penny | 22 |
30. | CHI | Jordan Howard | 24 |
31. | MIA | Kenyan Drake | 24 |
32. | TEN | Dion Lewis | 28 |
33. | PHI | Jay Ajayi | 25 |
34. | HOU | D'Onta Foreman | 22 |
35. | NYJ | Isaiah Crowell | 25 |
36. | CLE | Duke Johnson | 25 |
37. | PHI | • Josh Adams | 22 |
38. | HOU | Lamar Miller | 27 |
39. | LAC | Austin Ekeler | 23 |
40. | IND | • Nyheim Hines | 22 |
41. | DEN | • Royce Freeman | 22 |
42. | BUF | LeSean McCoy | 30 |
43. | TB | Peyton Barber | 24 |
44. | NYJ | Elijah McGuire | 24 |
45. | ATL | • Ito Smith | 23 |
46. | WAS | Chris Thompson | 28 |
47. | CIN | Giovani Bernard | 27 |
48. | SF | Jerick McKinnon | 26 |
49. | NE | Rex Burkhead | 28 |
50. | MIN | Latavius Murray | 28 |
51. | DET | Theo Riddick | 27 |
52. | LAR | Malcolm Brown | 25 |
53. | GB | Jamaal Williams | 23 |
54. | KC | Spencer Ware | 27 |
55. | OAK | Jalen Richard | 25 |
56. | BAL | Gus Edwards | 23 |
57. | LAC | Justin Jackson | 22 |
58. | TB | • Ronald Jones | 21 |
59. | KC | Damien Williams | 26 |
60. | IND | • Jordan Wilkins | 24 |
61. | JAC | T.J. Yeldon | 25 |
62. | NYG | Wayne Gallman | 24 |
63. | PIT | • Jaylen Samuels | 22 |
64. | BAL | Kenneth Dixon | 24 |
65. | WAS | Adrian Peterson | 33 |
66. | OAK | Doug Martin | 29 |
67. | MIA | • Kalen Ballage | 22 |
68. | JAC | Carlos Hyde | 27 |
69. | ARI | • Chase Edmonds | 22 |
70. | OAK | Marshawn Lynch | 32 |
71. | PHI | Corey Clement | 24 |
72. | SEA | Mike Davis | 25 |
73. | HOU | Alfred Blue | 27 |
74. | DEN | Devontae Booker | 26 |
75. | OAK | • Chris Warren | 22 |
76. | DET | LeGarrette Blount | 32 |
77. | CIN | • Mark Walton | 21 |
78. | BAL | Alex Collins | 24 |
79. | MIA | Frank Gore | 35 |
80. | BUF | Chris Ivory | 30 |
81. | NYJ | Trenton Cannon | 24 |
82. | LAR | • John Kelly | 22 |
83. | SF | Jeff Wilson | 23 |
84. | NE | Jeremy Hill | 26 |
85. | JAC | Corey Grant | 26 |
86. | DAL | Rod Smith | 26 |
87. | BAL | Ty Montgomery | 25 |
88. | CAR | Cameron Artis-Payne | 28 |
89. | TB | Jacquizz Rodgers | 28 |
90. | LAC | Detrez Newsome | 24 |
91. | SF | Raheem Mostert | 26 |
92. | KC | Darrel Williams | 23 |
93. | UFA | C.J. Anderson | 27 |
94. | LAR | Justin Davis | 23 |
95. | BUF | Marcus Murphy | 27 |
96. | SF | Kyle Juszczyk | 27 |
97. | MIN | • Mike Boone | 23 |
98. | DET | Zach Zenner | 27 |
99. | NYJ | Bilal Powell | 30 |
100. | PHI | • Boston Scott | 23 |
Note that these rankings around going up on Saturday in the a.m. -- before the games between the Jets-Texans and Browns-Broncos.
Next week: tight ends.
—Ian Allan