In a dynasty league, Saquon Barkley still looks like the No. 1 overall running back to me. He’ll be down for a month with a high ankle sprain, but then we’ll be back to putting up his usual great numbers. He looked pretty awesome in his first two games, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
Four other running backs, I think, belong in the conversation for the top spot, but they’re all 1-2 years older: Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook. But we’re looking long-term here, and over the next half dozen years, I like Barkley a little more than those guys.
In the back half of the top 10, I have a couple of older backs battling for the No. 6 spot. I gave David Johnson a slight edge over Melvin Gordon. (These guys are 27 and 26, and at the running back position, that’s an age where guys can be moving into the back half of their productive years.) Gordon is a year younger, but I’m not sure where he’s playing next year, and in what kind of situation.
I put two rookies just outside the top 10, and I don’t see a lot of difference between them. Josh Jacobs was drafted earlier and has a more secure role, but David Montgomery is on a better team and has looked a little better on the field.
Two other rookies show up in the 20s (and I’ve got these first-year players tagged with black dots). Miles Sanders has been coming on for Philadelphia. Devin Singletary has a hamstring injury but has busted a lot of longer runs for the Bills.
I’m posting dynasty rankings each weekend – one position each Saturday, rotating between WR, QB, RB and TE. These rankings assume PPR scoring, and operate under the assumption fantasy teams get to hold the players forever (so while 2019 is the most important season, consideration is given to what the player might do in 2020, 2021 and beyond).
I’ll hit tight ends next week, then cycle back to wide receivers. To see previous rankings lists, see the “Past Issues” box in the upper right corner of the page.
DYNASTY RUNNING BACK RANKINGS | |||
---|---|---|---|
Rk | Tm | Player | Age |
1. | NYG | Saquon Barkley | 22 |
2. | DAL | Ezekiel Elliott | 24 |
3. | NO | Alvin Kamara | 24 |
4. | CAR | Christian McCaffrey | 23 |
5. | MIN | Dalvin Cook | 24 |
6. | ARI | David Johnson | 27 |
7. | LAC | Melvin Gordon | 26 |
8. | CLE | Nick Chubb | 23 |
9. | TEN | Derrick Henry | 25 |
10. | CIN | Joe Mixon | 23 |
11. | OAK | • Josh Jacobs | 21 |
12. | CHI | • David Montgomery | 22 |
13. | PIT | James Conner | 24 |
14. | IND | Marlon Mack | 23 |
15. | NYJ | LeVeon Bell | 27 |
16. | LAR | Todd Gurley | 25 |
17. | JAC | Leonard Fournette | 24 |
18. | DET | Kerryon Johnson | 22 |
19. | NE | James White | 27 |
20. | BAL | Mark Ingram | 29 |
21. | GB | Aaron Jones | 24 |
22. | PHI | • Miles Sanders | 22 |
23. | DEN | Phillip Lindsay | 25 |
24. | ATL | Devonta Freeman | 27 |
25. | SEA | Chris Carson | 25 |
26. | BUF | • Devin Singletary | 22 |
27. | LAC | Austin Ekeler | 24 |
28. | CHI | Tarik Cohen | 24 |
29. | NE | Sony Michel | 24 |
30. | PHI | Jordan Howard | 24 |
31. | KC | LeSean McCoy | 31 |
32. | SEA | Rashaad Penny | 23 |
33. | SF | Tevin Coleman | 26 |
34. | DEN | Royce Freeman | 23 |
35. | TB | Ronald Jones | 22 |
36. | MIA | Kenyan Drake | 25 |
37. | WAS | Chris Thompson | 28 |
38. | NE | • Damien Harris | 22 |
39. | NO | Latavius Murray | 29 |
40. | KC | Damien Williams | 27 |
41. | HOU | Duke Johnson | 26 |
42. | PIT | Jaylen Samuels | 23 |
43. | MIN | • Alexander Mattison | 21 |
44. | CLE | Kareem Hunt | 24 |
45. | LAR | • Darrell Henderson | 22 |
46. | TB | Peyton Barber | 25 |
47. | GB | Jamaal Williams | 24 |
48. | HOU | Carlos Hyde | 28 |
49. | IND | Nyheim Hines | 22 |
50. | SF | Matt Breida | 24 |
51. | WAS | Adrian Peterson | 34 |
52. | LAR | Malcolm Brown | 26 |
53. | NYG | Wayne Gallman | 24 |
54. | MIA | Kalen Ballage | 23 |
55. | NE | Rex Burkhead | 29 |
56. | ATL | Ito Smith | 24 |
57. | DAL | • Tony Pollard | 22 |
58. | ARI | Chase Edmonds | 23 |
59. | KC | Darrel Williams | 24 |
60. | BAL | Gus Edwards | 24 |
61. | NYJ | Ty Montgomery | 26 |
62. | CIN | Giovani Bernard | 27 |
63. | BUF | Frank Gore | 36 |
64. | IND | Jordan Wilkins | 25 |
65. | BAL | • Justice Hill | 21 |
66. | DET | • Ty Johnson | 22 |
67. | PIT | • Benny Snell | 21 |
68. | TEN | Dion Lewis | 29 |
69. | OAK | Jalen Richard | 25 |
70. | CAR | • Reggie Bonnafon | 23 |
71. | UFA | Jay Ajayi | 26 |
72. | SF | Raheem Mostert | 27 |
73. | JAC | • Ryquell Armstead | 22 |
74. | SEA | C.J. Prosise | 25 |
75. | PHI | Corey Clement | 24 |
76. | LAC | Justin Jackson | 23 |
77. | WAS | Derrius Guice | 22 |
78. | CLE | Dontrell Hilliard | 24 |
79. | OAK | DeAndre Washington | 26 |
80. | CHI | Mike Davis | 26 |
81. | ATL | Brian Hill | 23 |
82. | SF | Jeff Wilson | 23 |
83. | KC | • Darwin Thompson | 22 |
84. | GB | • Dexter Williams | 22 |
85. | JAC | Alfred Blue | 28 |
86. | CAR | • Jordan Scarlett | 23 |
87. | BUF | T.J. Yeldon | 25 |
88. | ATL | • Qadree Ollison | 23 |
89. | CIN | • Trayveon Williams | 21 |
90. | DEN | Theo Riddick | 28 |
91. | MIN | Mike Boone | 24 |
92. | NYJ | Trenton Cannon | 24 |
93. | PHI | Darren Sproles | 36 |
94. | MIA | Mark Walton | 22 |
95. | DET | Paul Perkins | 24 |
96. | WAS | Wendell Smallwood | 25 |
97. | UFA | C.J. Anderson | 28 |
98. | NYJ | Bilal Powell | 30 |
99. | SF | Kyle Juszczyk | 28 |
100. | CIN | Samaje Perine | 24 |
—Ian Allan