If you’re in a dynasty league, what are you to make of D’Ernest Johnson? He was awfully impressive on Thursday night, and he’s going to be a free agent at the end of the season. Is some team going to sign him with the intention of making him their starter?

Maybe. Johnson doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s sure got nice vision and elusiveness. He finds the cutback lanes, and he can make people miss. I was sure impressed when he froze Patrick Surtain and popped outside for a nice gain in the fourth quarter.

How is it that at South Florida, he never ran for 800 yards in a season or averaged 5.0 yards per carry? He seems better than that. Troy Aikman during the broadcast pointed out that Johnson ran only 4.8 at his pro day workout, contributing to him not even being drafted. Johnson definitely is faster than that (probably runs under 4.6).

I would think that some team would sign Johnson with the intention that he would have a role – maybe not with the hope of him running for 1,200 yards, but as a back who could be part of the solution (perhaps sharing time or competing for carries with another comparable back).

If you’re in a dynasty league, I would think that it makes sense to carry Johnson with the hopes of him developing into something in 2022. And he also, of course, has some value right now. If Nick Chubb remains out, Johnson should have some top-10 games in him, and he’ll be one of the busier change-of-pace backs behind Chubb until Kareem Hunt returns in a month or so.

My updated dynasty rankings for running backs appear below. I’m assuming PPR scoring, and I’ve got rookie running backs tagged with black dots.

I turn the focus to dynasty leagues every Saturday, rotating between the four notable positions. To see previous rankings, use the “past issues” navigation box on this page.

Last week: Quarterbacks

Next week: Tight ends

DYNASTY RANKINGS / RUNNING BACKS
RkTmPlayerAge
1.INDJonathan Taylor22
2.CARChristian McCaffrey25
3.PIT• Najee Harris23
4.TENDerrick Henry27
5.MINDalvin Cook26
6.NOAlvin Kamara26
7.DALEzekiel Elliott26
8.CLENick Chubb25
9.GBAaron Jones26
10.NYGSaquon Barkley24
11.LACAustin Ekeler26
12.CINJoe Mixon25
13.DETD'Andre Swift22
14.JACJames Robinson23
15.LARDarrell Henderson 24
16.DEN• Javonte Williams21
17.WASAntonio Gibson23
18.LVJosh Jacobs 23
19.CHIDavid Montgomery 24
20.TBLeonard Fournette26
21.KCClyde Edwards-Helaire22
22.PHIMiles Sanders 24
23.BUFZack Moss23
24.NEDamien Harris 24
25.GBAJ Dillon23
26.ARIChase Edmonds25
27.CLEKareem Hunt26
28.SEAChris Carson27
29.SF• Elijah Mitchell23
30.NE• Rhamondre Stevenson23
31.MIAMyles Gaskin 24
32.BUFDevin Singletary 24
33.ARIJames Conner26
34.DALTony Pollard 24
35.DENMelvin Gordon28
36.CAR• Chuba Hubbard22
37.ATLCordarrelle Patterson30
38.SEAAlex Collins27
39.SF• Trey Sermon22
40.NYJ• Michael Carter22
41.LVKenyan Drake27
42.TBRonald Jones24
43.ATLMike Davis28
44.PHI• Kenneth Gainwell22
45.MINAlexander Mattison 23
46.WASJ.D. McKissic28
47.INDNyheim Hines24
48.BALJ.K. Dobbins22
49.CLED'Ernest Johnson25
50.KCDarrel Williams26
51.CHI• Khalil Herbert23
52.JAC• Travis Etienne22
53.DETJamaal Williams26
54.LARSony Michel26
55.BALLatavius Murray31
56.SFJaMycal Hasty25
57.HOUMark Ingram31
58.NYJTy Johnson 24
59.BALDevonta Freeman29
60.NOTony Jones23
61.LAC• Larry Rountree23
62.MIASalvon Ahmed22
63.NYGDevontae Booker29
64.LACJustin Jackson25
65.SEARashaad Penny25
66.HOUDavid Johnson29
67.NYJTevin Coleman28
68.CHIDamien Williams29
69.CINSamaje Perine26
70.JACCarlos Hyde30
71.INDMarlon Mack25
72.HOUPhillip Lindsay27
73.SFJeff Wilson25
74.TBGiovani Bernard29
75.LARCam Akers22
76.NEJames White29
77.SFRaheem Mostert29
78.MIAMalcolm Brown28
79.SEADeeJay Dallas23
80.TENJeremy McNichols25

—Ian Allan