Fantasy football rankings look different for everyone. There are several moving pieces to consider on the player evaluation side of things, not to mention your specific league setup (scoring format, roster construction, team count, etc.).
That said, I’m here to help you as best I can. I’d encourage you to use the below list as a guide — move your favorite options around and create tiers. By stepping back and evaluating the position as a whole, you allow yourself to be flexible when you’re on the clock.
Ranking the Top Fantasy Running Backs
FIND MORE POSITIONAL RANKINGS: QB | WR | TE | K | DEF | SF
1) Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers
2) Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons
3) Breece Hall | New York Jets
4) Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles
5) Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions
6) Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts
7) Derrick Henry | Baltimore Ravens
8) Kyren Williams | Los Angeles Rams
9) Isiah Pacheco | Kansas City Chiefs
10) Travis Etienne Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
11) De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins
12) James Cook | Buffalo Bills
13) Kenneth Walker III | Seattle Seahawks
14) Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15) James Conner | Arizona Cardinals
16) Josh Jacobs | Green Bay Packers
17) Joe Mixon | Houston Texans
18) David Montgomery | Detroit Lions
19) Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints
20) D’Andre Swift | Chicago Bears
21) Najee Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers
22) Javonte Williams | Denver Broncos
23) Zamir White | Las Vegas Raiders
24) Aaron Jones | Minnesota Vikings
25) Brian Robinson Jr. | Washington Commanders
26) Raheem Mostert | Miami Dolphins
27) Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots
28) Zack Moss | Cincinnati Bengals
29) Nick Chubb | Cleveland Browns
30) Ezekiel Elliott | Dallas Cowboys
31) Jaylen Warren | Pittsburgh Steelers
32) Tyjae Spears | Tennessee Titans
33) Jonathon Brooks | Carolina Panthers
34) Jerome Ford | Cleveland Browns
35) Tony Pollard | Tennessee Titans
36) Devin Singletary | New York Giants
37) Gus Edwards | Los Angeles Chargers
38) Chase Brown | Cincinnati Bengals
39) Ty Chandler | Minnesota Vikings
40) Rico Dowdle | Dallas Cowboys
41) Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks
42) Tyler Allgeier | Atlanta Falcons
43) Chuba Hubbard | Carolina Panthers
44) Blake Corum | Los Angeles Rams
45) Austin Ekeler | Washington Commanders
46) Tyrone Tracy Jr. | New York Giants
47) MarShawn Lloyd | Green Bay Packers
48) Khalil Herbert | Chicago Bears
49) Jaleel McLaughlin | Denver Broncos
50) Trey Benson | Arizona Cardinals
51) J.K. Dobbins | Los Angeles Chargers
52) Antonio Gibson | New England Patriots
53) Dameon Pierce | Houston Texans
54) Jaylen Wright | Miami Dolphins
55) Ray Davis | Buffalo Bills
56) Kimani Vidal | Los Angeles Chargers
57) Braelon Allen | New York Jets
58) Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Kansas City Chiefs
59) Justice Hill | Baltimore Ravens
60) Eric Gray | New York Giants
61) Roschon Johnson | Chicago Bears
62) Bucky Irving | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
63) Keaton Mitchell | Baltimore Ravens
64) Audric Estimé | Denver Broncos
65) Cam Akers | Houston Texans
66) Alexander Mattison | Las Vegas Raiders
67) Dalvin Cook | Dallas Cowboys
68) Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
69) Isaac Guerendo | San Francisco 49ers
70) Kenneth Gainwell | Philadelphia Eagles
71) Jamaal Williams | New Orleans Saints
72) Samaje Perine | Kansas City Chiefs
73) Miles Sanders | Carolina Panthers
74) Israel Abanikanda | New York Jets
75) Kareem Hunt | Free Agent
76) Jeff Wilson Jr. | Miami Dolphins
77) Pierre Strong Jr. | Cleveland Browns
78) Will Shipley | Philadelphia Eagles
79) Jordan Mason | San Francisco 49ers
80) Kendre Miller | New Orleans Saints
Who Are the Best Running Backs To Draft in Fantasy?
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
The case for McCaffrey essentially writes itself. He is the focal point of what should again be one of, if not the, most efficient offenses in the league, and he’s there for you every single week.
It led highlight shows last November when McCaffrey’s historic touchdown streak came to an end — yes, we were disappointed with a game that saw him gain 142 total yards and see 10 targets.
The bar is set so high for McCaffrey, and he refuses to let us down. He’s a running back, so his run of dominance will likely end sooner than we want. Nevertheless, he’s built up enough goodwill that we need to see signs of decline before assuming it.
McCaffrey joined the 49ers midway through the 2022 season, fresh off of a pair of injury-shortened seasons and question marks within the fantasy community if he was still worthy of “elite” status in the overall scope of the game with so many great receivers emerging.
Those concerns didn’t last long. In his 27 regular-season games with San Francisco, all McCaffrey has done is pile up over 3,200 yards and score 27 times.
His skill set and offensive environment could well be among the five most friendly of all time, and he continues to show impressive durability. After being used as the bell cow during the regular season, McCaffrey had enough gas left in the tank to score five times and record 78 touches in three playoff games.
If you’re poking holes in CMC’s profile, you’re simply getting too cute.
Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
In fantasy sports, I’m generally of the belief that when in the middle of the age curve, once a player proves he has a skill, he owns it. That sounds reasonably simple, but every season, ADPs reflect a forgetting of some past production.
Etienne’s upside is the perfect example of applying this train of thought, which is why I’m going to have plenty of shares this season.
Entering his age-25 season, we’ve seen Etienne do it all. After missing his rookie year, he thrived in space as a runner (5.1 yards per carry) and showed the type of explosive potential we look for from a first-year ball carrier in Year 2.
As a third-year player, Etienne not only gave us the production in the passing game that we thought he’d enter the league with (13 more catches in 2023 than targets in 2022), but he proved himself more than capable of handling volume (19.1 touches per game).
What more could we ask for?
#Jaguars RB Travis Etienne said last week:
“I’m expecting an unbelievable year … they’ve been getting me more involved in the passing game, and that’s just gonna take my game to another level.” pic.twitter.com/8qspVsrMTC
— Gus Logue (@gus_logue) August 7, 2024
Etienne has yet to miss a game since his rookie season ended, and the Jags figure to count on him more as their pass game is less intimidating on paper than it was last season. Brian Thomas Jr. has replaced Calvin Ridley at receiver following a season in which quarterback Trevor Lawrence battled injuries left and right.
The continued spike in Etienne’s usage is the best way to work in Thomas and to keep the franchise signal-caller healthy.
Etienne’s yards per carry dropping by 25.5% from Year 1 to Year 2 is discouraging, but I’d caution against reading too much into it. Jacksonville’s offense as a whole underachieved in 2023, which shrunk Etienne’s running space.
That’s a minor concern, but without much role competition, it’s not something that I’m worried about when it comes to projecting 2024.
Tank Bigsby was a third-round pick in 2023, and despite limited efficiency from Etienne, he hardly sniffed the field (50 carries, 2.6 ypc). D’Ernest Johnson and rookie Keilan Robinson will compete for that RB2 role and could emerge as spot start fantasy options should Etienne get banged up. However, none of them are likely to take any sort of food off Etienne’s plate.