The position that has undergone the most upheaval in fantasy football is running back. I have watched the RB position go from 25 three-down RBs to 15 three-down backs, and now we’re down to what, five? Using your first two fantasy draft picks on RBs is no longer an automatic gambit. Whether we call it a “timeshare,” “committee,” or “split” backfield, more RBs are getting involved. With this development in mind, I employ a scattershot approach to the position. Use the net and leave the pole at home when fishing for runningbacks. I will attempt to accommodate my recommended approach by providing a list of 120 runningbacks by rank. Let us begin with the top 40. If you’re curious about descriptions for the first 17 runningbacks, check out these articles ( Top 10 for 2022, Top 25 2022, Top 40 2022).
1. Jonathan Taylor | 23 | Colts
2. Najee Harris | 23 | Steelers
3. Christian McCaffrey | 25 | Panthers
4. Alvin Kamara | 26 | Saints
5. Dalvin Cook | 26 | Vikings
6. Derrick Henry | 28 | Titans
7. Joe Mixon | 25 | Bengals
8. De’Andre Swift | 23 | Lions
9. Nick Chubb | 26 | Browns
10. Austin Ekeler | 26 | Chargers
11. Saquon Barkley | 24 | Giants
12. Javonte Williams | 21 | Broncos
13. Antonio Gibson | 23 | Football Team
14. David Montgomery | 24 | Bears
15. James Robinson | 23 | Jaguars
16. Ezekiel Elliott | 26 | Cowboys
17. Elijah Mitchell | 23 | 49ers
18. Aaron Jones | 27 | Packers – Jones ranked 41 on my list, so I still consider him one of the best players in the game. The former UTEP Miner is under contract in Green Bay until 2024, so he should be involved in the offense for the immediate future. What that Packers offense looks like will be anyone’s guess. My guess is Head Coach Matt LefLuer continues to push forward with a solid running game featuring Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, regardless of who is at Quarterback. Jones has a battered knee that has experienced at least three sprains and may require surgery in the offseason. I expect Jones to continue to cede carries to the younger and larger Dillon, so I wouldn’t count on future 1,000-yard rushing seasons, but Aaron Jones is a good receiver and still dangerous in open space. Think something like 500-700 yards rushing and another 300+ yards receiving, touchdowns will likely be mercurial.
19. Josh Jacobs | 23 | Raiders – Three seasons in NFL and Josh has 3,000 yards rushing and 28 TDs; that is consistent production from a young player. I think he can improve. Jacobs’s role in the passing game steadily increased since he was drafted in the1st round with the 24th overall selection of the 2019 draft. Josh went from 20 receptions in 2019, to 33 in 2020, and grabbed a career-high 55 in 2021. The former Bama back battled through injuries and an offensive line overhaul in 2021 to be a solid contributor with over 1,000 total yards and 9 touchdowns. Jacobs played better at the end of the year, scoring two TDs and rushing for 400 yards in his final four games. I think the circumstances improve in 2022 as the young offensive line continues to gel. Could be a great value selection in 2022.
20. Cam Akers | 22 | Rams – Had a tough game in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the stout Buccaneer rush defense. That’s a difficult assignment coming off a lengthy injury. Well, it doesn’t get any easier next week against star Linebacker Fred Warner and the 49er defense. Put that aside though because Akers has the skill set to be a very good runningback. He has the size 5′, 10″ 217lbs, speed 4.47 40-yard dash, to be great. Cam was a top10 blue-chip prospect out of high school and was named the state of Mississippi Mr. Football in 20216 as a dual-threat Quarterback accounting for over 13,000 total yards and 149 TDs during his high school career, so he has the pedigree, and he knows how to make plays. The Akers always look greener with Cam on your team.
21. J.K. Dobbins | 23 | Ravens – I have been told that rehabbing from major knee surgery is a long and lonely existence where you need to rely on your self-motivation and will. I hope Dobbins handles it well because he was set to become one of the top running backs in the league before his pre-season injury. Someone in your league is gonna take the gamble and draft Dobbins, it might as well be you, J.K. averaged 6 yards per carrying in 2020, so the payout could be significant.
22. A.J. Dillon | 23 | Packers – A.J.’s running style fits his team like your favorite pair of mesh shorts. Dillon is six feet tall and weighs 250 lbs. Who would want to tackle this guy on a 0 degree December night in wintry Wisconsin? He will have to share with Aaron Jones for now, as Jones remains under contract, and will be drafted aggressively as a fan favorite, A.J. Dillon would be a fun player to roster on your fantasy team.
23. Damien Harris | 24 | Patriots – Powerful north/south grinder burst onto the scene in 2021 with 929 yards rushing and 15 TDs. Harris is under contract for another year with New England, and he is capable of 1,000 yards rushing and double-digit touchdowns in 2022. Don’t expect much in the passing game, as Damien only caught 18 passes in 2021. Damien Harris is a good play in 2022 for savvy fantasy managers, but I like his backup Rhamondre Stevenson, so I am not banking on anything after 2022.
24. Leonard Fournette | 27 | Buccaneers – Another bruiser back, but Fournette has added another dimension to his game. The former Bayou Bengal has improved his receiving skills, becoming a solid option in the passing game (69 catches for 454 yards in 2021). Leonard had about 1,200 total yards and 10 TDs in 2021, and those seem like numbers he can replicate the next few seasons.
25. Rhamondre Stevenson | 23 | Patriots – Former #1 JUCO RB saw most of his snaps at Oklahoma in a big back specialist role, which is easy to understand because he’s six-foot-tall 230 lbs. Patriots coaches saw more in Rhamondre, and they may have found a future star. I think he’s already better than Damien Harris, and that’s not intended to be a shot at Harris, Stevenson is that good. He is an elusive and powerful runner who can catch the ball well out of the backfield. This guy could be a top 15 back entering the 2023 season.
26. James Conner | 26 | Cardinals – Sarah Conner’s lesser-known son, James got a job in I.T. and got along quite well with the Terminator robot masters, oh wait, I’m thinking of someone else. This James Conner was arguably the best free-agent signing of 2021. Conner looks spry playing his first season in Arizona. Conner ran the ball with power (as expected), but he surprised me by also being dynamic in the passing game. I expect Cooner to get a nice long contract in Arizona, maybe not long enough to take in the dystopian Terminator-led future from the desert, but he will be there for a few years.
27. Clyde Edwards-Helaire | 22 | Chiefs – I have him low on my list because he doesn’t seem all that important to Kansas City’s success. Clyde looked great out of the gate two years ago, but he has yet to prove he is durable enough to be considered a primary back, and the Cheifs offense runs fine without him. I won’t be surprised Andy Reid brings in another RB or two this offseason to push, or possibly supplant Edwards-Helaire in 2022.
28. Michael Carter | 22 | Jets – One of the more exciting RBs from the 2021 class, Carter played well when healthy, but at 5′, 8″ 200lbs, keeping him healthy might mean a part-time role. Don’t be surprised if the Jets pair Michael with a complementary big-bodied (and potential TD vulture) back to limit some of the inevitable wear and tear brought on by the NFL season. I like Carter’s big-play ability and receiving skills (36 receptions on 55 targets) but pump on the brakes on the impeding offseason noise from New York. Carter’s career may look more like the next guy on the list, not a top 15 running back.
29. Devin Singletary | 24 | Bills – Devin is a poky scatback who offers a great complement to Josh Allen’s straight-ahead bulldozer style. He’s averaged about 780 yards rushing and 230 yards receiving over the past three years. His 14 career TDs aren’t a welcome sight, and I don’t expect that view to improve (goal line is Josh Allen time), but that’s solid production for the 29th RB off the board.
30. Miles Sanders | 24 | Eagles – Not long removed from very solid production 3,303 total yards in three NFL seasons, Sanders is a huge bounceback candidate in 2022. The Eagles appear ready to stick to their run-first offense, which bodes well for the former Penn State Nittany Lion. The big question in regards to Mile’s production is the passing game. He caught 50 passes on 63 targets for 500 yards in 2019. Sanders’s production in the passing game has been much worse in subsequent seasons. If the breakaway back can produce receiving numbers similar to those in 2019; he would vault up the list. A trip or two to the endzone would help- 754 yards rushing and 0 TDs 2021! How is that even possible? His contract with Philadelphia expires after 2022, so the future is foggy, and a big contract year could make or break his career.
31. Kareem Hunt | 26 | Browns – One year remaining on his contract in Cleveland, so he will be 27 years old when hits the market in 2023. The last time he had a backfield to himself (2017) Hunt put up 1,800 total yards and 11 TDs. A player to keep an eye on.
32. Tony Pollard | 24 | Cowboys – Pollard is an exciting playmaker who should provide more production with increased opportunity. He’s a little lean (Height and weight), so I question if he can be a three-down back, but the Cowboys should get the ball to Pollard 12+ times per game.
33. Travis Etienne Jr. | 23 | Jaguars- I loved this player coming out of the draft, and his injury may have created a great buying opportunity, check-in with his fantasy manager in your league. Etienne might begin 2022 in a Tony Pollard-type role, but don’t be surprised if his coaches push him to maximize his many talents. At 5′, 10″ 215 lbs, the Clemson product could shoulder a heavy load for a Jaguars team desperate to find playmakers.
34. Darrell Henderson Jr. | 24 | Rams – Head Coach Sean McVay loaded up on three runningbacks this season, and he needed every one of them. Akers appears to be the lead dog, but Henderson is a playmaker with solid receiving skills at his size (5′, 8″ 205lbs) I question his ability to withstand the rigors that come with being a three-down back in the NFL, but he will likely maintain a role in the Rams offensive gameplan.
35. Chase Edmonds | 25 | Cardinals – I have always been an Edmonds fan, but I have doubts about ranking him this high. The other back in Arizona, James Conner, has shown the ability to be a primary pass-catching running back, and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for Edmonds. I still like the talent, and I love the Cardinals offense, but my confidence in Edmonds is beginning to wane. I hope Chase turns it around in 2022.
36. Melvin Gordon | 28 | Broncos – Gordon’s contract with the Broncos expired at the end of the season, so he is a free agent again, and I think he will be a target for many NFL teams, and he may even end up back in Denver. Gordon’s resume looks like this: over 8,000 total yards in seven NFL seasons, played in two Pro Bowls, and was the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Not many other free agent RBs have a resume that could rival Gordon’s, and I won’t be surprised if he is signed as a starting running back for an NFL team.
37. Cordarrelle Patterson | 30 | Falcons – This is one of my favorite players in the NFL. The Falcons were the first team to figure out how to utilize Cordarrelle’s immense talent. I wrote this about Cordarelle Patterson after week one of the 2021 season, “Seriously, why not? He has all the physical attributes. 6′, 2″ 230lbs runs a 4.4 forty-yard dash. Cordarrelle has plenty of experience running the ball. As a running back, most of his catches will not be under tight coverage, which should minimize his stone-handedness. Who is standing in his way? Gallman? Goll, man! Mike Davis? Is that even his real name? It sounds like a person in witness protection. Do we really expect these guys to keep a world-class athlete on the bench? This guy should have been playing running back for his entire career. I think the Falcons will take a shot at starting him. What else do they have to lose? They already looked terrible in week one. I’ll ask again, why not?” I cashed in on Patterson this year. He was a lineup lock on my most successful rosters, and he did it all wearing those tiny kicker pads. Cordarelle wore down as the season went on and his production waned on a floundering Falcons squad. I won’t count him out for next season, and I don’t see why he can’t provide similar production for a few years, he just started playing running back recently, so he is not as worn down as other 30-year-old RBs.
38. Rashaad Penny | 25 | Seahawks – The former 1st round pick finally realized his potential this season rushing for 700 yards at 6.3 yards per carry. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Penny accomplished this in the final year of his contract. I expect Seattle to consider the powerful runner a priority free agent, but if the Seahawks don’t pick up Penny, it could be another NFL team’s lucky day. He will be at the top of an NFL team’s backfield in 2022, and he has the upside of top 20 productions.
39. Ronald Jones | 24 | Buccaneers – RoJo’s time in Tampa may have come to an end, but that is likely a good thing for the former 2nd round pick from USC. Jones will hit free agency with a career of 4.5 yards per carry and valuable experience learned from being a part of a veteran team. I have doubts about Ronald becoming a three-down back, he has never been good in the passing game, but he could pair with a pass-catching back and put up solid rushing and TD numbers in 2022. I think he stays out east, perhaps Buffalo or Miami.
40. Alexander Mattison | 23 | Vikings – Everyone’s favorite “handcuff” runningback, Mattison provided solid production filling in for Dalvin Cook. I have never been a big Mattison fan. I think he is a significant downgrade from Cook and will not have a role unless Cook is injured, but he makes for a great future’s stock in our game. You just draft him, hold him until Cook gets injured, then trade him at top dollar.