Kerryon? Yo Kerryon, is that you?
Nope, it’s just cold hand of death here to steal all my Kerryon Johnson hopes and dreams. When the Lions spent pick 35 of the 2020 NFL Draft on D’Andre Swift, things got ugly in House Donkey. My imaginary girlfriend—I call her Kerryon— had me on suicide watch for the entire weekend. With all the sharp objects hidden, I took to Reddit for my punishment. There’s still days when I think about tossing the toaster in the bathtub. Unfortunately, we don’t have a bathtub. We don’t have a toaster either. I live in more of a barn than a house. Anyway, here’s my updated top 20 dynasty running backs for 2020 PPR fantasy football:
Originally released 2/24/20
Tier 1
1. Christian McCaffrey –  I like to think of McCaffrey and Saquon as Two Wild and Crazy Guys. You can’t go wrong with Steve Martin, he does it all. Same goes for McCaffrey: he can run, catch and tell a joke that won’t make your parents cringe. Let’s just hope there’s no holdouts in his future. UPDATE 4/16/20: The Panthers have just signed CMC to a 4-year monster extension. We can now put any holdout concerns to rest. Life is good for Christian McCaffrey dynasty owners.Â
2. Saquon Barkley – If McCaffrey is Steve Martin then Saquon is Dan Aykroyd; a little younger and slightly more risky in the joke department. I’m banking on a career that’s more Ghost Busters than Blues Brothers. UPDATE 4/25/20: The Giants just spent their first and third round draft picks to shore up the offensive line. Hey, Lions, how bout you take some notes! This is just what Saquon dynasty owners were hoping for. It’s all systems go in the Big Apple.
Tier 2
3. Ezekiel Elliott – I highlighted my long-term concerns over Zeke’s workload in my Top 25 Dynasty Football Rankings back in December. But short-term, he’ll be fed til he bursts. And who knows, maybe Zeke was forged in the rare Frank Gore/Adrian Peterson mold.
4. Alvin Kamara – In 2019 we saw major touchdown regression from Kamara (18 in 2018 down to 6 in 2019), but he still managed the #8 PPR running back season. Brees will be back for another go but, like Cook, Kamara’s set to hit free agency in 2021. I never like that kind of uncertainty, but I have a feeling the Saints bring him back.
5. Miles Sanders – In the four games from week 12 – 15, Sanders averaged 17.75 carries for 82 rushing yards, 5 receptions for 43 receiving yards and 1 touchdown per game. It’s hard to fully trust Doug Peterson with running backs but if this is a sneak peak at Sanders’ future usage then we’re easily looking at a top 10 dynasty back. UPDATE 4/27/20: Jordan Howard is gone and the Eagles haven’t brought in any real competition for touches. This is looking more and more like the Miles Sanders show in Philly. I’m working on my 2020 projections right now and the numbers I have down for Sanders are eye popping. I had the kid ranked waaaaay too low over the winter.Â
6. Dalvin Cook – Cook’s in the perfect situation in the run heavy Minnesota offense, but note he’s set to hit free agency after this season. For this reason, I almost moved Cook down below Zeke, and still might in future iterations. UPDATE 4/25/20: I finally pulled the trigger and moved Cook down. This is a fluid tier for me and I really wouldn’t argue much against any ordering of the names.
7. Nick Chubb – Haters have doubted Chubb at every thrust. First it was his robotic knee, then it was the second half Kareem Hunt threat in Cleveland. Whatever the next negative narrative is, don’t buy it. It’s the Chubb show in Browntown.Â
8. Jonathan Taylor – The kid from Home Improvement? I believe so. *Checks notes* Guess it’s actually his brother. Last week Alfred gave you his Pre-Combine Rookie Running Back Rankings where he slotted Taylor in as his #1 rookie RB saying, “I am not sure what else one could possibly want from a prospect. Immediate and elite production sustained over 3 years, early entry, and no notable injuries. He caught enough passes (23 in his final season) to ensure he’s not a zero in that department. The tape even shows legit breakaway ability, even though that’s more of a cherry on top than a critical asset to me. He won’t go later than the second round in the NFL draft. Every box is double checked with Taylor. If he’s not your RB1, you’re overthinking this thing. I’m talking about you, big dumb animal Donkey Teeth.” Hey, that’s uncalled for, Alf! Remember, my rankings are geared towards PPR leagues and I give Swift the edge in the passing game. B_Don was also a little more reserved on JT in his Jonathan Taylor 2020 NFL Draft Preview last week. Seems like I’m the middle donkey on Taylor here. UPDATE 3/2/20: Taylor just dominated the combine, posting a beautiful 4.39 forty time and impressing in every other drill. I’ve moved him all the way up from #12 to #6. Some will claim this is an overreaction, but I believe Taylor has shown to be an elite talent and secured himself a 1st round draft pick. Expect him to land in a fantasy friendly situation out of the gates. Get excited folks. UPDATE 4/24/20: Taylor was just drafted in the 2nd round by the Colts. They have a great offensive line and I don’t expect JT has any issues wrestling touches away from Marlon Mack who hits free-agency after this season.Â
Tier 3
9. Josh Jacobs – We saw the return of the Jon Gruden feature back in 2019 and it was glorious until Jacobs got banged up down the stretch. He’s still only 22 this season and as long as he calls Vegas home he’ll be one of the best bets in the house.Â
10. J.K. Dobbins – Here’s what Alfred had to say about Dobbins last week, “This is where some eyebrows will likely get raised, as Dobbins is probably RB3 or below for most people. Once I stepped back and looked at the numbers it made no sense for him to be anything but RB2. Like JT, he broke out as a freshman and never looked back. Dobbins checks every meaningful box to me as long as he’s a day 2 selection or better which seems very likely. I wouldn’t even be shocked if he winds up the best of this class.” Truth of the matter is, any one of these three rookies could separate themselves as the top back from this class. Some will even throw Cam Akers into the discussion. One thing’s for sure, there’s an injection of exciting youth entering the league this year. UPDATE 4/23/20: The Ravens have selected Dobbins in the 2nd round. Mark Ingram is still in town for at least one more season, but it’s still a great long-term landing spot on a high powered offense. Lamar Jackson helps to open up tons of room for running backs.Â
11. Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Watching the NFL Combine right now and Mark Ingram is all about CEH (he just ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, but also showed off his great lateral agility if you didn’t see). Ingram says he’s reminded of himself and I definitely see the resemblance. Like all of the rookies, landing spot will be key for both short-term and long-term value. I am curious whether NFL teams will dock Edwards-Helaire for potential character concerns after his involvement in a self-defense killing during his freshman year at LSU. I’m not one to judge, but the whole story paints an iffy picture. Still, his value would sky-rocket in the right offense. UPDATE 4/23/20: In a surprise turn of events, Edwards-Helaire was just taken in the first round by Andy Reid and the Chiefs. This is a HUGE boost to his fantasy stock as he lands in the best offense in the league where he’ll be an immediate factor.
12. Derrick Henry – No player’s stock rose more in the late season than Derrick Henry’s. His playoff destruction of the Patriots’ and Ravens’ defenses was eye opening. I know it feels like I’m selling Henry a little short here, but he finished the year with nearly 400 carries including the playoffs and don’t forget these are PPR rankings—Henry isn’t a huge threat in the pass game. UPDATE 3/16/20: The Titans have used their franchise tag on Henry and Tannehill has been resigned as their QB. Almost best case scenario for Henry’s dynasty owners.
13. Austin Ekeler – I gave you my Austin Ekeler Dynasty Outlook a couple weeks back. Ekeler already made a Bitcoin-like move (in a good way) in 2019 as he posted the #3 PPR RB season, but there’s still room for him to follow through, silence the doubters and solidify himself among the elite PPR backs. UPDATE 3/6/20:Â The Chargers have ponied up and paid Ekeler to the tune of 24.5 million over four years. You love to see a team willing to commit to your dynasty running back on this level.
14. Joe Mixon –  I’m aware this Mixon ranking is my most controversial ranking outside of Kerryon. I get it, Mixon is only 24 this coming season and he might escape the Bungles in 2021. But last year he took a whopping 278 carries (5th most in the league) and was only able to post the #13 RB numbers in PPR formats. I see him going off the board middle of the first round in the redraft best ball leagues I’ve been drafting and don’t understand it. I don’t doubt his potential in the right situation but Cincy isn’t the right situation and there’s no guarantees about his long-term landing spot either. UPDATE 5/1/20: Joe Burrow is coming to town and Andy Dalton has been released. I’m on the record as a Burrow skeptic and can’t say I’m excited about a Bengals offense led by the rookie QB. Now, I could be completely wrong on Burrow and Mixon (see: Johnson, Kerryon).
15. Kenyan Drake –  I moved Drake up a few spots since December because it was sounding like he’d be back in Arizona. Now I’m reading he’s asking for 10 million dollars a year. Ummmm okayyyyyy. Good luck with that, Kenyan. But if he does end up back in Arizona then there’s a good argument for him up at the backend of the top 20. UPDATE 3/20/20: In the heist of the century, the Cardinals have traded David Johnson away to the Texans in exchange for DeAndre Hopkins. All aboard the Drake train as he’s set for a heavy workload in 2020.
Tier 4
16. Leonard Fournette – It looked like Leo might actually post a full 16 game season last year but he ended up missing week 17 with a neck injury. Somehow he only scored three touchdowns in his 15 games, seems almost impossible. If a near full season is the new Fournette norm then those touchdown numbers will normalize, I just think he’s more likely to play 10 games than 15 games in 2021. There’s also a strange rumor spreading that the Jags may not pick up his option for this season. I’m skeptical but also don’t love uncertainty. UPDATE 4/19/20: Trade rumors continue to swirl around Fournette. Not exactly encouraging that Jacksonville is so eager to move him.Â
17. Aaron Jones –Â Jones is only 25 and just posted 19 touchdowns and the #2 PPR RB season. So why is he #10 on this list? We saw just how volatile touchdown numbers can be when looking at Alvin Kamara. The Jones talent is very real but I don’t fully trust the Packers/Matt LaFleur in their running back usage and 2021 free agency looms. UPDATE 4/24/20:Â The Packers just took Donkey heart throb A.J. Dillon in the 2nd round. Make no mistake, this is terrible news for Jones’s fantasy stock as Dillon should be a goal line force immediately. The Packers may also be looking to move on from Jones after the 2020 season. Â
18. D’Andre Swift – Depending on landing spot, all three of these 2020 rookies could—and likely will—jump 4 spots in either direction on this list. I’ll reassess post-draft but tentatively here’s where I’m valuing them. B_Don gave you his D’Andre Swift 2020 NFL Draft Preview a couple weeks ago where he said, “There’s a decent chance Swift is my #1 RB for the 2020 draft class regardless of his NFL landing spot.” He’s currently my #1 also, but I won’t go as far as to say ‘regardless of landing spot’ because these next two guys are very talented as well . . . UPDATE 4/24/20: Swift has been drafted by the Lions in the 2nd round. Yuck. This is heartbreaking on more than one level as it hurts the fantasy stock of both Kerryon and Swift. I’m starting to think Matt Patricia (who learned from Belichick) is turning this into a Patriots-type fantasy nightmare. Not that it wasn’t already a nightmare owing Lions RBs for the past decade.
19. Cam Akers – Toughest player for me to rank in this top 20 and could easily drop out of the top 20 once the NFL draft dust settles. He has all the tools to become a feature back in the NFL and if a team ponies up to invest a 2nd round draft pick in the Florida State product then this feels like a fair ranking assuming it’s a decent landing spot. If teams allow him to slip to the late 3rd or 4th round in the NFL draft then I’ll likely move him down a bit, depending on which team that happens to be. UPDATE 3/1/20: Akers shined at the combine where he ran a 4.47 forty and excelled in the passing drills. He’s locked in as my #4 RB in this year’s class and should be off the board before the end of the second round in the NFL draft. UPDATE 4/24/20: Akers is off the board in the 2nd round to the Rams. Gurley is gone but I’m not sure the Rams have given up on last year’s 3rd rounder, Darrell Henderson, quite yet. This could end up a committee or maybe Akers just runs away with the job.
Tier 5
20. Kerryon Johnson – I’m so far out on this Kerryon limb. Donkeys really shouldn’t be climbing trees. Just note, I’m not ranking based on what I think the current market is for these guys, I’m ranking based on where I think the market is headed. I went over my Wayward Son in my Kerryon Johnson Dynasty Outlook a few weeks back. UPDATE 4/24/20: %&nk#*. Sorry, I was typing that with my head in the oven. Swift to Detroit, how depressing. This is obviously terrible for those of us jackasses who still thought Kerryon had bellcow potential. On the plus side, Johnson is going to be a major bargain in fantasy leagues this year and might be worth a buy-low offer in dynasty leagues too; he’s still only 23 years old and will hit free-agency after the 2021 season. Is this still too high? Maybe. Do I care? Nope.
SEE DYNASTY RUNNING BACKS 21-40
