We’re only just a couple of weeks away from the start of another fantasy football season. I, for one, can’t wait. Hopefully, you haven’t had your fantasy draft yet. The cases of Ezekiel Elliott and Odell Beckham, Jr. should demonstrate why you should always wait past the third preseason game to draft. That’s why I’m just now getting to the elite fantasy scorers: the running backs and the wide receivers. Today, we’re going to take a look at your fantasy backfield.
Check out the positions we’ve already ranked:
Defense/Special Teams
Quarterbacks
Tight Ends
The Top 30 Running Backs heading into 2017
1. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers – No suspension to worry about this year! Bell can run, catch, and score just as well as anyone in the league. Plus, he plays on one of the best offenses in the NFL. He’s a bona fide stud.
2. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals – Bell and Johnson are 1A and 1B. They have similar skill sets, but I gave Bell the nod because he’s done it consistently. I want to see more than one monster year out of Johnson before I call him the best RB in the game.
3. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills – People worry about Shady’s age and durability, but he’s still an elite RB. I say he has one more elite year before dipping off.
4. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons – Freeman is another do-it-all RB from potent offense. Tevin Coleman didn’t have the effect on Freeman many thought he would, so at this point, it’s safe to assume Freeman will continue being ‘the guy.’
5. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers – After a disappointing rookie campaign, Gordon went off in 2016. Factor in that the Chargers upgraded the offensive line, and Gordon could be in line for a huge year.
6. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams – Hopefully, you didn’t buy into the hype and select Gurley #1 overall last year like I did. Last year was atrocious, but it was an anomaly. Gurley has reportedly shown up in the best shape of his life. The addition of Sammy Watkins should mean Gurley won’t face as many stacked boxes. Ultimately, it means a bounce back year.
7. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears – Howard seized the job and never looked back in 2016. Expect him to be the featured RB again and pick up right where he left off.
8. Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins – If he can stay clear of those pesky concussions, Ajayi could be a top-five RB this year. He has all the makings of an old school workhorse back. With the Dolphins offense heavily leaning on the run, expect him to get plenty of work (again, if he’s healthy) again in 2017.
9. DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans – Age and an improving Derrick Henry will eventually catch up with Murray, but for now, he’s still the guy. Plus, he’s running behind the best offensive line in football.
10. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers – McCaffrey has looked incredibly impressive in camp so far, and looks like he’ll be the same Swiss Army Knife for the Panthers that he was for Stanford.
11. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns – Despite playing for an atrocious offense, Crowell was surprisingly productive. Duke Johnson didn’t work out the way many thought, so Crowell’s the guy. Expect another solid year.
12. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys – I don’t care about the suspension. Elliott is too talented to stay on the board any longer.
13. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans – Something about Miller just didn’t click the way we thought it would. He’s no longer a high ceiling RB1, but still definitely a solid RB2 option.
14. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars – I know Fournette is going in the top 10 in most drafts, but I’m wary of him. Blake Bortles is awful, and despite his talents, could end up in a similar position as Gurley last year. Stacked box after stacked box after stacked box as opposing defenses don’t respect Jacksonville’s passing game.
15. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings – Love what Cook is doing with the Vikings. Why he wasn’t a first round selection, I still don’t understand.
16. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Everyone seems to have a Doug Martin story, but hey – Charles Sims didn’t perform as expected in his absence. Martin could be poised for a bounce back year.
17. Adrian Peterson, New Orleans Saints – Peterson’s teammates have said they’re impressed by the shape Peterson is in, but this future Hall of Famer is getting a little long in the tooth. I don’t think I’d assume the risk this year.
18. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders – Beast Mode is back! Well, sort of. While he may not be the Lynch of old, he could have a productive year behind a good offensive line.
19. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals – I hate that Mixon is on this list. But, hell – winning is winning, right? If you want your fantasy championship in the hands of a man who sucker punches women, by all means, go for it. I’m going to pass.
20. Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions – If he could just stay healthy, he might have a damn good season. Abdullah does it all for the Lions, and if you happen to be in a PPR league, he could be a surprise RB1 option.
21. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos – At this point, I think it’s safe to say, “it is what it is” with Anderson. Don’t count on him to be your feature back, but he can be more than serviceable as a RB2.
22. Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers – Montgomery is going WAY TOO HIGH. Everyone seems to think they’re going to continue lining up a WR at RB as if it’s okay. Breaking news: having to line a WR up at RB is not ideal. I expect Montgomery to take a huge dip in production this year…at least at the RB position.
23. Mike Gillislee, New England Patriots – Gillislee looked good in Buffalo, but he was lost in a corps of strong RBs. Though it looks like the Patriots are going to run a committee this season, I don’t think it’ll take long for Gillislee to stand out above the rest. He’ll make this deadly offense even more potent.
24. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans – Some will say it’s too high to take a RB who is second on the depth chart, but there will be plenty of carries to go around in that run-centric Titans offense. Plus, Henry has looked great in camp and the preseason, so expect a bump in production this season.
25. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers – Hyde may be a terrible fit, but he’s still the best back in San Francisco. That automatically makes him worthy of starter consideration.
26. Bilal Powell, New York Jets – We keep expecting Powell to come back to Earth a bit, but he just keeps on producing. Bonus points if you’re in a PPR league!
27. C.J. Prosise, Seattle Seahawks – Prosise looked electric in game action last year, but an injury sidelined him. If not for that and having to share a backfield with Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls, he might crack my top 20 for the year.
28. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers – Stewart is still Stewart. Though McCaffrey will steal some touches, expect the veteran to nab those short-yardage touchdowns.
29. Paul Perkins, New York Giants – I want to believe in Perkins, but that Giants offensive line couldn’t open up run lanes for a fly to get through. The run game looks atrocious and that drastically hinders Perkins’ potential. That said, he’s still “the guy” in this system, so it’s always worth a look. You never know.
30. Robert Kelley, Washington Redskins – There’s competition in Washington, but I still think Kelley wins the starting job this season.
The Dark Horse: While Gillislee is the best overall back in New England, there’s plenty of buzz surrounding Rex Burkhead as well. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, if they can fix that offensive line, it could mean a bump in production for Terrance West. Of all the dark horses, though, I like Jamaal Williams in Green Bay the most. Why? Because he’s the best actual running back on their roster.
Deep, Deep Sleepers: With LeGarrette Blount struggling to find footing in Philadelphia, the versatile Wendell Smallwood could become the greatest beneficiary. Kareem Hunt is starting to put some pressure on Spencer Ware for the starting job in Kansas City, having an electric preseason game against Cincinnati. If McCoy does indeed succumb to the age/injury bug, Jonathan Williams appears to be the clear number two in Buffalo.
Rookie Impact: So far, Alvin Kamara has looked great in New Orleans, but he’ll have to leapfrog Peterson and Mark Ingram to get significant time. Frank Gore is old as the hills, so Marlon Mack may be worth a look. D’Onta Foreman is having a nice preseason with the Texans. I’m still high on the Giants’ selection of Wayne Gallman, but so far, he hasn’t caused much to be inspired over. Otherwise, it looks like this class will be headlined by the usual suspects: Fournette, Cook, and McCaffrey.
Check back in next week for the final position I have to cover: the wide receivers! YASSSS
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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