X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2020 Fantasy Football Running Back Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft

RotoBaller's top fantasy football running back rookie rankings for 2020 NFL rookies. These updated RB rankings are post NFL Draft with analysis by Pierre Camus.

Welcome back RotoBallers! Below you will find our staff's updated 2020 fantasy football rookie running back rankings. These rankings are being released after the 2020 NFL Draft, but things will of course change as we get closer to the NFL season. Those of you who are regular RotoBaller readers have likely already seen our updated overall fantasy football rookie rankings, released the morning after the draft. Now it's time to break those down in detail, going position by position with some tiered rankings analysis.

The RotoBaller crew has been busy fine-tuning all fantasy football rankings in the hours immediately following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft. The first task was to focus on the recently-selected prospects in order to prepare dynasty owners for upcoming rookie drafts. Analysts Brandon MurchisonPhil Clark, and Pierre Camus have put together their early consensus running back rookie rankings for our loyal readers to use to their advantage.

Running back is always a focal point of any fantasy team. It's harder than ever to know which RB to trust, as so many teams rotate backs and rely on multiple players for production. As always, we take a forward-looking approach with our evaluations. These are subject to change as things unfold over the offseason, but for now here is a first look at our running back rankings for the 2020 rookie draft class.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

NFL RB Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Post-Draft)

Be sure to also check out our fantasy football rankings and analysis for the 2020 rookie wide receivers, rookie tight endsrookie quarterbacks, and our top 130 rookies list.

Tier Rank Player Name Team Pierre Brandon Phil
1 1 Clyde Edwards-Helaire KC 4 2 2
1 2 Cam Akers LAR 2 3 4
1 3 Jonathan Taylor IND 9 1 1
1 6 J.K. Dobbins BAL 10 4 5
2 8 D'Andre Swift DET 18 5 3
3 15 Zack Moss BUF 15 16 14
3 16 Ke'Shawn Vaughn TB 29 11 10
3 22 A.J. Dillon GB 42 15 13
3 23 Antonio Gibson WAS 35 20 17
4 24 Anthony McFarland Jr. PIT 27 22 27
4 25 Joshua Kelley LAC 25 26 25
4 29 Darrynton Evans TEN 26 33 26
4 33 Eno Benjamin ARI 30 29 44
5 38 Lamical Perine NYJ 40 31 38
5 41 DeeJay Dallas SEA 47 34 37
7 58 JaMycal Hasty SF #N/A 65 52
7 64 Salvon Ahmed SF 68 56 63
8 69 Michael Warren II PHI #N/A 76 56
8 70 Raymond Calais TB #N/A #N/A 67
9 76 Jason Huntley DET #N/A #N/A 69
9 81 Rico Dowdle DAL #N/A 75 70
9 82 J.J. Taylor NE #N/A 77 68
9 83 Tavien Feaster JAX 73 72 #N/A
9 87 Javon Leake NYG #N/A 108 47
10 88 James Robinson JAX #N/A 91 65
10 93 Scottie Phillips HOU 60 100 #N/A

 

Tier 1 - RB Rookie Rankings

Dynasty owners seem to have immediately decided that Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the top running back in rookie drafts, with many viewing him as the 1.01. I definitely view him as a top-five rookie for 2020 and there's no doubt that landing in KC was great for a pass-catching back like him. There is a ceiling on his production though, as the rushing volume won't be there even if he does claim the lion's share of carries and make Damien Williams expendable.

The path toward a 1,000-yard rushing season would be a tough one for him initially in such a pass-oriented offense. His role as a receiver gives him fantasy RB2 potential though. You can read my full take on Clyde Edwards-Helaire and whether he is indeed the next Brian Westbrook right here.

Unpopular opinion #1 - Jonathan Taylor isn't the top rookie or the top running back in this draft class. He isn't necessarily going to step in and take 80% of the carries while Marlon Mack is relegated to the bench. Not that Mack is so spectacular (otherwise they wouldn't have drafted Taylor) but he did average 4.7 and 4.4 yards per carry the past two years. Taylor was a second-round pick, not a first. Simply put, the Colts will do what nearly every NFL team does - use a committee.

One knock on Taylor, aside from the heavy usage in college which I am not concerned with, is that he isn't much of a receiver. That leaves him with a lower ceiling, as Nyheim Hines will also have a role. All told, the best-case scenario could be a 60-25-15 split in touches, with a more realistic scenario being one where Taylor and Mack split carries for much of the season. Don't get me wrong, he could develop into a fantasy RB1 but we can't let his 4.4 time at the combine overshadow the questions in his profile.

Unpopular opinion #2 - Cam Akers is my top rookie RB. I understand that the Rams' offensive line took a huge step back, grading out as PFF's 31st-ranked unit in 2019. As you may know, Akers ran behind one of the worst offensive lines in college throughout his career, so if anything he'll see this as an upgrade. He has the right combination of toughness and speed to make plays on his own without relying on gaping holes up front. He also has little competition for the starting role, as Darrell Henderson did nothing last year and won't be more than a change-of-pace back. I can't say the same about Taylor on any of these counts.

 

Tier 2 - RB Rookie Rankings

D'Andre Swift stands alone in the second tier and that's all because of my less-than-generous ranking. Therefore, justification is required.

Unpopular opinion #3 - Swift will not be a weekly starter for fantasy teams in 2020. I like Swift and had him as my RB2 in this rookie class before the NFL Draft. He should be in the top tier based on his ability. Landing spot and opportunity usually overshadow ability in the NFL, however, and Swift went to the worst possible spot. I'm not just blaming the ghosts of Ameer Abdullah and Jahvid Best either.

The Lions already had a capable running back in Kerryon Johnson, who coach Matt Patricia seems to hate for no particular reason. Johnson won't simply disappear, so this is likely to be a committee situation off the bat, much like Taylor in Indy. Swift will be limited by the competition but also the lack of rushing opportunities in general by this offense.

Detroit had a relatively balanced run/pass split in 2019, mostly out of necessity. Swift supporters and Lions fans may argue that Matthew Stafford missing half the season altered the season and limited everything offensively. This is certainly true, but why would Stafford returning create a bigger emphasis on the running game? If anything, the Lions may lean on their franchise QB as they usually do.

The defense also carries much of the blame for lack of rushing opportunities, as they ranked 26th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. Generally speaking, the worse the defense, the less the offense can establish the run. The selection of Jeff Okudah and Julian Okwara will help, but they won't suddenly be a top-10 defense. Unless Okwara can be an instant impact player, they have no viable pass-rusher other than Trey Flowers. As good as Swift may be, the volume just won't be there, leading him to be overdrafted based on his college career.

 

Tier 3 - RB Rookie Rankings

I thought I might be higher on Moss than most, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Moss didn't wow with his combine numbers, but NFL front offices don't care about that nearly as much as football fans and pundits. He steps into Frank Gore's spot in Buffalo and it's already been reported that he will have a similar role as the 1B to Devin Singletary. Gore saw 166 rush attempts last year and that's a fair estimate for Moss.

Unpopular opinion #4 - A.J. Dillon and Ke'Shawn Vaughn will be massively overvalued in dynasty. I like Vaughn as a player, but the Tampa Bay offense isn't geared toward the running game. Things will shift slightly with Tom Brady under center as opposed to Jameis Winston, but this is still a Bruce Arians offense. He just doesn't care that much about the running back position. He could carry weekly value if he outperforms Ronald Jones significantly, but that's an assumption we're making based on hope more than anything. Premium subscribers can read a more detailed evaluation and see where I have his rookie draft position in my one-man rookie mock article.

Dillon is another beneficiary of recency bias and combine stats. He's big and runs fast, granted. That doesn't always lead to production, however. Former BC alum Andre Williams was seen in a similar vein after he had a productive college career and ran a 4.56 40. He was last seen in the XFL. For some reason, Jamaal Williams gets constantly disrespected by the fantasy community, so the idea that someone can step in to replace him is appealing. Dillon isn't a shoo-in to do so and not worth a selection in the first two rounds.

 

Tier 4 - RB Rookie Rankings

We can see a path to production for Joshua Kelley, if he can just beat out Justin Jackson to be the RB2 in L.A. Likewise, Anthony McFarland doesn't stand out in any particular area, but with only injury-prone James Conner and plodding Benny Snell ahead of him in Pittsburgh, he could earn carries. The player I'm keeping a closer eye on is Darrynton Evans.

You'd think landing on a team that features the leading rusher in the NFL, Derrick Henry, who also led the league with 303 carries and a 69% team share would be a bad thing. It would definitely take an injury to make Evans start-worthy, but if that happens then he would be the hottest pickup of the year. Dion Lewis is gone and there is nobody else I could even name in the Titans' backfield (David Fluellen?). The Titans had a top-10 offensive line last year and added Isaiah Wilson in the first round to address a weakness on the right side. Evans might do absolutely nothing in 2020, but he's a stash I'm happy to have on my roster.

 

Tier 5 and Lower - RB Rookie Rankings

Lamical Perine has seen his stock rise after falling to the Jets. I'd like to see an Adam Gase offense do something... anything to prove that a running back can thrive under him. In the last three years as head coach of the Dolphins and Jets, his offenses have ranked 29th, 18th, and 31st in rushing yardage and in the bottom-three in rushing touchdowns each time. The one time he had a fantasy stud at RB was Jay Ajayi as a rookie coach in 2016. We know how that turned out, with Ajayi inexplicably being traded midway through the following season.

As a lifelong Miami fan, I'd love to say that DeeJay Dallas could do something at the pro level. He probably won't though, as nothing more than a solid but unexciting third running back who is adept at helping out in the passing game.

Don't count on any undrafted free agent pulling a Phillip Lindsay and becoming an absolute steal at the end of rookie drafts. If I'm taking a chance on any of them, it would one of Michael Warren II, Tavien Feaster, or Scottie Phillips.

As a tough runner, some feel that former Cincy Bearcast Michael Warren II could find a short-yardage role in Philly. The upside is limited, but at this point you're simply hoping for someone who can see touches.

It looks like the Jags may not find a trade partner for Leonard Fournette, but it would be a shock if he's still on the roster in 2021. Given his injury history, Feaster could make a dent in a relatively shallow backfield if he can leapfrog Ryquell Armstead on the depth chart.

If you are among the many who think David Johnson's best days are behind him, Phillips could be an interesting flier. Bill O'Brien killed our vibes on Karan Higdon last year and we know Johnson will be run into the ground until he breaks down, so it would take an injury to make Phillips relevant. That isn't so far-fetched if you watched DJ last year, though.

More NFL Draft and Fantasy Football Rookies


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NFL9 mins ago

Detroit Makes Kerby Joseph Highest-Paid Safety In League History
Davion Mitchell10 mins ago

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Seiya Suzuki40 mins ago

Scratched On Wednesday With Wrist Soreness
Brandin Podziemski48 mins ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford54 mins ago

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.1 hour ago

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum1 hour ago

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart1 hour ago

May Miss Another Game Thursday
NYI2 hours ago

Cal Clutterbuck Announces Retirement
Pavel Zacha2 hours ago

Recovering From Small Procedure
Will Smith2 hours ago

Out With Sore Wrist On Wednesday
Connor Wong2 hours ago

Likely To Go On Rehab Assignment This Weekend
Nikolaj Ehlers2 hours ago

To Miss At Least Two More Games
Lucas Giolito2 hours ago

Could Make Season Debut Next Thursday
Miro Heiskanen2 hours ago

Still Out On Wednesday
Blake Snell2 hours ago

To Be Shut Down From Throwing, Might Go For More Imaging
John Klingberg2 hours ago

Enters Oilers Lineup For Game 2
Grayson Rodriguez2 hours ago

Has Mild Lat Strain, To Resume Throwing In A Couple Weeks
Evander Kane2 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Wednesday Night
Edwin Díaz2 hours ago

Edwin Diaz Leaves With Left-Hip Cramping On Wednesday
Gabriel Landeskog2 hours ago

Likely To Play In Game 3
Cam Smith2 hours ago

Absent From Astros Lineup
Will Smith3 hours ago

Resting At Wrigley
Denver Broncos4 hours ago

Broncos Not Expected To Trade Up In Round 1
Nicky Lopez4 hours ago

Cubs Re-Signing Nicky Lopez
Houston Texans4 hours ago

Texans Trying To Move Up In Round 1 Of NFL Draft
Atlanta Falcons4 hours ago

James Pearce Jr., Mike Green Potential Top Targets For Falcons
Royce Lewis4 hours ago

Expected To Start Rehab Assignment This Week
Pablo López4 hours ago

Pablo Lopez Likely To Rejoin The Rotation This Weekend
Dallas Cowboys4 hours ago

Cowboys Could Add Wide Receiver Help With No. 12 Pick
Justin Martinez4 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue
New Orleans Saints4 hours ago

Saints Likely To Address Defense With No. 9 Pick?
Kristian Campbell4 hours ago

Sitting Against Mariners
4 hours ago

Rams Eyeing Trade Up For Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland?
Kyle Freeland4 hours ago

Next Outing To Be Determined
Ezequiel Tovar4 hours ago

Could Be Battling Hip Injury All Year
Patrick Mahomes4 hours ago

Itching To Get Explosive Passing Game Back
Kris Bryant4 hours ago

Not Ready To Return
Jacob Stallings5 hours ago

Kyle Farmer Sitting On Wednesday
Willi Castro5 hours ago

Not Playing On Wednesday
Zac Veen5 hours ago

Optioned to Triple-A
Brenton Doyle5 hours ago

Activated From Bereavement List
Chris Olave6 hours ago

Saints Picking Up Chris Olave's Fifth-Year Option
Derek Carr6 hours ago

Saints Hope To Have Clarity On Derek Carr Soon
6 hours ago

Chiefs Talk With TreVeyon Henderson
Los Angeles Rams6 hours ago

Rams Not Ruling Out Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Dallas Cowboys6 hours ago

Micah Parsons Taking Part In Offseason Program
Anthony Richardson6 hours ago

Working On His Footwork
Kayshon Boutte6 hours ago

A Trade Candidate?
Kirk Cousins6 hours ago

Browns, Steelers, Vikings Could Target A Trade For Kirk Cousins
Jaren Jackson Jr.10 hours ago

Posts Team-High 26 Points In Tuesday's Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander10 hours ago

Notches 27 Points Despite Poor Shooting
Max Greyserman10 hours ago

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Pascal Siakam10 hours ago

Scores Team-High 24 Points In Game 2 Win
Giannis Antetokounmpo10 hours ago

Posts Big Double-Double In Game 2 Loss
Lee Hodges10 hours ago

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA10 hours ago

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Julius Randle10 hours ago

Leads Timberwolves In Scoring In Game 2
Gary Woodland10 hours ago

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Luka Dončić10 hours ago

Luka Doncic Nets 31 Points In Lakers Win
Max McGreevy10 hours ago

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard10 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Jock Landale10 hours ago

Unavailable For Game 2
Sam Stevens10 hours ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Jae'Sean Tate11 hours ago

Remains Out Wednesday
Nicolai Hojgaard11 hours ago

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
John Tavares11 hours ago

Collects Two Points In Overtime Win
Christiaan Bezuidenhout11 hours ago

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Frederik Andersen11 hours ago

Posts 40th Postseason Win
Akshay Bhatia11 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young11 hours ago

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Kirill Kaprizov11 hours ago

Leads Wild To Valuable Road Win
Matthew Tkachuk11 hours ago

Returns With Three-Point Performance
Erik Van Rooyen11 hours ago

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Anthony Cirelli11 hours ago

Suffers Undisclosed Injury Tuesday
Gabriel Vilardi11 hours ago

May Return To Jets Lineup Thursday
John Klingberg11 hours ago

Ready To Return To Action
Evander Kane12 hours ago

Could Be An Option For Game 2
Michael Pittman Jr.19 hours ago

Back Injury Is In The Past
George Pickens20 hours ago

Steelers Appear Unlikely To Trade George Pickens
Jaylen Warren20 hours ago

Steelers Believe Jaylen Warren Can Be Their RB1
Andrew Novak21 hours ago

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin21 hours ago

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore22 hours ago

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark22 hours ago

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama23 hours ago

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa23 hours ago

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Jaylen Warren23 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Steelers
Will Levis1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Traded
Thomas Detry1 day ago

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
Terry Rozier1 day ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Will Have His Minutes Monitored Tuesday
Jayson Tatum1 day ago

Listed As Doubtful For Game 2
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

Returns To Zurich Classic With High Hopes
Derek Forbort1 day ago

Recovering From Surgery
Martin Fehérváry1 day ago

Martin Fehervary To Miss Postseason Following Knee Surgery
Shane Lowry1 day ago

Returning To Zurich Classic With Red-Hot Teammate
Luke Glendening1 day ago

Available For Start Of Playoffs
Mitchell Chaffee1 day ago

Available Tuesday
Cody Glass1 day ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Brenden Dillon1 day ago

Won't Play In Game 2
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Cleared To Play Tuesday
Nikola Jokić1 day ago

Nikola Jokic Posts 19th Postseason Triple-Double
Kawhi Leonard1 day ago

Leads Clippers To Game 2 Victory
Jalen Brunson1 day ago

Leads All Scorers With 37 Points In Monday's Loss
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF