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

Dynasty Tiered Rankings and Analysis - Running Backs

Tiered rankings and analysis for dynasty league running backs. Pierre Camus breaks down RotoBaller's RB ranks for 2021 dynasty and keeper fantasy football leagues.

This time last year, Josh Jacobs was ranked eighth, Derrius Guice was 20 spots ahead of Antonio Gibson, and James Robinson checked in at 126th among our dynasty running back rankings. Things change quickly in the Not For Long league.

One thing that will never change is our constant quest to bring you the latest and greatest fantasy football advice year-round. That means breaking down dynasty rankings at each position far in advance of the NFL season.

Let's begin with everyone's favorite position - running back. Below you'll find RotoBaller's consensus dynasty RB rankings for fantasy football following the 2021 NFL Draft. These will be updated throughout the preseason so bookmark our NFL rankings page for the latest moves.

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

 

Dynasty RB Rankings

Position Tier Position Rank Player Name Overall Rank Overall Tier
1 1 Christian McCaffrey 1 1
1 2 Dalvin Cook 2 2
1 3 Saquon Barkley 3 2
1 4 Jonathan Taylor 4 2
1 5 Alvin Kamara 7 4
2 6 Cam Akers 9 4
2 7 Derrick Henry 13 6
2 8 Najee Harris 14 6
2 9 Ezekiel Elliott 15 7
2 10 Nick Chubb 16 7
3 11 D'Andre Swift 17 7
3 12 Antonio Gibson 18 8
3 13 Aaron Jones 20 8
3 14 J.K. Dobbins 24 11
3 15 Clyde Edwards-Helaire 29 12
3 16 Joe Mixon 31 13
3 17 Austin Ekeler 32 14
3 18 Travis Etienne 37 14
3 19 Miles Sanders 38 14
4 20 Josh Jacobs 50 16
4 21 Javonte Williams 52 17
4 22 David Montgomery 55 18
4 23 Kareem Hunt 66 20
4 24 Chris Carson 67 20
5 25 Myles Gaskin 76 21
5 26 James Robinson 77 21
5 27 Trey Sermon 78 21
5 28 Michael Carter 80 21
5 29 Chase Edmonds 86 22
5 30 Leonard Fournette 89 22
5 31 AJ Dillon 90 22
6 32 Melvin Gordon III 96 23
6 33 Damien Harris 101 24
6 34 Tony Pollard 106 24
6 35 David Johnson 109 24
6 36 Ronald Jones II 116 24
6 37 Kenyan Drake 119 24
6 38 Raheem Mostert 120 24
6 39 James Conner 124 24
6 40 Kenny Gainwell 126 24
6 41 Devin Singletary 128 24
7 42 Mike Davis 133 15
7 43 Nyheim Hines 134 15
7 44 Chuba Hubbard 135 15
7 45 Gus Edwards 138 15
7 46 Zack Moss 144 16
7 47 Jamaal Williams 146 16
7 48 Tarik Cohen 150 16
7 49 Rashaad Penny 151 16
7 50 Darrell Henderson 154 16
7 51 Alexander Mattison 157 17
8 52 J.D. McKissic 165 18
8 53 Marlon Mack 169 18
8 54 James White 171 18
8 55 Latavius Murray 175 18
8 56 Sony Michel 177 18
8 57 Kylin Hill 179 18
9 58 Phillip Lindsay 189 19
9 59 Ke'Shawn Vaughn 192 19
9 60 Darrynton Evans 194 19
9 61 Mark Ingram II 196 19
9 62 Javian Hawkins 197 19
9 63 Justin Jackson 198 19
9 64 Tevin Coleman 199 19
9 65 Rhamondre Stevenson 204 19
9 66 Lynn Bowden Jr. 205 20
9 67 Gerrid Doaks 206 20
9 68 Larry Rountree III 207 20
10 69 Damien Williams 209 20
10 70 Jeff Wilson Jr. 211 20
10 71 Boston Scott 217 20
10 72 Todd Gurley II 218 20
10 73 Jerick McKinnon 223 21
10 74 Elijah Mitchell 224 21
10 75 Wayne Gallman 227 21
10 76 Giovani Bernard 232 21
10 77 Anthony McFarland Jr. 233 21
10 78 La'Mical Perine 235 21
10 79 Carlos Hyde 236 21
10 80 Le'Veon Bell 237 21
10 81 Ty Johnson 244 21
11 82 Chris Evans 246 21
11 83 Duke Johnson 247 21
11 84 Kalen Ballage 249 21
11 85 Darrel Williams 252 21
11 86 Joshua Kelley 253 21
11 87 Ito Smith 255 21
11 88 Justice Hill 258 21
11 89 Salvon Ahmed 260 21
11 90 Devontae Booker 271 22
11 91 Eno Benjamin 273 22
11 92 Kerryon Johnson 274 22
11 93 Benny Snell Jr. 277 22
11 94 Malcolm Brown 279 22
11 95 Jermar Jefferson 284 22
11 96 Qadree Ollison 286 22
11 97 Josh Adams 288 22
11 98 Khalil Herbert 298 22
11 99 Jordan Howard 299 22
11 100 Dontrell Hilliard 300 22
11 101 Darwin Thompson 303 23
11 102 Brian Hill 305 23
11 103 Mike Boone 306 23
11 104 Reggie Bonnafon 308 23
11 105 Jaylen Samuels 310 23
11 106 Jaret Patterson 311 23
12 107 D'Onta Foreman 312 23
12 108 Ty Montgomery 313 23
12 109 Peyton Barber 315 23
12 110 Jeremy McNichols 320 23
12 111 Matt Breida 321 23
12 112 DeeJay Dallas 322 23
12 113 Chris Thompson 326 23
12 114 Adrian Peterson 328 23
12 115 Jordan Wilkins 329 23
12 116 Jalen Richard 331 23
12 117 Samaje Perine 334 23
12 118 Patrick Laird 338 23
12 119 Devonta Freeman 340 23
12 120 Dion Lewis 341 23
12 121 Rex Burkhead 342 23
12 122 Royce Freeman 349 24
12 123 Jason Huntley 354 24
12 124 Trayveon Williams 356 24
12 125 Devine Ozigbo 361 24
12 126 T.J. Yeldon 364 24
12 127 Rodney Smith 365 24
12 128 Dare Ogunbowale 377 24
12 129 Artavis Pierce 378 24
12 130 Travis Homer 384 25
12 131 JaMycal Hasty 390 25
12 132 Ryquell Armstead 401 25
12 133 DeAndre Washington 403 25
12 134 Bo Scarbrough 412 25

 

Top Tier Analysis

Not much change in the first tier from 2020, even though many fantasy teams had drastically different fortunes based on which RB they were tied to. CMC and Barkley had lost seasons but remain firmly in the top-three with Dalvin Cook jumping into the No. 2 spot after proving he could handle a huge workload.

The biggest point of contention is Jonathan Taylor at four with Alvin Kamara, arguably the reigning fantasy MVP, slotting in fifth. Taylor (22) obviously has the youth edge with a full three years on Kamara (25). Kamara owns a 5.0 yards per carry average but his bread and butter is as a receiver, averaging 5.4 receptions per game. But that was with Drew Brees at QB. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer but one who developed into a dump-off artist late in his career, finishing in the bottom-five in aDoT last year. We don't really know what the offense will look like going forward.

Taylor also averaged 5.0 yards per carry as a rookie but a 253-yard outburst in Week 17 against the worst team in the league, Jacksonville, skewed that figure. Taylor only averaged 2.4 receptions per game and Nyheim Hines is there to share pass-catching work. It's a close call in redraft but Taylor's youth ultimately makes the difference.

Where does Ezekiel Elliott rightfully belong? At 25, he's the same age roughly as Kamara but with a bit more tread on the tires. Last year was disappointing but that can be attributed to the lack of Dak. Normally you'd think a QB's absence would hurt the receivers but not the running back; in fact, it might boost an RB's numbers due to increased volume. Not in this case.

It's understandable that Zeke might not rank in tier one any longer but I personally have him above Najee Harris and Derrick Henry. He is still a three-down back, as Tony Pollard is not a legit threat to his workload so much as a change-of-pace guy.

 

Running Backs Who Are Trending Down

Todd Gurley seems too obvious... so let's start with Joe Mixon, who drops from as high as sixth in last year's preseason ranks to 16. He played just six games last year but it wasn't a serious injury like an Achilles tear. Frustratingly, Mixon's foot injury promised to keep him out a few weeks but never healed enough for him to return. Once Joe Burrow tore his ACL and the team was staring at a 2-7-1 record, there wasn't much point pushing Mixon to play anyway.

The team invested in him prior to last season with a four-year deal and added no competition to the RB room other than sixth-round pick Chris Evans while letting veteran Giovani Bernard walk in free agency. Everything points to Mixon being one of the few undisputed workhorse backs in the NFL. He will be 25 when the season begins and the Bengals' offensive outlook is pointing up, so he could very well jump back into the top 10. If he can't make it through a full season healthy, his stock may keep plunging.

Leonard Fournette was a draft bust in 2020, no two ways about it. From Weeks 1-14, he totaled 442 scrimmage yards and three TD. A third of those yards and two of the scores came in Week 2 alone. After being cast aside by most, he did the most infuriating thing ever and scored three times in the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs while Ronald Jones, who had developed into a fantasy RB2, was on the COVID list. Uncle Lenny then went on a binge in the NFL playoffs casting doubt on how this backfield will play out.

Reg. Season Totals G Rush Att Rush Yds Rush TD Y/A Rec. Rec. Yds Rec. TD Y/R
Leonard Fournette 13 97 367 6 3.8 36 233 0 6.5
Ronald Jones II 14 192 978 7 5.1 28 165 1 5.9
Playoff Totals G Rush Att Rush Yds Rush TD Y/A Rec. Rec. Yds Rec. TD Y/R
Leonard Fournette 4 64 300 3 4.7 18 148 1 8.2
Ronald Jones II 3 35 139 0 4 0 0 0 0

Adding Giovani Bernard to steal receiving work out of the backfield doesn't help. Even though recency bias will favor Fournette based on how the season ended, this is a committee to avoid and Fournette's days as a feature back are over no matter where he plays.

Neither Devin Singletary nor Zack Moss showed they could be fantasy relevant despite Buffalo's thriving offense. The Bills were bottom-10 in total rush attempts and Josh Allen runs the ball just as much as the backs. Singletary and Moss combined for six rushing touchdowns, Allen had eight. He was just 10 attempts and 60 rushing yards behind Moss. They didn't draft Moss to be the guy; Allen's everything in that offense right now.

 

Where The Top Rookies Rank

Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers - RB8

We know the workload will be there and he was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the rookie runners in this class. The offensive line is very questionable though and Big Ben has one year left before the franchise will look for a new QB for the first time since 2004. His immediate value isn't in question but 2022 is looking murky.

Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars - RB18

Is he a running back or wide receiver? The fact that Urban Meyer is having him run routes in rookie minicamp says more about the coach than the player. We shouldn't read too much into it yet, although there is a hint of nervousness among the dynasty crowd that James Robinson could have a bigger role than suspected after the Jags spent a first-round pick on a running back. Etienne is in an odd place right now in that his college production, draft capital, and team context scream RB1 but his usage may not match.

Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos - RB21

Another disappointing landing spot puts Williams outside the top-20 dynasty backs. Would we be surprised if he usurps Melvin Gordon and jumps into the top-10 by 2022? Not at all. Would we be shocked if he doesn't develop into a complete NFL back and slides outside the top-25? Nope.

Trey Sermon, San Francisco 49ers - RB27

How many touches will Sermon get in his rookie season? If you answered "I have no clue," you are not alone. On one hand, the team moved up a round to acquire him in round three which means they coveted the specific player. On the other hand, they also drafted Elijah Mitchell, signed Wayne Gallman, and have holdovers Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. The ultimate risk-reward pick in rookie drafts, Sermon is worth a gamble based on the weakness of this RB group.

Michael Carter, New York Jets - RB28

If the Jets had spent a second-round pick on a running back, that player would hold much more value. Had Carter been drafted anywhere else before round four, the same would apply. Fourth-rounders and beyond are hard-pressed to make an impact, as we learned last year from guys like Joshua Kelley and Anthony McFarland Jr. Both had golden opportunities to seize the backfield but couldn't do so. The previous year brought gems like Benny Snell, Justice Hill, and Bryce Love. Before that, Ito Smith, Kalen Ballage, and Mark Walton. Only pass-catching specialists like Nyheim Hines and Chase Edmonds have recently been able to carve out roles in an offense. That's not Carter's specialty, nor is breakaway speed as his 4.59 40 time attests to. I don't recommend overvaluing him based on the touches available in the Jets backfield.

 

Value Alert

It's tough to find an up-and-coming player who isn't already rostered in dynasty leagues that can be easily acquired through the trade market. These RBs may be somewhat undervalued heading into the 2021 season, however, if circumstances allow them to shine.

A.J. Dillon might fit well in the trending down section because he was vastly overvalued heading into his rookie year and then sat on the bench behind Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. His impressive Speed Score at the NFL Combine wooed many into selecting him too early in rookie drafts. We should know better.


Here's the good news - Williams is gone and the team only replaced him with seventh-round pick Kylin Hill, who is primarily a pass-catcher. If Aaron Jones gets banged up then Dillon will become the hottest waiver wire pickup in redraft leagues and has a chance to ascend to RB1 status. He may not catch many passes but neither does Derrick Henry, who happens to share the same weight as Dillon.

Kenny Gainwell isn't meant to be a replacement for Miles Sanders but he could play 1B to Sanders' 1A role. Sanders can take it to the house at any moment but also gets stuffed his fair share. The Eagles must be getting tired of the Corey Clement/Jordan Howard combo in their RB room (aren't we all?) so they spent a fifth-round pick on Gainwell and then added recently-released Kerryon Johnson. Gainwell isn't likely to see heavy volume but he could be a better version of Boston Scott, which we know has value in the right situation.

Remember when the Seahawks spent a first-round pick on Rashaad Penny and fantasy GMs were ready to kick Chris Carson to the curb? The team didn't pick up the fifth-year option on Penny, meaning he will be a free agent after the 2021 season. That's usually not a good sign for long-term value but Penny's case is different because his problem has been injury rather than underperformance. Penny averages 5.1 yards per carry in his career, including 5.7 Y/A in his last almost-full season in 2019 where he managed to string together 10 games. He's got the motivation to prove to the Seahawks, and every other NFL team he's auditioning for, that he can be a useful part of the backfield. He's great late-round best-ball pick and Zero RB target but also the quintessential buy-low target in dynasty at 25 years of age with just 161 carries under his belt. If there's one benefit to being constantly injured, it keeps a guy from getting worn down.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Dynasty League Strategy


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

Cole Custer

Is Cole Custer Worth Rostering For Talladega Lineups?
Ty Dillon

Is A Solid Value Option For Talladega DFS Lineups
Cody Ware

Is One Of The Safest Value DFS Options For Talladega Lineups
Hunter Greene

Lights Up Rockies For Eight Strikeouts Saturday
Adael Amador

Collects Three Hits And Home Run No. 1
Jarren Duran

Steals Home And Racks Up Three Hits
Framber Valdez

Tosses Complete Game In A Loss To The Royals
Michael Wacha

Spins Six Shutout Innings
Alan Trejo

Traded To The Rockies
Jackson Chourio

Nearly Hits For The Cycle
Robbie Ray

Records Eight Strikeouts
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo Continues To Pitch Well
Seiya Suzuki

Drives In Three Runs
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Strikes Out The Side
Clay Holmes

Tosses Five Scoreless Innings
Jimmy Butler III

Ruled Out On Saturday
Isaiah Stewart

Questionable For Sunday's Game
Nolan Schanuel

Makes Early Exit On Saturday
Cam Smith

Heading To The Bench
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 4
Logan Evans

To Make MLB Debut On Sunday
Jarred Kelenic

Takes A Seat On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Won't Play On Sunday

Dolphins Select Quinn Ewers In Seventh Round
Logan Gilbert

Heading To 15-Day Injured List
Emmanuel Clase

Available As Closer For Game 2
Brenden Dillon

Out On Sunday
Mitchell Robinson

Questionable For Game 4 Versus Detroit
Luke Hughes

To Remain Out On Sunday
Michael Porter Jr.

Available On Saturday Night
Aliaksei Protas

Practices Fully On Saturday
Russell Westbrook

Won't Suit Up For Game 4
Gabriel Vilardi

A Game-Time Decision For Sunday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back A Game-Time Call On Saturday
Ross Colton

Unavailable Saturday
Miro Heiskanen

Remains Out Saturday
Riley Leonard

Drafted By Colts Saturday

Steelers Select Will Howard In Sixth Round Of NFL Draft

Eagles Add Kyle McCord To Quarterback Room

Miami Adds Ollie Gordon II To Backfield

Chargers Add KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Oronde Gadsden II To Offense

Colts Add DJ Giddens To Backfield
Michael Busch

Sitting On Saturday Versus Southpaw
Brandon Woodruff

"Really Tired" After Latest Rehab Start
Tyler Fitzgerald

Scratched On Saturday

Dallas Cowboys Draft Jaydon Blue In Fifth Round

49ers Add Jordan Watkins To Offense

Browns Trade Up To Select Shedeur Sanders In The Fifth Round
Sam Howell

Seahawks Trade Sam Howell To Vikings

Titans Continue To Address Offense, Select Elic Ayomanor

Chiefs Bolster Receiver Room With Jalen Royals

Commanders Add Jaylin Lane To Wide Receiver Room

Browns Select Dylan Sampson With 126th Pick

Titans Use Fourth-Round Pick On Gunnar Helm
Jarquez Hunter

Rams Select Jarquez Hunter In Fourth Round

Texans Trade Up For Woody Marks

Jets Select Arian Smith In Fourth Round

Panthers Select Trevor Etienne 114th Overall

Giants Take CFP Darling Cam Skattebo
Darius Garland

Won't Suit Up For Game 3
Darius Garland

Unavailable For Pregame Warmup
Jrue Holiday

Classified As "Day-To-Day"
Jacob Markstrom

Ends Losing Spell Friday
Cole Caufield

Collects Two Points In Friday's Win
Connor McDavid

Totals Three Points In Game 3 Win
Johnathan Kovacevic

Exits Early Friday
Sam Montembeault

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Friday
Logan Thompson

Exits Loss With Injury
Brandon Hagel

Suspended For Game 3
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF