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

Gridiron Greats: Ranking The Top 10 Best NFL Running Backs Of All Time

Walter Payton - NFL All-Time Greatest Fantasy Football Running Backs

The top 10 greatest NFL running backs of all time. These are the best running backs in NFL history, and Jackson breaks down his all-time power rankings at the position.

There's rarely going to be a "Greatest" list put together that everyone agrees with. That's very likely the case with our "Top 10 NFL Running Backs of All Time" rankings, but man, it sure is fun to debate some of the greatest RBs in pro football history.

We're here to break down the top 10 running backs of all time, with an emphasis on finding a balance between longevity and excellence in the short term. While the quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end positions have seen dramatic changes in usage and importance to the game of football, running backs have always had a big-time role in an offense, making it a bit easier to compare players from the past to now.

That said, Nick Chubb, Derrick Henry, and Christian McCaffrey could eventually stamp their names among the all-time greats, but it's too early to have them skip the line, so no active players are featured in this article. Without further ado, let's dive into it.

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

 

10. Tony Dorsett, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos

Career Stats: 2,936 attempts, 12,739 rushing yards, 77 rushing touchdowns, 398 receptions, 3,554 receiving yards, 13 receiving touchdowns

Dorsett was the Cowboys star before Emmitt Smith came to town, posting eight 1,000-yard seasons and bringing Dallas its second Super Bowl in franchise history. All young NFL fans remember Derrick Henry's 99-yard run against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football, but Dorsett's 99-yard scamper was the first of its kind and was showcased on Monday Night Football.

Dorsett can be forgotten about at times thanks to the ridiculous amount of superstars the team brought in in the early and mid-90s, but he was one of the best backs of his era and has plenty of homerun speed receiving chops.

 

9. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets

Career Stats: 3,735 attempts, 16,000 rushing yards, 81 rushing touchdowns, 484 receptions, 3,985 receiving yards, 18 receiving touchdowns

Despite only having one All-Pro (second-team) honor on his resume, Gore has to be listed among the greatest rushers of all time. He was never considered the best running back in the league during his playing days, but he spanned the test of time posted nine 1,000 rushing yard seasons.

Gore posted 3,960 rushing yards after he turned 33 and was still a solid rotational back all the way to age 37. For playing 241 games in 16 years on his way to the third-most rushing yards all-time at this position, he's more than deserving of the nod. There are very few running backs who will ever replicate the longevity and success of his career.

 

8. Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, Atlanta Falcons

Career Stats: 2,996 attempts, 13,259 rushing yards, 90 rushing touchdowns, 281 receptions, 2,137 receiving yards, six receiving touchdowns

Dickerson's first four years in the league rival anybody's in the history of the sport. After racking up 1,808 rushing yards, 404 receiving yards, and 20 total touchdowns in his rookie year, he rushed for 2,105 yards (NFL record) in his sophomore campaign. He would post five 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons after that hot start, but ultimately had his career derailed by injuries in his early 30s.

Still, he sits ninth all-time in rushing yards and has a case for the greatest single season at the position. Dickerson became a household name and his Jheri Curls and goggles made him recognizable outside of the helmet.

 

7. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks

Career Stats: 3,230 attempts, 14,918 rushing yards, 120 rushing touchdowns, 305 receptions, 2,474 receiving yards, six receiving touchdowns

If it weren't for Frank Gore, Peterson would be known as the modern day Iron Man among running backs. Most of his damage as a ball-carrier came in his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he broke the NFL's season game rushing record (296), led the league in rushing three times, was named to seven Pro Bowls, and earned an MVP award just a season after tearing his ACL and MCL.

He hit a bit of a lull in New Orleans and Arizona before posting his last 1,000-yard season with the Redskins at age 33. Ultimately, late-career injuries and lack of pass-catching skills kept his career from being even greater, but he earns a top-seven spot all time.

 

6. Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns

Career Stats: 2,359 attempts, 12,312 rushing yards, 106 rushing touchdowns, 262 receptions, 2,499 receiving yards, 20 receiving touchdowns

Brown is the only player in NFL history to lead the league in rushing eight times and he held the yards-per-carry record (5.2) by a running back (minimum 750 carries) from his retirement in 1965 until Jamaal Charles broke the record in 2012. He remains in 2nd place all-time over 50 years after his last NFL game.

His 5.2 average puts him an entire yard over Emmitt Smith, so he has a strong case for the most efficient career on a per-game basis among ball carriers.

Brown played in the league when racial tensions were heavy, but dominated from start to finish, earning three MVPs, nine All-Pros, nine Pro Bowls, and a spot on the NFL's 100th Anniversary Team.

 

5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets

Career Stats: 3,174 attempts, 13,684 rushing yards, 145 rushing touchdowns, 624 receptions, 4,772 receiving yards, 17 receiving touchdowns

Tomlinson began his career with eight straight 1,000 rushing yard seasons and was a fixture to find the end zone double-digit times every year. He still holds the record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season (28) but falls under the radar in all-time talk. The San Diego Chargers never went deep into the playoffs and were a small market team, but LT made the NFL world pay attention to the Bolts.

Tomlinson ranks third all-time in receptions from the RB position, too. Soon enough, plenty of new-generation running backs will climb the ranks in that category, but he played long enough ago to consider him slightly ahead of the curve.

 

4. Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams

Career Stats: 2,836 attempts, 12,279 rushing yards, 100 rushing touchdowns, 767 receptions, 6,875 receiving yards, 36 receiving touchdowns

Before Christian McCaffery, there was Marshall Faulk. While other guys on this list were ahead of their time as a receiver, Faulk holds the record for most receptions among running backs all time and has a 1,000-yard receiving season on his resume. The Greatest Show on Turf offense was run through Faulk en route to Super Bowl XXXIV.

The value of the running back position has declined in recent years, but Faulk is arguably the most valuable running back to his offense of all time. The three-time Offensive Player of the Year and one-time league MVP is often forgotten about at the top of the rankings, but that's a disservice to his revolutionary career.

 

3. Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions

Career Stats: 3,062 attempts, 15,269 rushing yards, 99 rushing touchdowns, 352 receptions, 2,921 receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns

If the argument here was the best running back for an individual season or game, Sanders has a strong case to be the best running back of all time. He only played 10 seasons, but never rushed for fewer than 1,115 yards (11 games). He topped 1,300 yards in all eight seasons otherwise and finished his career with seasons of 2,053 and 1,491 rushing yards. His 15,269 rushing yards stand as the most through a player's first 10 seasons.

He still has the highest yards per carry in NFL history among players with 3,000 attempts (5.0) and showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Ultimately, he retired early and healthy or he could have been the runaway (no pun intended) No. 1 running back in the history of the game.

 

2. Walter Payton, Chicago Bears

Career Stats: 3,383 attempts, 16,726 rushing yards, 110 rushing touchdowns, 492 receptions, 4,538 receiving yards, 15 receiving touchdowns

Payton spent all 13 years of his Hall-of-Fame career in Chicago after being selected fourth overall in the 1975 NFL draft. Every season, a player who shows a charitable heart off the field is awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Players are often added to "all-time great lists" simply because of their off-the-field work, but Payton has the real resume to place him second all-time among running backs.

At the time of his retirement, he held the records for attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and all-purpose yards. It's worth noting his career 4.4 yards per carry exceed Emmitt Smith's (4.2). The Bears' identity was built on playing great defense and running the offense through Payton, leading to Chicago's first and only Super Bowl win (Super Bowl XX).

 

1. Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals

Career Stats: 4,409 attempts, 18,355 rushing yards, 164 rushing touchdowns, 515 receptions, 3,224 receiving yards, 11 receiving touchdowns

The 11th overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft holds the record for the most rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns. Longevity matters in this conversation, and he's the best to ever do it in that regard. His resume is littered with three Super Bowl titles, a Super Bowl MVP, a regular season MVP, eight Pro Bowls, and six All-Pro selections.

His 226 games played is almost unheard of due to the nature of the position, but Smith withstood it all on his way to Canton. He was a slick receiver for the time in the early 90s and did it all to lead the way for America's Team with a star-studded roster.



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 Fantasy Football Analysis

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

Blake Snell25 mins ago

To Be Shut Down From Throwing, Might Go For More Imaging
John Klingberg29 mins ago

Enters Oilers Lineup For Game 2
Grayson Rodriguez33 mins ago

Has Mild Lat Strain, To Resume Throwing In A Couple Weeks
Evander Kane37 mins ago

To Make Season Debut Wednesday Night
Edwin Díaz39 mins ago

Edwin Diaz Leaves With Left-Hip Cramping On Wednesday
Gabriel Landeskog44 mins ago

Likely To Play In Game 3
Cam Smith48 mins ago

Absent From Astros Lineup
Will Smith52 mins ago

Resting At Wrigley
Denver Broncos2 hours ago

Broncos Not Expected To Trade Up In Round 1
Nicky Lopez2 hours ago

Cubs Re-Signing Nicky Lopez
Houston Texans2 hours ago

Texans Trying To Move Up In Round 1 Of NFL Draft
Atlanta Falcons2 hours ago

James Pearce Jr., Mike Green Potential Top Targets For Falcons
Royce Lewis2 hours ago

Expected To Start Rehab Assignment This Week
Pablo López2 hours ago

Pablo Lopez Likely To Rejoin The Rotation This Weekend
Dallas Cowboys2 hours ago

Cowboys Could Add Wide Receiver Help With No. 12 Pick
Justin Martinez2 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue
New Orleans Saints2 hours ago

Saints Likely To Address Defense With No. 9 Pick?
Kristian Campbell3 hours ago

Sitting Against Mariners
3 hours ago

Rams Eyeing Trade Up For Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland?
Kyle Freeland3 hours ago

Next Outing To Be Determined
Ezequiel Tovar3 hours ago

Could Be Battling Hip Injury All Year
Patrick Mahomes3 hours ago

Itching To Get Explosive Passing Game Back
Kris Bryant3 hours ago

Not Ready To Return
Jacob Stallings3 hours ago

Kyle Farmer Sitting On Wednesday
Willi Castro3 hours ago

Not Playing On Wednesday
Zac Veen3 hours ago

Optioned to Triple-A
Brenton Doyle4 hours ago

Activated From Bereavement List
Lucas Erceg4 hours ago

Returns To Action On Tuesday
Nolan Gorman4 hours ago

Expected To See More Playing Time
Chris Olave4 hours ago

Saints Picking Up Chris Olave's Fifth-Year Option
Derek Carr4 hours ago

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

Chiefs Talk With TreVeyon Henderson
Los Angeles Rams4 hours ago

Rams Not Ruling Out Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Dallas Cowboys5 hours ago

Micah Parsons Taking Part In Offseason Program
Anthony Richardson5 hours ago

Working On His Footwork
Kayshon Boutte5 hours ago

A Trade Candidate?
Kirk Cousins5 hours ago

Browns, Steelers, Vikings Could Target A Trade For Kirk Cousins
Jeff McNeil5 hours ago

Could Come Off Injured List On Friday
Quinn Mathews5 hours ago

Set To Start Throwing Program
Jaren Jackson Jr.8 hours ago

Posts Team-High 26 Points In Tuesday's Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander8 hours ago

Notches 27 Points Despite Poor Shooting
Max Greyserman8 hours ago

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Pascal Siakam8 hours ago

Scores Team-High 24 Points In Game 2 Win
Giannis Antetokounmpo8 hours ago

Posts Big Double-Double In Game 2 Loss
Lee Hodges8 hours ago

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA8 hours ago

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Julius Randle8 hours ago

Leads Timberwolves In Scoring In Game 2
Gary Woodland8 hours ago

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Luka Dončić9 hours ago

Luka Doncic Nets 31 Points In Lakers Win
Max McGreevy9 hours ago

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard9 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Jock Landale9 hours ago

Unavailable For Game 2
Sam Stevens9 hours ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Jae'Sean Tate9 hours ago

Remains Out Wednesday
Nicolai Hojgaard9 hours ago

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
John Tavares9 hours ago

Collects Two Points In Overtime Win
Christiaan Bezuidenhout9 hours ago

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Frederik Andersen9 hours ago

Posts 40th Postseason Win
Akshay Bhatia9 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young9 hours ago

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Kirill Kaprizov9 hours ago

Leads Wild To Valuable Road Win
Matthew Tkachuk9 hours ago

Returns With Three-Point Performance
Erik Van Rooyen9 hours ago

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Anthony Cirelli9 hours ago

Suffers Undisclosed Injury Tuesday
Gabriel Vilardi10 hours ago

May Return To Jets Lineup Thursday
John Klingberg10 hours ago

Ready To Return To Action
Evander Kane10 hours ago

Could Be An Option For Game 2
Michael Pittman Jr.17 hours ago

Back Injury Is In The Past
George Pickens18 hours ago

Steelers Appear Unlikely To Trade George Pickens
Jaylen Warren18 hours ago

Steelers Believe Jaylen Warren Can Be Their RB1
Andrew Novak19 hours ago

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin19 hours ago

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore21 hours ago

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark21 hours ago

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama21 hours ago

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa21 hours ago

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Jaylen Warren21 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Steelers
Will Levis23 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Traded
Houston Texans23 hours ago

Texans Considering Trading Up
Thomas Detry23 hours ago

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
Terry Rozier23 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Damian Lillard24 hours ago

Will Have His Minutes Monitored Tuesday
Jayson Tatum24 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Game 2
Robert MacIntyre24 hours ago

Returns To Zurich Classic With High Hopes
Derek Forbort24 hours ago

Recovering From Surgery
Martin Fehérváry24 hours 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
Luke Hughes1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Matthew Tkachuk1 day ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
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
Tobias Harris1 day ago

Notches Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Cade Cunningham1 day ago

Leads Pistons To Victory With 33 Points
Rob Dillingham1 day ago

Out On Tuesday
Maxi Kleber1 day ago

Remains Out For Game 2
GG Jackson II1 day ago

Available For Tuesday
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Dishes Out Three Assists In Postseason Opener
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Racks Up Four Points In Losing Effort
Aaron Gordon2 days ago

Cleared For Action
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF