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<header id="SideTop-0-HeadComponentTitle" class="canvas-header" data-reactid="2">Tiered fantasy RB rankings: David Johnson rules the field</header>
Matt Harmon Yahoo Sports <time class="date Fz(11px) Mb(4px) D(ib)" datetime="2018-08-07T20:34:46.000Z" itemprop="datePublished" data-reactid="14" style="display: inline-block; zoom: 1; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 4px;">Aug 7, 2018, 3:34 PM</time>
Tier 1 – Unfair advantage bell cow RB1s
Any of these three players would be more than acceptable picks at No. 1 overall this season. Johnson, Gurley and Bell stand head and shoulders above the other members of their position. Johnson sits at No. 1 for three reasons. Rejecting that Gurley is the consensus 1.01 based on the useless information that he was the RB1 overall last year. Johnson’s 367.8 Yahoo standard fantasy points 2016 season bests anything Gurley or Bell have offered to date. Lastly, I wish to remind that placement within tiers, and the arguments based on them, is meaningless. Nevertheless, if saddled with the 1.01 pick this year, I’m personally going to take the dominant David Johnson and the unique workload he’ll own in the Cardinals offense. Receptions are worth more than carries in fantasy scoring formats and Johnson remains the most dynamic receiving back in the NFL.
Tier 2 – Difference-makers just a step off the top-tier RB1s
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
5. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
6. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Legitimate questions regarding his passing game usage are all that keeps Ezekiel Elliott off Tier 1. Elliott’s routes per game saw a jump to 15.3 in 2017, right in range of players like Alvin Kamara and Duke Johnson. However, he still averages a measly 3.8 targets per game. We have no proof that Dallas’ musty offensive approach includes featuring their star running back in the passing game.
While Kamara’s per-touch efficiency numbers are a lock to regress, he has plenty of room for error. Kamara is a candidate to clear 100 targets in the Saints passing game in 2018. He also gets a head start to own feature back duties with Mark Ingram spending the first four games on the suspension list. It’s hard to find realistic reasons as to why he’ll fail. Don’t be a sheep and fade Barkley because he’s a rookie. The second-overall pick is everything we look for in fantasy backs. He’ll handle passing game work on an offense bound to improve this season.
Tier 3 – Rock-solid RB1s
7. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
9. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
10. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
Any of these running backs make for appealing picks in the last first, early second-round. Leonard Fournette is a pick I’m warming to in this tier. The Jaguars have the easiest defensive schedule in 2018, according to Sharp Football Stats efficiency metrics. Jacksonville already ran the sixth-fewest percentage of their plays (31.4 percent) while trailing last year. On a team that is perfectly set up to control the script, only health can cause Fournette to trip.
Kareem Hunt may carry a bit more risk than advertised, as it seems he’s unlikely to out-rush the No. 2 back in Kansas City again by 254 carries again this year. Yet, you’re picking nits. For what it’s worth, I selected Melvin Gordon over him at 1.08 in recent best-ball draft against the solicited advice of Yahoo Fantasy’s lead editor while boarding a plane. Some travel partner I am.
Devonta Freeman is the contrarian placement here. While he doesn’t necessarily get first-round consideration like his fellow Tier 3 mates, he’s priority target in the second. Freeman handles goal line and pass-catching work on an offense that should find the end zone more after finishing second in yards per drive (36.9) but just 15th in total points scored.
Tier 4 – High-end RB2s with a glaring flaw to keep them off RB1 territory
12. Jerick McKinnon, San Francisco 49ers
13. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
14. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
15. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
16. Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens
The 49ers made a massive investment in Jerick McKinnon this offseason, giving him the sixth-highest average annual salary among running backs. It appears fantasy owners are ready to do the same. McKinnon has not been an efficient runner the last few seasons but his skills as a receiver are what appealed to Kyle Shanahan and company. That’s what will bring home the bacon in fantasy. While I have McKinnon projected for 266 total touches and over 1,400 total yards from scrimmage but rarely have the stones to take him at his second/third-round turn asking price when players like A.J. Green, Rob Gronkowski and Davante Adams inhabit the same turf.
You can pretty much take that analysis word-for-word and apply it to Christian McCaffrey. Just add the concerns of two other proven rushers in his backfield with C.J. Anderson in tow and Cam Newton always lurking.
LeSean McCoy is appealing because he hasn’t fallen off the cliff just yet and faces little competition for rushes or targets. He is terrifying because he will handle that massive workload in what is likely the worst offense in the NFL and the specter of a legal investigation. Jordan Howard gets dinged for his utter lack of viability in the passing game but should be the lead back in an improved offense that ranked 32nd in pace of play in neutral situations last season (33.3 seconds).
Alex Collins’ placement may feel aggressive but it is justified. The Ravens back balled out last season, averaging 5.3 yards against stacked boxes and ranking top-10 in evaded tackles per game, per Player Profiler. Collins has little to no competition for touches and has the potential workhorse status of strong RB2 in fantasy.
Tier 5 – RB2s that could go one way or another
17. Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans
18. Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles
19. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
20. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
21. Derrius Guice, Washington Redskins
Tier 6 – Plenty of appeal here but pricing can be a deal breaker
22. Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
23. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
24. Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks
25. Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots
26. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
27. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders
28. Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers
Tier 7 – Committee backs with weekly upside.
29. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons
30. Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions
31. Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Sony Michel, New England Patriots
33. Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins
34. C.J. Anderson, Carolina Panthers
35. Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos
36. Isaiah Crowell, New York Jets
Tier 8 – High-end satellite backs and upside backups
37. Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears
38. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals
39. Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns
40. Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts
41. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
42. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
43. Matt Brieda, San Francisco 49ers
44. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
Tier 9 – Draftable muddled backfield mates with impediments to relevance
45. Jordan Wilkins, Indianapolis Colts
46. Carlos Hyde, Cleveland Browns
47. Corey Clement, Philadelphia Eagles
48. Bilal Powell, New York Jets
49. Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos
50. Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions
51. Frank Gore, Miami Dolphins
52. Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings
53. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
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Matt Harmon Yahoo Sports <time class="date Fz(11px) Mb(4px) D(ib)" datetime="2018-08-07T20:34:46.000Z" itemprop="datePublished" data-reactid="14" style="display: inline-block; zoom: 1; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 4px;">Aug 7, 2018, 3:34 PM</time>
Tier 1 – Unfair advantage bell cow RB1s
- David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
- Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
- Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Any of these three players would be more than acceptable picks at No. 1 overall this season. Johnson, Gurley and Bell stand head and shoulders above the other members of their position. Johnson sits at No. 1 for three reasons. Rejecting that Gurley is the consensus 1.01 based on the useless information that he was the RB1 overall last year. Johnson’s 367.8 Yahoo standard fantasy points 2016 season bests anything Gurley or Bell have offered to date. Lastly, I wish to remind that placement within tiers, and the arguments based on them, is meaningless. Nevertheless, if saddled with the 1.01 pick this year, I’m personally going to take the dominant David Johnson and the unique workload he’ll own in the Cardinals offense. Receptions are worth more than carries in fantasy scoring formats and Johnson remains the most dynamic receiving back in the NFL.
Tier 2 – Difference-makers just a step off the top-tier RB1s
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
5. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
6. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Legitimate questions regarding his passing game usage are all that keeps Ezekiel Elliott off Tier 1. Elliott’s routes per game saw a jump to 15.3 in 2017, right in range of players like Alvin Kamara and Duke Johnson. However, he still averages a measly 3.8 targets per game. We have no proof that Dallas’ musty offensive approach includes featuring their star running back in the passing game.
While Kamara’s per-touch efficiency numbers are a lock to regress, he has plenty of room for error. Kamara is a candidate to clear 100 targets in the Saints passing game in 2018. He also gets a head start to own feature back duties with Mark Ingram spending the first four games on the suspension list. It’s hard to find realistic reasons as to why he’ll fail. Don’t be a sheep and fade Barkley because he’s a rookie. The second-overall pick is everything we look for in fantasy backs. He’ll handle passing game work on an offense bound to improve this season.
Tier 3 – Rock-solid RB1s
7. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
9. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
10. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
Any of these running backs make for appealing picks in the last first, early second-round. Leonard Fournette is a pick I’m warming to in this tier. The Jaguars have the easiest defensive schedule in 2018, according to Sharp Football Stats efficiency metrics. Jacksonville already ran the sixth-fewest percentage of their plays (31.4 percent) while trailing last year. On a team that is perfectly set up to control the script, only health can cause Fournette to trip.
Kareem Hunt may carry a bit more risk than advertised, as it seems he’s unlikely to out-rush the No. 2 back in Kansas City again by 254 carries again this year. Yet, you’re picking nits. For what it’s worth, I selected Melvin Gordon over him at 1.08 in recent best-ball draft against the solicited advice of Yahoo Fantasy’s lead editor while boarding a plane. Some travel partner I am.
Devonta Freeman is the contrarian placement here. While he doesn’t necessarily get first-round consideration like his fellow Tier 3 mates, he’s priority target in the second. Freeman handles goal line and pass-catching work on an offense that should find the end zone more after finishing second in yards per drive (36.9) but just 15th in total points scored.
Tier 4 – High-end RB2s with a glaring flaw to keep them off RB1 territory
12. Jerick McKinnon, San Francisco 49ers
13. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
14. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
15. Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
16. Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens
The 49ers made a massive investment in Jerick McKinnon this offseason, giving him the sixth-highest average annual salary among running backs. It appears fantasy owners are ready to do the same. McKinnon has not been an efficient runner the last few seasons but his skills as a receiver are what appealed to Kyle Shanahan and company. That’s what will bring home the bacon in fantasy. While I have McKinnon projected for 266 total touches and over 1,400 total yards from scrimmage but rarely have the stones to take him at his second/third-round turn asking price when players like A.J. Green, Rob Gronkowski and Davante Adams inhabit the same turf.
You can pretty much take that analysis word-for-word and apply it to Christian McCaffrey. Just add the concerns of two other proven rushers in his backfield with C.J. Anderson in tow and Cam Newton always lurking.
LeSean McCoy is appealing because he hasn’t fallen off the cliff just yet and faces little competition for rushes or targets. He is terrifying because he will handle that massive workload in what is likely the worst offense in the NFL and the specter of a legal investigation. Jordan Howard gets dinged for his utter lack of viability in the passing game but should be the lead back in an improved offense that ranked 32nd in pace of play in neutral situations last season (33.3 seconds).
Alex Collins’ placement may feel aggressive but it is justified. The Ravens back balled out last season, averaging 5.3 yards against stacked boxes and ranking top-10 in evaded tackles per game, per Player Profiler. Collins has little to no competition for touches and has the potential workhorse status of strong RB2 in fantasy.
Tier 5 – RB2s that could go one way or another
17. Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans
18. Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles
19. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
20. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
21. Derrius Guice, Washington Redskins
Tier 6 – Plenty of appeal here but pricing can be a deal breaker
22. Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
23. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
24. Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks
25. Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots
26. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
27. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders
28. Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers
Tier 7 – Committee backs with weekly upside.
29. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons
30. Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions
31. Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32. Sony Michel, New England Patriots
33. Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins
34. C.J. Anderson, Carolina Panthers
35. Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos
36. Isaiah Crowell, New York Jets
Tier 8 – High-end satellite backs and upside backups
37. Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears
38. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals
39. Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns
40. Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts
41. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
42. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
43. Matt Brieda, San Francisco 49ers
44. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
Tier 9 – Draftable muddled backfield mates with impediments to relevance
45. Jordan Wilkins, Indianapolis Colts
46. Carlos Hyde, Cleveland Browns
47. Corey Clement, Philadelphia Eagles
48. Bilal Powell, New York Jets
49. Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos
50. Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions
51. Frank Gore, Miami Dolphins
52. Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings
53. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
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