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We’re moving into October and it’s time to give the running backs their day in the sun, a Shuffle Up from the most critical position in fantasy football after examining the receivers last week. What has happened up to this point is simply an audition. The ranges and levels you’ll find below are what I would use if I were entering a new fantasy football draft starting now. Use these levels to explore your workforce yourself or as a sounding board when considering changes and acquisitions.
Salaries are not scientific and are intended to be a tool to show where talent is concentrated. Players with the same salary are considered tied. Remember the golden rule: no player gains (or loses) extra value simply because you include them in the list.
Players who are currently injured get their own provisional rank at the bottom. They are not for debate. Everyone has their own ideas about injuries and comebacks.
The big bills
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$44 Saquon Barkley
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$43 Derrick Henry
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$42 Kyren Williams
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$40 Breece Lounge
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$38 Bijan Robinson
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$35Kenneth Walker III
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$32 Jahmyr Gibbs
It’s a shame that Barkley’s next revenge game in New York is included in Week 18 (irrelevant to the vast majority of fantasy leagues), but he’s capable of taking on anyone; your weekly finals They are RB1, RB1, RB20, RB33 and RB3 last week. He’s averaging a solid 6.1 yards per carry and his yards per target have also increased slightly. It’s the best Barkley has played in six seasons.
Enrique has a tough playoff schedulebut also has a constant professional tendency to improving as the seasons progress. Now that Baltimore’s line is starting to play better (and Lamar Jackson is a boost to the rushing lines), I’m not going to worry Henry’s opponents. It will come home most of the time.
The offensive line play hasn’t been great for the Rams, but Williams is a clutch running back with shifty power, allowing him to become one of the league’s best goal-line converters. Has seen a league maximum 10 runs from inside the five-yard lineand has hit seven of them into the end zone. The offensive dynamism should also increase, with Cooper Kupp returning this week and, hopefully, Puka Nacua not far behind. Sean McVay is always good with his featured backs.
Legit Building Blocks
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$30 Joe Mixón
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$29 David Montgomery
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$28 Jonathan Taylor
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$27Josh Jacobs
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$26 James Cook
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$24 Alvin Kamara
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$23 De’Von Achane
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$22 James Conner
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$22 Tony Pollard
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$21 Brian Robinson Jr.
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$20 Jordan Mason
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$20 Aaron Jones
Robinson will always have to share in Washington: Jayden Daniels has some of the goal-line value and Austin Ekeler is the most active receiver. But still, Robinson has a touchdown in five of his six starts and is gaining plenty of yards after initial contact. He is one of the most underrated tacklers in the league.
Kamara is averaging a modest 3.9 yards per carry behind New Orleans’ shaky offensive line, and his last 20-yard run came in 2022. But he leads the NFL in touches and still catches plenty of throwaway passes, which provides a solid floor. The Saints aren’t worried about a slide in his age-29 season, as they signed Kamara to an extension this week. These days it’s more about projectable volume than explosive plays, but Taysom Hill’s injury has helped Kamara maintain touchdown equity.
Age is also just a number for Conner, who is in his highest yards per touch in six years. He can play in every package, he finishes every run, and even on broken plays, he impresses you with his awareness and intelligence (Monday night’s strikeout was a great example). You can play on my team at any time. Conner generally needs 2-4 maintenance games each year, but that’s almost standard at the position. Hopefully, he’ll be healthy for the fantasy playoffs, where the Patriots and Panthers await him.
Talk to them, talk to them
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$18 JK Dobbins
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$17 D’André Swift
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$15 kareem hunt
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$14Rhamondre Stevenson
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$14 Chuba Hubbard
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$14 Najee Harris
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$13 Rachaad White
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$11 Rico Dowdle
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$11 brown chase
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$11 Bigsby tank
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$11 Travis Etienne Jr.
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$11 Javonte Williams
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$10 Bucky Irving
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$10 Nick Chubb
Dobbins is on a run-first team and no one pressures him, but I wish he liked the secondary stats more. His success rate is below league average and he is not making explosive plays in the passing game. And his extensive injury history can’t be ignored either. If Dobbins takes off in Week 8 against the Saints, it could be a favorable time to buy him quietly.
Hunt has only played three games but has the highest success rate between the running backs, and the Chiefs already prefer him at the goal line. There is no threat to your shared touch. Last year’s collapse in Cleveland was more of a statement about the Browns than it was about Hunt.
Bigsby has proven to be Jacksonville’s best running back, but can the Jags coach him in the passing game? He has just six goals and two receptions in his career, spanning 24 games. That will limit the benefits.
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White has to share with two other running backs in Tampa Bay, and normally that would be a fantasy killer shot. But the Buccaneers will have to change their offensive scope with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin injured, and White is easily the best pass catcher in this backfield. Bucky Irving isn’t going away and Sean Tucker could see 4-8 touches most weeks, but Monday’s chaos actually helps White’s value move up.
Some plausible advantages
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$9 zack moss
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$9 Devin Singletary
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$7 Alejandro Mattison
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$6 Austin Ekeler
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$6 Tyrone Tracy Jr.
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$6 Tyler Allgeier
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$5 Braelon Allen
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$5 Zach Charbonnet
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$5 Jaylen Warren
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$4Ty Chandler
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$4 Raheem Mostert
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$4 Ray Davis
Allgeier is fourth in success rate (teammate Bijan Robinson is eighth) and could probably do more in the passing game; has secured its eight objectives. Allgeier could have some deep flexibility value come the heavier bye weeks, and he becomes an automatic start if Robinson falters at any point.
Mattison is never going to be great, but he is running slightly better than Zamir White and is the better receiver by a significant margin. I long ago gave up on the idea of Gardner Minshew having upside, but at least he’s better for this offense than Aidan O’Connell. Mattison will easily outperform his ADP, a useful RB3/4 for most teams.
Singletary’s history with Brian Daboll will always be considered in New York, but the Giants also need to lean on their best players, and Tracy is the running back with the most juice right now. A timeshare represents the moment, but be open-minded to the idea that Tracy could take on a prominent role if things go well.
Bargain bin
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$3 Roschon Johnson
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$3 Jaylen Wright
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$3 Blake Corum
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$3 Hill of Justice
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$3 Emmanuel Wilson
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$2 Jerome Ford
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$2 Jaleel McLaughlin
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$2 Antonio Gibson
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$2 Zamir White
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$2 Isaac Guerendo
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$2 D’Onta Foreman
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$2 Tyler Goodson
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$1 Trey Benson
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$1 Kimani Vidal
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$1 Samaje Perine
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$1 Trey Sermon
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$1 Khalil Herbert
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$1 Ezekiel Elliott
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$1 Kendre Miller
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$1 Audric’s estimate
Complimentary injury ranges: not up for debate
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$19Cristiano McCaffrey
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$10 Jonathan Brooks
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$4 Isiah Pacheco
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$3 Tyjae Spears
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$2 Gus Edwards