Second 2016 Fantasy Rankings: Running Backs

Running backs, my most tweaked position come pre-season and this lot will continue to mature as the final month of the off-season comes to a close. I even made changes as I wrote this up. Most things are set and youngsters have a chance to really shine as we countdown to the start of the regular season. Each column is a tier, in each cell you’ll find Name | Team | ADP (Positional ADP). Enjoy and don’t be afraid to tell me how much of an idiot I am.

Elite Tier (1-3)	The #1s (4-13)	Solid Starters (14-25)
Todd Gurley | LAR | 3 (1)	Le’Veon Bell | PIT | 10 (5)	Frank Gore | IND | 80 (31)
Adrian Peterson | MIN | 5 (2)	Lamar Miller | HOU | 13 (6)	Jonathan Stewart | CAR | 59 (23)
Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 8 (4)	Doug Martin | TB | 21 (9)	LeSean McCoy | 30 (12)
	Devonta Freeman | ATL | 15 (7)	Jay Ajayi | MIA | 74 (29)
	Jamaal Charles | KC | 17 (8)	Latavius Murray | OAK | 41 (17)
	Eddie Lacy | GB | 22 (10)	Carlos Hyde | SF | 39 (16)
	David Johnson | ARI | 7 (3)	Jeremy Hill | CIN | 51 (20)
	C.J. Anderson | DEN | 36 (15)	Justin Forsett | BAL | 87 (34)
	Thomas Rawls | SEA | 33 (13)	Matt Jones | WAS | 54 (21)
	Mark Ingram | NO | 26 (11)	Ryan Mathews | PHI | 60 (24)
		Melvin Gordon | SD | 70 (27)
		Ameer Abdullah | DET | 72 (28)

As far as #1 running backs go I don’t have a lot to quibble about with ADP but there is one player I’m more skeptical of than the consensus. That player is David Johnson. I’ve moved Johnson up since the original ranks, but Chris Johnson is there and I don’t think all the noise about him being a serious part of the offense is a joke. Johnson was the lead back last year and I at least think he’ll take a solid chunk of caries from David Johnson. I have four backs in the top 25 that I’m at least a half round different with three of those being a full round different. Of those a trio fit the same mold, they are: Frank Gore, Jonathan Stewart, and Justin Forsett. Gore & Stewart are aging players that have a solid hold on the top spot in the offense and in Gore’s case the players chasing him aren’t overly credible threats. Stewart has Artis-Payne and a group of veterans but he was very good last season and some weapons on the outside to take away a player from the box. Forsett is the #1 in Baltimore, but there is some doubt. There isn’t however enough doubt to make him a questionable third running back on your roster he’s a solid two or high three. The last player of the quartet is Jay Ajayi. Ajayi was hurt by the Foster addition, but Foster has a litany of soft tissue injuries and has never stayed healthy, and Drake can’t stay healthy and doesn’t have Ajayi’s talent.

Upside, Downside (26-40)	Good Depth w/ Questions (41-55)	Longshots w/ Upside (56-76)
Giovani Bernard | CIN | 69 (26)	Chris Johnson | ARI | 176 (59)	Paul Perkins | NYG | 168 (57)
DeMarco Murray | TEN | 50 (19)	DeAndre Washington | OAK | 149 (51)	Keith Marshall | WAS | 237 (70)
Matt Forte | NYJ | 35 (14)	Tevin Coleman | ATL | 119 (44)	Devontae Booker | DEN | 135 (47)
Dion Lewis | NE | 48 (18)	Derrick Henry | TEN | 93 (36)	Tyler Ervin | HOU | 240 (71)
Jeremy Langford | CHI | 57 (22)	Shaun Draughn | SF | 258 (76)	Darren Sproles | PHI | 156 (54)
Rashad Jennings | NYG | 94 (37)	Charles Sims | TB | 97 (38)	Jordan Howard | CHI | 153 (53)
Duke Johnson | CLE | 64 (25)	Buck Allen | BAL | 158 (56)	Mike Tolbert | CAR | n/a
Chris Ivory | JAC | 82 (33)	James Starks | GB | 147 (50)	Ronnie Hillman | DEN | 182 (62)
Isaiah Crowell | CLE | 113 (41)	Jerick McKinnon | MIN | 157 (55)	Charcandrick West | KC | 145 (49)
DeAngelo Williams | PIT | 88 (35)	Cameron Artis-Payne | CAR | 195 (63)	James White | NE | 261 (77)
Arian Foster | MIA | 103 (39)	Karlos Williams | BUF | 115 (42)	Kadeem Carey | CHI | 249 (73)
TJ Yeldon | JAC | 81 (32)	Chris Thompson | WAS | 214 (68)	Jonathan Williams | BUF | n/a
Danny Woodhead | SD | 77 (30)	Theo Riddick | DET | 118 (43)	Andre Ellington | ARI | 251 (74)
Bilal Powell | NYJ | 144 (48)	Spencer Ware | KC | 198 (64)	Shane Vereen | NYG | 151 (52)
Legarrette Blount | NE | 127 (45)	Wendell Smallwood | PHI | 213 (67)	CJ Prosise | SEA | 129 (46)
		Tim Hightower | NO | 203 (66)
		Mike Davis | SF | n/a
		Alex Collins | SEA | 248 (72)
		Kenneth Dixon | BAL | 108 (40)
		C.J. Spiller | NO | 222 (69)
		Darren McFadden | DAL | 172 (58)

As we move to tier 4 Matt Forte’s placement will shock most people. Forte is the mirror opposite of Gore for me. He’s talented and aging, but the Jets brought back Powell and added Khiry Robinson who are both good and valuable assets. The other in this tier who I am lower on is Dion Lewis, whom I have little faith he will stay healthy and be healthy relatively early. In tier 5, I addressed Chris Johnson earlier, Shaun Draughn is horrifically undervalued and should be the backup in San Francisco.  Ditto for Artis-Payne, Spencer Ware, and Wendell Smallwood. Rookies Keith Marshall, Devontae Booker, and Tyler Ervin should all have eyes kept on them with Ervin being a draft favorite of mine. Overall I’m down on receiving backs, that may just be a personality flaw, or I just don’t know how to value them. Lastly, Kenneth Dixon. I really like Dixon, but he’s buried on that Ravens roster and I think he’s a better player to target in dynasty year one instead of re-draft. Overall, I think the place to take advantage is if a player falls from the top or with a large investment in a bunch of mid-tier backs. There aren’t many no-brainer breakout candidates, but someone’s gonna light it up so take a few lotter tickets and hope one cashes.

The Longest Shots (77-100)

Denarobinson | JAC | n/a

Dexter McCluster | TEN | n/a

Kenyan Drake | MIA | 177 (60)

Brandon Oliver | SD | n/a

Marcel Reece | OAK | n/a

Josh Ferguson | IND | 199 (65)

Peyton Barber | TB | n/a

Robert Turbin | IND | n/a

Lorenzo Taliaferro | BAL | n/a

Andre Williams | NYG | n/a

Jacquizz Rodgers | CHI | n/a

Matt Asiata | MIN | n/a

Alfred Morris | DAL | 181 (61)

Antonio Andrews | TEN | n/a

Zach Zenner | DET | n/a

Kelvin Taylor | SF | n/a

Dwayne Washington | DET | n/a

John Crockett | GB | n/a

Alfred Blue | HOU | n/a

Travaris Cadet | NO | n/a

Stevan Ridley | DET | n/a

Khiri Robinson | NYJ | n/a

Lance Dunbar | DAL | n/a

Juwan Thompson | DEN | n/a