There are many strategies when it comes to the running back position in Fantasy Football. Seemingly gone are the days of true bell cow, three-down running backs, as teams like to use committees more and more.
That is bad news for Fantasy Football managers. Pinpointing one valuable running back is hard enough; sifting through two or three for weekly value is a tough thing to pull off for success. So, if you are lucky enough to land in the top half of your Fantasy Football drafts this season, you will have a chance at one of these top ball carries.
Here are the five running backs that should be atop the Fantasy Football landscape in 2021, using regular PPR rules as the baseline.
5. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are an up-and-coming offense behind Justin Herbert, who had a record-setting rookie season. Things should be even better for him in his sophomore season as long as Austin Ekeler remains healthy.
Ekeler offers a high floor thanks to his pass-catching prowess, as he will assuredly be near the top of the receiving leader board for running backs. That helps offset his work, or lack thereof, between the tackles as he is unlikely to be the goal-line back for the Chargers.
Ekeler has only nine rushing touchdowns compared to 16 receiving ones in his career. But, he has a great chance to surpass 1,700 total yards should he remain healthy for all 17 games. Add to that at least six touchdowns and what could be nearly 80 receptions, and you have the makings of an RB1 for fantasy purposes.
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara has proved no matter who is under center, he can get the job done. He took full advantage of Drew Brees dinking and dunking down the field as his arm strength waned, catching at least 81 passes in all four seasons of his NFL career.
Kamara does more than just catching passes, as he has also carried the ball at least 120 times in each of those first four seasons for a healthy average of 5.0 yards per carry. A 200 touch floor, with so many receptions mixed in, is always nice when you’re investing a high draft pick in a running back.
Kamara also has 43 rushing touchdowns in his career. Yes, he can hit the home run play, but the Saints use him in the red zone a lot as well, making him a valuable player not only for the Saints but anyone who drafts him to their Fantasy Football squad.
3. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook has thrust himself into the conversation for best fantasy football running back as the main cog of the Vikings’ offensive attack. Not only is he the bell cow on early downs, as the closest player to his 312 rushing attempts in 12 games last season was Andrew Mattison with 96, but Cook has also proven to be a solid pass catcher as well.
Cook has caught at least 40 passes the last three seasons. On the ground, he has punished defenses, rushing for 2,962 yards and 29 touchdowns in 28 games the last two seasons.
Cook is as safe as they come production-wise near the top of the draft. The only issue is his durability. He has never played all 16 games in a season, with 14 games played in 2019 and 2020 being his career-high.
2. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Saquon Barkley has turned into a bit of a risk for Fantasy Football managers given his inability to stay healthy. After appearing in all 16 games as a rookie, Barkley missed three games in 2019 before suffering a knee injury only two games into 2020.
While the injuries are concerning, there is no denying the talent that Barkley has and the production he can provide. Coming into last season, Giants’ offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said he wanted to build a game plan around Barkley similar to what he did with Ezekiel Elliott on the Dallas Cowboys. That is music to fantasy owners and Giants’ fan’s ears, as Elliott was a dominant running back under Garrett.
Barkley is a true dual-threat, as he is as dangerous as a ball carrier or pass catcher. With the improvements the Giants have made to their skill positions, adding Kenny Golladay, John Ross, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Rudolph to Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and Evan Engram, Barkley should face fewer eight-man boxes this season.
1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
What Christian McCaffrey accomplished during the 2019 season was remarkable. He ran the ball 287 times and caught 116 passes for a total of 2,392 yards and 19 total touchdowns, all the while not missing a single game.
In 2020 things didn’t go as well, as McCaffrey battled through injuries, appearing in only 3 games. But, the workload was still there in those three games, as he carried the ball 59 times and caught 17 passes for 374 yards and six touchdowns.
With Sam Darnold now the starting quarterback in Carolina, McCaffrey will be relied upon to help take pressure off of him. He should remain heavily involved in the passing game despite Carolina adding Terrace Marshall Jr. in the 2021 NFL Draft. McCaffrey also has virtually zero competition for touches in the backfield, which is a Fantasy Football manager’s dream. Rookie Chuba Hubbard is currently No. 2 on some Panthers’ depth charts.
