While Adrian Peterson gets the nod at the top spot overall — any of the top 8 could finish at the as the king of the hill.
Lev Bell is simply too talented to let out of the top-10 and potential owners have to love seeing his suspension reduced to three games.
C.J. Anderson is getting no love in the preseason (RB14, 34 overall in consensus ADP data), despite averaging 4.7 ypc last season and 6.7 ypc over his last seven games.
Tier 1 stops at Elliot, the (mostly) healthy and in-their-prime bellcows with Bell, CJA, Doug Martin and Eddie Lacy forming the second tier.
Jonathan Stewart’s checkered injury history that includes multiple lower-leg issues leaves him out of this second tier and begins a new one including Carlos Hyde in Chip Kelly’s back-friendly system. Young risers Thomas Rawls and Latavius Murray as well as veterans LeSean McCoy and Ryan Matthews.
You absolutely want to leave the draft table with at least one of these top-18 backs. Missed time is the only thing that will prevent this group from returning RB1 value.
Tier four is also full of juice but the question marks are too big to ignore. Does Bilall Powell block Matt Forte from seeing anywhere near the volume he enjoyed in Chicago? How many games can Arian Foster get in? Does Demarco Murray bounce back? If you feel confident in any of these answers feel free to thrust these veterans up a round or two in your pre-draft list.
Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings 2016
| Rank | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | ||
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | MIN |
| 2 | David Johnson | ARI |
| 3 | Todd Gurley | LA |
| 4 | Devonta Freeman | ATL |
| 5 | Lamar Miller | HOU |
| 6 | Jamaal Charles | KC |
| 7 | Mark Ingram | NO |
| 8 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL |
| Tier 2 | ||
| 9 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT |
| 10 | C.J. Anderson | DEN |
| 11 | Doug Martin | TB |
| 12 | Eddie Lacy | GB |
| 13 | Thomas Rawls | SEA |
| Tier 3 | ||
| 14 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR |
| 15 | Carlos Hyde | SF |
| 16 | LeSean McCoy | BUF |
| 17 | Latavius Murray | OAK |
| 18 | Ryan Mathews | PHI |
| Tier 4 | ||
| 19 | Matt Forte | NYJ |
| 20 | Arian Foster | MIA |
| 21 | Dion Lewis | NE |
| 22 | Chris Ivory | JAC |
| 23 | DeMarco Murray | TEN |
| 24 | Jeremy Langford | CHI |
| 25 | Jeremy Hill | CIN |
| 26 | Rashad Jennings | NYG |
| 27 | Matt Jones | WAS |
| 28 | Justin Forsett | BAL |
| 29 | Giovani Bernard | CIN |
| 30 | Duke Johnson | CLE |
| 31 | Ameer Abdullah | DET |
| 32 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE |
| 33 | Frank Gore | IND |
| 34 | Charles Sims | TB |
| 35 | Bilal Powell | NYJ |
| 36 | Danny Woodhead | SD |
| 37 | Melvin Gordon | SD |
| Tier 5 | ||
| 38 | Darren Sproles | PHI |
| 39 | DeAngelo Williams | PIT |
| 40 | Christine Michael | SEA |
| 41 | Shane Vereen | NYG |
| 42 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC |
| 43 | Jay Ajayi | MIA |
| 44 | LeGarrette Blount | NE |
| 45 | Theo Riddick | DET |
| Tier 6 | ||
| 46 | Chris Johnson | ARI |
| 47 | Chris Thompson | WAS |
| 48 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN |
| 49 | James Starks | GB |
| 50 | Kenneth Dixon | BAL |
| 51 | Josh Ferguson | IND |
| 52 | Javorius Allen | BAL |
| 53 | Devontae Booker | DEN |
| 54 | Tevin Coleman | ATL |
| 55 | DeAndre Washington | OAK |
| 56 | Ronnie Hillman | DEN |
| 57 | C.J. Prosise | SEA |
| 58 | Derrick Henry | TEN |
| 59 | Jordan Howard | CHI |
| 60 | Karlos Williams | BUF |
| 61 | Darren McFadden | DAL |
| 62 | C.J. Spiller | NO |
| 63 | Paul Perkins | NYG |
| 64 | Spencer Ware | KC |
| 65 | Terrance West | BAL |
| 66 | Wendell Smallwood | PHI |
| 67 | Tim Hightower | NO |
| 68 | George Atkinson | OAK |
| 69 | Charcandrick West | KC |
| 70 | Shaun Draughn | SF |
| 71 | Keith Marshall | WAS |
| 72 | Alfred Morris | DAL |
| 73 | Lance Dunbar | DAL |
| 74 | Cameron Artis-Payne | CAR |
| 75 | Andre Ellington | ARI |