DFS Army’s Gthom quickly breaks down the top-6 fantasy football running backs for 2022, prior to the NFL Draft. You can check out the Top-12 quarterback rankings by clicking here!
- QB rankings 1-12
- RB rankings 7-12
- WR rankings 1-6 and WR rankings 7-12
- TE rankings 1-6 and TE 7-12 rankings
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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes 78 yards for a touchdown Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, during a game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
1. Jonathan Taylor (RB) Indianapolis Colts
Taylor is a bonafide three-down back and can stay on the field for any situation which elevates his value into the most exclusive running back tier. His 1811 rushing yards, 40 receptions for 360 yards, and 20 total touchdowns led him to finish as the number one running back in fantasy football.
His fantasy-floor, which is how much you can expect from a fantasy player at a baseline level, is also elite. Taylor posted two consecutive weeks of single-digit fantasy points, and from Week 4 and on he never scored less than 10-FPPG.
His fantasy-ceiling is equally as good; a fantasy-ceiling is how many fantasy points he could potentially score on any given week. In Week 11 against Buffalo, Taylor posted an incredible 32 carries for 185 rushing yards, 5 total touchdowns and 51.9-half-PPR points. And on three separate occasions he scored at least 28-half-PPR fantasy points.
The team around Taylor has also gotten better with the Matt Ryan coming to town. Ryan will help keep the offense on the field longer and he has the ability to take over moments which will help alleviate the pressure off Taylor.
With some of the questions at the top of the running back rankings, Taylor is nothing short of a stud and you should be confident to draft him first overall in all formats.
2. Derrick Henry (RB) Tennessee Titans
The volume king for fantasy football, Derrick Henry, was on pace for 465 carries in 2021 but fell short after being injured with a broken foot.
Fantasy managers know exactly who Derrick Henry is. Henry has dominated fantasy football since 2019. He finished as the RB3 overall in 2019 and RB2 overall in 2020. For 2021, in weeks 1-through-8, Henry was the RB1 overall and averaged 23-FPPG; the second highest player’s average in weeks 1-through-8 was 3.5-fantasy points less.
One interesting trend that may or may not continue for Henry is his target share within the offense. In 2021 he was able to average 2.5 targets per game, which was up from his career average of 1.34 targets per game. It is crucial to point out that the Titans were desperate for bodies at the receiver position in 2021, which could explain the uptick in receiving volume for Henry.
The former Heisman Trophy winner will likely continue on in his dominance, presuming his injury is healed. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable taking him second off the board, although there is merit to taking him first off the board.
Nevertheless, Henry is an elite first pick for any fantasy manager heading into 2022.
3. Christian McCaffrey (RB) Carolina Panthers
After dominating fantasy football in 2018 and 2019, Christian McCaffrey’s (CMC) injuries forced him to take a step back in 2020 and 2021. The former Stanford product combined to play 10 games from 2020-2021. This assuredly left a sour taste in fantasy stakeholders’ mouth because he was selected first-overall in fantasy drafts each year he missed significant time.
It is hard to imagine that CMC will return to his normal workload, which was fantasy God-like. The Panthers also signed D’Onta Foreman from the Titans as added depth. Forman is an elite RB2 for most NFL teams and it remains unclear how much volume Foreman will syphon from CMC. Keep in mind that McCaffrey will be the RB1 for this offense and he will be on the field a lot.
The team around CMC is also concerning. There is no long term (or short term) solution at the quarterback position. His head coach will start 2022 being on the hot seat, again. And the current best case scenario at quarterback, on the roster, is Sam Darnold… Bleh!
Nevertheless, McCaffrey is still an elite player that can make you cry painful tears of regret for passing on him in fantasy drafts. He has the ability to run the ball and is an elite receiver, a rare combination from running backs in the NFL and fantasy football.
Compared to the two players ranked above CMC on this running back list, McCaffrey does pose a greater risk. The team around him is worse, he does not have a reliable quarterback and above all else, his injury concerns.
You want to nail your first selection in fantasy drafts and CMC will provide that, so long as he stays healthy.
4. Austin Ekeler (RB) Los Angeles Chargers
For running backs that played at least 14 games in 2021, no one averaged more than Austin Ekeler except for Jonathan Taylor. Ekeler compares very well to Christian McCaffrey: an elite receiver, great at rushing the football, but likely misses a few games each season.
Ekeler’s fantasy stats in 2021 were mainly fueled by his pass-catching ability where he caught 70 receptions for 647 yards and eight touchdowns. Getting the ball to Ekeler is very easy for his elite quarterback, Justin Herbert, and that will always elevate Ekeler for fantasy.
The Chargers finished as a top-five scoring offense in the NFL as well. This trend should continue and may even get better because LAC plays in the AFC West, a division that will need a lot of points scored to win games.
Ekeler’s biggest boon is injury down-time. Since 2018 he has missed nine games, which is not terrible but something to consider before becoming a stakeholder. Expect Ekeler to miss one-to-two games.
Even if he misses a few games, Ekeler still propels fantasy teams to the next level. In 2021 he finished four games with at least 26-plus fantasy points, two of which were 30-plus points. His floor/ceiling combination makes him top-4 at his position in PPR leagues.
Exiting your draft with Ekeler leaves you with an elite fantasy running back. This is someone you can pick ahead of CMC, but CMC has a higher ceiling. You should look to take Henry or Taylor over Ekeler, but that is the end of the list.
5. Joe Mixon (RB) Cincinnati Bengals
After failing to live up to his ADP for several years, Joe Mixon finally became an elite fantasy player last season. Mixon finished as the RB3 overall in fantasy football.
It was an up and down season when looking at Mixon’s consistency. Weeks 6-through-12 he crushed fantasy football, averaging 23.15-FPPG. On the other side of this, Mixon had five weeks where he did not achieve double-digit fantasy points. Consistency is nice, but Mixon’s ceiling has become elite and that is the appeal here.
Mixon finished in the top-6 of running backs on seven different weeks, only Jonathan Taylor was able to top that amount. He was able to accomplish this feat by setting career milestones in rushing attempts, rushing yards, total touchdowns and he was even one-reception away from tying his career high in receptions.
It is hard to project Mixon falling out of the top-8 at his position. The team around him is fresh off a Super Bowl appearance and they will be hungry for more. Mixon’s quarterback, Joe Burrow, is excellent and he is only projected to be better. Additionally, it seems that Mixon is being utilized as a three-down back more often, meaning he is on the field more compared to past seasons.
There are not many risks around selecting Mixon. He is a running back that projects similar to his 2021 finish, plus there is room to improve if the Cincy offense improves as a whole.
Mixon can be selected first in the tier 2 group of running backs. Select him over Dalvin Cook and Najee Harris, both who have a little more risk tied to them.
6. Dalvin Cook (RB) Minnesota Vikings
Finishing as the RB15 overall in 2021, Dalvin Cook left fantasy managers desperate for more. The biggest issue with Cook’s failed expectations were touchdowns, which amounted to six. In 2019 and 2020 Cook scored 13 and 16 touchdowns respectively. This downturn, plus his injuries, led to inconsistent scoring throughout the year.
The former Florida State product can be electric for fantasy when he is on the field, which is why he is sixth within these rankings. Even in a “down year” he was able to average 14.6-FPPG, ninth highest for running backs who played 13-or-more games.
Another positive trend was the uptick in passing volume that he received in 2021. In the three prior seasons he finished with 49, 63 and 54 targets respectively. In 2021 he was on pace to receive the most targets of his career.
Cook’s team around him has changed over the past few seasons as well. Their defense has not held up, which forced their offense to pass more in order to keep up. The emergence of Justin Jefferson cannot be denied and he certainly has earned more share of this offense. Former coach Mike Zimmer is out of the way. Lastly, Cook was not on the field consistently enough in 2021.
While Dalvin Cook has been elite in recent years, he has yet to play a full season in the NFL over the last five seasons. In 2021 he missed four games, the most since 2018. Injury risk is a clear thing to expect and missing a game or two is almost certain.
You cannot deny the talent of Dalvin Cook when healthy. But health is clear issue for Cook. Should he stay healthy, this player has potential to finish as the RB1 overall.
If this is your first running back drafted in 2022, make sure to select another top-end running back to solidify your depth due to the clear risks Cook poses.
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