Editor’s update 11:38 a.m.: Chris Ivory has been deactivated due to a medical issue. T.J. Yeldon will start in his place.
Fantasy football rankings 2016: Running backs for PPR leagues, Week 1
Here are our fantasy football running back rankings for PPR leagues entering Week 1.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Editor’s update 8:50 a.m.: These rankings are from earlier in the week. Christine Michael has been named the starter for Week 1. For this first matchup, he would be a low end RB1. He could put up huge numbers, but given his lack of previous productivity, he is not a certainty. Additionally, look for Thomas Rawls to get some of his touches.
In today’s pass-happy NFL, the value of a pass-catching running back is at an all-time high. That is even truer in fantasy football leagues using a PPR scoring system.
Even though most offenses feature wide receivers getting the bulk of the targets, we’re beginning to see more and more pass-catching backs take on big roles. PPR also makes it more interesting because of the added value to backup running backs who might otherwise not have big roles on your fantasy team.
Guys like Giovani Bernard, Theo Riddick, David Johnson, Matt Forte and Duke Johnson get a lot of their production through the air. That does not mean guys like Adrian Peterson or Todd Gurley do not have immense value in PPR leagues. PPR does, however, help narrow the gap between the elite tier of running backs to the second and third tiers.
Running backs (PPR), Week 1
(ZS: Zach Senvisky, JM: Jason Marcum, AP: Adam Patrick, SK: Scott Kaliska, JG: Jeff Goldberg, KB: Kyle Bennett)
| Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp. | ZS | JM | AP | SK | JG | KB |
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | MIN | at TEN | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Todd Gurley | LA | at SF | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | vs. TB | 9 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs. NYG | 4 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Lamar Miller | HOU | vs. CHI | 3 | 8 | 17 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 6 | Mark Ingram | NO | vs. OAK | 7 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| 7 | David Johnson | ARI | vs. NE | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | at BAL | 6 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| 8 | Latavius Murray | OAK | at NO | 10 | 12 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 10 | DeAngelo Williams | PIT | at WAS | 8 | 4 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 11 |
| 11 | Doug Martin | TB | at ATL | 11 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 12 |
| 11 | Eddie Lacy | GB | at JAC | 13 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 8 |
| 13 | Matt Forte | NYJ | vs. CIN | 12 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 9 | 16 |
| 14 | Carlos Hyde | SF | vs. LA | 17 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 14 |
| 15 | Arian Foster | MIA | at SEA | 19 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 15 | 33 |
| 16 | Jeremy Langford | CHI | at HOU | 15 | 15 | 29 | 16 | 14 | 24 |
| 17 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | vs. CAR | 18 | 18 | 27 | 13 | 16 | 13 |
| 17 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | vs. MIN | 14 | 23 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 19 |
| 19 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. DET | 23 | 28 | 9 | 23 | 24 | 22 |
| 20 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | vs. MIA | 16 | 16 | 28 | 22 | 25 | 29 |
| 21 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | at DEN | 22 | 22 | 13 | 30 | 21 | 23 |
| 22 | Melvin Gordon | SD | at KC | 24 | 25 | 15 | 25 | 20 | 26 |
| 23 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | at DAL | 25 | 27 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 21 |
| 24 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | at NYJ | 21 | 21 | 20 | 34 | 22 | 27 |
| 24 | Ryan Mathews | PHI | vs. CLE | 27 | 20 | 35 | 15 | 27 | 15 |
| 26 | Spencer Ware | KC | vs. SD | 20 | 24 | 36 | 18 | 26 | 20 |
| 27 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | at NYJ | 29 | 33 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 25 |
| 28 | Chris Ivory | JAC | vs. GB | 28 | 31 | 16 | 32 | 32 | 37 |
| 29 | Danny Woodhead | SD | at KC | 31 | 29 | 37 | 20 | 31 | 17 |
| 30 | Duke Johnson | CLE | at PHI | 41 | 26 | 31 | 21 | 29 | 18 |
| 31 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | at IND | 26 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| 32 | Matt Jones | WAS | vs. PIT | 33 | 34 | 22 | 35 | 30 | 30 |
| 33 | Theo Riddick | DET | at IND | 49 | 17 | 30 | 31 | 40 | 31 |
| 34 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | at PHI | 35 | 37 | 23 | 40 | 37 | 42 |
| 35 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | vs. GB | 34 | 32 | 39 | 33 | 41 | 35 |
| 36 | James White | NE | at ARI | 30 | 30 | -- | 36 | 45 | 32 |
| 37 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | at ARI | 32 | -- | 25 | 46 | 39 | 46 |
| 38 | Derrick Henry | TEN | vs. MIN | 36 | 38 | 44 | 39 | 36 | 40 |
| 39 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | vs. CIN | 50 | 41 | 33 | 37 | 33 | 36 |
| 40 | Charles Sims | TB | at ATL | 39 | 40 | 41 | 29 | 47 | 34 |
| 41 | Darren Sproles | PHI | vs. CLE | 37 | -- | 38 | 38 | 35 | 38 |
| 41 | Chris Johnson | ARI | vs. NE | 38 | -- | 34 | 48 | 34 | 41 |
| 43 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | at SEA | 43 | 35 | 45 | 50 | 38 | 47 |
| 44 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | vs. TB | 48 | 46 | 40 | 45 | 44 | 44 |
| 45 | Charcandrick West | KC | vs. SD | 40 | 42 | 42 | -- | -- | 50 |
| 46 | Justin Forsett | BAL | vs. BUF | 46 | 49 | 37 | -- | 43 | 43 |
| 47 | Terrance West | BAL | vs. BUF | 47 | 44 | -- | 42 | 42 | 45 |
| 48 | Darren McFadden | DAL | vs. NYG | -- | -- | 26 | -- | -- | -- |
| 49 | Christine Michael | SEA | vs. MIA | -- | 43 | 49 | 43 | 46 | 39 |
| 50 | Chris Thompson | WAS | vs. PIT | -- | 39 | -- | 41 | -- | -- |
| -- | James Starks | GB | at JAC | 44 | 45 | 47 | -- | 50 | -- |
| -- | Alfred Morris | DAL | vs. NYG | 42 | -- | -- | 49 | -- | -- |
| -- | Shane Vereen | NYG | at DAL | 45 | 47 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | at TEN | -- | 48 | 46 | -- | 49 | 48 |
| -- | Cameron Artis-Payne | CAR | at DEN | -- | -- | 43 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Javorius Allen | BAL | vs. BUF | -- | -- | -- | 44 | -- | -- |
| -- | Devontae Booker | DEN | vs. CAR | -- | 50 | 48 | -- | 48 | 49 |
| -- | C.J. Prosise | SEA | vs. MIA | -- | -- | -- | 47 | -- | -- |
| -- | Reggie Bush | BUF | at BAL | -- | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
