With the fantasy football season closing in, there are lingering concerns across the running back landscape. At various points in the preseason, there has been some kind of issue with seemingly every big running back.
Fantasy football rankings 2017: Running backs in PPR leagues
The preseason is midway over, so here are some updated fantasy rankings of the top PPR running backs.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Seeing guys like Ezekiel Elliott out with a suspension or Matt Forte down with a strained hamstring is unfortunate, it does present more opportunities for guys like Darren McFadden and Bilal Powell to make a major impact.
Powell came off the bench last year to become a fantasy stud, especially in PPR leagues. These are the leagues where dual-threat backs become even more viable. Guys like Powell, Giovani Bernard., Darren Sproles, and James White may not be starters, but their ability to consistently catch passes makes them good PPR options.
Now, it’s time for a fresh set of fantasy rankings for PPR running backs, which reflect Elliott missing the first six regular-season games.
Running back (PPR) rankings, preseason Week 3
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; AW: Alex Welch; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
Preseason RB PPR rankings
Rk | Consensus | Tm | SK | JG | DG | AW | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Johnson | ARI | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| 6 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| 8 | Jordan Howard | CHI | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| 8 | Lamar Miller | HOU | 13 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
| 10 | Todd Gurley | LAR | 9 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 13 |
| 11 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 |
| 11 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | 10 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 12 |
| 13 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 12 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 15 |
| 14 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | 15 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 10 |
| 15 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | 19 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 14 | 14 |
| 16 | Carlos Hyde | SF | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 |
| 17 | Ty Montgomery | GB | 18 | 15 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 17 |
| 17 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 23 | 19 |
| 19 | Kareem Hunt | KC | 16 | 25 | 19 | 14 | 21 | 27 |
| 20 | Joe Mixon | CIN | 21 | 24 | 27 | 19 | 16 | 16 |
| 21 | Mark Ingram | NO | 20 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 29 | 20 |
| 22 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | 25 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
| 23 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | 24 | 20 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 21 |
| 24 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | 26 | 22 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 26 |
| 24 | Frank Gore | IND | 27 | 23 | 28 | 32 | 27 | 23 |
| 26 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | 22 | 26 | 33 | 20 | 31 | 30 |
| 27 | Adrian Peterson | NO | 32 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| 28 | Eddie Lacy | SEA | 42 | 27 | 21 | 37 | 20 | 24 |
| 29 | Mike Gillislee | NE | 29 | 31 | 39 | 31 | 22 | 22 |
| 30 | Doug Martin | TB | 30 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 33 |
| 31 | Theo Riddick | DET | 28 | 32 | 44 | 25 | 34 | 35 |
| 32 | Paul Perkins | NYG | 34 | 30 | 46 | 33 | 30 | 29 |
| 33 | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | 40 | 38 | 31 | 38 | 24 | 31 |
| 34 | Danny Woodhead | BAL | 23 | 33 | 40 | 23 | 44 | 47 |
| 35 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | 44 | 41 | 22 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| 36 | Robert Kelley | WAS | 36 | 40 | 30 | 45 | 33 | 32 |
| 37 | Matt Forte | NYJ | 39 | 37 | 36 | 43 | 32 | 34 |
| 38 | Derrick Henry | TEN | 38 | 49 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 38 |
| 39 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | 31 | 34 | 45 | 29 | 48 | 44 |
| 40 | Terrance West | BAL | 33 | -- | 32 | 40 | 42 | 45 |
| 41 | James White | NE | 35 | 35 | -- | 44 | 38 | 41 |
| 41 | C.J. Prosise | SEA | 41 | 39 | 41 | -- | 39 | 40 |
| 43 | Latavius Murray | MIN | -- | 36 | 34 | -- | 41 | 43 |
| 44 | Rex Burkhead | NE | 48 | -- | 38 | 39 | 34 | 50 |
| 45 | Darren Sproles | PHI | 37 | 45 | 47 | 34 | -- | -- |
| 46 | Darren McFadden | DAL | 43 | 46 | 49 | 41 | -- | 37 |
| 47 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | -- | -- | 23 | -- | 45 | 46 |
| 48 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | 46 | 43 | 42 | 48 | 49 | 49 |
| 49 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | 45 | -- | -- | 42 | 40 | -- |
| 50 | Samaje Perine | WAS | 49 | -- | -- | 46 | 46 | 39 |
| -- | Shane Vereen | NYG | 50 | -- | 37 | 50 | -- | -- |
| -- | Jamaal Charles | DEN | -- | 42 | -- | -- | 47 | 48 |
| -- | Dion Lewis | NE | -- | 44 | 48 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Chris Thompson | WAS | -- | 48 | -- | 47 | 50 | -- |
| -- | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | 47 | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Tarik Cohen | CHI | -- | 47 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Jamaal Williams | GB | -- | 50 | -- | 49 | -- | -- |
| Jamaal Williams | GB | 50 | 50 | -- | 50 | -- | -- |
