Welcome back to fantasy football, 2017 edition. While the world gets its first look at one of the many promising rookie running backs in Thursday’s opener, with Kareem Hunt expected to start for the Chiefs against the Patriots, we know it’s the superstar veterans taking the field on Sunday that are dominating drafts and likely winning lineups in Week 1 (and beyond).
Fantasy football rankings, 2017: Running backs for PPR leagues, Week 1
Here are our fantasy football running back rankings for PPR leagues entering Week 1.
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There are certainly no surprises in SB Nation’s rankings of the top point-per-reception running backs for Week 1. As has been the case for two years running, Le’Veon Bell and David Johnson are the top guns in both rushing and receiving.
For Bell, the matchup against the Browns is especially juicy. The Browns were simply dreadful last season against the run, while Johnson’s opponent, the Lions, were a middle-of-the-pack defense, but one also that effectively held down opponent scoring. So Bell gets the nod as our top choice this week.
The man threatening to make the terrific twosome into a tremendous trio of PPR options is Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy. While the Bills will struggle mightily to win games in 2017, the one sure thing is that Shady will touch the ball upwards of 30 times a game — at least until his legs fall off. The Bills have virtually no passing game, so McCoy is primed to be the team’s leading pass-catcher, as well as rusher. He is the public face of PPR Gold in 2017.
Rounding out our top five are Atlanta’s Devonta Freeman and San Di … er … Los Angeles’ Melvin Gordon. But two the most interesting names occupy spots in the bottom half of the top 10. In Carolina, we get the debut of Ed McCaffrey’s son, Christian, who ran wild at Stanford and figures to be an immediate high-impact performer for the Panthers.
And then there’s Zeke. As of Tuesday, Ezekiel Elliott was practicing and preparing to play Sunday night against the Giants. Needless to say, especially in leagues that don’t allow for the late swap, keep an eye on his appeal.
Running backs (PPR) rankings, Week 1
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB PPR rankings, Week 1
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | KB | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | @ CLE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | David Johnson | ARI | @ DET | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | @ CHI | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | @ DEN | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ SF | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ MIA | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs. NYG | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| 8 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | @ SF | 16 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| 10 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | vs. TB | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| 11 | Todd Gurley | LAR | vs. IND | 7 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | @ TEN | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| 13 | Kareem Hunt | KC | @ NE | 19 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| 14 | Adrian Peterson | NO | @ MIN | 33 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 8 |
| 15 | Jordan Howard | CHI | vs. ATL | 8 | 20 | 18 | 12 | 18 |
| 16 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ GB | 20 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| 17 | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | @ MIA | 26 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| 17 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ BUF | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| 19 | Lamar Miller | HOU | vs. JAC | 12 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
| 20 | Ty Montgomery | GB | vs. SEA | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| 21 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | vs. NO | 15 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 22 | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | @ WAS | 36 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 16 |
| 23 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | @ HOU | 17 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 26 |
| 24 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | vs. PIT | 11 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 |
| 24 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | vs. LAC | 14 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 25 |
| 26 | Joe Mixon | CIN | vs. BAL | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 29 |
| 27 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | vs. AZ | 25 | 30 | 26 | 29 | 22 |
| 28 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | @ CHI | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 |
| 29 | Terrance West | BAL | @ CIN | 32 | 25 | 27 | 32 | 24 |
| 30 | Mark Ingram | NO | @ MIN | 22 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| 31 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ SF | 34 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 |
| 32 | Frank Gore | IND | @ LAR | 35 | 27 | 32 | 30 | 28 |
| 33 | Mike Gillislee | NE | vs. KC | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 34 |
| 34 | Danny Woodhead | BAL | @ CIN | 23 | 39 | 39 | 28 | 45 |
| 35 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | vs. BAL | 49 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 |
| 36 | Paul Perkins | NYG | @ DAL | 38 | 37 | 34 | 35 | 33 |
| 37 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | vs. PIT | 28 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 39 |
| 38 | Eddie Lacy | SEA | @ GB | 45 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 35 |
| 39 | Robert Kelley | WAS | vs. OAK | 40 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 38 |
| 40 | Shane Vereen | NYG | @ DAL | 50 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 |
| 41 | Derrick Henry | TEN | vs. OAK | 46 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 36 |
| 41 | Darren McFadden | DAL | vs. NYG | 42 | 41 | 45 | 40 | 40 |
| 43 | Darren Sproles | PHI | @ WAS | 37 | 44 | 42 | 43 | 42 |
| 44 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @ BUF | 44 | 49 | 41 | 42 | 44 |
| 45 | Dion Lewis | NE | vs. KC | -- | 43 | 44 | 46 | 41 |
| 46 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. AZ | 27 | -- | -- | -- | 46 |
| 47 | Latavius Murray | MIN | vs. NO | -- | 42 | 46 | 45 | 43 |
| 48 | Jamaal Charles | DEN | vs. LAC | 47 | 47 | 43 | 44 | -- |
| 49 | James White | NE | vs. KC | 30 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 50 | Rex Burkhead | NE | vs. KC | -- | 45 | 48 | 47 | 49 |
| -- | C.J. Prosise | SEA | @ GB | 39 | -- | 50 | 50 | -- |
| -- | Chris Thompson | WAS | vs. PHI | 43 | 50 | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | Charles Sims | TB | @ MIA | 41 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Thomas Rawls | SEA | @ GB | -- | 46 | 49 | 48 | -- |
| -- | Kenyan Drake | MIA | vs. TB | -- | 48 | 47 | 49 | -- |
| -- | Giovani Bernard | CIN | vs. BAL | 48 | -- | -- | -- | 47 |
| -- | Charcandrick West | KC | @ NE | -- | -- | -- | -- | 50 |
