Editor’s update: Derrius Guice suffered a knee injury in his preseason debut. Initially reported as an MCL sprain, Washington has since announced that the injury is a torn ACL. This injury ends Guice’s rookie season before it begins. Samaje Perine is likely to get more of Washington’s rushing work, while Chris Thompson will be the primary pass catcher.
Ranking the top 50 running backs in PPR leagues
The SB Nation crew ranks the top 50 running backs in PPR leagues heading into the 2018 season. Check out our full 2018 Fantasy Football Draft guide!
The running back landscape is as deep and loaded as it’s ever been heading into the 2018 NFL season. However, in fantasy football leagues, the top of the draft will be a debate between Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley.
You can’t go wrong with either back, though Bell has a little more incentive to ball out since he’s once again playing under the one-year franchise tag. Bell has also been a machine when it comes to PPR scoring leagues, as he has caught 160 passes over the last two seasons.
The most intriguing thing to watch for in 2018 will be how the second-year backs do after after standout rookie seasons. Guys like Leonard Fournette, Alvin Kamara, and Kareem Hunt took the league by storm in their first season, and it’s not hard to envision them finishing at or near the top of the fantasy scoring output among backs this season.
Of that group, it was Kamara who finished No. 2 in catches by running backs (82) last year. He also finished third in scoring among running backs and could make a run at the top spot in 2018.
PPR running back rankings, preseason
(JM: Jason Marcum; DG: Derek Gordon; SK: Scott Kaliska; AW: Alex Welch)
RB PPR rankings
Rk | Consensus | Tm | JM | DG | SK | AW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Gurley II | LAR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | David Johnson | ARI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Alvin Kamara | NO | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| 7 | Kareem Hunt | KC | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| 8 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | 11 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| 9 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | 14 | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| 11 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| 12 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| 13 | Jerick McKinnon | SF | 17 | 16 | 12 | 11 |
| 14 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | 10 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
| 15 | Jordan Howard | CHI | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 |
| 16 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | 15 | 14 | 18 | 15 |
| 17 | Joe Mixon | CIN | 21 | 20 | 15 | 14 |
| 18 | Derrius Guice | WAS | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 19 | Alex Collins | BAL | 23 | 22 | 17 | 17 |
| 20 | Jay Ajayi | PHI | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 |
| 21 | Lamar Miller | HOU | 24 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
| 22 | Dion Lewis | TEN | 22 | 23 | 21 | 24 |
| 23 | Rex Burkhead | NE | 16 | 17 | 32 | 28 |
| 24 | Derrick Henry | TEN | 20 | 24 | 26 | 27 |
| 25 | Rashaad Penny | SEA | 28 | 34 | 23 | 19 |
| 26 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | 27 | 26 | 34 | 26 |
| 27 | Chris Thompson | WAS | 26 | 28 | 33 | 33 |
| 28 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 |
| 29 | Isaiah Crowell | NYJ | 25 | 25 | 37 | 34 |
| 30 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | 30 | 32 | 29 | 32 |
| 31 | Ronald Jones II | TB | 44 | 37 | 28 | 23 |
| 32 | Royce Freeman | DEN | 40 | 39 | 27 | 29 |
| 33 | C.J. Anderson | CAR | 33 | 27 | 40 | 36 |
| 34 | Kerryon Johnson | DET | 36 | 29 | 35 | 37 |
| 35 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | 35 | 33 | 31 | 40 |
| 36 | Mark Ingram | NO | 42 | 50 | 24 | 25 |
| 37 | Carlos Hyde | CLE | 31 | 30 | 39 | 42 |
| 38 | Sony Michel | NE | 50 | 43 | 25 | 30 |
| 39 | Marlon Mack | IND | 38 | 41 | 36 | 35 |
| 40 | Ty Montgomery | GB | 32 | 36 | 41 | 43 |
| 41 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | 34 | 35 | 42 | 46 |
| 42 | Jamaal Williams | GB | 41 | 49 | 38 | 38 |
| 43 | Aaron Jones | GB | 39 | 46 | 47 | 39 |
| 44 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | 37 | 44 | 48 | 45 |
| 45 | Theo Riddick | DET | 46 | 40 | 44 | 49 |
| 46 | Nick Chubb | CLE | -- | 38 | 46 | 47 |
| 47 | James White | NE | -- | -- | 43 | 41 |
| 48 | Devontae Booker | DEN | 47 | -- | 45 | 44 |
| 49 | Latavius Murray | MIN | 45 | 42 | -- | -- |
| 50 | Doug Martin | OAK | 43 | 45 | -- | -- |
| -- | LeGarrette Blount | DET | -- | 47 | -- | 48 |
| -- | C.J. Prosise | SEA | -- | 48 | -- | -- |
| -- | Matt Breida | SF | 48 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Nyheim Hines | IND | -- | -- | 49 | -- |
| -- | Rod Smith | DAL | 49 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Corey Clement | PHI | -- | -- | 50 | -- |
| -- | Austin Ekeler | LAC | -- | -- | -- | 50 |
