With all this RB chatter going on in the media right now. I thought it would be a good time to unveil a ranking of the running backs who are truly making a difference on Sundays. Now to be clear, this is not a fantasy football ranking. As much as I could talk fantasy all day, I think its important to get an idea of who we actually love at the position when it comes to moving the ball down the field, picking up first downs, scoring in the red-zone, all the things that actually impact real-life wins and losses. Now, just because your in the top 10, that doesn't necessarily mean your team is winning games, we have a lot of real life studs that are stuck in bad situations, so you have to take that into account. Here are my top 10 backs, with a short blurb as to why they made the list:
- Christian McCaffrey- Best dual threat RB in the NFL, still at the top of his game.
- Derrick Henry- You literally can't tackle this guy one on one, the Titans entire offensive attack is built around this guy.
- Nick Chubb- He's finished top 3 in rushing in 3 of the past 4 seasons and top 10 in all 4. He's as steady, reliable, and potent as they come.
- Jonathan Taylor- Coming off a down year. Injuries and a bad offense didn't help. He's still one of the most talented backs in the league.
- Saquon Barkley- We assumed when he came into the league that he would be atop a list like this at this point. I don't think he's ever been the league's best back, but he's definitely as good as almost anyone when he's healthy, and the Giants need him to be great in order for them to even be good.
- Aaron Jones- His touchdowns dipped a bit last year but Jones is dangerous in the open field, in the red-zone, and in the passing game.
- Austin Ekeler- He's as well rounded as they come, but a lack of punch at the goal-line and speed in the open field slid him down the list for me. Still, as productive as they come.
- Breece Hall- Limited sample, playing just 7 weeks last year, but you could see the talent on display. Dude is a stud.
- Dalvin Cook- His efficiency may have dropped off a bit, perhaps a smidge off his fastball, but I'll still take him on Sunday over most.
- Josh Jacobs- He put together his first real breakout season last year which is why he's not super high on my list, but you have to find room for the league's leading rusher.
*Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were excluded from this list since they've haven't played a down yet. But, I would assume both will be on there in the not-so-distant future.