Updated Fantasy RB Rankings 2022: Best running backs, top sleepers & breakouts in fantasy football drafts

The modern NFL revolves around passing and has for many years, but in fantasy football, running back still dominates. The drop-off between RB tiers and tiers at other positions remains substantial, and selecting the right backs in your draft usually makes or breaks your bid for a championship. Our 2022 fantasy RB rankings breaks down the top options, best sleepers, breakout candidates, and upside handcuffs you should have in your queue on draft day.

Anyone can pick a solid running back in the top five picks of the draft — the output by Jonathan Taylor last year and Derrick Henry in 2020 put them in the conversation of greatest individual rushing campaigns ever. However, what you do late in the first round — and in the second through seventh rounds — often dictates the fate of your season. Plucking top contributors from the middle tiers — and finding early-round value from mid-to-late-round picks — helps fantasy owners actualize success.

2022 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex

For RBs in both standard and PPR formats, it’s important to consider touches and opportunities, offensive line strength, injury history, passing-game role, and more. Even in non-PPR leagues, receiving out of the backfield can make a huge difference.

2022 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Top 200 | Superflex

For instance, Austin Ekeler and Najee Harris might be viewed as “less valuable” in standard leagues. However, they finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 2021 non-PPR rankings. Sure, they scored 70-plus fewer points in standard leagues than in PPR, but Ekeler still netted 64.7 points through receiving yardage while Harris finished with 46.7. That’s a huge boost, and pinpointing data like catch rate (74.5 percent for Ekeler, 78.7 percent for Harris) and targets (94 for each) will give you a massive leg-up on opponents who solely analyze rushing yardage and TDs.

2022 RANKINGS TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs

Whether your strategy revolves around drafting two RBs in the first two rounds or two in the first three, or three total by round five, you’re going to want to be heavily stocked in the rushing department. It’s always a lot easier to find quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends late in drafts/on the waiver wire than it is to scramble for a back late or replace injured or ineffective RBs during the season.

2022 AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers | Overall

Last season, the 17th-32nd RBs off the board (Chris Carson to Ronald Jones) finished the season with average positional rankings of 51.6. That’s not even flex value returned on fourth- and fifth-round picks. You simply cannot wait on assembling RB depth, especially in standard leagues.

2022 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team

Nestled among the first level of studs we’ve already discussed this year, we have a few high-risk, high-reward backs. A big part of coming away with a strong draft is navigating the field of boom-or-busts and assessing the probability you’ll get hurt long-term.

2022 CONSISTENCY RATINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end

Dalvin Cook is arguably the best runner pound-for-pound not named Henry and Taylor, but he always seems to struggle with injuries. He has a 4.7 career yards-per-carry average, a 78.8-percent career catch rate, and scored 30 combined TDs in ‘19 and ‘20 — but he’s never played more than 14 games in a season. Nick Chubb just put together a second-consecutive 5.5-plus yards-per-carry season but seems almost guaranteed to lose his new QB Deshaun Watson to suspension. Christian McCaffrey, the consensus No. 1 pick for many years, has been banged up for over three years and has appeared in just 10 total games the past two seasons. Alvin Kamara could be suspended for an offseason incident (plus he lost his long-time, offensive-minded coach); Antonio Gibson could underwhelm like he did last year; and Ezekiel Elliott might just be cooked. And Saquon Barkley? Where do we start?

After wading through those murky waters that may or may not contain a prize fish, we jump right into breakout and sleeper territory. Young backs like Javonte Williams, D’Andre Swift, Cam Akers, JK Dobbins, and Elijah Mitchell have humongous upsides; veteran plodders like James Conner and Aaron Jones have always found ways to succeed, but we’re somewhat leery this year. Others, like Travis Etienne Jr., Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Josh Jacobs, will hope for healthy campaigns and a little help from their offensive lines.

2022 FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake drafts | Auctions | Dynasty | Best ball | IDP

Oh, and there’s everyone’s favorites – the rookies. Whether you like Breece Hall, James Cook, Kenneth Walker III, Dameon Pierce, Tyler Allgeier, or someone else, you just know plenty of first-year players will be starting for fantasy teams throughout the season.

As is always the case, plenty of changes we’ll be coming to the rankings below ahead of Week 1. Whether it’s injuries, preseason performances, or even a surprise cut/trade, the shakeups will come early and often. Check back frequently for updates and additional player analysis. For full analysis of key RBs, click here.

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Fantasy RB Rankings 2022: Best running backs, top sleepers

These rankings are based on standard, non-PPR scoring