True stud running backs are difficult to find in fantasy football.
It's not easy to just draft a couple of great RBs and then plug them in every week. You need to draft many running backs, scour the waiver wire, watch for injuries and play the matchups.
And with most leagues requiring you to start two, three or even four running backs, it means that you have to be smart and dig deep at the position.
To help you out, I put together this summary of our top 10 ranked running backs for week 1.
You can also check out our full list of RB rankings or use our free who should I start tool for an interactive way to use our fantasy football rankings.
For custom advice tailored to your fantasy team, our premium league sync tools instantly tell you who to start or sit every week.
No teams have a bye week this week, so you have a full slate of players to choose from.
Week 1 Rankings Home | Week 1 QB Rankings | Week 1 WR Rankings | Week 1 TE Rankings | Week 1 Kicker Rankings | Week 1 Defense Rankings
Full Rankings
If you want to dive head-first into the full set of projections for this week, here are our rankings for each format:
You can also get custom rankings tailored to your league with our import tool. It's part of the Premium Membership.
Rankings Summary
1. Christian McCaffrey - RB (CAR)
Christian McCaffrey was off last week with a bye. He faces the Jets this week. Our system projects him for 18.1 carries, 81.9 yards and 0.7 touchdowns.
2. Alvin Kamara - RB (NO)
Alvin Kamara is playing against the Green Bay Packers this week. We're projecting him for 16.2 carries, 78.8 yards and 0.8 touchdowns. Kamara was off last week with a bye.
3. Dalvin Cook - RB (MIN)
Our system projects Dalvin Cook for 20.3 carries, 100.2 yards and 0.9 touchdowns versus the Bengals this week. Cook had a bye last week.
4. Aaron Jones - RB (GB)
Aaron Jones had a bye last week. He is playing against the New Orleans Saints this week. Jones is projected for 15.3 carries, 77.2 yards and 0.7 touchdowns.
5. Derrick Henry - RB (TEN)
Derrick Henry is playing against the Arizona Cardinals this week. We're projecting him for 21.3 carries, 106.1 yards and 1.0 touchdowns. Henry was on bye last week.
6. Austin Ekeler - RB (LAC)
Our system projects Austin Ekeler for 12.5 carries, 55.2 yards and 0.3 touchdowns versus the Redskins this week. Ekeler was off last week with a bye.
7. Jonathan Taylor - RB (IND)
Jonathan Taylor is against the Seahawks this week and is projected for 18.4 carries, 90.6 yards and 0.8 touchdowns. Taylor had a bye last week.
8. Nick Chubb - RB (CLE)
Nick Chubb faces the Kansas City Chiefs this week. We're projecting him for 15.4 carries, 74.2 yards and 0.6 touchdowns. Chubb had a bye last week.
9. Najee Harris - RB (PIT)
Najee Harris faces the Bills this week. He is projected for 15.5 carries, 68.1 yards and 0.6 touchdowns. Harris had a bye last week.
10. Ezekiel Elliott - RB (DAL)
Ezekiel Elliott faces the Buccaneers this week. We're projecting him for 17.6 carries, 80.3 yards and 0.7 touchdowns. Elliott was on bye last week.
For more, check out our full rankings here.
Import Your League For Custom Advice
One thing that people frequently say is that they wish it could be easier to see these rankings and projections next their own fantasy team roster.
Luckily, you can do that easily with our premium league sync tools. They work with ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, NFL.com, Sleeper and MyFantasyLeague. Plans start at just $2.99 per month with a full 30-day money back guarantee.
