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. Austin Ekeler - RB (LAC)
Austin Ekeler faces the Raiders this week. Our system projects him for 15.8 carries, 70.4 yards and 0.5 touchdowns. Ekeler was on bye last week.
2. Saquon Barkley - RB (NYG)
We're projecting 17.8 carries, 78.5 yards and 0.6 touchdowns for Saquon Barkley this week as he faces the Titans. Barkley was on bye last week.
3. Christian McCaffrey - RB (SF)
Christian McCaffrey is against the Browns this week and is projected for 14.1 carries, 70.3 yards and 0.7 touchdowns. McCaffrey was on bye last week.
4. Dalvin Cook - RB (MIN)
Dalvin Cook was on bye last week. He faces the Green Bay Packers this week. Our system projects him for 16.7 carries, 79.5 yards and 0.6 touchdowns.
5. Joe Mixon - RB (CIN)
Joe Mixon had a bye last week. Our system projects Joe Mixon for 13.8 carries, 55.2 yards and 0.5 touchdowns versus the Steelers this week.
6. Travis Etienne - RB (JAX)
Travis Etienne is playing against the Washington Redskins this week. We're projecting him for 17.2 carries, 74.4 yards and 0.4 touchdowns. Etienne had a bye last week.
7. Leonard Fournette - RB (TB)
Leonard Fournette was off last week with a bye. He is playing against the Washington Redskins this week. We're projecting him for 11.2 carries, 42.9 yards and 0.4 touchdowns.
8. Kenneth Walker III - RB (SEA)
Kenneth Walker III was on bye last week. He is up against the Broncos this week. We're projecting him for 21.7 carries, 84.8 yards and 0.6 touchdowns.
9. Ezekiel Elliott - RB (DAL)
Ezekiel Elliott had a bye last week. He is playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. Elliott is projected for 15.3 carries, 60.8 yards and 0.9 touchdowns.
10. Tony Pollard - RB (DAL)
Our system projects Tony Pollard for 10.4 carries, 45.4 yards and 0.2 touchdowns versus the Buccaneers this week. Pollard was off last week with a bye.
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.
