2020 Fantasy Football: Week 3 Running Back Rankings originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Week 2 of the 2020 season saw injury blows all across the league, but no position was impacted more than running back. Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, projected to be the top two fantasy running backs in 2020, were both sidelined with significant leg injuries while Josh Jacobs, Raheem Mostert, Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown are among those with injury designations at practice this week.
However, with injuries to big names come opportunities for less-heralded players to step up and provide surprise performances. As a result, there’s a major shakeup in the fantasy running back rankings heading into this weekend.
Here are the top 20 rushers that can be trusted in Week 3 lineups.
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2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL RB RANKINGS: WEEK 3 (STANDARD SCORING)
1. Alvin Kamara (Saints) vs. Packers
- 2020 rushing stats: 25 attempts, 95 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 14 catches, 146 yards, 1 TD
The loss of Michael Thomas proved to be an important one for the Saints in their 34-24 loss to the Raiders on Monday night, but his absence did bode well for Alvin Kamara’s fantasy owners. The fourth-year running back picked up 174 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Expect similar production out of Kamara on Sunday night against the Packers with Thomas likely out again.
2. Derrick Henry (Titans) at Vikings
- 2020 rushing stats: 56 attempts, 200 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 3 catches, 15 yards, 0 TDs
Derrick Henry turned in a disappointing Week 2 performance against the Jaguars in Week 2. He wasn’t involved at all in the passing game and churned out just 85 rushing yards with no touchdowns despite registering 25 carries. Things should go more smoothly Sunday against the Vikings, who have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL over these first two weeks.
3. Jonathan Taylor (Colts) vs. Jets
- 2020 rushing stats: 26 attempts, 101 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 2 catches, 9 yards, 1 TD
Marlon Mack’s season-ending Achilles injury set the stage for rookie Jonathan Taylor to handle the bulk of the Colts’ backfield workload in Week 2 and he didn’t disappoint. Taylor wreaked havoc on the Vikings to the tune of 101 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. The performance earned him the No. 3 spot on this week’s rankings for a favorable matchup against a suspect Jets defense.
4. Dalvin Cook (Vikings) vs. Titans
- 2020 rushing stats: 26 attempts, 113 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 3 catches, 6 yards, 0 TDs
It’s been a disappointing start to the season for Dalvin Cook, who has yet to eclipse 70 rushing yards in a game. For a player who doesn’t make much of an impact as a receiver, that’s a disturbing trend. He’ll look to break out against the Titans in what could be a low scoring game between two teams that try to control the time of possession through the running game.
5. Josh Jacobs (Raiders) at Patriots
- 2020 rushing stats: 52 attempts, 181 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 7 catches, 63 yards, 0 TDs
The Raiders listed Josh Jacobs as a DNP (did not participate) for Wednesday’s practice after he was spotted on the sidelines having his hip examined by trainers during Las Vegas’ Monday night win over the Saints. His status will be worth watching (and his handcuff Jalen Richard worth adding), but assuming he’s healthy, he should have ample opportunities to rack up the carries against New England.
6. Kenyan Drake (Cardinals) vs. Lions
- 2020 rushing stats: 36 attempts, 146 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 4 catches, 14 yards, 0 TDs
Kenyan Drake has one of the more favorable matchups in fantasy this week, facing a Lions defense that has allowed 408 yards on the ground over their first two games of the season. Arizona’s offense is finding its rhythm with second-year quarterback Kyler Murray building a rapport with DeAndre Hopkins. It’s only a matter of time before Drake becomes a main beneficiary of the unit’s development.
7. Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) at Seahawks
- 2020 rushing stats: 44 attempts, 185 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 9 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD
This is not a favorable matchup on paper. The Seahawks have allowed the second-fewest yards on the ground so far this season and the game figures to be a high-scoring affair that should force both quarterbacks to air out the ball more. However, Elliott’s workload is as steady as they come and he has the skills as a receiver to stay involved should Dak Prescott be forced to win the game for Dallas.
8. Aaron Jones (Packers) at Saints
- 2020 rushing stats: 34 attempts, 234 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 8 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD
Aaron Jones’ 168-yard rushing performance in Week 2 might have been enough to vault him to the top of these rankings against a typical run defense, but the Saints are no typical run defense. They held Josh Jacobs to just 3.3 yards per carry on Monday, leaving Jones’ work cut out for him on Sunday night. That being said, no one has found the end zone more often than Jones since the start of last season.
9. Miles Sanders (Eagles) vs. Bengals
- 2020 rushing stats: 20 attempts, 95 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 3 catches, 36 yards, 0 TDs
After missing Week 1 with a hamstring strain, Miles Sanders made his season debut and stuffed the stat sheet to leave little doubt that he was fully healthy and ready to handle a lion’s share of the Eagles’ backfield workload. He goes into Week 3 facing a tasty matchup against a Bengals defense that allowed Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to combine for 234 total yards last Thursday.
10. James Conner (Steelers) vs. Texans
- 2020 rushing stats: 22 attempts, 115 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 4 catches, 23 yards, 0 TDs
There was concern that Benny Snell Jr. would eat into James Conner’s carries in Week 2 after the former filled in admirably for Conner in the season opener. But Conner put on a show against the Broncos that was punctuated by a 59-yard run. The Texans have allowed 200+ rushing yards each of the past two weeks and Conner appears poised to help make that three in a row on Sunday.
11. Chris Carson (Seahawks) vs. Cowboys
- 2020 rushing stats: 23 attempts, 93 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 9 catches, 81 yards, 3 TDs
12. Joe Mixon (Bengals) at Browns
- 2020 rushing stats: 35 attempts, 115 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 5 catches, 42 yards, 0 TDs
13. James Robinson (Jaguars) vs. Dolphins
- 2020 rushing stats: 32 attempts, 164 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 4 catches, 46 yards, 0 TDs
14. Austin Ekeler (Chargers) vs. Panthers
- 2020 rushing stats: 35 attempts, 177 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 5 catches, 58 yards, 0 TDs
15. Nick Chubb (Browns) vs. Washington
- 2020 rushing stats: 32 attempts, 184 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 2 catches, 15 yards, 0 TDs
16. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs) at Ravens
- 2020 rushing stats: 35 attempts, 176 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 6 catches, 32 yards, 0 TDs
17. Melvin Gordon III (Broncos) vs. Buccaneers
- 2020 rushing stats: 34 attempts, 148 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 5 catches, 22 yards, 1 TD
18. David Montgomery (Bears) at Falcons
- 2020 rushing stats: 29 attempts, 146 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 4 catches, 55 yards, 1 TD
19. Todd Gurley (Falcons) vs. Bears
- 2020 rushing stats: 35 attempts, 117 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 2 catches, 1 yard, 0 TDs
20. Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers) at Broncos
- 2020 rushing stats: 17 attempts, 108 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 5 catches, 27 yards, 0 TDs
