2020 Fantasy Football: Week 4 Running Back Rankings originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Week 3 saw running backs put up performances just about expected of them, as seven of the top eight rushers in standard leagues were ranked among the top-15 backs going into the weekend.
However, Week 4 is looking like it’s going to have a much more interesting distribution of fantasy points among running backs — especially with the eighth and 13th overall fantasy RBs in Derrick Henry and James Conner, respectively, not playing this weekend because of the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak.
Here are the top 20 rushers that can be trusted in Week 4 lineups.
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2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL RB RANKINGS: WEEK 4 (STANDARD SCORING)
1. Alvin Kamara (Saints) at Lions
- 2020 rushing stats: 31 attempts, 153 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 27 catches, 285 yards, 3 TDs
The highest-scoring running back in fantasy by a wide margin, Alvin Kamara goes into Week 4 facing a Lions defense that’s allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs this season. Kamara is an easy lock at RB1 and should be started in all formats.
2. Dalvin Cook (Vikings) at Texans
- 2020 rushing stats: 48 attempts, 294 yards, 4 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 5 catches, 24 yards, 0 TDs
Dalvin Cook finally had the monster performance in Week 3 that the Vikings have been looking for. He exploded for 181 yards on the ground plus a touchdown, outgaining his first two rushing performances of the season combined. He now takes on the Texans, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs so far in 2020.
3. Aaron Jones (Packers) vs. Falcons
- 2020 rushing stats: 50 attempts, 303 yards, 4 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 10 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD
Aaron Jones was supposed to see some regression in the scoring department after leading the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns last season. However, he’s kept on pace as he’s already scored four times this year including at least one in all three games. Nobody has allowed more points than the Falcons this season, which bodes well for Jones’ chances of finding the end zone once again.
4. James Robinson (Jaguars) at Bengals
- 2020 rushing stats: 43 attempts, 210 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 10 catches, 129 yards, 0 TDs
Through the first three weeks, the league’s biggest surprise Rookie of the Year candidate is James Robinson. The Jaguars’ undrafted running back leads all first-year backs with three rushing touchdowns and ranks second in rushing yards behind only Chiefs rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He breaks into the top 5 of these rankings for the first time ahead of an enticing matchup against the Bengals.
5. Jonathan Taylor (Colts) at Bears
- 2020 rushing stats: 48 attempts, 182 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 9 catches, 79 yards, 0 TDs
Even with the Colts blowing out the Jets 36-7 last weekend, Jonathan Taylor didn’t get the kind of workload fantasy owners were hoping for. That being said, his 4.5 yards per carry were up from the week prior, leaving little doubt as to the production he’s capable of given a full workload. He gets a tough test this weekend with the suddenly dangerous-looking Bears.
6. Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) vs. Browns
- 2020 rushing stats: 58 attempts, 219 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 15 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD
Ezekiel Elliott looked human against the Seahawks on Sunday night, rushing for 2.4 yards per carry — a figure he’s only failed to eclipse four times in his career. While he did manage to salvage his fantasy day by scoring a pair of touchdowns, it doesn’t get much easier this week against a Browns defense that’s allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the league this season.
7. Nick Chubb (Browns) at Cowboys
- 2020 rushing stats: 51 attempts, 292 yards, 4 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 3 catches, 17 yards, 0 TDs
Though Kareem Hunt is expected to play this weekend despite battling a groin injury, Nick Chubb remains a top-10 back ahead of the Browns’ matchup with the Cowboys. Only four teams have attempted more run plays this season than Cleveland, which figures to continue employing its run-heavy attack even in what’s expected to be a shootout in Dallas.
8. Josh Jacobs (Raiders) vs. Bills
- 2020 rushing stats: 68 attempts, 252 yards, 3 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 10 catches, 75 yards, 0 TDs
Facing the Bills defense is never a promising matchup for fantasy stars, even one as dependable as Josh Jacobs. However, this is a good week for Jacobs to get involved in the passing game. Four of the Bills’ defensive starters are listed on the injury report this week, including safety Micah Hyde and linebacker Tremaine Edmonds. Buffalo has been suspectable against the pass and Jacobs is more than capable of turning a few screens and check downs into a nice performance.
9. Kenyan Drake (Cardinals) at Panthers
- 2020 rushing stats: 54 attempts, 219 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 5 catches, 20 yards, 0 TDs
Kenyan Drake has been disappointing for fantasy owners who invested in him early in their drafts, finding the end zone only once over the first three weeks while being mostly absent from the passing game. But if there’s any team that could give him a jumpstart, it’s the Panthers. Carolina has allowed the second-most fantasy points to RBs this season.
10. Joe Mixon (Bengals) vs. Jaguars
- 2020 rushing stats: 52 attempts, 164 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 7 catches, 58 yards, 0 TDs
The Bengals’ offense has been inconsistent at best so far in the Joe Burrow era. While Joe Mixon’s workload has been about as expected, the Bengals’ offensive line hasn’t given him much room to work with. Jacksonville’s defense is about as middle-of-the-pack as it gets, so Week 4 will serve as a test of Mixon’s ability to create his own strong fantasy performance.
11. Austin Ekeler (Chargers) at Buccaneers
- 2020 rushing stats: 47 attempts, 236 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 16 catches, 142 yards, 0 TDs
12. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs) vs. Patriots
- 2020 rushing stats: 55 attempts, 240 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 11 catches, 102 yards, 0 TD
13. Darrell Henderson (Rams) vs. Giants
- 2020 rushing stats: 35 attempts, 201 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 3 catches, 46 yards, 0 TDs
14. Devin Singletary (Bills) at Raiders
- 2020 rushing stats: 32 attempts, 157 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 11 catches, 93 yards, 0 TDs
15. Melvin Gordon III (Broncos) at Jets
- 2020 rushing stats: 42 attempts, 174 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 9 catches, 34 yards, 1 TD
16. Todd Gurley II (Falcons) at Packers
- 2020 rushing stats: 49 attempts, 197 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 3 catches, 3 yards, 0 TDs
17. Miles Sanders (Eagles) at 49ers
- 2020 rushing stats: 38 attempts, 190 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 7 catches, 48 yards, 0 TDs
18. David Johnson (Texans) vs. Vikings
- 2020 rushing stats: 35 attempts, 134 yards, 2 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 7 catches, 71 yards, 0 TDs
19. David Montgomery (Bears) vs. Colts
- 2020 rushing stats: 43 attempts, 191 yards, 0 TDs
- 2020 receiving stats: 6 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD
20. Kareem Hunt (Browns) at Cowboys
- 2020 rushing stats: 39 attempts, 204 yards, 1 TD
- 2020 receiving stats: 8 catches, 42 yards, 2 TDs
