Are you willing to spend over a third of your fantasy football auction budget on one player? Based on FantasyPros' 2021 RB dollar value projections, that's what it will take to land Christian McCaffrey. As great as McCaffrey is, we saw last year how quickly paying up for him can backfire. The owners who stocked up on rookie running backs for far less money came out in much better shape. Of course, if you opted for some of the other popular sleepers and passed on high-priced studs Derrick Henry or Alvin Kamara, you regretted being so cheap.
Anything can work and anything can flop. Helpful, right? We wish we had better advice for you than "get guys who don't get hurt and score a lot of touchdowns," but it's tough to take a strong stance on much of anything with RBs. The one strategy that usually doesn't work is loading up on mid-tier guys. That $10-$20 range is not where you want to live in a fantasy football auction. Getting one guy in that price range, especially if he's a rookie like Javonte Williams or Travis Etienne, is smart, but getting one $35-plus dollar guy is usually better than two $18 guys.
2021 PPR FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200
You don't want to go super cheap for all of your backs, at least in standard leagues. Every year we see surprise rookies and handcuffs who go for $1 (or less) have good years (think Myles Gaskin and James Robinson), but sometimes it takes them a while to break out or they have consistency/injury issues. You need at least a little stability in your backfield for the first few weeks, which is why it usually makes sense to get at least one semi-expensive back. It doesn't need to be a top-five guy, but be prepared to bid $30-plus for at least one runner.
2021 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200
PPR formats offer more potential sleepers and reliable early-season plug-and-plays, but the elite of the elite are even more, well, elite. Again, this isn't to say you should definitely target a top-three guy, but don't go into your auction planning to definitely avoid them either. They could go for less than the projected values below, and you never want to look back and regret not bidding on McCaffrey or Dalvin Cook after they come off the board for $5-8 below market value.
2021 FANTASY AUCTION VALUES (Standard & PPR):Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Overall
As with any position, the timing of nominations will affect how much players cost. If you want a top-tier RB, don't wait for the last one. He'll likely go for an inflated price as the owners with money fight to the bitter end. In much the same way, popular sleepers can go for "too much" if they're nominated when everyone has a full bankroll.
2021 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Each team
Ultimately, there's no "right" strategy other than planning on having ample depth one way or another. You want to make sure to save some bucks for the end of the auction to grab some $1 handcuffs and deep lotto tickets, but that's true if you're planning to start Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb or Zack Moss and Michael Carter in Week 1. Have a lane and stay in it -- swerving at the last second can lead to accidents and regret.
2021 FANTASY TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST
We'll continue updating these RB auction values until Week 1, so check back often.
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake Draft | Auction | Best Ball | Dynasty/Keeper | IDP
To get customized dollar values tailored to your league settings, check out FantasyPros' premium Auction Calculator. For customized mock auctions that you can do in minutes, check out FantasyPros' premium Salary Cap Simulator.
MORE 2021 FANTASY RANKINGS:
Superflex Top 200 | Superflex Top 200 PPR | IDP | Rookies | O-lines
2021 Fantasy Auction Values: RB
Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
Scoring based on standard, non-PPR formats.
All backs not listed valued at $0.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2021 Cheat Sheet
| Rank | Player | Dollar Value |
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey, CAR | $72 |
| 2 | Dalvin Cook, MIN | $69 |
| 3 | Derrick Henry, TEN | $67 |
| 4 | Alvin Kamara, NO | $53 |
| 5 | Jonathan Taylor, IND | $48 |
| 6 | Nick Chubb, CLE | $47 |
| 7 | Aaron Jones, GB | $47 |
| 8 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL | $47 |
| 9 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | $47 |
| 10 | Joe Mixon, CIN | $42 |
| 11 | Najee Harris, PIT | $42 |
| 12 | Antonio Gibson, WAS | $39 |
| 13 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | $38 |
| 14 | C. Edwards-helaire, KC | $34 |
| 15 | David Montgomery, CHI | $34 |
| 16 | Chris Carson, SEA | $33 |
| 17 | Josh Jacobs, LV | $33 |
| 18 | Miles Sanders, PHI | $31 |
| 19 | D'Andre Swift, DET | $29 |
| 20 | James Robinson, JAC | $26 |
| 21 | Gus Edwards, BAL | $24 |
| 22 | Darrell Henderson, LAR | $22 |
| 23 | Mike Davis, ATL | $22 |
| 24 | Chase Edmonds, ARI | $20 |
| 25 | Myles Gaskin, MIA | $19 |
| 26 | Damien Harris, NE | $18 |
| 27 | Kareem Hunt, CLE | $16 |
| 28 | Javonte Williams, DEN | $15 |
| 29 | Raheem Mostert, SF | $15 |
| 30 | Leonard Fournette, TB | $11 |
| 31 | Zack Moss, BUF | $10 |
| 32 | Melvin Gordon III, DEN | $10 |
| 33 | Trey Sermon, SF | $9 |
| 34 | Ronald Jones II, TB | $9 |
| 35 | James Conner, ARI | $9 |
| 36 | Kenyan Drake, LV | $7 |
| 37 | Michael Carter, NYJ | $7 |
| 38 | Sony Michel, LAR | $7 |
| 39 | Jamaal Williams, DET | $7 |
| 40 | AJ Dillon, GB | $6 |
| 41 | David Johnson, HOU | $6 |
| 42 | Devin Singletary, BUF | $6 |
| 43 | Tony Pollard, DAL | $5 |
| 44 | Tevin Coleman, NYJ | $4 |
| 45 | J.D. McKissic, WAS | $4 |
| 46 | James White, NE | $4 |
| 47 | Phillip Lindsay, HOU | $4 |
| 48 | Nyheim Hines, IND | $4 |
| 49 | Alexander Mattison, MIN | $4 |
| 50 | Malcolm Brown, MIA | $4 |
| 51 | Darrynton Evans, TEN | $3 |
| 52 | Latavius Murray, NO | $2 |
| 53 | Rashaad Penny, SEA | $2 |
| 54 | Darrel Williams, KC | $2 |
| 55 | Mark Ingram II, HOU | $2 |
| 56 | Damien Williams, CHI | $2 |
| 57 | Ty'Son Williams, BAL | $2 |
| 58 | Justin Jackson, LAC | $1 |
| 59 | Giovani Bernard, TB | $1 |
| 60 | Rhamondre Stevenson, NE | $1 |
2021 Fantasy PPR Auction Values: RB
Dollar values courtesy of FantasyPros and based on 12-team leagues with $200 budgets.
Scoring based on full-point PPR formats.
All backs not listed valued at $0.
| Rank | Player | Dollar Value |
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey, CAR | $69 |
| 2 | Dalvin Cook, MIN | $59 |
| 3 | Alvin Kamara, NO | $56 |
| 4 | Derrick Henry, TEN | $49 |
| 5 | Austin Ekeler, LAC | $43 |
| 6 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | $43 |
| 7 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL | $42 |
| 8 | Aaron Jones, GB | $42 |
| 9 | Jonathan Taylor, IND | $40 |
| 10 | Joe Mixon, CIN | $38 |
| 11 | Najee Harris, PIT | $37 |
| 12 | Nick Chubb, CLE | $36 |
| 13 | Antonio Gibson, WAS | $34 |
| 14 | C. Edwards-helaire, KC | $32 |
| 15 | D'Andre Swift, DET | $31 |
| 16 | Chris Carson, SEA | $29 |
| 17 | David Montgomery, CHI | $28 |
| 18 | Miles Sanders, PHI | $27 |
| 19 | Josh Jacobs, LV | $26 |
| 20 | James Robinson, JAC | $24 |
| 21 | Mike Davis, ATL | $22 |
| 22 | Chase Edmonds, ARI | $22 |
| 23 | Myles Gaskin, MIA | $18 |
| 24 | Darrell Henderson, LAR | $16 |
| 25 | Kareem Hunt, CLE | $15 |
| 26 | Gus Edwards, BAL | $15 |
| 27 | Javonte Williams, DEN | $12 |
| 28 | Damien Harris, NE | $11 |
| 29 | Raheem Mostert, SF | $10 |
| 30 | Leonard Fournette, TB | $8 |
| 31 | Kenyan Drake, LV | $8 |
| 32 | Zack Moss, BUF | $7 |
| 33 | J.D. McKissic, WAS | $7 |
| 34 | Melvin Gordon III, DEN | $7 |
| 35 | Jamaal Williams, DET | $6 |
| 36 | Michael Carter, NYJ | $6 |
| 37 | James Conner, ARI | $6 |
| 38 | Trey Sermon, SF | $6 |
| 39 | James White, NE | $6 |
| 40 | David Johnson, HOU | $5 |
| 41 | Nyheim Hines, IND | $5 |
| 42 | Ronald Jones II, TB | $5 |
| 43 | Devin Singletary, BUF | $5 |
| 44 | Tony Pollard, DAL | $5 |
| 45 | Sony Michel, LAR | $4 |
| 46 | AJ Dillon, GB | $4 |
| 47 | Phillip Lindsay, HOU | $3 |
| 48 | Tevin Coleman, NYJ | $3 |
| 49 | Tarik Cohen, CHI | $2 |
| 50 | Giovani Bernard, TB | $2 |
| 51 | Alexander Mattison, MIN | $2 |
| 52 | Malcolm Brown, MIA | $2 |
| 53 | Darrynton Evans, TEN | $2 |
| 54 | Latavius Murray, NO | $2 |
| 55 | Damien Williams, CHI | $1 |
| 56 | Darrel Williams, KC | $1 |
For further RB rankings and individual player analysis, click here.