It doesn't take much to inflate stats early in the season. Will the Dolphins continue to allow 29.8 fantasy points per game to RBs? Seems unlikely, but that number could actually go up after they face Ezekiel Elliott this week. That's why he's atop our Week 3 fantasy RB rankings, though he's hardly the only top running back with a favorable matchup. Perhaps more interesting is the movement further down the list, as injuries create new sleepers and usage concerns cause others to drop.
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Alvin Kamara (@ Seahawks) is moving down slightly, but that's no fault of his own. A thumb injury to Drew Brees figures to hurt New Orleans' offense as a whole, limiting Kamara's chances for points. It's possible the Saints feed him the ball more, but defenses will be able to play the run more aggressively and there will likely be fewer touchdown opportunities, so Kamara will really have to work for his points. Chris Carson (vs. Saints) is also dropping because of usage concerns after he lost another fumble last week. Rashaad Penny ran for a 37-yard touchdown and handled most of the late carries for Seattle against Pittsburgh, so this situation could be turning into a full-fledged committee.
WEEK 3 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Injuries to James Conner (@ 49ers) and Devin Singletary (vs. Bengals) open the door for Jaylen Samuels (and possibly Benny Snell Jr.) and Frank Gore to move into starting lineups this week. Even if Singletary is active, Gore has appeal against a Bengals defense allowing by far the most FPPG to RBs. The Colts (vs. Falcons), Browns (vs. Rams), and Chargers (vs. Texans) have also given up a lot of fantasy points to RBs, but committee situations limit the value of some of their opponents' backs this week.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end (coming soon)
We're all-in on Dalvin Cook (vs. Raiders), Josh Jacobs (@ Vikings), and Austin Ekeler (vs. Texans) after their hot starts, and David Montgomery (@ Redskins) looks ready to take over as the Bears' primary back. There are still far too many committees for fantasy owners' likings, but it's just something we have to deal with and monitor closely for trends.
Reminder: These rankings will be adjusted throughout week, so check back often for the latest updates and analysis!
Week 3 Fantasy RB Rankings
These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues.
Player analysis coming soon
| 1 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. MIA. |
| 2 | Saquon Barkley, NYG @ TB. |
| 3 | Christian McCaffrey, CAR @ ARZ. |
| 4 | Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. OAK. |
| 5 | Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ NE. |
| 6 | Todd Gurley, LAR @ CLE. |
| 7 | Aaron Jones, GB vs. DEN. |
| 8 | Alvin Kamara, NO @ SEA. |
| 9 | Derrick Henry, TEN @ JAX. |
| 10 | Marlon Mack, IND vs. ATL. |
| 11 | Mark Ingram, BAL @ KC. |
| 12 | Josh Jacobs, OAK @ MIN. |
| 13 | Kerryon Johnson, DET @ PHI. |
| 14 | Nick Chubb, CLE vs. LAR. |
| 15 | David Johnson, ARZ vs. CAR. |
| 16 | James Conner, PIT @ SF. |
| 17 | Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. HOU. |
| 18 | Joe Mixon, CIN @ BUF. |
| 19 | Leonard Fournette, JAX vs. TEN. |
| 20 | Sony Michel, NE vs. NYJ. |
| 21 | David Montgomery, CHI @ WAS. |
| 22 | Devin Singletary, BUF vs. CIN. |
| 23 | Chris Carson, SEA vs. NO. |
| 24 | Frank Gore, BUF vs. CIN. |
| 25 | Devonta Freeman, ATL @ IND. |
| 26 | Matt Breida, SF vs. PIT. |
| 27 | Phillip Lindsay, DEN @ GB. |
| 28 | Damien Williams, KC vs. BAL. |
| 29 | Peyton Barber, TB vs. NYG. |
| 30 | Carlos Hyde, HOU @ LAC. |
| 31 | Raheem Mostert, SF vs. PIT. |
| 32 | Rashaad Penny, SEA vs. NO. |
| 33 | Royce Freeman, DEN @ GB. |
| 34 | James White, NE vs. NYJ. |
| 35 | LeSean McCoy, KC vs. BAL. |
| 36 | Adrian Peterson, WAS vs. CHI. |
| 37 | Tarik Cohen, CHI @ WAS. |
| 38 | Miles Sanders, PHI vs. DET. |
| 39 | Duke Johnson Jr., HOU @ LAC. |
| 40 | Ito Smith, ATL @ IND. |
| 41 | Jordan Howard, PHI vs. DET. |
| 42 | Ronald Jones, TB vs. NYG. |
| 43 | Kenyan Drake, MIA @ DAL. |
| 44 | Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ SF |
| 45 | Justin Jackson, LAC vs. HOU |
| 46 | Dion Lewis, TEN @ JAX. |
| 47 | Latavius Murray, NO @ SEA. |
| 48 | Gus Edwards, BAL @ KC. |
| 49 | Malcolm Brown, LAR @ CLE. |
| 50 | Chris Thompson, WAS vs. CHI. |
| 51 | Nyheim Hines, IND vs. ATL. |
| 52 | Kalen Ballage, MIA @ DAL. |
| 53 | Jamaal Williams, GB vs. DEN. |
| 54 | Mike Davis, CHI @ WAS. |
| 55 | Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. OAK. |
| 56 | Giovani Bernard, CIN @ BUF. |
| 57 | C.J. Anderson, DET @ PHI. |
| 58 | Ty Montgomery, NYJ @ NE. |
| 59 | Darren Sproles, PHI vs. DET. |
| 60 | Rex Burkhead, NE vs. NYJ |