Fantasy Football: Week 3 RB Rankings
Kevin Hanson joins SI for the 2019 season. His fantasy rankings have placed him in the Top 20 in each of the past two seasons among all the industry experts tracked by FantasyPros.com, and he has been in the Top 25 in six of the past eight years.
Check out more of Kevin’s rankings: QB, WR, TE, flex, DST and kicker.
RB Start of the Week: Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. HOU)
Melvin Gordon who?
Before the MG3 (threat of a) holdout, Ekeler had been much more efficient than Gordon on a per-touch basis. In a secondary role, he had averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry and 10.0 yards per reception in each of his first two seasons.
While Ekeler is less efficient this year (4.3 YPC and 13.6 Y/R), no running back has scored more fantasy points than he has through Week 2. So far this season, Ekeler has 29 carries for 124 yards, 12 catches for 163 yards and four total touchdowns.
Especially due to his ability as a receiver, six catches in each of his first two games, it raises his floor in games he’s bottled up as a rusher. And while teammate Justin Jackson will be involved on early downs, Ekeler has more than twice as many carries as Jackson (13). Despite some preseason speculation about a 50-50 split, Ekeler (41, 73.2%) has dominated touches over Jackson (15, 26.8%).
Continue to fire up Ekeler as an RB1.
RB Sit of the Week: Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins (vs. CHI)
After being a healthy scratch in Week 1, Peterson returned to his 2018 role with Derrius Guice (knee) out. In a favorable matchup, Peterson could find himself listed as a top-24 running back, but this isn’t the week.
In fact, he gets a terrible matchup against the stingy Bears defense. One year after leading the NFL in rushing defense, the Bears have allowed just 68.5 rushing yards per game (fifth-lowest) and 3.0 yards per carry.
If I had to start a Washington running back, at least in half-PPR and full PPR formats, I’d actually prefer Chris Thompson over Peterson.
Week 3 fantasy football running back rankings (half-PPR scoring):
• RB1: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs MIA
• RB2: Saquon Barkley, NYG @ TB
• RB3: Christian McCaffrey, CAR @ ARI
• RB4: Dalvin Cook, MIN vs OAK
• RB5: Austin Ekeler, LAC vs HOU
• RB6: Nick Chubb, CLE vs LAR
• RB7: David Johnson, ARI vs CAR
• RB8: Alvin Kamara, NO @ SEA
• RB9: Aaron Jones, GB vs DEN
• RB10: Chris Carson, SEA vs NO
• RB11: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ NE
• RB12: Leonard Fournette, JAC vs TEN
• RB13: Todd Gurley, LAR @ CLE
• RB14: Derrick Henry, TEN @ JAC
• RB15: Sony Michel, NE vs NYJ
• RB16: Marlon Mack, IND vs ATL
• RB17: Mark Ingram, BAL @ KC
• RB18: James Conner, PIT @ SF
• RB19: Kerryon Johnson, DET @ PHI
• RB20: Matt Breida, SF vs PIT
• RB21: David Montgomery, CHI @ WAS
• RB22: Josh Jacobs, OAK @ MIN
• RB23: Devonta Freeman, ATL @ IND
• RB24: Joe Mixon, CIN @ BUF
• RB25: Frank Gore, BUF vs CIN
• RB26: James White, NE vs NYJ
• RB27: Phillip Lindsay, DEN @ GB
• RB28: LeSean McCoy, KC vs BAL
• RB29: Peyton Barber, TB vs NYG
• RB30: Miles Sanders, PHI vs DET
• RB31: Raheem Mostert, SF vs PIT
• RB32: Royce Freeman, DEN @ GB
• RB33: Carlos Hyde, HOU @ LAC
• RB34: Duke Johnson, HOU @ LAC
• RB35: Tarik Cohen, CHI @ WAS
• RB36: Chris Thompson, WAS vs CHI
• RB37: Adrian Peterson, WAS vs CHI
• RB38: Kenyan Drake, MIA @ DAL
• RB39: Rex Burkhead, NE vs NYJ
• RB40: Malcolm Brown, LAR @ CLE
• RB41: Rashaad Penny, SEA vs NO
• RB42: Latavius Murray, NO @ SEA
• RB43: Justin Jackson, LAC vs HOU
• RB44: Giovani Bernard, CIN @ BUF
• RB45: Jamaal Williams, GB vs DEN
• RB46: Darwin Thompson, KC vs BAL
• RB47: Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ SF
• RB48: Tony Pollard, DAL vs MIA
• RB49: Jordan Howard, PHI vs DET
• RB50: Ito Smith, ATL @ IND
• RB51: Ronald Jones II, TB vs NYG
• RB52: Alexander Mattison, MIN vs OAK
• RB53: Dion Lewis, TEN @ JAC
• RB54: Darren Sproles, PHI vs DET
• RB55: Nyheim Hines, IND vs ATL
• RB56: Ty Johnson, DET @ PHI
• RB57: Jalen Richard, OAK @ MIN
• RB58: Jordan Wilkins, IND vs ATL
• RB59: Kalen Ballage, MIA @ DAL
• RB60: Mike Davis, CHI @ WAS
• RB61: Gus Edwards, BAL @ KC
• RB62: Justice Hill, BAL @ KC
• RB63: Dare Ogunbowale, TB vs NYG
• RB64: Jeff Wilson, SF vs PIT
• RB65: Ty Montgomery, NYJ @ NE
Week 3 fantasy football running back rankings (non-PPR scoring):
• RB1: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs MIA
• RB2: Saquon Barkley, NYG @ TB
• RB3: Christian McCaffrey, CAR @ ARI
• RB4: Dalvin Cook, MIN vs OAK
• RB5: Nick Chubb, CLE vs LAR
• RB6: Austin Ekeler, LAC vs HOU
• RB7: David Johnson, ARI vs CAR
• RB8: Alvin Kamara, NO @ SEA
• RB9: Chris Carson, SEA vs NO
• RB10: Aaron Jones, GB vs DEN
• RB11: Derrick Henry, TEN @ JAC
• RB12: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ NE
• RB13: Sony Michel, NE vs NYJ
• RB14: Leonard Fournette, JAC vs TEN
• RB15: Todd Gurley, LAR @ CLE
• RB16: James Conner, PIT @ SF
• RB17: Mark Ingram, BAL @ KC
• RB18: Marlon Mack, IND vs ATL
• RB19: Matt Breida, SF vs PIT
• RB20: David Montgomery, CHI @ WAS
• RB21: Kerryon Johnson, DET @ PHI
• RB22: Josh Jacobs, OAK @ MIN
• RB23: Joe Mixon, CIN @ BUF
• RB24: Frank Gore, BUF vs CIN
• RB25: Devonta Freeman, ATL @ IND
• RB26: Peyton Barber, TB vs NYG
• RB27: Phillip Lindsay, DEN @ GB
• RB28: LeSean McCoy, KC vs BAL
• RB29: Miles Sanders, PHI vs DET
• RB30: Royce Freeman, DEN @ GB
• RB31: James White, NE vs NYJ
• RB32: Raheem Mostert, SF vs PIT
• RB33: Carlos Hyde, HOU @ LAC
• RB34: Duke Johnson, HOU @ LAC
• RB35: Adrian Peterson, WAS vs CHI
• RB36: Tarik Cohen, CHI @ WAS
• RB37: Kenyan Drake, MIA @ DAL
• RB38: Malcolm Brown, LAR @ CLE
• RB39: Rashaad Penny, SEA vs NO
• RB40: Latavius Murray, NO @ SEA
• RB41: Chris Thompson, WAS vs CHI
• RB42: Justin Jackson, LAC vs HOU
• RB43: Rex Burkhead, NE vs NYJ
• RB44: Jamaal Williams, GB vs DEN
• RB45: Jordan Howard, PHI vs DET
• RB46: Darwin Thompson, KC vs BAL
• RB47: Giovani Bernard, CIN @ BUF
• RB48: Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ SF
• RB49: Ronald Jones II, TB vs NYG
• RB50: Tony Pollard, DAL vs MIA
• RB51: Ito Smith, ATL @ IND
• RB52: Alexander Mattison, MIN vs OAK
• RB53: Jordan Wilkins, IND vs ATL
• RB54: Ty Johnson, DET @ PHI
• RB55: Gus Edwards, BAL @ KC
• RB56: Dion Lewis, TEN @ JAC
• RB57: Nyheim Hines, IND vs ATL
• RB58: Kalen Ballage, MIA @ DAL
• RB59: Darren Sproles, PHI vs DET
• RB60: Jeff Wilson, SF vs PIT
• RB61: Mike Davis, CHI @ WAS
• RB62: Jalen Richard, OAK @ MIN
• RB63: Justice Hill, BAL @ KC
• RB64: Chase Edmonds, ARI vs CAR
• RB65: Ty Montgomery, NYJ @ NE
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