Week 1 Fantasy RB PPR Rankings: Must-starts, sleepers, potential busts

Jacob Camenker

Week 1 Fantasy RB PPR Rankings: Must-starts, sleepers, potential busts image

In a year that seems very thin at the running back position, those playing in PPR fantasy leagues have to have some sense of relief. Thanks to an increased volume of pass-catching RBs across the league, PPR formats create more viable RB2s and flex plays for fantasy owners to consider in start 'em, sit 'em decisions. Of course, there's added pressure at times to pick the right player, especially with some unsettled backfields across the league, but our Week 1 fantasy RB PPR rankings try to help sort through those troublesome committees.

For the most part, the top backs in standard and PPR are the same. Often, these players are three-down workhorses who see a high volume of carries but can also catch passes. Sure, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Alvin Kamara move up a bit because they project to be big-time receivers, but they're not moving a ton. Things really start to change in the RB2 and flex territory, as receiving backs become more valuable while traditional ground-and-pound guys move down a bit.

WEEK 1 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

The best example of the backs that move down are Derrick Henry and Mark Ingram. While both figure to get a good amount of carries, neither did much as a receiver last year. Henry has averaged less than a catch per game during his career while Ingram had just 29 targets last year and will have to compete with JK Dobbins for backfield work.

WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
QuarterbackWide receiverTight end | D/ST | Kicker

Tarik Cohen, he's a good example of a player that moves up in PPR formats. Along with him, James White, Duke Johnson, and Chris Thompson all fit the mold of traditional pass-catching backs that could be flex plays if given a big enough role in their respective offenses. Of the group, White has the most RB2 upside as he has been targeted 99 times per 16 games the past four years, though Cohen might have more value this week because of David Montgomery's groin injury (though Montgomery may play). Similarly, rookie Antonio Gibson might get more carries than expected this week after the release of Adrian Peterson, so he's a real PPR sleeper given what we already know about his pass-catching prowess. 

WEEK 1 DFS CASH LINEUPS:
Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel

Also, if you're in a variant of full-point PPR such as half-point PPR leagues, you can just split the difference between these rankings and our standard RB rankings. Again, it mostly impacts the RB2/flex range, so that's the spot to look out for.

WEEK 1 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS:
YahooDraftKings | FanDuel

Reminder: Check back for updates during the week. For individual RB analysis, click here.

Week 1 Fantasy RB PPR Rankings

These rankings are for full-point PPR leagues.

Rank Player
1 Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs. LV
2 Josh Jacobs, LV @ CAR
3 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC vs. HOU
4 Saquon Barkley, NYG vs. PIT
5 Alvin Kamara, NO vs. TB
6 Ezekiel Elliott, DAL @ LAR
7 Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. GB
8 Austin Ekeler, LAC @ CIN
9 Aaron Jones, GB @ MIN
10 Derrick Henry, TEN @ DEN
11 Kenyan Drake, ARZ @ SF
12 Joe Mixon, CIN vs. LAC
13 Chris Carson, SEA @ ATL
14 David Johnson, HOU @ KC
15 Nick Chubb, CLE @ BAL
16 Raheem Mostert, SF vs. ARZ
17 Le’Veon Bell, NYJ @ BUF
18 Boston Scott, PHI @ WAS
19 Devin Singletary, BUF vs. NYJ
20 Mark Ingram, BAL vs. CLE
21 James Conner, PIT @ NYG
22 Todd Gurley, ATL @ SEA
23 Jonathan Taylor, IND @ JAX
24 Tarik Cohen, CHI @ DET
25 Melvin Gordon, DEN vs. TEN
26 Cam Akers, LAR vs. DAL
27 David Montgomery, CHI @ DET
28 Leonard Fournette, TB @ NO
29 Kareem Hunt, CLE @ BAL
30 Antonio Gibson, WAS vs. PHI
31 James White, NE vs. MIA
32 Duke Johnson, HOU @ KC
33 Chris Thompson, JAX vs. IND
34 James Robinson, JAX vs. IND
35 Marlon Mack, IND @ JAX
36 JK Dobbins, BAL vs. CLE
37 Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs. TEN
38 D'Andre Swift, DET vs. CHI
39 Tevin Coleman, SF vs. ARZ
40 Matt Breida, MIA @ NE
41 Latavius Murray, NO vs. TB
42 Kerryon Johnson, DET vs. CHI
43 Sony Michel, NE vs. MIA
44 Jordan Howard, MIA @ NE
45 Zack Moss, BUF vs. NYJ
46 J.D. McKissic, WAS vs. PHI
47 Corey Clement, PHI @ WAS
48 Chase Edmonds, ARZ @ SF
49 Ronald Jones II, TB @ NO
50 Nyheim Hines, IND @ JAX
51 Jerick McKinnon, SF vs. ARZ
52 Jamaal Williams, GB @ MIN
53 Jalen Richard, LV @ CAR
54 Justin Jackson, LAC @ CIN
55 Darrell Henderson, LAR vs. DAL
56 Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. GB
57 Malcolm Brown, LAR vs. DAL
58 Dion Lewis, NYG vs. PIT
59 Giovani Bernard, CIN vs. LAC
60 Ito Smith, ATL vs. SEA
61 Carlos Hyde, SEA @ ATL
62 LeSean McCoy, TB @ NO
63 Tony Pollard, DAL @ LAR
64 Joshua Kelley, LAC @ CIN
65 Peyton Barber, WAS vs. PHI
66 Anthony McFarland Jr., PIT @ NYG
67 Frank Gore, NYJ @ BUF
68 AJ Dillon, GB @ MIN
69 Benny Snell Jr., PIT @ NYG
70 Bryce Love, WAS vs. PHI

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.