These 2015 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings will be updated often throughout the spring and summer, so make sure you check back from time to time. Also, be sure to check out my other Fantasy Football Rankings articles, which will include sleepers, busts, tons of 2015 Fantasy Football mock drafts and other material. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings - Running Backs (Sept. 10):
Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-40 | 41-75
-
Lamar Miller, RB, Dolphins. Bye: 5.
AUG. 30 UPDATE: Lamar Miller is someone you should target as one of your starting running backs. He was superb in the team’s dress rehearsal, gaining 22 yards on six carries to go along with five catches for 31 receiving yards. The Dolphins are determined to ride him this year, and he’s obviously a big part of the offense. Unless he gets injured, Miller stands a great chance to finish as a top-10 fantasy running back.
AUG. 14 UPDATE: It’s hard to say if Miami’s blocking was that good, or if Chicago’s run defense was that bad, but Lamar Miller was able to turn three carries into 32 yards in the preseason opener. His numbers could’ve been even better, as he had an 8-yard scamper wiped out by a hold. Miller wasn’t on the field for the team’s goal-line package, but he never reentered the game after that time, so Joe Philbin could have just wanted him done for the evening.
JULY 29 UPDATE: Lamar Miller is going to receive more carries this year, according to head coach Joe Philbin. Miller wasn’t given more than 19 carries in any game in 2014, but it appears as though that will change.
Lamar Miller was playing behind Knowshon Moreno to begin the season, but Moreno’s injury opened the door for the former Miami product. Miller was terrific, tallying 1,099 rushing yards with 38 receptions. He’s currently the primary Dolphins’ back with Moreno gone. He’s a top-15 running back as it currently stands.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 1,130 rushing yards. 40 catches. 290 receiving yards. 9 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 196.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 236.
-
Justin Forsett, RB, Ravens. Bye: 9. 
AUG. 23 UPDATE: Justin Forsett was probably the only bright spot for the Ravens in their blowout loss at Philadelphia. He opened with a big gain of 14 yards and then burst for six yards, thanks to massive holes created by the offensive line. Forsett also caught one of Joe Flacco’s three completions. He’s going to have a huge season in Marc Trestman’s offense.
Many expected Bernard Pierce or even Lorenzo Taliaferro to take over for Ray Rice once the troubled running back was released. Justin Forsett stepped up, rushing for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns on a 5.4 YPC. He also caught 44 balls. Forsett won’t run as well next year with Gary Kubiak gone, but his reception total should go up because Marc Trestman is the new offensive coordinator.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 950 rushing yards. 64 catches. 480 receiving yards. 8 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 191.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 255.
-
Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers. Bye: 10.
AUG. 31 UPDATE: Carlos Hyde once again ran extremely well. He was given just four carries against Denver, but he turned them into 28 yards. He broke numerous tackles on a 17-yard burst. Hyde will handle the majority of the workload this year, and he’s one of my favorite players to target in the Round 3-4 range.
AUG. 24 UPDATE: Carlos Hyde was the most impressive starting offensive player against the Cowboys. The second-year back picked up 39 yards on just seven carries. He ran with great power and sprinkled in some dazzling moves, including a terrific cut-back on a 17-yard run. He also showed plus hands, snatching a 6-yard reception. There was some concern that Hyde would be in a committee this year, but he handled the workload himself in the second preseason game, and if he continues to perform like this, the 49ers won’t be able to take him off the field.
JULY 30 UPDATE: Carlos Hyde, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, will be part of a running back rotation involving two or three other players. Hyde’s appeal was that he would be getting all of the carries in the wake of Frank Gore’s departure, but it sounds like he’ll be sharing too much of a workload.
Frank Gore signed with the Colts, meaning there’s major potential for Carlos Hyde to be a stud running back in 2015. Hyde looked good as a rookie, gaining four yards per carry despite playing behind an injury-ridden offensive line.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 1,190 rushing yards. 25 catches. 160 receiving yards. 9 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 189.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 214.
-
Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins. Bye: 8.
Robert Griffin will be back next season, which is good news for Alfred Morris’ fantasy outlook. Roy Helu’s departure is also a positive. Morris saw his YPC drop by half a yard in 2014, but his average could improve if the Redskins bolster their offensive line.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 1,120 rushing yards. 21 catches. 150 receiving yards. 9 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 181.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 202.
-
Frank Gore, RB, Colts. Bye: 8. 
Frank Gore is now 32, but he’ll have a starting job next season because he rushed for 1,106 yards in 2014. Gore could be in position to score plenty of touchdowns in Andrew Luck’s offense.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 1,050 rushing yards. 10 catches. 80 receiving yards. 9 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 167.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 177.
-
Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers. Bye: 6.
AUG. 31 UPDATE: Doug Martin didn’t begin the dress rehearsal well, getting stuffed on a few occasions, including a third-and-1. However, Martin made some brilliant runs after that. He burst through a hole on a 19-yard touchdown and then did some tough rushing, muscling through some tacklers for a gain of 10. Martin appears to be in great shape for the first time since his rookie campaign, so make an effort to grab him as a sleeper.
AUG. 25 UPDATE: Doug Martin was terrific versus Cincinnati. The fourth-year back rushed for 59 yards on just six carries. He opened by breaking numerous tackles on a gain of 15, and then he topped that, showing patience and then bursting through three potential tacklers for a 30-yard rush. Martin, who also had a solid blitz pick-up, added a 9-yard catch to his stat line. Martin is incredibly underrated this year. He has drawn glowing reports all offseason, and it’s nice to see him back that up with a strong preseason performance.
JULY 11 UPDATE: This is the second “up” arrow that Doug Martin has received this offseason pertaining to his fantasy stock. Martin has looked good at OTAs, and it’s now being reported that he’s down to 210 pounds from 225 last season. Martin is definitely a solid, buy-low candidate.
JUNE 24 UPDATE: Doug Martin has quietly enjoyed his best offseason in his career. Entering his contract year, Martin has plenty of motivation, much like Mark Ingram last season. He’ll be starting over Charles Sims, so he’s worth a look in the middle rounds of your draft.
Doug Martin was a major disappointment this past season, rushing for 494 yards on a 3.7 YPC average. He may not be Tampa’s starter in 2015, but he’ll be in the mix.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 1,090 rushing yards. 14 catches. 90 receiving yards. 8 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 166.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 180.
-
Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers. Bye: 10.
AUG. 30 UPDATE: Melvin Gordon struggled again. He was given 14 carries versus Seattle, but turned them into just 34 yards. This has been a concern this offseason, and it has to do with Gordon stopping his legs when he reaches the line of scrimmage because he doesn’t see the types of huge holes he enjoyed at Wisconsin. The silver lining is that Philip Rivers targeted Gordon twice.
AUG. 14 UPDATE: We didn’t see much from Melvin Gordon in the preseason opener. The rookie running back carried the ball six times, but gained just 11 yards. It was far from an impressive effort, but it’s not like he had much help. For example, he was hit in the backfield on his first carry, broke a tackle, but yet was still dragged down for a loss of a yard. The reason why I’m giving Gordon a down arrow this week is because he was removed on third down in favor of Danny Woodhead, who scored a touchdown from eight yards out, vulturing a score from Gordon. The Wisconsin product will start, but if the Chargers are behind, Woodhead will see the field often.
AUG. 2 UPDATE: Melvin Gordon has reportedly had issues with pass protection thus far in training camp. This won’t prevent the Chargers from using Gordon on early downs, but he won’t be seen on third downs and in 2-minute situations, meaning his reception total won’t be very high.
The Chargers didn’t move up for Melvin Gordon to keep him on the bench. They’re going to use him as a three-down back. Gordon, projected to be the next Jamaal Charles, is the top rookie in re-draft leagues because of Todd Gurley’s injury. I’ll take Gurley over Gordon in dynasty formats, but the San Diego runner is a close second.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 900 rushing yards. 25 catches. 170 receiving yards. 7 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 159.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 184.
-
Chris Ivory, RB, Jets. Bye: 5. 
AUG. 26 UPDATE: We saw Chris Ivory catch some passes in the second preseason game, and it turns out that wasn’t a fluke. Ivory has been doing lots of work in the passing game during training camp, so it appears as though he’s set to have an uptick in receptions. He’s an underrated RB2.
AUG. 22 UPDATE: Chris Ivory had some misleading stats in the second preseason game. He gained 36 yards and a touchdown on five carries to go along with three catches for 20 receiving yards. However, 33 of his rushing yards came on one run (for a touchdown) against Atlanta’s second-string defense. Ivory had no running room versus the starters – save for a 13-yard gain nullified by a hold – as the offensive line struggled. Having said that, Ivory is worth a stock-up arrow. He saw three targets go his way, as Fitzpatrick’s arm is so limited that he had no choice but to dump the ball off to his big back. Ivory’s receiving yardage should rise this year, thanks to Fitzpatrick’s incompetence.
AUG. 15 UPDATE: The overrated Chris Johnson is gone, so the Jets’ starting running back job belongs solely to Chris Ivory. That’s a good thing, as Ivory had a strong preseason opener. He rushed for 25 yards on just six carries, which included a converted fourth-and-1 try. Ivory ran with great power, appearing poised for a solid 2015 campaign. He’s going a bit later than he should in fantasy drafts.
AUG. 7 UPDATE: Chris Ivory has been receiving the bulk of the first-team touches in training camp, and he seems poised to handle the majority of the workload this season. With Chris Johnson gone, the job is now Ivory’s, yet people haven’t caught on because Ivory’s ADP is pretty low.
Chris Johnson is gone, Stevan Ridley is hurt, and Zac Stacy kind of sucks, so Chris Ivory should have the workload all to himself. He’s a bit of a fantasy sleeper right now for that reason.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 960 rushing yards. 27 catches. 200 receiving yards. 7 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 158.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 185.
-
T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars. Bye: 8.
AUG. 8 UPDATE: Joique Bell has been on the active-PUP list since training camp began. However, he’s close to coming off of it; he’s been sprinting and cutting well in practice. He should be good to go for the season opener.
It’s not a question of Melvin Gordon versus Todd Gurley for re-draft leagues; it’s T.J. Yeldon versus Gurley. The latter may not be ready for the opener, so Yeldon is the safer option. He should be productive, as Jacksonville made several improvements to its offensive line.
Projected 2013 Fantasy Stats: 920 rushing yards. 8 catches. 50 receiving yards. 7 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 149.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 157.
-
Mark Ingram, RB, Saints. Bye: 11.
AUG. 23 UPDATE: Mark Ingram signed a contract this offseason, but it doesn’t appear as though he’s ready to rest on his laurels. He looked good against the Patriots, ripping off an 11-yard run. However, his pass-catching ability was the story. He caught three passes for 45 yards, prompting the Saints’ play-by-play guy to state, “Ingram has looked great catching the ball in training camp.”
Mark Ingram had been a disappointment for three years, but he finally played like a first-round pick this past season, rushing for 964 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 29 balls. I wouldn’t completely trust Ingram though, as he may have just been playing hard because he was in a contract year.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Stats: 880 rushing yards. 26 catches. 170 receiving yards. 7 total TDs.
Projected 2015 Fantasy Points: 147.
Projected 2015 PPR Fantasy Points: 173.
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings - Running Backs (Sept. 10):
Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-40 | 41-75
More 2015 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/10 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/10 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/10 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/10 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Flex Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 8/27 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 8/27 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/14 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/14 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator - 9/10 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 9/3 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/27 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/20 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/13 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Experts Draft - 8/11 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/7 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 8/6 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 7/31 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 7/23 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft (2-QB) - 7/15 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Mock Draft (PPR) - 7/6 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2015 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/10 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/10 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/10 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/10 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/10 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/10 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Top 200 Rankings - 9/4 (Chet)
Chet Gresham's 2015 Fantasy Football Positional Cheat Sheet - 9/4 (Chet)
Chet Gresham's 2015 Fantasy Football Overall Cheat Sheet - 9/4 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Articles:
2015 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Training Camp - 9/10 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Tight End Matchup Chart: Week 1 - 9/9 (Chet)
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Matchup Chart: Week 1 - 9/8 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/8 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Running Back Matchup Chart: Week 1 - 9/7 (Chet)
Fantasy Football Quarterback Matchup Chart: Week 1 - 9/6 (Chet)
2015 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 9/4 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 9/4 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Quarterback Targets - 9/4 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Busts - 9/4 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Goal-Line Running Backs - 9/3 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football News - 9/1 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football: Better Than ADP - 8/31 (Chet)
Daily Fantasy Football: Running Backs - 8/27 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football: Late-Round Running Back Fliers - 8/24 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Fallout: Jordy Nelson Injury - 8/24 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Players to Target - 8/22 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 8/22 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/20 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football: The Perfect Draft - 8/20 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Players to Avoid: LeSean McCoy - 8/18 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Values: Wide Receivers - 8/14 (Chet)
Daily Fantasy Football: Wide Receivers - 7/29 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Value Profile: Brian Quick - 7/22 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football Value Profile: Eli Manning - 7/17 (Walt)
Daily Fantasy Football: A Primer - 7/10 (Chet)
2015 Fantasy Football Value Profile: Jarvis Landry - 7/7 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Offseason Stock Report: Up - 5/15 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Offseason Stock Report: Down - 5/15 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 2/17 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football: Overdrafted Players - 2/15 (Walt)
2015 Fantasy Football: Running Backs with Most Carries - 2/15 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Nov. 17
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 13
NFL Power Rankings - Nov. 12
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
|
Injured/injury risk
|
|
Potential bust
|
|
Potential sleeper
|
|
Rank higher in touchdown leagues
|
|
Rank lower in touchdown leagues
|
||
|
|
Rank higher in PPR (points per reception) leagues
|
|
Rank lower in PPR leagues
|
