2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs 11-20

AUG. 22 UPDATE: Najee Harris had a great showing in his third preseason game. His rushing numbers look bleak – four carries, 10 yards – but he caught a pair of passes for 53 receiving yards, including a 46-yard reception where he made two defenders miss. If Ben Roethlisberger’s arm strength has returned, Harris will be in position for more touches and potential scores.

Pittsburgh’s offensive line is a concern, but Najee Harris will be getting all of the touches in Pittsburgh’s backfield, making him the top fantasy rookie.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,160 rushing yards. 48 catches. 380 receiving yards. 10 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 214.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 262.

AUG. 17 UPDATE: I was down on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, even listing him on my 2021 Fantasy Football Busts page, but after thinking about it, I forgot to factor in the vast upgrades the Chiefs have made to their offensive line. Edwards-Helaire struggled last year after the season opener, but he had poor blocking in front of him most of the time.

Big things were expected from Clyde Edwards-Helaire when Damien Williams opted out of the 2020 season. That changed when Le’Veon Bell was signed. Bell won’t be around next year, but it’s still tough to trust Edwards-Helaire as a starter for that reason.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,030 rushing yards. 48 catches. 400 receiving yards. 11 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 209.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 257.

AUG. 17 UPDATE: I was concerned with David Montgomery’s blocking after the Bears jettisoned their two starting tackles from last season, but they signed Jason Peters to add some stability to the offensive line.

AUG. 4 UPDATE: Second-round rookie Teven Jenkins hasn’t practiced in training camp yet because of back tightness. This is obviously bad news for a Chicago offensive line that was shaky in the first place. Worse blocking will obviously hurt David Montgomery’s outlook.

There was a silver lining to Tarik Cohen’s injury, and that was David Montgomery emerging as a potent receiving threat out of the backfield. Montgomery played well late in the year despite multiple injuries to the offensive line.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,170 rushing yards. 42 catches. 310 receiving yards. 10 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 208.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 250.

AUG. 24 UPDATE: James Robinson is back in the conversation to be a second-round fantasy pick in the wake of Travis Etienne’s Lisfranc injury.

James Robinson was a great surprise in his rookie year. He was an excellent rusher and was a huge part of Jacksonville’s passing attack. Unfortunately, Urban Meyer didn’t seem to watch any of Robinson’s tape because he used a first-round pick on Travis Etienne.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,150 rushing yards. 48 catches. 330 receiving yards. 10 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 208.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 256.

Miles Sanders’ usage last year was very frustrating. He had some big games, but would disappear on some occasions because Doug Pederson would forget about him. You may have to deal with this inconsistency if you roster Sanders in 2021, but remember that the Eagles now have a superior coaching staff.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,140 rushing yards. 43 catches. 330 receiving yards. 10 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 207.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 250.

AUG. 4 UPDATE: Reports indicate that the Bengals’ offense is really struggling in training camp thus far. Joe Burrow has looked much worse than last year, which can’t be a surprise because he isn’t a full year removed from a brutal knee injury. Meanwhile, the offensive line has struggled despite the addition of Riley Reiff. This could just be some FUD from the media, but a hobbled Burrow getting poor blocking isn’t something unexpected.

Joe Mixon could have a huge 2021 campaign if he stays healthy. His offensive line will almost certainly improve in the wake of the Jackson Carman second-round pick, and Joe Burrow will continue to command attention away from opposing defenses.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,220 rushing yards. 41 catches. 300 receiving yards. 9 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 206.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 247.

AUG. 12 UPDATE: There’s good news coming out of Indianapolis, as Carson Wentz is now “trending toward being available” for the season opener. We’ll see what happens, but this definitely makes me more bullish on all the Indianapolis players.

AUG. 3 UPDATE: Like Carson Wentz, Quenton Nelson will miss up to 12 weeks with a foot injury. This will obviously hurt Jonathan Taylor’s fantasy upside.

AUG. 2 UPDATE: Carson Wentz will undergo foot surgery to remove a troublesome bone. He will be out 5-12 weeks. That’s a wide range, and I would lean toward the latter number in that projection because Wentz may not be 100 percent when he returns to action anyway. All Indianapolis players should be avoided except for Jonathan Taylor, who will take a smaller hit than the other players.

JULY 31 UPDATE: Carson Wentz is out indefinitely due to a foot injury he suffered Thursday. This might just be nothing, but Wentz could have a major issue as well. If you’re drafting this weekend, avoid Wentz, move Jonathan Taylor several spots, and downgrade all the Colts’ receiving threats by 2-3 rounds.

Jonathan Taylor split the workload early in the season, but eventually took over as the team’s main back down the stretch. He dominated late in the year and should be viewed as a lower-end RB1 heading into 2021.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,090 rushing yards. 36 catches. 290 receiving yards. 11 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 204.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 240.

AUG. 31 UPDATE: Damien Harris’ stock has improved in the wake of Mac Jones winning the starting quarterback job. Each Cam Newton scramble would be one fewer carry that Harris would receive, which is particularly significant in the red zone.

Damien Harris took over as the Patriots’ starting running back in October and played rather well. He’s only a flex option, due to his lack of work in the passing game.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,130 rushing yards. 10 catches. 70 receiving yards. 11 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 196.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 206.

Chris Carson struggled to stay healthy last year, so he could rebound in 2021. Then again, he may lose work to Rashaad Penny, making him a risky early-round choice.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 980 rushing yards. 41 catches. 290 receiving yards. 10 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 191.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 232.

AUG. 28 UPDATE: J.K. Dobbins could be out for the year, meaning Gus Edwards has entered RB2 territory.

Gus Edwards is currently projected to be Baltimore’s No. 2 running back. He’s not worth rostering at the moment, but make sure you add him if J.K. Dobbins suffers an injury.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,050 rushing yards. 15 catches. 100 receiving yards. 11 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 191.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 232.

AUG. 30 UPDATE: Raheem Mostert played one drive of the preseason finale, but he looked great. He was dominant on the possession, rushing for 53 yards on seven carries. Trey Sermon also had a positive performance – seven carries, 37 yards – but it’s clear that Mostert has the job secured at the moment because he didn’t see any action once Sermon stepped onto the field. Mostert has been pushed down fantasy mock drafts enough that he’s currently a great value.

Raheem Mostert missed too many games in 2020 to reward his fantasy owners. That could make him a nice bounce-back candidate, though it’ll be frustrating when Kyle Shanahan feeds the ball to other backs.

Projected 2021 Fantasy Stats: 1,080 rushing yards. 22 catches. 180 receiving yards. 9 total TDs.
Projected 2021 Fantasy Points: 190.
Projected 2021 PPR Fantasy Points: 212.