2022 Fantasy Football Rankings Breakdown: Running Backs

May 25, 2022

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This is the third of my four-part series discussing our initial 2022 rankings. Regular readers may remember the importance of touches when looking for fantasy points at the running back position.

More Positional Breakdowns: QB | WR | TE

Workload

In 2021, there were eight backs who averaged at least 20.0 touches per game: Derrick Henry (29.6), Najee Harris (22.9), Dalvin Cook (22.3), Jonathan Taylor (22.1), Alvin Kamara (21.3), Joe Mixon (20.9), Elijah Mitchell (20.5), and David Montgomery (20.4). In half-PPR scoring, all eight finished in the top 15 in per-game scoring. Five of the eight finished in the top six in scoring.

There were six more backs who finished in the 17- to 20-touch range: Christian McCaffrey (19.4), Antonio Gibson (18.5), Nick Chubb (18.3), Leonard Fournette (17.8), Josh Jacobs (17.4), and Austin Ekeler (17.0). Four of these six backs finished in the top 10 in per-game scoring, while the other two finished inside the top 20. (Austin Ekeler finished RB3, which highlights the importance of receptions when evaluating lower-workload players.)

To sum up, all 14 backs who led the league in touches per game finished inside the top 20 in half-PPR per-game scoring. Twelve of the 14 finished inside the top 15.

In other words, follow the touches.