2020 College Football Draft Kit: Running Backs

We're continuing our 2020 Draft Kit roll-out for the upcoming college football season with a look at the top running backs in the fantasy landscape. Our staff of beat writers pitched in to write outlooks for the top running backs in the nation and give a glimpse of what to expect from this position group. 

Follow along with our Draft Kit series here, including our 2020 Quarterback Rankings.

*Note: Rankings are for PPR Scoring. Do you play a different format? Rankings can be adjusted to fit your league settings in the Custom Rankings area.

1.) Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

Hubbard was the best running back in the nation last season with 2,094 yards rushing which was the 16th most in FBS History. He added 21 touchdowns to go along with 12 100-yard rushing performances in his 13 games in 2019. This led to a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award and unanimous All-American honors. Oklahoma State is primed for a breakout season as they return 19 starters including sophomore quarterback, Spencer Sanders and star receiver Tylan Wallace. With Sanders and Wallace able to stretch the field, there's no reason to think that Hubbard can't be fantasy's top running back once again. Although Hubbard is a candidate for touchdown regression, he's no doubt going to be a workhorse during his senior season. -Nick Grays

2.) Kenny Gainwell, Memphis

Gainwell burst onto the scene with a dominant 2019 season as a redshirt freshman, showcasing elite rushing and pass-catching ability as he finished fourth in fantasy points among running backs. He was one of just two players with at least 200 carries and 45 targets, joining Eno Benjamin in that class, but Gainwell finished with 1,873 total yards and 15 scores while Benjamin posted just 1,430 on 50 more total touches. Gainwell's pass-catching ability makes him a top notch fantasy asset -- he not only sees volume in that area, but he provides rare efficiency, too. His 10.0 YPT was the best mark in the nation by almost two full yards among backs with at least 45 targets. And with Memphis bringing its offensive nucleus back, there's little reason to predict a drop-off for the electric Gainwell. -John McKechnie

3.) Travis Etienne, Clemson

Etienne's surprise return for his senior season allows him to be among the nation's top backs for a third straight year. He's surpassed 1,600 yards in each of the past two seasons, scoring 43 times in that span. His 207 carries in 2019 were a personal best, and while 13.8 totes per game is a smaller number than most other workhorse backs, Etienne's elite speed leads to big play after big play. Etienne emerged as a viable receiver last year as well, snagging 37 balls for 432 yards and four scores after combining for 17-135-2, and figures to see consistent targets with the Tigers' using an inexperienced receiving group. A known commodity, Etienne profiles as one the best, and safest, running backs in the country. -- Chris Bennett

4.) Jaret Patterson, Buffalo

Few players are the engine of their offense like Patterson is for Buffalo. The Bulls ran it 68.9 percent of the time in 2019 -- the most of any non-option offense -- and Patterson was loaded up with 47 percent of those carries (280 total in the regular season). He's back to do it again in 2020 and even though Kevin Marks is a capable complement to him, Patterson is still the focal point for Buffalo. No player averaged more yards per game against conference opponents than Patterson in 2019 (157.88) and he racked up 14 rushing scores in those eight games. The one knock to his game is a lack of passing-game production, but when Patterson's rushing volume is this high and consistent, he remains a Top 5 running back regardless of league format. --John McKechnie

5.) Najee Harris, Alabama

Harris shouldered the bulk of the rushing load for the Tide in 2019. He rushed 209 times for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. By contrast, no other Alabama running back had even 100 carries. Harris finished fourth in the SEC in rushing yards, while he tied for second in scores on the ground. With Alabama losing Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs from the passing game, expect Alabama to rely even more heavily on the rushing attack in 2020. Harris averaged a stout 5.9 yards per carry as a junior, but he should be able to build on last year's numbers this season. -- Jesse Siegel

6.) Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

Hill is the leading returning rusher in the SEC, having amassed 1,350 yards on the ground in 2019. He led the SEC with 242 carries, and there is little reason to believe the Bulldogs won't rely on him as their featured offensive option again in 2020. Hill's role in the passing game suffered a bit last season, though inconsistent quarterback play could be largely to blame. His touches as a receiver should increase with graduate transfer K.J. Costello coming over from Stanford and Mike Leach installing his Air Raid system. Hill has never averaged less than five yards per-carry during his time in Starkville, and he tied for fifth in the SEC with 10 rushing touchdowns last season. Hill should be the focal point of MSU's offense once again. --Jesse Siegel

7.) Kobe Lewis, Central Michigan

The runway is clear for Lewis to be one of college football's biggest workhorses. Jonathan Ward took 183 carries last season, 35 of which came in the red zone, and 13 of those resulted in touchdowns. Lewis had 44 red zone carries by comparison and only eight of them went for scores. With the potential for even more red-zone rushes, Lewis' touchdown count could spike this season. Meanwhile, Central Michigan has very little in terms of proven depth at running back behind Lewis, so his rushing share should be among the highest in the nation. As for Lewis' skill set, he averaged 5.9 YPC on 182 carries and also caught 76 percent of his targets in 2019. That type of explosiveness and efficiency with a major workload increase on tap make Lewis one of the top fantasy running back options in the nation this season. --John McKechnie

8.) Journey Brown, Penn State

Brown's explosion down the stretch gave a glimpse of how good he can be in the starting role. He took 78 carries for 593 yards and nine touchdowns over his final five games, two of which came against Top-25 run defenses. Brown enters 2020 as the No.1 in Penn State's backfield, and Penn State could be more run-oriented under new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who comes to Happy Valley after calling run plays over 60 percent of the time at Minnesota. Brown has talented teammates like Noah Cain and Devyn Ford behind him, so he may fall shy of being a true workhorse. Still, Brown should push for 200 carries with explosive per-carry efficiency and big-play upside, making him a fringe Top 12 running back. --John McKechnie

9.) SaRodorick Thompson, Texas Tech

Thompson was a pleasant surprise in PPR formats in 2019 as he paired 765 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground with 39 catches for 154 yards on 48 targets. That type of versatility in a dynamic Texas Tech offense could add up to a enticing fantasy resume for the upcoming season. Texas Tech has a lot of positives going for them as they also return quarterback Alan Bowman and a deep receiving corps. As long as Thompson can establish a consistent workload each and every week, he should be a great value for the 2020 season. --Nick Grays

10.) CJ Marable, Coastal Carolina

Marable bounced back from a letdown sophomore season to turn in a strong 2019, turning in 204 carries for 1,085 yards and a career-best 11 touchdowns. On top of that being the second 1,000-rushing yard season of his career, Marable also showed promising development as a pass-catcher. His target count exploded to 44 from 21 the previous year, and he answered the bell with 38 catches for 295 yards and three touchdowns. His three-down skill set where he's shouldering a heavy workload on top of being relied upon in the passing game makes Marable a reliable asset. Marable doesn't have the eye-popping explosiveness of other backs who go in the fifth-to-sixth rounds of drafts, but his high-volume role and PPR upside make him a worthy selection in that range. --John McKechnie

11.) Breece Hall, Iowa State

Hall was one of college football's most electric players when he came on the scene at mid-season as he averaged 101.6 yards per game and racked up nine touchdowns on the ground in just eight games played. The versatile sophomore can really do it all with consistent rushing production and his work in the passing game as he did convert 23 of 28 targets for 252 yards and a touchdown. With a solid quarterback prospect in Brock Purdy and a surging Iowa State offense, the sky is the limit for Hall who could become one of fantasy's top players in 2020. --Nick Grays

12.) Rakeem Boyd, Arkansas

Boyd was one of the few bright spots for Arkansas in 2019, rushing for 1,133 yards and eight touchdowns on 184 carries. He's back for his senior year and will be playing in a revamped offense under coach Sam Pittman and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. Pittman figures to get the offensive line in gear and Briles is an accomplished play caller and designer, so things are looking up for Boyd compared to last season when he still managed to post some of the best numbers in the SEC. --John McKechnie

13.) Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State

Injuries slowed Jefferson in 2019 as he averaged just 4.8 YPC and was far less involved in the passing game with just nine catches in nine games. He still managed 10 total touchdowns but it was still a far cry from his freshman season in which he racked up 1,380 rushing yards and 12 scores on 5.8 YPC to go with 25 grabs for 147 yards. Oregon State has no proven options behind Jefferson in the backfield now that Artavis Pierce is gone, so the team will be leaning on him for as much as he can handle. If Jefferson avoids the injury bug, he could push for one of the biggest workloads in the nation. The injury-riddled 2019 will steer some drafters away from Jefferson, but his backers could be in for a huge payoff should he play 12 games. --John McKechnie

14.) Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State

Rivers has been steadily getting touches since he was a freshman in 2017, and his numbers have steadily gotten better in that time. His best campaign so far came in 2019, when he rushed for 899 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a junior, he also added 43 catches for 352 yards and three scores. The touchdowns are great, but there are concerns about a player heading into his senior season without a 1,000-yard campaign to his name. The Bulldogs are bringing in a new starting quarterback and no running back behind Rivers has more than four career receptions. This could be Rivers' chance to have over 200 carries in a season. --Chris Morgan

15.) Max Borghi, Washington State

Washington State is moving on from Mike Leach, and that means things could look very different for Borghi this season. Nick Rolovich and his pass-happy system is now in Pullman after a successful run at Hawai'i, but while his offense leans on the pass compared to the average college offense, it's significantly more balanced than what Leach was running. Hawai'i called passing plays 61.5 percent of the time, good enough for fourth in the nation in 2019. Washington State led the nation in passing play percentage at 77.9 -- a full 14 percent more than the next-most pass-happy team (San Jose State). All of this is to say that Borghi stands to see a major increase in carries in 2020. He was effective with a 6.5 YPC mark and 11 touchdowns on 121 regular season carries last season. Hawaii's leading rusher had 174 carries, for comparison. Borghi may see a fairly steep dropoff in targets, however, and that effects his PPR upside. Still, he won't completely disappear from the passing game, and his rushing increase should result in Borghi turning in start-worthy fantasy production every week. --John McKechnie

16.) Brenden Knox, Marshall

Knox was a true workhorse in his redshirt sophomore campaign, carrying the ball a whopping 270 times over 13 games. This largely paid off, as he finished with 1,387 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Marshall had problems at quarterback, with Isaiah Green regressing and only completing 15 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. Green may be back as the starter, which could mean an offense that relies on Knox again. He's only entering his junior season, and he played sparingly as a redshirt freshman, so there should still be tread left on his tires. Knox has the makings of being a workhorse once more for the Thundering Herd. --Chris Morgan

17.) Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

Spiller led the Aggies in rushing as a freshman, finishing ninth in the SEC with 946 rushing yards. He tied for fifth in the conference in rushing touchdowns with 10. With Jashaun Corbin transferring to Florida State, Spiller should once again command the lion's share of the touches out of the backfield for the Aggies, though his quarterback Kellen Mond will still demand some rushes. However, Mond's experience should only aid Spiller and the rushing attack for A&M. Spiller played a solid role in the passing game as well, hauling in 29 passes for 203 yards. He was fifth on the squad in receptions. Spiller looks poised for a sophomore season with over 200 touches out of the backfield yet again. --Jesse Siegel

18.) Josh Johnson, Louisiana-Monroe

A 5-foot-9, 215-pound bowling ball, Johnson is the top returning rusher in the Sun Belt. He busted out for 1,298 yards and 11 scores on 201 carries in 2019, making him the fourth-most efficient runner among backs with at least 200 attempts. No one else on ULM had more than 50 carries in 2019, nor did anyone crack the 4.0 YPC mark. With that, Johnson enters this season as the unchallenged workhorse in the Louisiana-Monroe backfield. He isn't highly involved in the passing game with just 19 targets last season, but his grip on the rushing share, along with explosive ability,  keeps his value inside the Top 20 even in PPR formats. --John McKechnie

19.) Gaej Walker, Western Kentucky

There are workhorse running backs, and then there's Walker. The Hilltoppers running back carried the ball 241 times last season. No other Western Kentucky back had more than nine carries. The only other Hilltopper with double-digit carries was quarterback Ty Storey. There's little reason to think Walker won't be the engine of the Hilltopper offense yet again this season. Fantasy owners will hope all those touches can lead to slightly better numbers, though. An increased touchdown rate after reaching pay dirt just eight times on 241 carries in 2019 would move Walker up another tier in the running back pecking order.--Chris Morgan

20.) Jashaun Corbin, Florida State

Corbin remains an unknown commodity that will enter a second season with great promise. The former Texas A&M Aggie, Corbin was expected to take most of Trayveon Williams' 252 carries, 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Instead, after a solid opener against Texas State, Corbin suffered a hamstring injury against Clemson and never suited up for the Aggies again. Now in a new home and granted immediate eligibility, Corbin again finds himself as the presumptive replacement for a highly productive rusher, this time likely plug in for Cam Akers and his 231 carries, 1,144 yards and 14 scores. New head coach Mike Norvell has a terrific track record at producing fantasy quality running backs, with four 1,000 yard rushers in his last three years. Assuming Corbin is healthy and emerges as the starter in August, he can return RB1/2 production despite continued line concerns in Tallahassee. He likely needs to drafted as a RB2/3 however, with safer, more proven options available nationally. --Chris Bennett

21.) Sincere McCormick, UTSA

McCormick was a complete unknown heading into 2019. After all, he was a true freshman for UTSA that wasn't expected to be the primary back for the team. He didn't even get 20 carries until his fifth game. In the end, he finished with 177 carries for 983 yards and eight touchdowns. Given how bad UTSA's offense was, that made him basically the lone bright spot for the Roadrunners. Things aren't looking much better in 2020 for UTSA on the whole, but McCormick has potential that means you shouldn't overlook him. If he gets more carries this year, and he should, McCormick has a great chance of getting over 1,000 yards. --Chris Morgan

22.) Javian Hawkins, Louisville

Hawkins wasted little time bursting onto the fantasy landscape last season as a little-heralded former two-star recruit, rushing for 122 yards on 19 carries in his debut against Notre Dame. It would be one of eight 100-yard games for Hawkins during his freshman season, one that ended with 264 carries, 1,525 yards and nine touchdowns. Hawkins got even stronger as the season went along, garnering 20+ carries in the team's final three contests and seven of their final nine, despite being listed at a mere 5-foot-9, 196 pounds. That's the only real concern for Hawkins entering 2020, is that despite his workload, he is a smaller back. While he led the team in rushing touchdowns, QB Micale Cunningham and RB Hassan Hall combined for 230 attempts, 983 yards and 11 rushing scores last year, and both return for 2020. Hawkins also is a non-factor in the passing game, snagging just four passes on seven targets in 2019. The Cardinals clearly aren't afraid to pound Hawkins often, but after a sterling debut, it's fair to question if his game has another level it can reach statistically. --Chris Bennett

23.) George Holani, Boise State

The Broncos have a pretty good history of running backs, and Holani seemed primed to be the next guy in that proud lineage. As a true freshman he rushed for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. Holani also added 206 receiving yards and three scores through the air. This was despite the fact Boise State had to use three different quarterbacks during the 2019 campaign. More stability could only help Holani. He got the bulk of the carries as a true freshman, and that should remain true in his sophomore campaign. Holani could be yet another Broncos back to make it to the NFL, but he's still got plenty of time to tear it up in college. --Chris Morgan

24.) Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana-Lafayette

It's safe to say that Mitchell has a close relationship with the end zone by this point in his career. The running back had 16 total touchdowns in 2018 and 17 in 2019. He also rushed for 1,147 yards last season, though that was in 14 games. Mitchell has the talent to put up even better numbers. The only thing in his way? The presence of Trey Ragas. Well Ragas is back again, which means Mitchell will have to share carries. It hasn't stopped him from having excellent seasons in the past, of course. Over a full season Mitchell has never failed to have over 15 total touchdowns, after all. --Chris Morgan

25.) Demetric Felton, UCLA

Felton is one of the more unique players in the college fantasy landscape. He profiles as UCLA's No.1 rusher but he is also heavily involved in the passing game. He took 86 rushes for an unimpressive 331 yards and a score on the ground last year, but he made up for it with 55 catches for 594 yards and four touchdowns on 73 carries. Josh Kelley is gone, so plenty of carries up for grabs in 2020, but it's unclear whether Chip Kelly wants to keep Felton in the same exact role. Even if Felton's rushing workload doesn't increase, he's dynamic enough as a receiver to be worth drafting in the first ten rounds of a PPR league. --John McKechnie

26.) Miles Reed, Hawaii

Hawaii is one of college football's great unknowns this season with coach Nick Rolovich leaving for the mainland and the previously out-of-work Todd Graham entering the fold. Even with Rolovich's wide-open offense, Reed still commanded 174 rushes in 2019 and converted that into 908 yards and eight touchdowns. Graham hired G.J. Kinne to run the offense, and Kinne has an interesting background as an analyst for Chad Morris at SMU and Arkansas before spending 2019 with the Eagles. Hawaii's offense could shift a little more towards balance this season, and that would mean more volume for Reed. He has a legitimate shot at 200 carries and if he can maintain his 5.2 YPC efficiency, Reed would be Hawaii's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2017. --John McKechnie

27.) Xazavian Valladay, Wyoming

Valladay is one of the top returning rushers in the Mountain West and his lack of touchdown production in 2019 has helped keep his price down. He rushed for a Mountain West-high 1,265 yards on 247 carries, but his six rushing touchdowns were a disappointment relative to his volume and explosiveness. In fact, Valladay's six scores were easily the lowest total of any running back in the nation with at least 245 carries. With Wyoming having the eighth-highest run rate in the nation and Valladay still holding the starting role, he may the top candidate for major positive touchdown regression. His pass-catching is limited but Valladay projects to have one of the highest workloads in the nation and he's a viable RB2 candidate across all formats. --John McKechnie

28.) Trey Sermon, Ohio State

Carries are up for grabs in the Ohio State backfield with J.K. Dobbins gone and Master Teague working his way back from a spring Achilles injury, and it appears Sermon will get the first crack. Sermon is a talented back whose best season (2018) consisted of 947 yards and 13 touchdowns on 5.8 YPC, but injuries have been a part of his story too and he's never had more than 164 carries in a season. His 2019 campaign ended with an LCL injury, but he was back to working out this spring, so Sermon should be ready to go for Week 1. The RB1 in Columbus is always a bankable fantasy asset and Sermon will be no different provided he can stay healthy. However, that injury history should be baked into his draft acquisition price, so investors may not have to risk a first- or second-rounder on him. --John McKechnie

29.) CJ Verdell, Oregon

Verdell is an extremely talented back who has a frustrating team context situation. He had 197 carries in 2019 -- by far the most for the Ducks -- but Oregon often opted to look elsewhere when it got into the red zone. Cyrus Habibi-Likio saw 45 red zone carries and converted those looks into 10 rushing scores. That's not to say Verdell was never given a shot in the red area, though. Verdell had 32 RZ carries and only converted that into five touchdowns. Though Verdell still profiles as a high volume rusher who should push for 1,000 yards again, his overall fantasy upside is capped by a lack of pass-catching role and the presence of Habibi-Likio taking a huge share of the red zone rushing work.--John McKechnie

30.) Marcel Murray, Arkansas State

Murray has gotten over 150 carries in back-to-back seasons, including 170 rushes for 820 yards and six scores last year in just 10 games. If his rushing workload stays the same over 12 games, Murray would push for over 200 carries. It appears that he'll have a similarly firm hold on the starting role that he did in 2019, but his pedestrian efficiency (4.8 YPC) means that it's not a lock if he struggles again in that regard, especially if Ryan Graham (5.8 YPC) is back to form. As it stands, Murray is a fringe 10th round selection, but there's bust potential that needs to be acknowledged by his drafters. --John McKechnie

31.) Otis Anderson, UCF

Central Florida leans on its backfield depth and that often results in frustrating usage patterns for those who invest in its individual players from a fantasy perspective. Anderson is the safest of the bunch, though. He led the Knights in carries (113) and he was the only back with more than 13 targets. In fact, Anderson had 45 targets and caught 31 of them for 365 yards while also ripping 6.42 yards per carry. Central Florida still has Greg McCrae and Bentavious Thompson in the mix, so Anderson might not see his rushing volume increase much. Still, his prolific pass-catching ability will keep him on the field the most of all the Central Florida running backs.--John McKechnie

32.) Keaontay Ingram, Texas

Ingram had the chance to take off in 2019 with Jordan Whittington getting injured in Week 1 but he never really seized the opportunity. He led the Horns' running backs with 144 and turned that into 853 yards and seven scores, but he ended up averaging just 3.1 more fantasy points per game than converted quarterback Roschon Johnson. Ingram will again have competition from Johnson and quarterback Sam Ehlinger for rushing work, plus there's the matter of Texas bringing in five-star freshman Bijan Robinson. If Robinson makes the quick transition, that's just one more talented player having a claim to Texas' rushing share. Ingram still profiles as the starter and will be effective with the work he gets, but investors must know that there are a lot of mouths to feed in Austin. --John McKechnie

33.) TJ McDaniel, SMU

SMU's backfield is something of a mystery with Xavier Jones and Ke'Mon Freeman gone, but McDaniel is the most logical candidate to get the first crack at the open starting role. McDaniel was impressive over a small sample in 2019 with 41 carries for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Again, that should be enough to prop him up and give him a long leash to start the season, especially when his main competition for carries may be an incoming freshman. McDaniel has his merits and the SMU offense can provide for massive running back production, but the pressure will be on for him to produce early in the season before the Mustang coaching staff explores its other options. --John McKechnie

34.) Nakia Watson, Wisconsin

While Watson checked in as the primary spell back for the Badgers in 2019 behind Jonathan Taylor, it amounted to just 74 carries for 331 yards and two touchdowns. A big back at 5-foot-11, 229 pounds, Watson doesn't possess the home run speed of Taylor and needs to work to break more arm tackles. Watson will also need to fend off attempts to take reps from him by a variety of hosts including Isaac Guerendo, Julius Davis and incoming freshman Jalen Berger. Garrett Groshek also figures to handle a chunk of snaps as the passing down back and occasional work in the run game. --Chris Benzine

35.) Dedrick Mills, Nebraska

With Maurice Washington a question mark throughout 2019 and eventually being released, there was an opening in the backfield for Mills to take on the primary duties. Mills wasn't a complete stranger to handling the rock triple-digit times at the collegiate level. He spent the first years of his career at Georgia Tech, where he amassed 152 totes for 771 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman back in 2016. He finally received another chance to handle the starting job with Nebraska last fall and didn't disappoint, racking up 745 yards and 10 touchdowns on 143 carries, trailing only quarterback Adrian Martinez in rush count (by one). With Wan'Dale Robinson's services likely required at wide receiver in 2020, look for Mills to get a sizable workload in the backfield. Over the last three games of 2019, he averaged 115.7 yards and 17.7 carries while racking up two rushing scores to go with six grabs for 53 additional yards. --Chris Benzine

36.) Michael Carter, North Carolina

Carter led the Heels with 1,003 rushing yards in 2019, and formed one of the nation's best backfield duos with Javonte Williams, who finished with 933. Therein lies the problem, as the two produce at nearly an identical clip, with Carter taking 177 carries (5.7 ypc) and Williams 166 (5.6 ypc). Williams led the way with five touchdowns, and while Carter provided three, they all came in one contest against FCS Mercer. Carter did find the end zone eight times in 2017, and is likely do some touchdown progression here, but this is, albeit successful, a full fledged timeshare. There are 48 carries and three scores up for grabs thanks to the departure of Antonio Williams, and the Heels return their entire passing game as well, so defenses will be kept honest. Carter seems to profile best as a depth option in larger player pools, with expectations of matching 2019 likely being a best case scenario. --Chris Bennett