Fantasy Football 2016: Rankings for Top 10 Running Backs and Sleepers

Thomas DuffyAug 1, 2016

If you listen closely enough, you can almost hear it all.

The clashing of pads. The whistles. The quiet tapping of a pencil from a fantasy football owner who's on the clock. The groans when another owner’s beloved sleeper gets picked.

Football is coming. That means it’s fantasy season.

Standard Rankings

Rank	Name	Team
1	David Johnson	Arizona Cardinals
2	Todd Gurley	Los Angeles Rams
3	Adrian Peterson	Minnesota Vikings
4	Devonta Freeman	Atlanta Falcons
5	Jamaal Charles	Kansas City Chiefs
6	Ezekiel Elliott	Dallas Cowboys
7	Lamar Miller	Houston Texans
8	LeSean McCoy	Buffalo Bills
9	Doug Martin	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10	LeVeon Bell	Pittsburgh Steelers

Sleepers

DeMarco Murray

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Last season, the world turned on DeMarco Murray.

The former Dallas Cowboys bell cow, who racked up 392 carries, 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014, plummeted from the No. 1 running back to 18th in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, per ESPN.com rankings.

Murray wasn’t consistently bad by any means; he had his games. Thanks to the 28-year-old’s prowess as a receiver, he put up seven outings with double-digit fantasy points.

But he also laid quite a few eggs.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Eagles' ex-coach Chip Kelly insisted on using his backs in East-West situations. Murray is the definition of a North-South runner, so it’s not surprising that the fit was much more frustrating than fruitful.

On March 7, though, the Eagles traded Murray to the Tennessee Titans.

With your league likely still soured on Murray from last season, don’t be afraid to take him earlier than his Average Draft Position as the 18th running back—and 49th player—off the board, according to FantasyPros.

According to ESPN.com, Tennessee ranked 28th in rushing last year because the team was devoid of a respectable back. Now, it has two in Murray and rookie Derrick Henry. Together, they could form a thunder/more thunder punch capable of wearing opponents down.

Murray seems to be the clear lead dog, even with Henry in the picture.

On June 14, Titans running backs coach Sylvester Croom raved about the former Cowboy and Eagle, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:

"
Let me tell you something. This guy is a good football player, but he is a better human being than he is a football player. His professionalism, and his work ethic. I feel really fortunate to be able to work with him.
I’m telling you, he’s a coach’s dream.
"

It sounds like Murray has the support he craved in Philly. Don’t be scared away by last season. Take Murray if he’s there in the late third/early fourth round.

Paul Perkins

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Paul Perkins is a much deeper sleeper than Murray.

Last year, the New York Giants were desperate for a running back to step up.

Rashad Jennings was inconsistent. Shane Vereen had a tendency to disappear for long stretches. Andre Williams has the shiftiness of a tree. Orleans Darkwa wasn’t bad—Ed Valentine of Big Blue Review said the rookie “at times [looked] like the best running back on the roster"—but Christopher Schwarz of GMen HQ isn’t sure he’ll even make the 2016 roster. Bobby Rainey is in the picture now, as well.

Enter Perkins.

RICH SCHULTZ/Associated Press

New York stole the UCLA Bruins junior in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, and he’s got a real shot to add clarity to a muddled backfield picture.

NFL Network’s Mark Dulgerian agrees.

“The Giants' backfield was a turnstile of mediocre RB play last season,” he said. “The elusive Perkins may not be a bell cow, and they may be okay with that, but his slashing style should provide a spark.”

In February, Pro Football Focus ranked Perkins as the No. 5 running back in the draft. His ability as a receiver played a major factor.

At 5’10” and 196 pounds, Perkins is more rabbit than rhino. Take a look at some of the ankles he claimed during his UCLA career:

"Poor man's Jamaal Charles,” was on NFC general manager’s pre-draft take, per NFL.com. “The tape tells you everything on him. He's not big, he's not fast, he has great feet and he competes.”

Make no mistake—that's high praise.

With Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and rookie Sterling Shepard holding down the wide receiving corps—and, of course, Eli Manning under center—the Giants are going to throw.

If he’s impressive, Perkins could slowly but surely cut into Vereen’s receiving downs and Jennings’ rushes.

Perkins isn’t likely to be one of those red-hot waiver wire guys after Week 1 or Week 2. But keep an eye on him. His role is likely to grow throughout the year.

Grab him sooner than later—you never know when he could break out.