Fantasy Football 2020: Early Sleeper RBs and PPR Rankings Ahead of NFL Draft

Typically, fantasy owners in point-per-reception leagues with the best pair or group of running backs make a run for the postseason.

Last year, Christian McCaffrey led managers to titles. He recorded 471.2 fantasy points—no other player at the position eclipsed 315 points.

The Carolina Panthers signed the 23-year-old to four-year, $64 million extension Monday. Head coach Matt Rhule and his new staff will likely continue to feed their star running back on the ground and in the passing game.

While managers with early picks in the first round target high-usage players such as McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, owners on the back end of the draft order need to find the next rising fantasy stars at an important position.

Check out the top-25 running back rankings and three sleeper picks who could outplay their positions in the listing below. All three of the under-the-radar tailbacks may benefit from trades and free-agency departures.

Top-25 Running Back Rankings

1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

2. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants 

3. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

4. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

5. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

6. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

7. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers 

8. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

9. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

10. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

11. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

12. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

13. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

14. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills

15. Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

16. Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons 

17. David Johnson, Houston Texans

18. Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos 

19. Le'Veon Bell, New York Jets 

20. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

21. Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

22. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

23. Mark Ingram II, Baltimore Ravens

24. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

25. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

Running Back Sleepers

Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals 

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Arizona Cardinals traded running back David Johnson to the Houston Texans in a deal that involved wideout DeAndre Hopkins, which means more opportunities for Kenyan Drake.

Midway through the 2019 campaign, the Miami Dolphins traded Drake to Arizona. He took over the lead position and led the Cardinals in rushing (643). The 26-year-old will likely go into the 2020 term atop the depth chart.

Without Johnson in the backfield, Drake will share the load with Chase Edmonds and D.J. Foster. Although head coach Kliff Kingsbury intends to use all three running backs, the four-year veteran is the only proven commodity among the trio.

In PPR leagues, the Alabama product averaged 21.4 fantasy points through the final month of the 2019 season. He also finished top three in scoring twice during that period.

Drake has registered at least 50 receptions in consecutive campaigns. He's a prime candidate for a full breakout season within Kingsbury's uptempo offense. The Cardinals running back is a late first-round to early second-round pick.

Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills

Billie Weiss/Getty Images

Last season, Devin Singletary didn't log double-digit rush attempts until Week 9. Up until that point, running back Frank Gore handled the majority carries. 

The Buffalo Bills opted to let Gore walk in free agency. He's still available on the open market, but the team may feature Singletary in the backfield next season. The 2019 third-rounder out of Florida Atlantic averaged 5.1 yards per carry during the last term.

With more touches, he should easily eclipse 1,300 yards from scrimmage. General manager Brandon Beane could take a running back on Day 2 of the draft to split the load, but for now, the 22-year-old is in line for a sophomore surge.

T.J. Yeldon, Singletary's current running mate, hasn't averaged more than 8.7 rush attempts per contest since his 2015 rookie campaign. Fantasy owners should wait until after the draft to go all-in on the Bills' new lead tailback, but he's in position to command approximately 20 touches per outing next season. 

Although the Bills acquired wideout Stefon Diggs, this club ranked sixth in rush attempts in 2019. Don't expect offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to deviate too far from a run-heavy game plan.

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles 

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

In 2019, Miles Sanders led all rookie running backs in yards from scrimmage (1,327). Jordan Howard battled a shoulder injury during the second half of term, allowing the Penn State product to shine in the lead role for the final seven regular-season outings. 

The Philadelphia Eagles fully utilized the 22-year-old's dual-threat skill set. In addition to a team-leading 818 rushing yards, he caught 50 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns. 

Eagles wide receivers Alshon Jeffery (Lisfranc) and DeSean Jackson (core-muscle surgery) missed significant time because of injuries, but Sanders should be able to see a healthy number of targets with a healthy roster. 

Last year, he recorded a 79.4 percent catch rate. That should be enough to garner quarterback Carson Wentz's trust in the passing game. Even if the running back's target volume takes a slight hit, he's still the lead pass-catcher out of the backfield.

As a rookie, Sanders proved he's capable of handling 15-plus carries. He reached that number in four of the last five regular-season games. Averaging 4.57 yards per rush attempt, the 2019 second-rounder could put up gaudy fantasy points through the 2020 season. 

Fantasy points and statistics provided by FantasyPros.