Running back non-PPR rankings for Week 1 fantasy football

Thursday injury update

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs — CEH is practicing in full after tweaking his ankle in preseason. He should be all systems go against the Browns.

Austin Ekeler, Chargers — Ekeler did not practice with a hamstring injury on Wednesday. This could just be a rest day and he gets back at it today, but it’s worth keeping an eye on for sure.

Saquon Barkley, Giants — Barkley was limited on Wednesday, but is expected to play Week 1. He could be eased in, but he’s still worth a start in your average fantasy league against Denver unless news changes.

D’Andre Swift, Lions — Swift is practicing in full after dealing with a groin injury this preseason. He should be a full go in a tough matchup with the 49ers.

When we think of non-PPR running backs we think of hard-nosed, between the tackles backs like Derrick Henry and Gus Edwards. But with them being such a rare breed at this point, any back that can get the bulk of the work can be considered a non-PPR back worth using in fantasy. Let’s look at some of those backs who will see a lot of work in Week 1.

Compelling RB matchups

Dalvin Cook and the Vikings face Joe Mixon and the Bengals in Cincinnati. These two backs are both every-down backs this season and if they can stay healthy, should both have high floors in fantasy football. We know what Cook can do, but Mixon has only shown glimpses. This is his year to prove he can handle being one of the few 20-touch backs in the league.

Alvin Kamara has 58 touchdowns and Aaron Jones has 43 touchdowns in their first four seasons. That’s 101 touchdowns in 104 games played between the two. The Packers and Saints take on each other in Week 1 and you really can’t find a more compelling running back matchup, especially for fantasy.

Najee Harris is the key to turning the Steelers offense around, which is a tall order for any running back in this era of football. His matchup with the duo of Zach Moss and Devin Singletary isn’t exactly a compelling watch, but by himself, he’ll make for must-see TV. The Bills offense is going to be great again, so Harris will have a lot on his shoulders in this first game. He should see the ball over 20 times, but can he truly be the deciding factor?

The Washington Football Team and the Los Angeles Chargers face off with two backs that can both be weapons in the receiving game. Austin Ekeler is more of a receiver slash running back while Gibson was a receiver slash running back in college. Washington didn’t use him as much as a receiver last season as many thought they would, but we keep hearing that head coach Ron Rivera wants to use him like he used Christian McCaffrey in Carolina. Washington is going to be hard to run on and the Chargers are going to be hard to pass deep on, so there could be plenty touches through the air for the backs in this one.