Fantasy Football Week 3 RB Rankings: McCaffrey & Saquon Injury Fallout

Welcome to our Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings for Week 3 of the 2020 NFL regular season. In this week’s column, we discuss the fallout of Saquon Barkley’s devastating knee injury and Christian McCaffrey’s ankle injury.

* If you’re looking for more information on how to best set your lineup this coming week check out our Week 3 RB Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em.

Reminder: These rankings are based on full-PPR scoring formats.

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Running Back Outlook Week 3

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that all-world fantasy option, Christian McCaffrey, is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks after sustaining an ankle injury in Week 2’s loss to the Buccaneers. A crushing blow for Carolina, and just as much so for fantasy owners. Veteran Mike Davis (RB33) is the next man up in the Panthers backfield, but has carried the ball just one time for one yard this season. The only other running back on the roster at the moment is Trenton Cannon, who has not taken a handoff since 2018.

In fact, Curtis Samuel may prove to see the largest uptick in production from CMC’s absence. Samuel has been pushed aside for Robby Anderson in the passing game, but did receive four carries in Week 2, averaging 6.5 ypc. A former running back/wide receiver hybrid at Ohio State, Samuel offers the most similar skillset to McCaffrey on the Panthers roster, albeit to a far lesser degree. Still, there’s enough upside there to warrant an add.

Don’t look now, but the Jaguars’ decision to move on from Leonard Fournette doesn’t appear as idiotic as it once did. James Robinson (RB17) ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing, thanks to a healthy 5.1 yards per carry average, third-most amongst running backs with at least 30 carries. Robinson faces off with a Dolphins defense this week who has allowed eight rushers to average 4.4-plus ypc over their first two weeks of play.

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Week 3 Fantasy Rankings: Running Back

1. [QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Flex | DEF | Ks]

1. • Matchup: Great l Avg l Tough

2. #	Running Backs TEAM	Opp.
   1	Ezekiel Elliott DAL	@ SEA
   2	Alvin Kamara NO	vs. GB
   3	Josh Jacobs LV	@ NE
   4	Austin Ekeler LAC	vs. CAR
   5	Derrick Henry TEN	@ MIN
   6	Jonathan Taylor IND	vs. NYJ
   7	Dalvin Cook MIN	vs. TEN
   8	Chris Carson SEA	vs. DAL
   9	Miles Sanders PHI	vs. CIN
   10	C, Edwards-Helaire KC	@ BAL
   11	Kenyan Drake ARI	vs. DET
   12	Joe Mixon CIN	@ PHI
   13	Aaron Jones GB	@ NO
   14	Nick Chubb CLE	vs. WAS
   15	James Conner PIT	vs. HOU
   16	David Montgomery CHI	@ ATL
   17	James Robinson JAC	vs. MIA
   18	Raheem Mostert SF INJ	@ NYG
   19	Leonard Fournette TB	@ DEN
   20	Melvin Gordon DEN	vs. TB
   21	Kareem Hunt CLE	vs. WAS
   22	David Johnson HOU	@ PIT
   23	Todd Gurley ATL	vs. CHI
   24	Mark Ingram II BAL	vs. KC
   25	Devin Singletary BUF	vs. LAR
   26	Jerick McKinnon SF	@ NYG
   27	Ronald Jones II TB	@ DEN
   28	Dion Lewis NYG	vs. SF
   29	James White NE pers.	vs. LV
   30	Darrell Henderson LAR	@ BUF
   31	Myles Gaskin MIA	@ JAC
   32	Frank Gore NYJ	@ IND
   33	Mike Davis CAR	@ LAC
   34	Malcolm Brown LAR	@ BUF
   35	Wayne Gallman NYG	vs. SF
   36	D’Andre Swift DET	@ ARI
   37	Nyheim Hines IND	vs. NYJ
   38	J.K. Dobbins BAL	vs. KC
   39	Antonio Gibson WAS	@ CLE
   40	Joshua Kelley LAC	vs. CAR
   41	Phillip Lindsay DEN INJ	vs. TB
   42	Sony Michel NE	vs. LV
   43	Tevin Coleman SF INJ	@ NYG
   44	Rex Burkhead NE	vs. LV
   45	Benny Snell Jr. PIT	vs. HOU
   46	Adrian Peterson DET	@ ARI
   47	Zack Moss BUF	vs. LAR
   48	Latavius Murray NO	vs. GB
   49	Cam Akers LAR INJ	@ BUF
   50	Tarik Cohen CHI	@ ATL
   51	Chase Edmonds ARI	vs. DET
   52	Duke Johnson HOU INJ	@ PIT
   53	Jordan Howard MIA	@ JAC
   54	Boston Scott PHI	vs. CIN
   55	Jordan Wilkins IND	vs. NYJ
   56	Chris Thompson JAC	vs. MIA
   57	Kerryon Johnson DET	@ ARI
   58	Alexander Mattison MIN	vs. TEN
   59	Royce Freeman DEN	vs. TB
   60	Jamaal Williams GB	@ NO
   61	Devontae Booker LV	@ NE
   62	Giovani Bernard CIN	@ PHI
   63	Kalen Ballage NYJ	@ IND
   64	Carlos Hyde SEA	vs. DAL
   65	Peyton Barber WAS	@ CLE
   66	La’Mical Perine NYJ	@ IND
   67	Matt Breida MIA	@ JAC
   68	A.J. Dillon GB	@ NO
   69	Tony Pollard DAL	@ SEA
   70	Brian Hill ATL	vs. CHI
   71	Patrick Laird MIA	@ JAC
   72	Tyler Ervin GB INJ	@ NO
   73	Corey Clement PHI	vs. CIN
   74	Kyle Juszczyk SF	@ NYG
   75	J.J. Taylor NE	vs. LV
   76	LeSean McCoy TB	@ DEN
   77	Jalen Richard LV	@ NE
   78	Darrynton Evans TEN	@ MIN
   79	Justin Jackson LAC	vs. CAR
   80	Travis Homer SEA	vs. DAL
   81	Josh Adams NYJ	@ IND
   82	Jaylen Samuels PIT	vs. HOU
   83	Gus Edwards BAL	vs. KC
   84	Ito Smith ATL	vs. CHI

3. *Check out our Week 3 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems to further optimize your lineups
4. Start-Sit [QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | DEF | Ks]

READ NEXT

• Week 3 Fantasy Rankings: QB
• Week 3 Fantasy Rankings: WR
• Week 3 Fantasy Rankings: TE
• Week 3 Fantasy Rankings: DEF
• Week 3 Fantasy Rankings: K

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