Top-10 Dynasty Rookie Running Backs After 6 Weeks: Quinshon Judkins, Cam Skattebo and More
Morgan offers up dynasty football rankings for rookie running backs after six weeks of play.
Several rookie running backs have already carved out big offensive roles this season. It got me thinking, and I wanted to rank them all from a dynasty perspective.
So let's dive right into some dynasty rookie running back rankings. I'm going to give a top 10.
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Jeanty was the top dynasty back among the rookies coming into the season, and he hasn't done anything to lose that spot.
Across six games, Jeanty has 424 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 105 carries, while adding 73 receiving yards and two scores on 14 receptions and 19 targets.
He's a workhorse back as we all expected, and that should remain the case for years for the now 21-year-old back. Jeanty will be a high-end dynasty back for several years, and could rise to the top as others age or the Raiders' offense improves around him.
I got Judkins in my No. 2 spot for the time being. The nearly 22-year-old has been special since taking the field.
Judkins has 383 rushing yards and two scores on 84 attempts across five games. He's added 62 receiving yards on nine catches and 12 targets. Imagine how good he'd be on an actual good offense.
Judkins is here to stay as a fantasy asset, and with him being younger, I really like his dynasty outlook. He'd get a bigger boost if the Browns' can find their franchise quarterback, or just improve offensively in general, because he's already a good weekly option.
I have Hampton in my No. 3 spot. He might be in the No. 2 spot if he hadn't recently been put on the injured reserve list, however, he's closer to 23, so it makes sense to have him below Judkins.
Hampton had 314 rushing yards and two scores over 66 attempts in his first five games. He also has 136 yards on 20 receptions and 22 targets.
It's a shame he got hurt, because he was set to power the Chargers' backfield after the season-ending injury to Najee Harris. Hampton should lead this backfield for several more years, as long as injuries aren't popping up again and again.
4. Cam Skattebo
I really like Skattebo, both now and for the foreseeable future. The only thing holding him back a bit is that he's closing in on 24 years old.
In six games, Skattebo has 338 rushing yards and five scores on 82 attempts, while adding 155 receiving yards on 20 catches and 24 targets.
He's taken over the backfield lead for the Giants, and I don't see him giving it up. If Jaxson Dart can continue his early-season success, he and Skattebo could be an awesome fantasy duo in the years to come.
Henderson hasn't been given the reins to the Patriots' backfield yet, and with him nearly being 23 years old, I'm a bit down on him, at least compared to other lists I've seen.
On 41 rushing attempts, Henderson has gained 148 yards and scored one touchdown. He also has 99 yards on 16 catches and 18 targets.
In time, I expect Henderson to lead the Pats' backfield, but I have to admit I'm slightly worried about his long-term outlook after how his career has started. When I go over my next set of RB rookie rankings, we'll see if Henderson can climb, or if he continues to fall.
It took him a bit, but Croskey-Merritt is finally the lead back for the Commanders. The thing holding him back a bit is that he's already 24 years old.
He's rushed for 344 yards and four scores on 60 attempts, while adding 61 receiving yards on six grabs and eight targets.
JCM could move up the rankings with a strong finish to the season, but his age is likely going to hold him back from making too big of a leap. What it really means is that he might be in the league a couple years less than everyone else mentioned here.
7. RJ Harvey
Harvey has not taken over the Broncos' backfield, and he seems a pretty distant second back to J.K. Dobbins at this point. He's also going to be 25 years old in February, so that works against him too.
Harvey has 154 rushing yards on 33 attempts in his first six games. He has 108 receiving yards and a score on 16 catches and 18 targets.
I was high on Harvey before the season, but I haven't liked how his career has started. I'm hoping he eventually gets a lead role, but given his age, he's likely to not ever move much higher than I have him ranked now, unless several guys fall off that I have ranked ahead of him.
Tuten looked like he was on his way to a bigger role after Tank Bigsby was traded, but Travis Etienne has continued to dominate the backfield in Jacksonville. Tuten is 23, and will be 24 in February, so that's another thing working against him.
So far, Tuten has 108 rushing yards and a score on 27 attempts. He's added 59 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches and eight targets.
I think there's a decent chance he eventually grabs the lead role in the backfield, but being a bit older rookie has me down on him. Another thing working against him is that fellow rookie LeQuint Allen is also on the Jacksonville roster, and is just 21, so he might have just as good a chance to lead this backfield one day.
Depending on how this season ends, Tuten could move up this list, or fall completely off it. Some of that depends on Allen, but it really comes down to Tuten and how he progresses as this season moves along.
9. Woody Marks
I wanted to rank Marks higher, but with him being 24 and turning 25 in December, this spot feels right. He's shown glimpses of greatness, but still has question marks.
Over five games, the rookie back has 137 rushing yards and a touchdown on 36 attempts, plus 96 receiving yards and a score on six catches and nine targets. Marks had 69 rushing yards and a score and 50 receiving yards and a score in one game, so he's been just so-so otherwise.
I like that he's thrown his name in the hat to be the Texans' lead back already, but it seems like a split backfield at this point. There's a decent chance the Texans go young and give Marks the lead role in the future, but they could also draft another back, leaving Marks in a committee, at best, in future seasons.
10. Kaleb Johnson
Who would have thought Johnson, a third-round pick on a team needing a running back, would rank this low? He's just 22 years old, so there's a ton of room to grow if he can turn things around and take over the Steelers' backfield.
In four games, the rookie has just 36 rushing yards on 14 carries, while not adding anything in the passing game. He's played just 11% of the team's offensive snaps at this point and lost his special teams role after just two weeks.
I am not giving up on Johnson, but he might not contribute anything to fantasy teams until at least next season. Hopefully you can afford to stash him, because otherwise your team might be hurting the rest of the year. I believe in Johnson and would buy him low and hope he rockets up these rankings by the end of this season.
