2021 Dynasty Start-up Rankings: RB

 Look, it was decided that on Sundays I'm not going to post.  I'm going to focus on watching football and enjoying that and not being a slave to my content (maybe I was also lazy, who knows).  3 posts in 4 days is still good, and I'm sticking to that statement regardless of whether or not you tell me I'm slipping in dedication.  It's fine (maybe).

Tier 1

1. Christian McCaffrey - age 25

2. Saquon Barkley - age 24

3. Alvin Kamara - age 26

There are always question marks with RBs, just looking at the top Tier you have two guys coming off largely MIA campaigns and another one who disappears when the backup QB plays.  That said, when these guys are on the field with the right personnel they are the premium players at their position and are still in their prime.  One could argue Kamara entering his age 26 season might not be worth this value in a dynasty start-up but RBs who are receiving backs generally age well and I'm not going fade the team who kept Darren Sproles relevant well into his 30s.

Tier 2

4. Jonathan Taylor - age 22

5. Nick Chubb - age 25

6. Ezekiel Elliott - age 26

7. Dalvin Cook - age 26

8. James Robinson - age 23

9. JK Dobbins - age 22

10. Antonio Gibson - age 23

11. D'Andre Swift - age 22

12. David Montgomery - age 24

13. Miles Sanders - age 24

14. Josh Jacobs - age 23

Everyone in this tier is either projected to continue to move forward on a linear age progression chart or maintain in the case of Elliott and Cook.  Taylor appears to have the most future talent left in the tank, but I'm not in enough love with his situation in IND to bump him to the top tier.  Chubb will be splitting carries with Hunt, Robinson has to make sure a new coaching staff doesn't give up on him or reduce his workload drastically, and everyone else needs to take one more step forward to truly become elite.

Tier 3

15. Ronald Jones - age 24

16. Cam Akers - age 22

17. Joe Mixon - age 25

18. Travis Etienne - age 22

19. Clyde Edwards-Helaire - age 22

20. Javonte Williams - age 21

21. Austin Ekeler - age 26

22. Derrick Henry - age 28

23. Aaron Jones - age 26

Everyone in this tier has the same type of question marks in Tier 2, but they run a bit deeper.  Will Jones, Akers or CEH really get the full workload? Will Mixon stay healthy and also take a step forward?  Where will Etienne and Williams land and will they get playing time?  Will Ekeler's new coaching staff keep him as the team's workhorse?  Does Derrick Henry age?  Will Aaron Jones resign with the Packers or fade into a sunset?  There is plenty of upside with every player here, but the downside looms larger than anyone in Tier 2.

Tier 4

24. AJ Dillon - age 23

25. Kareem Hunt - age 26

26. Zack Moss - age 23

27. Devin Singletary - age 24

28. Jaret Patterson - age 21

29. Kenneth Gainwell - age 22

30. Michael Carter - age 22

31. Najee Harris - age 23

32. Trey Sermon - age 22

33. Chuba Hubbard - age 22

34. Melvin Gordon - age 28

This tear is consists of three types of backs.  Players who if you remove other players from their current backfield, they could vault into the RB1 conversation, rookies who don't have a team yet, and Melvin Gordon.

Tier 5

35. Damien Harris - age 24

36. Rashaad Penny - age 25

37. Alexander Mattison - age 23

38. Tony Pollard - age 24

39. Darrell Henderson - age 24

40. Nyheim Hines - age 24

41. Justice Hill - age 23

42. Myles Gaskin - age 24

43. Lynn Bowden - age 23

44. Master Teague - age 21

45. Rhamondre Stevenson - age 22

46. Zamir White - age 22

47. James Conner - age 26

48. Ke'Shawn Vaughn - age 24

There are question marks galore in this tier.  Plenty of young-ish talent tied to great team situations along with rookies who don't know where they'll go and a free agent in James Conner who appears to be on the backside of his career but also seems to be the best option for Pittsburgh at the moment.

Tier 6

49. Kylin Hill - age 23

50. Demetric Felton - age 23

51. DeeJay Dallas - age 22

52. Kennedy Brooks - age 22

53. Javian Hawkins - age 22

54. JaMycal Hasty - age 24

55. Sony Michel - age 26

56. Chris Carson - age 27

57. David Johnson - age 29

58. Marlon Mack - age 25

59. Kenyan Drake - age 27

60. Leonard Fournette - age 26

61. JD McKissic - age 28

62. Tarik Cohen - age 26

63. La'Mical Perine - age 23

64. Joshua Kelley - age 23

65. Chase Edmonds - age 25

66. Kerryon Johnson - age 24

67. Ryquell Armstead - age 24

68. Gus Edwards - age 26

69. Raheem Mostert - age 29

There is nothing in this tier that says buy.  You have rookies who are not projected to get much playing time and will need some help to find carriers, and then veterans who are free agents who don't appear to be going anywhere to get more carries.  This is the tier where you can still hit the jackpot, but the likelihood is super low.

Tier 7

70. Anthony McFarland Jr. - age 23

71. Benny Snell Jr. - age 23

72. Darrynton Evans - age 23

73. Trayveon Williams - age 23

74. Ty Johnson - age 23

75. Mohamed Ibrahim - age 23

76. Jamaal Williams - age 26

77. Damien Williams - age 29

78. Duke Johnson - age 27

79. Ito Smith - age 25

80. Gio Bernard - age 29

81. Justin Jackson - age 25

82. Phillip Lindsay - age 27

83. Wayne Gallman - age 26

84. Le'Veon Bell - age 29

85. Royce Freeman - age 25

86. Mark Ingram - age 31

87. Bryce Love - age 24

88. Derrius Guice - age 24

89. Todd Gurley - age 27

90. Eno Benjamin - age 22

91. Salvon Ahmed - age 22

92. Jaylen Samuels - age 25

93. Darwin Thompson - age 25

94. Kalen Ballage - age 25

95. Jeff Wilson - age 26

96. Jeremy McNichols - age 25

97. Latavius Murray - age 31

98. Jordan Wilkins - age 27

99. Travis Homer - age 23

100. Mike Davis - age 28

Everything in this tier is about finding a needle in a haystack.  Last year Mike Davis was that needle as he filled in for CMC and became a weekly RB1.  Someone in here will do that again in 2021, but everyone else will be roster fodder.  You don't want these guys.