Top 5 Running Backs of 2019-2020

Top 5 Running Backs of 2019-2020

In today's game running backs are very pivotal to all aspects of your offense. They are tasked with running the ball, receiving the ball, and often blocking to protect the quarterback when they are not running a route. If you can dominate the receiving and rushing part of the game you are in for a very good payday. There are a few rare cases with players that are just able to just dominate the rushing stats and be a non factor in the receiving game. Today i'm going to show you the top 5 running backs of the 2019-2020 season whether they are able to do both or not. These stats are only for last season bringing in no baggage from the rest of their career. 

 

5.Dalvin Cook (Minnesota Vikings)

Dalvin Cook is the first version of a running back that is able to receive the ball and run the ball very well. He had 250 rushing attempts and rushed for 1,135 yards while getting into the end zone 13 times. He also had 63 targets for 53 receptions and 519 yards while having a catch percentage of 84.1%, the highest out of all running backs. Dalvin rushed for positive yards 85.2% of the time while rushing inside 43.3% of the time and rushing outside 56.7% of the time. He also ran for 60 first downs and was only stuffed 37 times when trying to get a first down. He rushed for 20 plus yards in a play 7 times on the season and rushed for 40 plus yards twice. To add to that he had 5 games where he rushed for 100 yards and had 1 game where he rushed for 150 yards. Cook had big play ability on the rushing and receiving part of the ball but also had the least amount of all purpose yards on the list with 1,654 which is why I put him at number 5 on the list.

 

4.Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns)

Nick Chubb is the opposite of what Dalvin was. Chubb was able to put up big numbers rushing the ball but was barely a factor in the passing game. He had 298 rushing attempts and rushed for 1,494 yards getting into the end zone 8 times. His receiving stats were 49 targets for 36 receptions and 278 yards while having a catch percentage of 73.5%, which was the worst on the list. He rushed for 5 yards per carry and 93.4 yards a game. He rushed for 62 first downs and got stuffed 54 times trying to rush for a first down. Chubb was more even when it came to rushing inside and outside. He rushed inside 59.7% of the time while rushing outside 40.3% of the time. Chubb also had a positive rush percentage of 81.9% which was the lowest on the list. Chubb got most of his yards after contact with 882 of them breaking 64 tackles on the season. Chubb was able to break tackles for big yards consistently and it showed with 11 rushes that went for 20 yards or more and 4 rushes for 40 yards or more which were both the most in the league. He also had 7 games with 100 or more yards and 1 game with 150 plus yards. Chubb had the third most all purpose yards on the list with 1,772 of them showing just how dominant he was throughout the season.

 

3.Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans)

Derrick Henry was extremely dominant on the ground this year. He was the definition of a workhorse running back putting up extremely good numbers throughout the season. He had 303 rushing attempts for 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns which were all the most in the league. He also led the league in yards per attempt with 5.1 a carry and yards per game at 102.7. Henry was a wrecking ball, if you didn't wrap up he was breaking the tackle and going the distance. He had 968 yards after contact breaking 65 tackles this season and getting a positive rush percentage of 82.5%. He was able to push through for 73 first downs while getting stuffed 53 times. Henry mostly ran inside running between the tackles 65% of the time only going outside 35% of the time. Henry was able to get 6 games with 100 plus yards, 3 games with 150 plus yards, and was the only one on the list that was able to get a game with 200 plus yards. The game he was able to get 200 plus he ran for 211 yards on 32 attempts for 3 touchdowns against the Texans putting on a dominant performance. He was also able to rush for 20 plus yards 9 times and 40 plus yards 3 times. The only downside to Henry was the fact that he was not able to catch the ball out the backfield. He had 24 targets for 18 receptions with 2 touchdowns and a 47% catch percentage. He had the fourth most all purpose yards with 1,746 of them and the second most total touchdowns with 18. If he would get more involved in the passing game he would be much higher on the list. 

2.Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys)

Ezekiel Elliott has been one of the most consistent running backs in the league since he entered the league. None of that changed this year as he was a force in the running game but he was also not a slouch in the passing game. Elliott had 301 rushing attempts for 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had 71 targets for 54 receptions with a 76.1 catch percentage and 2 receiving touchdowns. Elliott is the best running back between the tackles running the ball inside 74.6% of the time. He only ran the ball outside 25.4% of the time. Even with him running the ball inside most of the time he had 678 yards before he was touched. Even when he was touched he was still a wrecking ball gaining 679 yards after contact breaking 44 tackles on the season. On top of all that he only fumbled the ball 3 times all year. The numbers don't stop there though, he had a 88.7% positive rushing percentage which was the best in the league. He had the most first downs as a running back in the league with 78 of them and got stuffed the least amount of times only getting stopped 34 times. He also tied Chubb for the most 100 plus yard games with 7 of them. Elliott got the second most all purpose yards with 1,777 of them and had the third most total touchdowns with 14 of them. Elliott was dominant but not as dominant as the number 1 runner on the list. 

1.Christian McCaffrey (Carolina Panthers) 

The only word that comes to mind when I think about the season Christian McCaffrey had is wow. He was just as dominant in the passing game as he was in the running game. He got 1,000 yards in both categories giving him over 2,000 all purpose yards. He got 287 attempts for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing. He also had 142 targets and 116 receptions second behind the man that broke the reception record in the league Michael Thomas. He also added 1,005 yards and 4 reception touchdowns catching the ball 81.7% of the time. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 86.7 yards a game on the ground. He also had the most yards before contact in the league with 874 of them but even when he was touched he had 513 yards on the season. He mostly ran the ball inside doing it 66.9% of the time and running outside 33.1% of the time holding a 82.6% positive run percentage. He ran for 57 first downs and got stuffed 50 times, breaking 43 tackles. He had 6 games with 100 plus yards, and 2 games with 150 plus yards. He also had 6 carries for 20 plus yards and 4 carries for 40 plus yards. There is no question that there are better runners than McCaffrey but none of them are even close to being as good as him in the passing game. He had 2,392 all purpose yards and 19 total touchdowns which is the most out of all running backs. He had the best season by far joining Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig getting 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.