Who was the number 1 fantasy running back in 2018?

Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers, with 386 fantasy points in 16 games. His 24-point per-game average tied Saquon Barkley for the position lead, and his 47-point best week was the highest single score among all running backs that year.

How close were McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley in 2018?

Extremely close. McCaffrey scored 386 fantasy points and Barkley scored 384 for the New York Giants, and both averaged 24 per game across 16 contests. The clearest separation came in the best-week column, where McCaffrey's 47 dwarfed Barkley's 38.

Which running back had the biggest single week in 2018?

Christian McCaffrey, whose best week of 47 points stands alone at the top of the 2018 board. Alvin Kamara's 41 was the next highest, followed by best weeks of 38 from Saquon Barkley and James Conner.

Did any 2018 top ten running back miss games?

Only one. Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs played 11 games yet still ranked fifth in total points with 230, because his 21 points per game matched Ezekiel Elliott's average over a full season. Every other back in the top ten played 16 games.

Which teams placed a running back in the 2018 top ten?

Ten different teams: the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals each landed exactly one runner on the list.

Most Consistent RB of 2018: The Full Fantasy Top Ten

A 24-point weekly average across 16 games carried Christian McCaffrey to 386 points, the top total at the position in 2018. Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants nearly matched him at 384, making the two of them the clear standouts of the year. On week-to-week scoring volume, McCaffrey takes the verdict.

Which running back scored the most in 2018?

The 2018 running back board was defined by a razor-thin duel at the summit. Christian McCaffrey scored 386 points for the Carolina Panthers, while Saquon Barkley produced 384 for the New York Giants. Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams gave chase at 366, followed by Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints at 348. Four players cleared the season within striking distance of one another, which is what made 2018 unusual at the position.

McCaffrey's case as the most consistent rests on more than the total. He averaged 24 fantasy points per game, tied with Barkley for the best mark among running backs, and he never needed a single freak outing to get there: his best week of 47 towers over the field, but the per-game average shows the production was spread across the season rather than concentrated in one or two spikes.

The 2018 fantasy running back top ten, ranked by points

Here is the complete top ten at running back for 2018, showing rank, team, games played, total fantasy points, per-game average, and each player's highest single week.

| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Points | Points Per Game | Best Week | | 1 | Christian McCaffrey | Carolina Panthers | 16 | 386 | 24 | 47 | | 2 | Saquon Barkley | New York Giants | 16 | 384 | 24 | 38 | | 3 | Todd Gurley | Los Angeles Rams | 16 | 366 | 23 | 36 | | 4 | Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints | 16 | 348 | 22 | 41 | | 5 | Kareem Hunt | Kansas City Chiefs | 11 | 230 | 21 | 37 | | 6 | Ezekiel Elliott | Dallas Cowboys | 16 | 329 | 21 | 37 | | 7 | James White | New England Patriots | 16 | 277 | 17 | 31 | | 8 | James Conner | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | 276 | 17 | 38 | | 9 | Melvin Gordon | Los Angeles Chargers | 16 | 272 | 17 | 35 | | 10 | David Johnson | Arizona Cardinals | 16 | 245 | 15 | 37 |

Where the 2018 running back board separates

The single-week column belongs to McCaffrey and it is not close: his 47-point eruption is the highest score on the entire board, well beyond Kamara's 41 and the cluster of 37s and 38s below it. Barkley, Conner and Gurley each peaked between 36 and 38, so nobody else in the top 10 came near that top mark.

The per-game averages split the table into clear bands. McCaffrey and Barkley share the lead at 24, Gurley sits at 23, and Kamara holds 22. Kareem Hunt deserves special mention here: he appears fifth in total points with 230 despite playing only 11 games, because his 21 points per game matched Ezekiel Elliott's average over a full 16-game slate. On a per-week basis, Hunt belongs in the conversation with the top four.

Below the top six, the averages fall to 17 for James White, James Conner and Melvin Gordon, with David Johnson at 15. That is where the 2018 board thins out: six running backs averaged 21 per game or better, while just three of the bottom five posted a best week above 35.

Why the consistency verdict favors McCaffrey

Consistency, in fantasy terms, means avoiding the dud weeks that sink a lineup, and McCaffrey's line supports that better than any other runner's. He paired the position's best per-game mark with its best single week, and he did it across all 16 games. Barkley matched the average and nearly matched the total, but his best week of 38 sits far below McCaffrey's 47, and the total column is what settles the verdict. Gurley, at 23 per game with a best week of 36, was excellent but a step behind both leaders in every column that matters.

Common questions

Who was the number 1 fantasy running back in 2018?: Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers, with 386 fantasy points in 16 games. His 24-point per-game average tied Saquon Barkley for the position lead, and his 47-point best week was the highest single score among all running backs that year.
How close were McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley in 2018?: Extremely close. McCaffrey scored 386 fantasy points and Barkley scored 384 for the New York Giants, and both averaged 24 per game across 16 contests. The clearest separation came in the best-week column, where McCaffrey's 47 dwarfed Barkley's 38.
Which running back had the biggest single week in 2018?: Christian McCaffrey, whose best week of 47 points stands alone at the top of the 2018 board. Alvin Kamara's 41 was the next highest, followed by best weeks of 38 from Saquon Barkley and James Conner.
Did any 2018 top ten running back miss games?: Only one. Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs played 11 games yet still ranked fifth in total points with 230, because his 21 points per game matched Ezekiel Elliott's average over a full season. Every other back in the top ten played 16 games.
Which teams placed a running back in the 2018 top ten?: Ten different teams: the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals each landed exactly one runner on the list.