Top 10 Fantasy RB Seasons of 2017
Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams had the number one fantasy running back season of 2017, scoring 383 fantasy points in 16 games at 24 points per game with a best week of 50. Le'Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers finished second at 343 points, and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints took third at 312. Gurley's total and his per-game number both led the position, which makes 2017 his year by any reading of the board.
The full top 10 at running back for 2017
The 2017 running back board had a clear leader and then a long shelf of seasons packed tightly together. Todd Gurley sat alone at the top, and the players behind him filled a band that stayed crowded all the way down to tenth place.
| Rank | Player | Team | Games | Points | Points Per Game | Best Week | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Todd Gurley | Los Angeles Rams | 16 | 383 | 24 | 50 | | 2 | Le'Veon Bell | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | 343 | 21 | 40 | | 3 | Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints | 16 | 312 | 20 | 37 | | 4 | Kareem Hunt | Kansas City Chiefs | 16 | 295 | 18 | 46 | | 5 | Melvin Gordon | Los Angeles Chargers | 16 | 288 | 18 | 36 | | 6 | Mark Ingram | New Orleans Saints | 16 | 278 | 17 | 32 | | 7 | LeSean McCoy | Buffalo Bills | 16 | 264 | 16 | 29 | | 8 | Carlos Hyde | San Francisco 49ers | 16 | 234 | 15 | 24 | | 9 | Leonard Fournette | Jacksonville Jaguars | 15 | 230 | 15 | 31 | | 10 | Christian McCaffrey | Carolina Panthers | 16 | 229 | 14 | 26 |
Where Todd Gurley separated from the field
The gap between the first and second rows is the widest story on the page when you read the totals side by side: 383 for Gurley against 343 for Bell. Gurley also led the per-game column at 24, three ahead of Bell's 21, so the two measures point at the same player. His best week of 50 stands as the largest single-game number anywhere in the 2017 top ten.
Bell's season, at 343 points and 21 per game, held off Alvin Kamara by the slimmest reading in the upper half: Kamara's 312 total sat third, though his best week of 37 trailed Bell's 40. Kamara's per-game figure of 20 kept him within reach of Bell even while the total column gave Bell the second spot.
The crowded middle of the 2017 board
Kareem Hunt and Melvin Gordon finished fourth and fifth with near-identical lines: Hunt at 295 points and Gordon at 288, both at 18 points per game. What separated them in character was the peak, since Hunt's best week of 46 was the second-largest single game in the top ten, while Gordon's best week was 36.
The New Orleans Saints placed two backs in the top ten, with Mark Ingram joining Kamara at sixth on 278 points and 17 per game. LeSean McCoy of the Buffalo Bills followed at seventh with 264 points, and his best week of 29 was the smallest peak among the top seven finishers.
The back half and the per-game column
Carlos Hyde of the San Francisco 49ers finished eighth at 234 points, the first row where the per-game figure slips to 15. Leonard Fournette of the Jacksonville Jaguars landed ninth at 230 points in 15 games, matching Hyde's 15 per game, and his best week of 31 outranked the single-game bests of the three rows around him. Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers closed the list at tenth with 229 points, 14 per game, and a best week of 26.
The per-game column disagrees with the total column in one instructive place: Fournette played fewer games than anyone else on the list, yet his per-game number tied Hyde's and beat McCaffrey's, which suggests the ordering at the bottom reflects availability as much as weekly scoring. Elsewhere the two columns move together, and the 2017 season rewards Gurley on every measure the table carries.
Common questions
Who was the number 1 fantasy running back in 2017?
- Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams led all running backs in 2017 with 383 fantasy points, 24 points per game, and a best week of 50. No other back matched him on total, per-game rate, or peak week.
How many fantasy points did Le'Veon Bell score in 2017?
- Le'Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers scored 343 fantasy points in 2017 across 16 games, at 21 points per game, with a best week of 40. That total placed him second among running backs.
Which running back had the biggest single fantasy week in 2017?
- Todd Gurley's best week of 50 was the largest single-game score among 2017's top ten running backs. Kareem Hunt posted the next-best peak at 46.
Which teams had a top 10 fantasy running back in 2017?
- Nine teams placed a back in the 2017 top ten: the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers. The New Orleans Saints were the only team with two, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
Did every top 10 fantasy RB play a full season in 2017?
- No. Leonard Fournette of the Jacksonville Jaguars appeared in 15 games, the only back in the 2017 top ten with fewer than 16. He still finished ninth in total points while tying Carlos Hyde at 15 points per game.