After an offseason full of NFL draft chaos and depth chart shakeups, Dave Kluge and I sat down to rank and group our Top-36 dynasty RBs into six practical tiers. Below, you'll find each tier, who it includes, a timestamp for where we discuss it in our video, and some key notes straight from our conversation.
Tier 1: Blue Chips [2:24]
Players:
Key Points:
- These backs have elite athleticism, great opportunity, draft capital, and are 23 or younger.
- Dave: "We're probably looking at five-plus years of production."
- Alfredo: "None of these guys... have any red flags."
- Trade value is sky high. Only trade for top-tier assets like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, or Malik Nabers.
Tier 2: High-Value Veterans and Youth [7:29]
Players:
Key Points:
- Saquon stands alone in age but offers short-term dominance.
- Dave: "I put Saquon in a tier of his own. All players can get injured. But their value hardly changes when a 20-year-old RB gets injured (Breece Hall). When a 28-year-old running back gets injured, their value tailspins."
- Alfredo: "You might want to move off Saquon for a guy like Josh Jacobs and a second. Now is the peak value. Consider selling before the bottom falls out."
Tier 3: Rookies & Stars With Concerns [11:26]
Players:
- Josh Jacobs
- Bucky Irving
- James Cook
- TreVeyon Henderson
- Kyren Williams
- Quinshon Judkins
- RJ Harvey
- Chase Brown
Key Points:
- Dave: "Josh Jacobs is the arbitrage Saquon Barkley."
- Alfredo: "I'd sell Saquon Barkley for Josh Jacobs and a '26 1st. You're getting the same guy with fewer injury concerns and two years younger. "
- Selling players like Harvey, Henderson, or Judkins now may net a strong veteran in return.
- Jacobs remains undervalued and is a buy for contending teams.
Tier 4: Old Guys and Kaleb [23:08]
Players:
Key Points:
- Alfredo: "This feels like that tier where I just want to buy in."
- Dave: "These guys are so cheap that it's worth acquiring them."
- McCaffrey is high-risk with chronic injury concerns.
- Perfect targets for contenders needing short-term RB2s.
Tier 5: May Not Have Starting Jobs in a Year [27:18]
Players:
Key Points:
- Dave: "These guys can see volume disappear immediately."
- Alfredo: "James Conner is the perfect rental. You can get him for a 2nd round pick or two 3rds."
- Etienne and Charbonnet are worth cheap gambles.
- Trade for short-term production with low-cost veterans.
Tier 6: The Island of Misfit Toys [34:20]
Players:
Key Points:
- Huge disagreement between hosts here.
- Dave: "Isiah Pacheco... we know he's not good."
- Alfredo: "He's been a top-15 RB… I want him if people are selling."
- Value plays with major volatility. Tread lightly.
Subscribe to the Show
YouTube
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Photos provided by Imagn Images
Tags
Dynasty
Dynasty Rookie Breakout
dynasty rankings
dynasty trade
Dynasty Trade Value Chart
dynasty trade tool
Isiah Pacheco
Josh Jacobs
Saquon Barkley
James Conner
Travis Etienne