Running back is still the most important position in fantasy football. Don't let anyone Martin Havlat Jersey tell you otherwise. There are so few high-quality, workhorse running backs that if you don't land at least one or two of the top-20 players at the position, you end up behind the 8-ball early in the season. That's why it's important to have a draft strategy that emphasizes taking running backs early and often. And it's also why breaking running backs into tiers on your cheat sheet can be helpful.

We've all been at a point in fantasy football drafts where we're decidingbetween two players --one that's rated higherand one that's lower but we may like more. How do you make the decision about which one to take? Tiers are a good way to help out with that, as it allows you to see exactly how big the difference may be between two players and whether you can wait another round or two to take them.

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In some cases, the difference between the 15th-best player and the 16th-best player at a position may not be big. Other times, it may be huge. Tiers help sort through the questions about comparing players and establish a few key groups of running backs to target.

Our RB tiers this year are broken up into seven tiers. Some tiers include sleepers and handcuffs; others are mostlystuds.This should help separate the RB1s from the fringe RB1s, the RB2s from the FLEX plays, and the fringe draftable players from the undraftable players. Without further ado, here are our RB tiers, starting with the best of the best.

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2020RB Rankings Tiers: Who are the best fantasy running backs?Tier 1:1. ChristianMcCaffrey, Panthers2.SaquonBarkley, Giants3. Derrick Henry, Titans4.DalvinCook, Vikings5. Nick Chubb, Browns6. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys7. Josh Jacobs, Raiders8. AlvinKamara, Saints9. ClydeEdwards-Helaire, Chiefs

Our list of top-tier running backs is pretty long this year. Of course, it's worth noting that Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley very easily could've ended up in their own tier, but we were feeling generous and decided to give more backs the nod here.

McCaffrey and Barkley are as close to sure things as running backs get. Both produced despite playing on bad teams last year, and as the teams rebuild and the casts around them gets stronger, so should the performances of each back. They should go back-to-back with the top two picks in any non-Superflex league.

Beyond the top two, most of the backs in this tier are dominant workhorses. Henry, Chubb, and Elliott all finished in the top five in touches last year, and Cook, who finished ninth, would've certainly joined them Connor Murphy Jersey if he hadn't mi sed two games.

In PPR leagues, Kamara and Edwards-Helaire would move up the board (which is why we kept them in Tier 1 here). Kamara was third in the NFL among running backs with 81 catches last season. Remarkably, it was the third consecutive year in which he caught exactly 81 pa ses. As for Edwards-Helaire, he is a smaller, shifty back who caught 55 pa ses during his final season at LSU. He should be the unquestioned lead back in Kansas City, so he will rack up a good amount of touches.

You can't go wrong with any of these players as your RB1. For standard leagues, you need to do your best to land one of these guys in the first round or grab two second-tierguys if you're drafting later and all these players are off the board.

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Fantasy RB Tiers: Second-round RB targetsTier 2:10. Aaron Jones, Packers11. Kenyan Drake, Cardinals12. JoeMixon, Bengals13. AustinEkeler, Chargers14. Chris Carson, Seahawks15. Miles Sanders, Eagles

This group has quite a bit of high-volume talent, as well. All of the backs here project to be the unquestioned leaders of their backfield units, and some could Michael Jordan Jersey eventually climb into the top tier. Had the Packers not drafted A.J. Dillon, you could've made the case for Aaron Jones being in the first tier. He led the league in total touchdowns last year with 19 and should continue to see a lot of touches in Green Bay.

Some players in this tier may have irked owners with their lack of consistency in 2019. Notably, Mixon, and Drake all had their share of struggles playing for losing teams. But late in the year, Mixon and Drake were able to build some momentum heading into the '20 season. Drake, in particular, was great, logging 413 yards and seven TDs in his final three games, so hestill can be trusted as a potential RB1.

If you're looking for a safer pick, Chris Carson stands out as a player that will be productive again in Seattle. He has back-to-back seasons with at least 247 carries, 1,151 rushing yards, Adam Boqvist Jersey and seven touchdowns, and he plays for a ground-dominant team. That's a recipe for succe s as a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2.

Elsewhere, you can feel confident trusting Ekeler and his 92 catches as a top-15 back in standard formats. In PPR, he's arguably a top-tier back. Sanders is young and unproven, but he'salso an unquestioned starterin the backfieldof a potential playoff team. He should be poised for succe s, though Philadelphia often rotates its backs more liberally than fantasy owners like.

These backs all will be strong RB2s at the very least, and there's a good chance that a few of them become RB1s. There's a nice mix of options here for the bold who want upside (Sanders) or for those that want consistent touches (Carson or Fournette). Grabbing one of these guys in the late-first/early-second round of fantasy drafts will be well worth it.

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2020 Fantasy Rankings:Third-tier RBsTier 3:16. LeonardFournette, Buccaneers17.LeVeonBell, Jets18. Mark Ingram, Ravens19. James Conner, Steelers20. ToddGurley, Falcons21. David Johnson, Texans22. DevinSingletary, Bills23. CamAkers, Rams24. David Montgomery, Bears25. JK Dobbins, Ravens26.RaheemMostert, 49ers27. Jonathan Taylor, Colts28. Phillip Lindsay, Broncos29.D'AndreSwift, Lions30. Antonio Gibson, Washington

Here's where things start to get a bit dicier for running backs. Our third tierhas some players who are undeniably talented or positioned to carry the load for their teams, but there are enough i sues withthe players to make them riskier picks. Stan Mikita Jersey

One prominent i sue: Injuries. Plenty of the players here have talent but haven't been able to stay healthy in recent years. Cases in point:Todd Gurley and David Johnson. The duo were once sure-fire first-round picks and each has spent a season as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in fantasy formats. But injuries have sapped them of some of their athleticism and explosivene s, so while they're expected to carry the loads for the Falcons and Texans, respectively, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to.

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