Since the first degenerate fantasy football players confirmed their wins and losses via the newspaper on Tuesday mornings, the running back position has been the pillar of fantasy football success. With a recent shift towards higher passing volume across the league, at face value, the running back position has declined in importance for fantasy football. The emerging popularity of the zero RB strategy proves as much. The scarcity of quality fantasy players at the position helps offset this, but every year we see numerous break-out running backs win fantasy leagues for their managers. We have an article on our home page identifying 5 breakout candidates for the 2022 season.
| | Rank | Tier | Name | Team | Bye | ADP |
| | 1 | 1 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | 13 | 1.03 |
| | 2 | 1 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | 14 | 1.01 |
| | 3 | 2 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | 8 | 1.10 |
| | 4 | 2 | Derrick Henry | TEN | 6 | 1.03 |
| | 5 | 2 | Alvin Kamara | NO | 14 | 2.03 |
| | 6 | 3 | D'Andre Swift | DET | 6 | 1.10 |
| | 7 | 3 | Najee Harris | PIT | 9 | 1.11 |
| | 8 | 3 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | 7 | 1.05 |
| | 9 | 3 | Leonard Fournette | TB | 11 | 2.11 |
| | 10 | 3 | Joe Mixon | CIN | 10 | 2.08 |
| | 11 | 3 | Aaron Jones | GB | 14 | 2.03 |
| | 12 | 4 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | 9 | 2.08 |
| | 13 | 4 | Javonte Williams | DEN | 9 | 2.02 |
| | 14 | 4 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 9 | 2.12 |
| | 15 | 4 | James Conner | ARI | 13 | 3.09 |
| | 16 | 5 | AJ Dillon | GB | 14 | 4.11 |
| | 17 | 5 | Breece Hall | NYJ | 10 | 5.05 |
| | 18 | 5 | Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX | 11 | 4.07 |
| | 19 | 5 | Nick Chubb | CLE | 9 | 1.09 |
| | 20 | 5 | Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL | 14 | |
| | 21 | 5 | David Montgomery | CHI | 14 | 3.05 |
| | 22 | 6 | Chase Edmonds | MIA | 11 | 7.07 |
| | 23 | 6 | J.K. Dobbins | BAL | 10 | 3.11 |
| | 24 | 6 | Brian Robinson | WAS | 14 | 12.08 |
| | 25 | 6 | Antonio Gibson | WAS | 14 | 3.09 |
| | 26 | 6 | Josh Jacobs | LV | 6 | 4.04 |
| | 27 | 6 | Cam Akers | LAR | 7 | 3.08 |
| | 28 | 6 | Rashaad Penny | SEA | 11 | 6.01 |
| | 29 | 6 | Tony Pollard | DAL | 9 | 6.06 |
| | 30 | 6 | Kareem Hunt | CLE | 9 | 5.11 |
| | 31 | 6 | Elijah Mitchell | SF | 9 | 3.12 |
| | 32 | 6 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | KC | 8 | 7.12 |
| | 33 | 7 | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | 10 | 8.02 |
| | 34 | 7 | Melvin Gordon III | DEN | 9 | 7.03 |
| | 35 | 7 | Damien Harris | NE | 10 | 4.12 |
| | 36 | 7 | Miles Sanders | PHI | 7 | 5.07 |
| | 37 | 7 | Devin Singletary | BUF | 7 | 7.03 |
| | 38 | 7 | James Cook | BUF | 7 | 9.06 |
| | 39 | 7 | Kenneth Walker III | SEA | 11 | 8.10 |
| | 40 | 7 | Kenneth Gainwell | PHI | 7 | 11.11 |
| | 41 | 7 | Darrell Henderson Jr. | LAR | 7 | 9.11 |
| | 42 | 7 | Rachaad White | TB | 11 | 13.11 |
| | 43 | 7 | Isiah Pacheco | KC | 8 | 13.07 |
| | 44 | 7 | Dameon Pierce | HOU | 6 | 10.11 |
| | 45 | 8 | James Robinson | JAX | 11 | 8.10 |
| | 46 | 8 | Nyheim Hines | IND | 14 | 10.11 |
| | 47 | 8 | Mark Ingram II | NO | 14 | 11.05 |
| | 48 | 8 | Tyler Allgeier | ATL | 14 | 10.08 |
| | 49 | 8 | Mike Davis | BAL | 10 | 16.05 |
| | 50 | 8 | Jamaal Williams | DET | 6 | 11.11 |
| | 51 | 8 | J.D. McKissic | WAS | 14 | 12.02 |
| | 52 | 8 | Michael Carter | NYJ | 10 | 9.02 |
| | 53 | 8 | Isaiah Spiller | LAC | 8 | 12.07 |
| | 54 | 8 | Donta Foreman | CAR | | 13.09 |
| | 54 | 8 | Kenyan Drake | LV | 6 | 14.12 |
| | 55 | 8 | Gus Edwards | BAL | 10 | 11.01 |
| | 56 | 8 | Eno Benjamin | ARI | 13 | 16.04 |
| | 57 | 8 | Damien Williams | ATL | 14 | 17.04 |
| | 58 | 8 | Jerick McKinnon | KC | 8 | 15.04 |
| | 59 | 9 | Ronald Jones | KC | 8 | 8.09 |
| | 60 | 9 | Matt Breida | NYG | 9 | 16.10 |
| | 61 | 9 | Marlon Mack | HOU | 6 | 10.03 |
| | 62 | 9 | Alexander Mattison | MIN | 7 | |
| | 63 | 9 | Raheem Mostert | MIA | 11 | 9.04 |
| | 64 | 9 | Tyrion Davis-Price | SF | 9 | 13.03 |
| | 65 | 9 | Boston Scott | PHI | 7 | |
| | 66 | 9 | Khalil Herbert | CHI | 14 | |
| | 67 | 9 | D'Ernest Johnson | CLE | 9 | 15.10 |
| | 68 | 9 | Zamir White | LV | 6 | 14.06 |
