Fantasy Football RB

What is an RB in Fantasy Football?

An RB or running back is one of the most valuable positions in fantasy football. Most NFL teams only have one primary running back, so in a league with many teams it can be hard to acquire players who will get a lot of touches. Most leagues feature two starting running back slots, with a flex position available for an RB to be played in.


Running backs are typically ranked the highest of any positions, with the highest scoring ball carrier at the top of the draft board. Draft strategy depends completely on the number of teams in the league. If there are more than 16 teams, then it is best to get two running backs early, since you do not want one of your starting players to not even start on their own team. If your league has fewer teams, than owners can feel safe waiting into the middle rounds to secure a solid running duo.

Another important factor in securing running back depth in the draft is handcuffing. Handcuffing is when you pick up the backup for your high profile players so that if they happen to get injured, you will still have the starter for that team.


Running backs are given one point for every 10 yards they run and 6 points per touchdown. They also receive the same denominations for receiving yards and scores, possibly more if the league is PPR. Running backs lose two points for every fumble.

Owners will commonly pick up running backs off the waiver wire who they think could steal a touchdown from a team's primary back during a given week.


The best season in fantasy football history is owned by running back LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006. LT scored 33 total touchdowns to go along with 2,323 all-purpose yards to accumulate a whopping 425 points in standard scoring leagues.