NFL running back power rankings entering Week 3

The key here is to have the perfect amount of reaction. The NFL season flies by in an instant, but plenty of games remain. Finding the right balance isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. Now, let’s take a spin through our top-15 running backs entering Week 3. And then, we can see how much things will continue to change on a weekly basis:

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) warms up before an AFC Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

15. TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

Maybe it was the Rhamondre Stevenson fumble that did it, but it was a great sign to see Henderson have 10 more touches than his teammate. It would have been nice if Henderson was targeted in the passing game, but we can’t argue with a 39-yard touchdown run and 16 carries for 76 yards overall. Now, will the breakdown of touches remain the same?

No touchdown this week, but once again, Brown was as steady as can be. He gained 80 yards on his 20 carries while playing a minimal role in the passing game; three catches for two yards. Brown is steady as they come, and there’s value in that.

It was a much quieter week for Chicago’s offense in Week 2, but weather and Caleb Williams‘ injury were both factors. Still, it’s a great sign that Swift had 21 catches, including five receptions for 54 yards.

Yes, Williams is in a timeshare with Blake Corum, but he does have the edge when it comes to touches. Williams made good use of his touches on Monday with 12 carries of 85 yards while catching two passes for 12 yards and a touchdown. This is an offense to target.

Week 2 was even worse than Week 1 for the Dolphins, but the bright side is that Achane had 20 carries. The bad news, though, is that he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry and caught just three passes for 19 yards. The quantity is there, but we need the quality to be there as well.

Dec 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) runs against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

10. Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Losing a fumble wasn’t great, but it was a good sign to see Hampton run for a touchdown for the second straight week. The Chargers also didn’t shy away from him as he gained 94 yards on 23 carries. This is an offense that needs to get back on track, though.

9. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

I was all settled in, waiting for Barkley to smash the Tennessee Titans. Instead, we waited a week as a stinger quickly sent him to the sidelines for most of the game. He ultimately finished with four carries for nine yards and one catch for 11 yards. As of now, Barkley should be good to go for next week as he still looks for his first touchdown of the season.

What else is new? Henry ran for a touchdown. It was a weird game for the Ravens with a home loss to the New Orleans Saints. However, as Henry finished with 68 yards on 16 carries, it’s still a reminder of how good he is.

The Raiders are going to lean on Jeanty this season, and that’s a great thing. Now he just needs to gain more than 48 yards on his 21 carries and find the end zone. It does help that, with four catches for 15 yards, there is a role for Jeanty in the passing game as well.

After only 13 carries in Week 1, Cook bounced back last week. He averaged 6.4 yards on 21 carries while also scoring his first touchdown of the season. There doesn’t appear to be any obstacles to success here.

Aug 6, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) during training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

5. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

If McCaffrey didn’t rush for two touchdowns, Week 2 would have been a disaster. He gained just 23 yards on 10 carries; two were also for touchdowns, but it still wasn’t a great average. McCaffrey only added four catches for 43 yards, but context is important. The 49ers probably could have blown the Miami Dolphins out without McCaffrey, so it made sense that he had a small workload.

Things are going way better than anyone could have even expected here. Walker is taking full advantage of being the leading man in Kansas City‘s backfield while also enjoying the balance that comes from playing with a healthy Patrick Mahomes. He’s just going to continue moving up.

Whatever questions and concerns we might have with Daniel Jones haven’t made their way to Taylor. He now has back-to-back weeks with two rushing touchdowns, and he’s averaging 95 rushing yards per game. For good measure, he also caught four passes for 40 yards last week.

Michael Penix is returning this week, so that’s a nice start. Robinson averaged a solid 4.5 yards per carry on 16 carries, so that also wasn’t terrible. But he failed to find the end zone and caught just three passes for nine yards. Let’s hope this is his worst game of the season.

The Lions were trailing all night against the Buffalo Bills, so it was a weird game for Gibbs. It’s still not enough to knock him off the top spot, and the fact that he caught six passes for 61 yards and a touchdown did help not to make it a lost game. We also know he’s better than 16 carries for 52 yards.