This week, we are looking at ways to find a top-10 running back (based on FPts/G). Sure, it's easy if you can pick Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor or Christian McCaffrey. But what if you chose another position with your first-round selection and the four mentioned above are long gone.

How can you identify the statistics needed to produce a top-10 running back season? I did the research over the last 10 years and here are some facts backed up by the tables below.

1) Finding for a 1,000-yard running back only gives you a 57.5% chance of a top-10 back.

2) Rushing 255 times in a season (15 carries multiplied by 17 games) only increased your chances to 64.2%.

3) Catching 60 balls in a season helps a little more, with your chances rising to 69.4%.

4) Rushing for 10 touchdowns gives you a 71% chance of a top-10 back.

5) Catching 60 balls AND 10 rushing touchdowns is a 100% guarantee to be a top-10 back.

6) Catching 50 balls AND rushing for eight touchdowns is still elite at 91.4% chance.

7) Catching 42 balls AND seven rushing touchdowns will get you a top-10 running back 73% of the time.

So, here we are, with many ways to become a top-10 running back in a PPR league. All we have to do is find running back who we think can hit these goals.

In the latest FFToday projections, you will find 15 running backs who are expected to catch at least 42 balls. Of those, 10 are expected to rush for at least seven touchdowns. So, if you believe in the FFToday's projections, you have a 73% chance of drafting a top-10 running back if you select; De'Von Achane, Ashton Jeanty, Jeremiyah Love, Omarion Hampton, Cam Skattebo, Saquon Barkley or Kenneth Walker.

Only two of these backs will be drafted outside the first two rounds and would be really good value. Love has an ADP of 28 and Skattebo is an ADP of 45. If the projections are accurate, they could be top value for your third- or fourth-round selection.

But let's see if we can find a few others who might be able to perform at a top-10 level.

There is a large group of running backs, who don't catch a lot of passes, but do score touchdowns in mass quantities. Derrick Henry leads this group. He hasn't produced less than 16 touchdowns since arriving in Baltimore and, in fact, has scored double-digit touchdowns for eight consecutive seasons. He needs big rushing yards and his touchdowns to produce top-10 results. He's been top-10 in six of the last 10 seasons. He'll cost you an early second-round pick (ADP 12) so not a steal, but fair market value.

Others with relatively low-catch, high-touchdowns resumes are: Javonte Williams, James Cook, Kyren Williams and Josh Jacobs. As long as they continue to produce double-digit touchdowns, they can compete for a top spot. But the minute they start losing red zone touchdowns to perhaps a tight end or a rushing quarterback, their low reception characteristics will hurt them.

Here are six others to consider:

Chase Brown – Brown goes as Joe Burrow goes. When “JB” is in the lineup, Brown runs and catches like a top-10 guy. When Burrow goes down, Brown reverts to an ordinary back. Last season, in eight games with the starter he averaged 19.5, but in the nine games with a backup QB he managed just 13.9 FPts/G. Choosing Brown means betting on the Bengals offensive line improving enough to keep Burrow upright. At the moment, that's a 50-50 proposition, since in his six seasons in the NFL Burrow has played 16 or more games three times and 10 or less three times.

Breece Hall – Hall has run for 1,000 yards just once in four season and never rushed for more than five touchdowns in any of his four years with the Jets. But in 2023 and 2024 his receiving skills made him fantasy worthy. Over those two seasons he caught 133 passes and scored nine times. The question is whether new quarterback Geno Smith and new offensive coordinator Frank Reich can improve this offense from poor (29th in scoring) to at least mediocre. Smith wasn't very good in Las Vegas last season, but in his time with Seattle, he used both Walker and Zach Charbonnet frequently. I think Hall has a solid chance of cracking the top-10.

Kenneth Walker – Walker will be on a new roster for 2026, the Kansas City Chiefs. In Seattle, he had to split time with Charbonnet, but in Kansas City, the running back room is not as strong and KW3 should see a majority of the work. Also, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes returning from knee surgery, his running days will likely be lessened. That's more work for Walker. Walker averaged 7.25 rushing touchdowns over four seasons with the Seahawks in a shared situation. He should be better here.

Travis Etienne – Etienne is a younger less overworked version of Alvin Kamara. While Kamara will begin his 10th season with 2,280 touches, all in New Orleans, Etienne is just 27 with less than half that workload (1,065 touches). Unfortunately, until Kamara decides to hang up his spikes, Etienne will be limited by the shared backfield.

Jadarian Price – Right now, the Seattle backfield is Price's to lose. Walker is with the Chiefs. Charbonnet is trying to return from an Achilles injury. And the remainder of the running back room looks like George Holani and Emanuel Wilson. It's OK to say “Who?” Price wasn't even the starter last season at Notre Dame where he was working behind Jeremiyah Love. Also, Price did very little work as a pass receiver. So it would be a complete “shot in the dark” to think he'd be a workhorse back in his first season as a pro. The opportunity might be there, but we don't know if the talent is up to it.

Bucky Irving – Irving has the talent to be a top back. He can run and he is particularly good out of the backfield. But, he's always had to share the workload which has limited his ceiling. It will be more of the same where backup Rashaad White has been replaced by Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell put on quite a display last season in Pittsburgh, producing 13.1 FPts/G while attempting just 114 runs. It was 73 receptions and three touchdowns which made him so valuable. There goes Irving's passing workload. In 2024, Irving did rush for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns, but that was a “magical” season for the Bucs offense where everything worked and Baker Mayfield was a top-three quarterback. It's possible, but not probable, that Irving could be a top-10 fantasy running back.