2021 Running Backs | Football Outsiders

RUSHING: Minimum 100 rushes

Player	Team	DYAR		YAR		DVOA		VOA		Runs	Yards	EYds		TD	FUM	Suc Rate
J. Taylor	IND	1	511	1	403	3	25.3%	4	18.1%	332	1,811	1	2,128	18	3	13	56%
L. Fournette	TB	2	201	4	180	5	15.9%	6	13.4%	180	812	8	1,030	8	0	11	57%
A. Ekeler	LAC	3	189	5	176	9	11.9%	12	10.5%	206	911	6	1,098	12	0	12	56%
N. Chubb	CLE	4	182	2	231	11	10.8%	5	16.1%	228	1,259	5	1,103	8	2	27	51%
D. Harris	NE	5	175	3	193	10	10.8%	8	12.8%	202	929	7	1,061	15	2	19	54%
R. Penny
J. Robinson
A. Dillon
T. Pollard
D. Johnson
E. Elliott
M. Sanders
A. Jones
E. Mitchell
D. Henderson
D. Singletary
C. Edmonds
D. Henry
R. Stevenson
D. Williams
L. Murray
M. Carter
J. Conner
J. Mixon
S. Michel
R. Jones
K. Herbert
M. Gordon
A. Collins
C. Edwards-Helaire
D. Freeman
D. Foreman
N. Harris
J. Williams
J. Jacobs
C. Patterson
D. Booker
A. Gibson
D. Cook
M. Davis
J. Williams
R. Burkhead
D. Montgomery
C. Hubbard
S. Barkley
A. Mattison
M. Gaskin
D. Swift
M. Ingram
A. Kamara

RUSHING: 20-99 rushes

Player	Team	DYAR	YAR	DVOA	VOA	Runs	Yards	EYds	TD	FUM
J. Howard	PHI	93	109	15.9%	20.3%	86	406	476	3	0
B. Scott	PHI	84	97	12.9%	16.3%	87	373	474	7	1
N. Hines	IND	82	64	29.3%	20.9%	56	276	319	2	0
K. Hunt	CLE	72	83	13.5%	16.9%	78	386	395	5	0
D. Hilliard	TEN	65	68	22.3%	24.0%	56	350	285	2	1
D. Johnson
C. McCaffrey
J. McKissic
C. Carson
D. Gore
J. Jackson
T. Homer
E. Penny
K. Gainwell
T. Coleman
D. Dallas
Z. Moss
D. Williams
J. Patterson
K. Drake
K. Vaughn
T. Williams
M. Breida
Q. Ollison
T. Sermon
B. Bolden
J. McNichols
A. Walter
C. Clement
E. Benjamin
S. Perine
M. Brown
27-P.Taylor
T. Johnson
J. Wilson
M. Mack
C. Hyde
6-L.Bell
W. Gallman
C. Reynolds
A. Abdullah
A. Peterson
D. Ogunbowale
P. Lindsay
B. Snell
L. Rountree
D. Johnson
R. Freeman
P. Barber
J. Kelley
T. Jones
S. Ahmed

RECEIVING: Minimum 25 passes

Player	Team	DYAR		YAR		DVOA		VOA		Passes	Yards	EYds		TD	Catch Rate		FUM
C. Patterson	ATL	1	188	2	176	8	31.7%	8	29.0%	69	548	1	682	5	38	75%	0
D. Williams	KC	2	179	3	162	4	42.4%	5	36.8%	57	452	4	598	2	12	82%	0
J. Conner	ARI	3	166	1	183	1	62.4%	1	70.1%	40	375	6	499	3	1	95%	0
B. Bolden	NE	4	156	4	147	2	46.4%	3	43.0%	49	405	5	506	2	11	84%	0
A. Ekeler	LAC	5	136	5	143	15	12.6%	15	14.0%	94	647	2	640	8	40	74%	4
L. Fournette
C. McCaffrey
K. Juszczyk
A. Dillon
T. Johnson
A. Kamara
J. McKissic
A. Jones
K. Drake
D. Booker
J. Jackson
T. Pollard
N. Chubb
D. Montgomery
J. Williams
A. Abdullah
J. Williams
D. Freeman
D. Swift
A. Gibson
D. Johnson
M. Gordon
K. Hunt
S. Perine
R. Burkhead
J. Taylor
C. Edmonds
J. Jacobs
K. Gainwell
C. Hubbard
Z. Moss
E. Elliott
M. Carter
J. McNichols
N. Harris
M. Ingram
D. Cook
N. Hines
G. Bernard
A. Mattison
D. Johnson
S. Barkley
J. Hasty
M. Gaskin
J. Mixon
M. Sanders
S. Michel
D. Henderson
D. Singletary
D. Hilliard
M. Davis
J. Robinson

RECEIVING: 10-24 passes

Player	Team	DYAR	YAR	DVOA	VOA	Passes	Yards	EYds	TD	Catch Rate	FUM
D. Felton	CLE	80	75	48.9%	44.8%	21	181	256	2	86%	0
C. Evans	CIN	66	76	56.1%	67.3%	17	151	204	2	88%	0
T. Homer	SEA	65	52	42.9%	31.2%	20	161	216	0	80%	0
D. Foreman	TEN	63	57	85.3%	76.1%	11	123	174	0	82%	0
E. Mitchell	SF	52	52	41.2%	41.0%	20	137	176	1	95%	0
C. Edwards-Helaire
D. Harris
D. Henry
J. McKinnon
A. Ingold
J. Patterson
T. Williams
C. Ham
K. Smith
J. Richard
K. Herbert
J. White
P. Ricard
R. Jones
A. Collins
L. Murray
S. Ahmed
R. Stevenson
G. Igwebuike
P. Barber
D. Dallas
D. Ogunbowale
B. Scott
R. Freeman
T. Coleman
E. Penny
D. Williams
C. Hyde

This table explained

Running backs are ranked according to DYAR, or Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement. This gives the value of the performance on plays where this RB carried/caught the ball compared to replacement level, adjusted for situation and opponent and then translated into yardage. DYAR (and its cousin, YAR, which isn't adjusted based on opponent) is further explained here.

The next statistic given is DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. This number represents value, per play, over an average running back in the same game situations. The more positive the DVOA rating, the better the player's performance. Negative DVOA represents below-average offense. DVOA (and its cousin, VOA, which isn't adjusted based on opponent) is further explained here.

The simple version: DYAR means a running back with more total value. DVOA means a running back with more value per play.

Because it is currently early in the season, there are not yet strength of schedule adjustments. They will begin after Week 4.

Effective Yards (EYds) translate DVOA into a yards per attempt figure. This provides an easy comparison: in general, players with more Effective Yards than standard yards played better than standard stats would otherwise indicate, while players with fewer Effective Yards than standard yards played worse than standard stats would otherwise indicate. Effective Yards are not the best way to measure total value because they are more dependent on usage than DYAR.

The final statistic is Success Rate. This number represents the player's consistency, measured by successful running plays (the definition of success being different based on down and distance) divided by total running plays. A player with higher DVOA and a low success rate mixes long runs with downs getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage. A player with lower DVOA and a high success rate generally gets the yards needed, but doesn't often get more. Success Rate is further explained here. It is not adjusted for opponent.

These numbers do not separate the performance of a running back from the performance of his offensive line. (You'll find numbers that try to do that on this page.) Be aware that one will affect the other.
All fumbles are considered equal, whether recovered by the offense or defense.

Clicking on a player's name will bring you to his FO player page with advanced stats through the most recent season.

Regular season only.

Note for 1987: strikebreaker games (Weeks 4-6) are not included.