DEPTH CHART: RB'S

Khaled Zaher - NextPlay Sports
​When should I draft Eddie Lacy? Who is the better running back and why? What running backs should I not be drafting on as my draft approaches? I am here to help answer those questions. In this article I’m going to break down a few earlier running backs and in which rounds I fill comfortable drafting them and I’ll give a brief description of the player’s situation so you can see where I stand on these players. 

TIER ONE: 1st Round

Adrian Peterson

• AP has been the best running back in football for the past decade and doesn’t seem to be losing any ability. If he plays the entire season he is guaranteed at least 1200 rushing yards and 10 TDs. The worries with AP are that he is 31 years old and his style and the Vikings future style (Teddy Bridgewater) don’t exactly work together well. Even with those worries I wouldn’t hesitate drafting AP in the 1st round this year because you know what you are getting and he might not be the overall number 1 RB in points next year but those worries shouldn’t stop him from being in the top 3. 

Todd Gurley

• Gurley miss the first 3 games last year after coming back from a torn ACL at Georgia but he was able to produce at an incredible rate for fantasy. He was the 5th overall RB in total points at the end of the season and 5th at RB points per game. If you want to take Gurley ahead of AP I can’t argue with you because I believe he will be the top RB in fantasy for many years to come. His talent is unquestionable so I think he can defy the odds and be one of the best backs in fantasy football this year.  The two reasons I have AP ahead of him are: 
  • I want to see if Gurley can catch passes (only 21 catches last year)
  • I don’t trust in the Rams’ offense to be any good.

 Ezekiel Elliott

• In the Do’s and Don’ts article I already expressed my love for Elliott this year. I’ll give you the cliff-notes version here; high floor because of passing downs work, super talented running back, best offensive line in football. I don’t buy the "but he's is a rookie" argument. What could work against him this year is repeated red zone work. Dez Bryant is the best Red Zone wide receiver in football and if Alfred Morris steals a few red zone touches it could hurt Elliott’s upside. I think he is worth the gamble in the 1st round because, well I don’t think he is that much of a gamble. 

David Johnson

• We aren’t playing for 2nd place in fantasy football, so we have to take some risk to win it all.  David Johnson down the stretch last year was the best running back in fantasy and if he can produce like that again in the Cardinals explosive offense this year he has the potential to be the best running back in fantasy. There is risk with him that isn't present with the 3 backs above. We have seen sophomore slumps from other running backs in fantasy football that explode at the end of their rookie year but struggle their 2nd year. The other running backs on the depth chart aren’t chumps either. Chris Johnson was producing last year before he got injured and Andre Ellington is as talented a pass catching back there is in the NFL. I think David Johnson’s talent and the explosiveness of the offense will allow him to be a RB1 this year and with huge potential upside. 

TIER TWO: 2nd - 3rd Round

These RBs have the upside for 1st round picks but have an obvious downside that slides them into the 2nd round and beyond.

Jamaal Charles

• Jamaal Charles has averaged over 5 yards a carry for his CAREER. The talent isn’t questioned with Charles it’s the situation and if he can stay healthy. I do feel that if he stays healthy and even if he does have to split more carries with the other running backs in the committee he can still produce solid RB1 numbers.  

Lamar Miller

• The Texans loaded up on offense this offseason signing a new QB and drafting explosive wide receivers. The biggest offseason move for fantasy was the Lamar Miller signing. In Miami he was never trusted as the workhorse feature running back but was still able to produce solid running back numbers. In Houston the question is can he get Adrian Foster type production and volume in the offense. I think he won’t be as productive as Foster was in the past but can put up solid RB1 numbers throughout the season.   

Mark Ingram

• Might have been the most consistent running back in fantasy before the injury. He was labeled a bust out of Alabama early in his career but the past two years he has produced solid RB1 numbers for the Saints. Last year he expanded his game showing he could catch pass out of the back field which helped raise his weekly floor as a running back. The arguments against Ingram are the Saints defense is terrible so the rushing attempts might not be there to increase his usage and if Brees starts to fall off as a QB, Ingram will loss opportunities to score in the offense. 

Doug Martin

• Who has been victimized by Doug Martin before? Basically everyone has a Doug Martin story to tell regarding fantasy. He is a talented running back and has shown that he can produce so it is hard sometimes to not love the player. He isn’t consistent yearly and it's hard to know when it’s going to be a good Doug Martin year or a bad Doug Martin year.   

LeSean McCoy

• He will not be the number 1 running back in fantasy like he was a few times with the Eagles but he will give you RB1 numbers when he is able to play. He is often injured and has started to lose touches to other backs in Buffalo but his 12.2 fantasy points per game last year was still in the top 10 of RBs.

TIER THREE - DON'T DRAFT...KINDA

Devonte Freeman

• Number one running back in fantasy last year had 16.3 fantasy points per game in standard leagues and 21.1 in PPR leagues. Do not draft Freeman in the 1st round of drafts. Freeman was an RB2 down the stretch last season and struggled with injuries later in the season because of workload. He will not produce his 2015 production again. He should be taken in the 2nd in drafts especially in PPR leagues and will be a low RB1/ solid RB2 this year. 

Eddie Lacy

• Fat Lacy isn’t fat anymore but I don’t believe him being fat was his only problem last year. The Packers offense wasn’t nearly as good without Jordy Nelson and James Starks was the better running back for them. James Starks isn’t going away and the offense might never regain its groove. Wait on Lacy and if you can get him in the 3rd or 4th round I am ok with it because the upside is there to be a top 5 running back in fantasy but there are other running backs I like more in the 1st and 2nd round. 

Leveon Bell

• One of the better talented running backs in football but the guy has serious problems. Even before the 4 game suspension there was the worry of health. Back to back years of serious knee injuries will slow a running back and DeAngelo Williams played well in Bells place. What’s to stop the Steelers from using more of a committee approach with the two backs when Bell returns from suspension? I wouldn’t regiment taking Bell any earlier than the 3rd or 4th round. 

Demarco Murray

• Don’t draft Demarco Murray. I explained my hot take in the Do’s and Don’ts RB article. The quick version is I don’t believe in the offensive talent and think he has lost a step or two. 

TIER FOUR - PPR Targets

​These are running backs who value goes up in PPR leagues but can also be solid value picks for standard leagues.

Danny Woodhead

• Danny Woodhead is a PPR star but can be a good RB2 for standard leagues. He gets red zone work which isn’t normal for “passing down backs” and the Chargers could be pretty bad this year on defense so they could be playing catchup a lot. 

Dion Lewis

• Patriot running backs are the most frustration backfields to figure out in fantasy but Dion Lewis was really good last year. He averaged 17.2 points per game in PPR leagues last year before he got injured. He seemed to hit it off with Brady last year and they should be able to do the same when Brady returns. 

Gio Bernard

• His size might be the only thing stopping him from being a feature running back in the league. Super talented and can do it all on the field. For PPR he should see even more work with Marvin Jones and Mohammad Sanu gone. His downside is his TD production, which he hasn’t scored in over 13 games and it doesn’t seem like Jeremy Hill is going to stop getting red zone work anytime soon. 

Arian Foster

• Foster could be the starter in Miami this year but his real value is going to come in PPR leagues. He will for sure be the Dolphins “passing downs back” as long as he remains healthy. Being in a running back committee with Jay Ajayi might be the best thing for him to stay healthy and if he can produce decent RB2 numbers in PPR leagues he could be a steal in drafts.