Jordan McNamara: Malcom Brown drew the starter role in the first preseason game, and the team has shown the willingness to change starters against conventional wisdom when Gaskin was a surprise starter in Week 1. He also is a touchdown liability -- he's scored 5, 6, and 4 touchdowns in three of his four seasons (11 the other season), which had led to finishing outside the Top 25 each of those years. He also has a new coaching staff, a new play-caller, and a new system to learn. While Hunt has moderate standalone value playing alongside Chubb, he'll need to either break a long run, vulture a touchdown at the goal-line, or catch a score to help you win a weekly matchup -- all things that are difficult to bank on. Ryan Hester: Short of Taysom Hill (if he wins the job), this whole offense is an avoid for fantasy football right now. When Melvin Gordon III re-signed, many dismissed him as purely a backup player. Robinsons workload will dramatically decrease this season, and drafters arent taking that into account as much as they should. . Most overrated Running back in NFL history : r/nfl - reddit This three-headed committee with a healthy Jones is bad news for Fournette and means he is way overvalued at current ADP. He feasted on unsustainable opportunities and a soft schedule. Not to mention I expect this offense to throw the ball a lot more than last year due to the addition of Russell Wilson and new Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett. Bettis was also a nonfactor in the passing game. The only other way for one of them to achieve high-end RB1 value would be an injury that allows the other to see an increased workload. By the end of the year, that may change, but Etienne will be a change-of-pace and gadget player who might earn flex value this year until then. Jim Brown 2. The depth behind Ekeler is average, but there are enough players to steal touches. Drafting Jacobs around this price is drafting him at his ceiling -- perhaps even above it. So should drafters trust the first 25 games of his career where he was a compiler with minimal ceiling or the final six games against bad defenses in 2020? This was largely in line with his previous year's 10.7 per game which allowed him to plod his way to an uninspiring RB24 finish. The additions of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, and a healthy Antonio Gibson should blunt his numbers and make his season look more like 2020's first half when he averaged 4.7 targets and 3.6 receptions per game instead of his second half when he saw 8.6 targets and 6.1 catches an outing. But Gordon averaged more yards per carry last year than Williams. Gibson has also been struggling with fumbles in training camp, which have drawn the ire of the Commanders coaching staff. He has good hands, but his route running hurt his opportunities to make clean catches against man-to-man coverage. The Brazilian won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and has been inducted into the Milan hall of fame for his impact between 2008 and 2011 before heading back to his homeland. Andrew Davenport: Montgomery was the 26th-ranked PPR running back in points per game at 12.2 a contest through nine games last year. Jordan McNamara: The news on Saquon Barkley does not reassure me. At cost, D'Andre Swift and others are better combinations of floor and ceiling. The addition of James Conner, plus the knowledge that Kyler Murray could steal goal-line carries, also adds a bit of skepticism. The Steelers were 23rd in red zone attempts per game in 2020 and were recently ranked as having the fourth-worst offensive line ahead of the 2021 season by Pro Football Focus. Dave Kluge: Sure, youre not giving up any crazy draft capital to get J.D. only site on the planet. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Manchester City's most overrated players in the Premier League The depth behind Ekeler is average, but there are enough players to steal touches. The new coaching staff is inexperienced (second-youngest in the NFL), the system is unproven, the quarterback will gobble up a ton of rushing yards and touchdowns, and the front office has added running back depth aggressively in the offseason. And free-agent acquisitions Mark Ingram II and Rex Burkhead didnt even play. Chris "Beanie" Wells. David Johnson, Houston | Consensus Rankings RB27 | Consensus Projections RB31. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB22. Aaron Jones, Green Bay | Consensus Rankings RB7 | Consensus Projections RB6. The uncertainty of Fournette's touch volume will make it hard to start him with confidence throughout the season, so a late-sixth-round ADP seems steep. Over the past decade, the NFL has really evolved into a passing league. Had more rushing touchdowns last year than Williams. Pat Fitzmaurice: First, a hat tip: For a guy who was a nonfactor in Purdue's offense for four years and was mostly a special-teamer in his first four NFL seasons, Mostert turned out to be a pretty good running back. Running back Chris Wells of the Arizona Cardinals was a first-round draft pick, 31st overall, in 2009 who always seemed to be on the injured list year after year. 15 Best Running Backs of All-Time; He made general managers look like geniuses with more than 2,000 total yards and 20 touchdowns in 2016. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB9 | Consensus Projections RB9. Johnson was once a big name at the running back position and is still getting drafted based on that name and past production. Drew Davenport: McKissic's price isn't super high, so anyone who believes in him isn't making a grave error where he's being drafted. Jordan McNamara: Fixing your running game by drafting running backs is a losing strategy. Montgomery hasn't turned a corner in his career arc. Andrew Davenport: I've had ample opportunities to draft Gaskin and just haven't been able to do it. Investing in Sanders as your RB2 is likely to leave you feeling disappointed. Yes, but it doesn't feel like he'll be a top-10 type of running back, even in the Chiefs' potent offense. I'm out. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered Ryan Hester: Chubb shares his backfield with a very talented player in Kareem Hunt, and Hunt is the one who gets the lions share of the passing game work. 9 Tim Brown Via nfl.com I was one of many who publicly voiced outrage over the fact that Tim Brown had to wait until 2015 get his Hall of Fame honor. Drafting running backs on the downside of their career, on bad offenses, in a platoon situation, is fraught with peril. Daniel Jones was one of the most uninspiring quarterbacks in the league last year. The problem is it never really felt like we stopped moving Edmonds up the board even after the signing of James Conner. It is also quite possible that Gordon isn't even on the team by the time Week 1 rolls around. Jeff Haseley: Chase Edmonds scored in five different games in 2020, exceeding eight carries in a game only twice in 15 qualifying games. Murray scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 9 different games in 2020. His lack of use as a runner has to be a concern. In Week 16 of the 2011 season, Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and returned as the #1 overall running back in 2012. And in fact, some managers are drafting him to be in their fantasy starting lineups in Week 1. Nobody should ever try to run like Barry Sanders, because they will never be Barry Sanders. The Ravens view Gus Edwards and Dobbins as co-starters who are both vital cogs, and the front office rewarded Edwards with a new contract supporting his role. Green Bay seems to like A.J. From Weeks 13 through 17, Dobbins received a measly two total targets from quarterback Lamar Jackson. 2 fantasy back this year is a dubious decision. 1 status. In 2012, Adrian Peterson ran for a near record-breaking 2,097 yards.. Ricky Watters 20. Links to similar discussions on other positions: The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. Swift also picked up bad footwork habits working alongside a different style of back in Adrian Peterson last year, opting for inefficient jump cuts that hurt his game. Andy Hicks: If people are using a fourth or fifth-round pick on Myles Gaskin, they will end up disappointed. You wrote in to criticize me immediately following a 4-0 win against Forest where, for the first time all season, Moyes bowed to enormous pressure and played a back 4, told Declan to actually be . Downing, USA Today Sports. Lets take a look at the average Jerome Bettis season: 277 carries, 1051 yards, 3.9 YPC, 7 TDs. Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your Top 20 Most Overrated NFL Players Of All Time - TheSportster History has shown us that Harris's ADP will likely move into Round 2 or 3 as the next few months pass. Yet, Travis Etienne was drafted in the first round, and Carlos Hyde, who Urban Meyer coached at Ohio State, was signed. He has lapses in vision and decision-making. Victoria Geary: The Ravens have "made it a point of emphasis" to get Dobbins more looks in the passing game for 2021, but we know coach speak isn't very trustworthy during the offseason. The team added Brian Robinson Jr Jr. on day two of the draft while retaining J.D. No thanks. He's not a player to build your team around if you pick in the top half of the first round. This slideshow lists the most underrated and overrated quarterbacks, running backs and receivers in the NFL, and the choices might shock you. Pittsburghs front five looks nothing like last years group. Kansas City had 40 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores. Sigmund Bloom: Anthony Lynn basically told us that he will run a committee of Swift and free agent pick Jamaal Williams when he called Williams his "A" back. Jonathan Morris: Gibson was already someone I was worried about getting enough volume to be drafted at his current ADP. I believe it is more accurate to measure a RB by per season averages, because running backs such as Jim Brown did not play long. Sep 20, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina . Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City | Consensus Rankings RB15 | Consensus Projections RB17. Phil Alexander: Hunt finished last season as the RB10 in PPR scoring, but his cumulative stats were buoyed by a four-game stint as Cleveland's starter when Nick Chubb was out with an MCL sprain. The 100 Most Overrated Athletes of All Time - Bleacher Report Tevin Coleman was specifically brought in because he knows the run-blocking schemes the Jets will employ this year, and Ty Johnson hasn't gone anywhere either. We've seen J.D. D'Andre Swift, Detroit | Consensus Rankings RB14 | Consensus Projections RB10. Mckissic, and there was talk of rookie Brian Robinson Jr taking on the short yardage work. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup NFL's 5 Most Overrated Running Backs No Name August 6, 2011 Over the past decade, the NFL has really evolved into a passing league. Hes the favorite for running back targets, but the offense doesnt really throw to the running backs. Pat Fitzmaurice: This is the type of player I won't draft at any cost. Ben Cummins: Robinson was an awesome story in 2020 as he just kept producing while seeing 21.43 opportunities per game (6th most in the league) from Weeks 1-16. Earl Campbell 9. Avoid. Sigmund Bloom: One year after the signing of Gordon indicated a lack of faith in Phillip Lindsay -- that bore out with Lindsay being allowed to leave in free agency this offseason -- the Broncos moved up in the second round to take Javonte Williams, indicating a lack of faith in Gordon. If Johnson is the starter, he is probably a value where he is being drafted, but I'm not taking him at his current cost without some reassuring news about his role in the coming weeks. For both Cleveland backs to be values, the team would have to produce vintage New Orleans-level production for its backs, or one of them would have to get injured to allow the other to see an increased workload. Gary Davenport: Drafting an RB1 based on wishful thinking isn't an ideal strategy, yet Williams keeps getting picked inside the top-12 at his position. The Raiders are sure to recoup as much production as they can on the $8.5 million guarantee they gave Drake on a two-year deal, so this will look closer to a committee than a true lead-back situation. Gordon caught only 32 passes last year, and outside of three games where he scored two touchdowns, he was a mediocre fantasy back. Give me Chris Carson or Josh Jacobs in a similar draft range with stronger probabilities to hit as a top-10 option. Add in the fact that offense is unlikely to provide as many goal-line chances as the other high-end RB1s, and Kamara has plenty of factors going against him. J.D. On top of these issues, the Texans added Rex Burkhead, Mark Ingram II, and Philip Lindsay to compete for touches. 24 Overrated Running Backs - Footballguys Ty Johnson has strong athleticism and played over Carter in the first week of the preseason, and La'Mical Perine has a similar profile to Carter. The Greatest 30 Running Backs in NFL History, Ranked - Alot Living Chad Parsons: Cohen is coming off an injury, and Damien Williams is a notable veteran addition to the depth chart. Jim Brown Jim Brown spent a little less than a decade playing for the Cleveland Browns between 1957 and 1965, but that was enough time to prove he's likely the greatest running back to ever play the game and one of the greatest NFL players of all time. Drew Brees is arguably the best screen game quarterback in NFL history. Simpson 13. Its a knock on his offensive line. "Footballguys is the best premiumfantasy football Adding another trip around the sun and competition from two young, capable running backs is the recipe for the bottom to fall out for Gordon. Jacobs is not the alpha; he's one of many in the Vegas backfield. Barry Sanders - 15, averaged one 50-plus-yard TD every 204 carries. Gaskin may be the top option for now, but that could change with a strong outing from veteran Malcolm Brown or Salvon Ahmed. Ryan Hester: Even before he played double-digit snaps in the most meaningless of all meaningless preseason games, Jacobs was a solid fade. 1 Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr., is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. Sigmund Bloom: Barkley may not be 100% to start the season, and he might not truly be 100% until next season. The current regime did not select Robinson. His ADP has not shot up the draft boards as quickly as he propelled into fantasy relevance last year due to the almost non-existent target share he received in the passing game. Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time by Team | Stadium Talk Emmitt Smith 4. As a rookie, Montgomery was a disappointment, averaging just 10.7 fantasy points per game. Links to similar discussions on other positions: 12 Quarterbacks11 Tight Ends28 Wide Receivers25 Running Backs, 10 Quarterbacks12 Tight Ends23 Wide Receivers25 Running Backs, 9 Quarterbacks11 Tight Ends15 Wide Receivers13 Running Backs. 5. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Sigmund Bloom: The Raiders are going to adopt a frustrating Patriots-style committee at running back under Josh McDaniels, which means that Jacobs will be at best Damien Harris in this offense. 3 back on the depth chart before the first preseason game. Chad Parsons: Sanders stands out in the mid-teens of the running back draft pecking order most with his odds of being a high-impact option. Dillon a lot, and reports from OTAs have been promising. Top 10 Most Overrated Athletes of All Time - TheTopTens Harris has the potential to be this year's Clyde Edwards-Helaire, as he may end up burning us relative to his current ADP of RB13 and 20th overall. And the Titans got worse this offseason, losing wide receiver Corey Davis, tight end Jonnu Smith, cornerback Adoree' Jackson, and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Sigmund Bloom: Not that the Texans offense was anything you wanted to go near in fantasy drafts in the first place, but Johnson's ADP needs to adjust by multiple rounds to the news that he will be sharing the backfield with Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram II and no longer in the lead back role. His fantasy value came in catching 59 receptions, which won't happen in Arthur Smith's offense that doesn't throw to the tailbacks much. But now in the NFL, he is removed from passing down work in favor of J.D. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB15 | Consensus Projections RB13. Jason Wood: Preseason depth charts aren't perfectly predictive, but the new Texans coaching staff clearly sent a message listing Johnson as the No. He has the ability to handle that role and thrive in the process. Chad Parsons: McKissic is priced reasonably with an implied drop in targets. His average DVOA of 0.085% would rank him 31st in the NFL in 2009, right behind Rashard Mendenhall. The fact is, he never . Saquon Barkley, NY Giants | Consensus Rankings RB8 | Consensus Projections RB10. Sigmund Bloom: Jacobs' ADP would be justified and reasonable if the Raiders hadn't added Kenyan Drake, but they did. There have been 49 running backs taken among the first 10 picks since 1960, and Byars has the lowest rushing average of the bunch. There's zero appeal here. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB7 | Consensus Projections RB7. There have been personnel changes and a change in offensive coordinator to Matt Canada. But, man, there are all sorts of asterisks to add to that description. Before his 2020 campaign, McKissic had never rushed for more than 205 yards in a season. There's just not enough upside here to justify taking Johnson anywhere near his ADP and no expectation of consistency in Johnson's usage or the Texans' ability to move the ball week to week. It's not entirely his fault. 2 fantasy back this year is a dubious decision. He has had 9,088 receiving+rushing yards over his career. Jeff Bell: Gibson finished fourth in rushing attempts. Nick Chubb, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings RB10 | Consensus Projections RB11. Williams is extremely talented, but as of now, it looks like this will be a split backfield. The Eagles also resigned Jordan Howard and added Kerryon Johnson to the backfield, exhibiting their lack of trust in Sanders to be an every-down back. If he is still on the opening day roster, his workload will be usurped by the rookie when the coaching staff trusts him. Bursting onto the scene in our list is Micah Richards. Ben Cummins: Henrys past two monster years were with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the head coach in Atlanta. It probably comes off as harsh to call Montgomery one of the most overrated running backs of the past decade, but he is. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB19 | Consensus Projections RB20. His best year came in 2011 when he ran for 10 touchdowns and 1,047 yards, but other than that he didn't do much else. But the Broncos re-signed Melvin Gordon III, which cannot be interpreted as anything short of a re-commitment to a 50/50 committee. The Ravens view Gus Edwards and Dobbins as co-starters who are both vital cogs, and the front office rewarded Edwards with a new contract supporting his role. 31 Unsung Running Backs in NFL History By Paul Ladewski on August 3, 2021 Chris O'Meara / AP Photo Before franchise quarterbacks took pro football hostage, there was something known as franchise running backs. Tarik Cohen, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB49 | Consensus Projections RB47. Zamir White is looking like a capable back and could eat into Jacobs' carries. Andrew Davenport: Fantasy managers are drafting Carter as though he is the unquestioned starter. Drew Davenport: Gordon hasn't been a special player for a while now, and at times last year looked completely ineffective. Madden 21 Ratings: NFL's most underrated and overrated players Pat Fitzmaurice: The Buccaneers' playoff run was the best four-game stretch for Fournette since the early part of the 2019 season. There are some people who will say he was the most overrated running back in history because he was 1-5 in the playoffs, and he never won a Super . The Five Most Overrated Fantasy Football Running Backs in 2019. 2022/07/02 . J.K. McKissic, Washington | Consensus Rankings RB47 | Consensus Projections RB45. This NFL season, which isn't even over yet, 5 running backs have already rushed for more yards and 16 have more touchdowns. Taysom Hill had nine carries from inside the opponent's five-yard line to Kamara's 15 in 2021 and won't be removed from the Saints' red-zone plans any time soon. We don't yet know how much of Kamara's past success as a pass-catcher to attribute to Brees. Never a good idea. My, my, how the game has changed. Its almost always the other way around for top tier RBs. It also must be remembered his journey through the NFL before that. As a model for other running backs, one of the greatest running backs of all time is a horrible example. I just see way too much downside to take a risk on lightning striking twice. That number of targets limited his ceiling, and he was barely a low-end RB2. His production waned down the stretch in Carolina last year, and when was the last time we cared about an Atlanta running back in fantasy football anyway? He's a strong talent with some flaws with a better all-around back ahead of him. Jamaal Williams is a fine receiver, route runner, and red-zone back who will limit Swift's upside to a low-end fantasy RB2, at best. The Top Ten. James Robinson, Jacksonville | Consensus Rankings RB28 | Consensus Projections RB29. The 39 Most Overrated Bands Of All-Time While they might have some catchy tunes, some bands are really overrated. "The Philadelphia Story," on the other hand, was a comedy, a genre not often seen as Best Picture worthy. Brown should have a role, most likely on early downs and at the goal-line, which would sink Gaskins chances of living up to his ADP. Now we can extinguish any hopes of Jacobs getting more involved in the passing game. This likely puts Gibson two injuries away from a full workload, and Robinson is capable of taking away money touches in the redzone as well. I can't see Mostert getting enough work to justify his current ADP. Chad Parsons: As much as Taylor is an overt talent and a potentially elite RB1 in a best-case scenario. Even if he receives most of the early-down and passing game work, it still wont be very valuable on a putrid offense. Even when Barkley was a big fantasy hit, it took big plays that can be very mercurial from year to year to make it happen. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup Ryan Hester: Gibson is a unique case in fantasy football. Ronaldinho is also one of the finest players of all time and the global icon dazzled with his Brazilian flair for across Europe, most notably for Barcelona and AC Milan. Jeff Haseley: Clyde Edwards-Helaire has all of the tools and skills to be a successful fantasy back but failing to finish runs in the end zone has slowed his progress. In five games without Mark Ingram II in 2020, Dobbins only out-carried Gus Edwards 13 to 11.6. Jones was the better, more efficient runner during the 2020 regular season, and Bernard seems destined to be Tampa's primary passing-down back. Jamal Lewis-- RB, 2000-06 There have been seven running backs who have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season, and Jamal Lewis is by far the least memorable of the bunch. Jameis Winston is a downfield passer, and Hill would rather run than check down. 1 cornerstone. Take Carter later as a committee back with some possible upside, but he's being overvalued by drafters right now. When we go into advanced stats, we can tell even more about Bettis: * Note: The stats are Bettis averages per season, not total career. Subscription, Early-March Top 10 Defensive Back IDP Rankings, 5 RBs to Buy In Dynasty Before NFL Free Agency. He and Ameer Abdullah -- who played over Kenyan Drake in the first preseason game -- could take away tons of receiving work, while White is capable of obtaining shots around the goal line. There's too much risk to draft him as an ever-week starter. Jamal Lewis 18. Anthony Amico: The story with Gibson is somewhat similar to that of Jacobs but with a proof of concept already complete.