You are better off investing in a more consistent player for your RB2 when you get to the late second or early third round of drafts. Henry is one of my favorite players in the league, but there are preferable first-round picks for me in 2021. But the Broncos re-signed Melvin Gordon III, which cannot be interpreted as anything short of a re-commitment to a 50/50 committee. Jason Wood: Preseason depth charts aren't perfectly predictive, but the new Texans coaching staff clearly sent a message listing Johnson as the No. Heading into this season, their offensive line is mediocre, their quarterback situation is a mess, they have a new coach, and the rest of the skill position players are uninspiring. 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 . They will be pass-dominant inside the five-yard line, which doesn't help Edwards-Helaire's fantasy stock. Matt Waldman: Gaskin displayed underrated skills last year and has become a favorite sleeper in the fantasy community. Drew Davenport: Gordon hasn't been a special player for a while now, and at times last year looked completely ineffective. most overrated running backs of all time. And just how many touchdowns should we expect from an offense with glaring question marks at quarterback and the worst wide receiver depth chart this side of Detroit? He's a strong talent with some flaws with a better all-around back ahead of him. Andy Hicks: Austin Ekeler isnt going to rush anyone to a fantasy title. It all depends on who works best in the new scheme and if the scheme works. In 2012, Adrian Peterson ran for a near record-breaking 2,097 yards.. 21 RB Sleepers. J.D. James Brimacombe: Once Kenyan Drake was out of the picture, we shot Edmonds up the draft board naturally. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup Got the exact same number of carries as Williams. Emmitt Smith 4. Tarik Cohen, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB49 | Consensus Projections RB47. In Week 16 of the 2011 season, Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and returned as the #1 overall running back in 2012. Swift has already broken the injury seal with a groin issue in camp, and Jamaal Williams has already been spoken of highly as a potential 1A to Swift's No. The addition of James Conner, plus the knowledge that Kyler Murray could steal goal-line carries, also adds a bit of skepticism. Jeff Haseley: We know what Saquon Barkley is capable of, but we haven't seen him perform much in Jason Garrett's offense under Joe Judge's rule. James Brimacombe: Johnson has been a fantasy hero for us in the past, but now entering Year 7, his best days are behind him. Along with McKissic, Gibson will have to contend with Brian Robinson Jr, a rookie from Alabama. Christian McCaffery and Nick Chubb, running backs. Gibsons problems with fumbles have been a complaint of Ron Rivera, and he has already shown it is not gone in the preseason. Downing, USA Today Sports. Ryan Hester: Even before he played double-digit snaps in the most meaningless of all meaningless preseason games, Jacobs was a solid fade. Andrew Davenport: Fournette's production in the playoffs was artificially inflated by the injury to Ronald Jones II, and part of Fournette's regular-season fantasy production last year was due to his pass-catching role. Andrew Davenport: Fantasy managers are drafting Carter as though he is the unquestioned starter. Theyre going to be one of the worst teams in NFL History. This is exactly what the Steelers tried to do by selecting Najee Harris in the first round in the NFL Draft. Before his 2020 campaign, McKissic had never rushed for more than 205 yards in a season. When you select Dobbins in your drafts, you are banking on the hyper-efficiency of his limited touches to continue. Gordon caught only 32 passes last year, and outside of three games where he scored two touchdowns, he was a mediocre fantasy back. Bettis was nothing more than an average RB for a long period of time (13 years). Drafters are still grabbing David Johnson due to projected volume, yet in their first preseason game, Houston utilized Phillip Lindsay on first and second downs with the starters while David Johnson was restricted to a third-down role. But then he missed a game, the Bears had a bye, and he finished at a torrid pace of 25.7 points per game as the overall RB1 from Weeks 12 to 17. Harris stayed an extra year in college to improve his draft capital, and rightfully so, as the 2020 class was filled with elite running back talent. Top 10 Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. Jordan McNamara: Like Gaskin, David Johnson is in a cloudy situation after Philip Lindsay drew the starting role in Houston in week 1. Compared to Jim Brown (5.2 YPC), Larry Csonka (4.3 YPC), and Earl Campbell (4.3 YPC). Jacobs could easily wind up as a player who does a lot of work between the 20s with no meaningful fantasy production. He's not a player to build your team around if you pick in the top half of the first round. There are plenty of clarified RB1 types later in the draft to avoid taking the variable shot on Williams. Mike Davis, Atlanta | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB23. He's as gifted a receiver as he is a runner, which allows him to have huge games regardless of game script. A veteran, a trade, or another team's roster cut is more likely to be the bigger threat. The Ravens have had the #1 rushing offense in the league for the last two years straight but have finished 31st overall in total running back targets in that same time span. So as we can see, Bettis had about the 9th best run blocking offensive line in the NFL during his career. He has good hands, but his route running hurt his opportunities to make clean catches against man-to-man coverage. 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. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB25 | Consensus Projections RB26. Jeff Bell: Gibson finished fourth in rushing attempts. 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. The coaching staff did not ignore this, as they selected the best pass-catching running back in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in Kenneth Gainwell. The Top Ten 1 David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham is (born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president & co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City.. Dillon is maturing as a receiver and might be used in that facet of the game despite his size profile suggesting hes a bruiser. Simpson 13. Chad Parsons: Malcolm Brown looks, at a minimum, like a strong 1B option but did get the start and most of the snaps with Tua Tagovailoa with the first team in the initial preseason game. This is more important for Barkley than most backs because he relies on his immense gifts more than most backs. History and time have helped make Perry one of the most overrated defensive players of all time. There is no other way to explain a mid-range RB3 price when he is in one of the worst possible situations in Houston. 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. Miami will use a committee as none of the backs on the roster can handle the lead-back role. Overall: 98 and 96. Without the volume, it is going to be difficult to get decent fantasy numbers. Single Lets take a look at the average Jerome Bettis season: 277 carries, 1051 yards, 3.9 YPC, 7 TDs. Jordan McNamara: Fixing your running game by drafting running backs is a losing strategy. Unfortunately, he needs to stay hyper-efficient on the ground to stay fantasy relevant, as Ravens running backs have gotten a 70/30 carry split with Jackson over the last three years. 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. James Robinson, Jacksonville | Consensus Rankings RB28 | Consensus Projections RB29. The final reason why Jerome Bettis is the most overrated RB of all time is because of the offensive line he ran behind. The only reason Johnson had fantasy value last year was a superhuman effort from Deshaun Watson to move the offense and produce points. 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. With an almost entirely new coaching staff, quarterback and receivers, it is difficult to trust that Swift will be worth his asking price. In no way am I saying Bettis should not be a hall of famer. However, his footwork and explosiveness in tight spaces allowed him to slip would-be tacklers with consistency. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. 20 20. The team added Brian Robinson Jr Jr. on day two of the draft while retaining J.D. 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 . He rewarded those believers with an RB18 PPG season. Nick Chubb, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings RB10 | Consensus Projections RB12. 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. He has lapses in vision and decision-making. Projecting a fourth-round pick to take over the backfield would be fine if there was evidence that this was happening. The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. . There is no upside with drafting Gaskin this high. It's not entirely his fault. The 4.29 ADY by the Steelers offensive line would be tied for 8th place in the NFL in 2009. But drafting him as a high-upside No. Sigmund Bloom: Jacobs' ADP would be justified and reasonable if the Raiders hadn't added Kenyan Drake, but they did. McKissic. The problem is it never really felt like we stopped moving Edmonds up the board even after the signing of James Conner. most overrated running backs of all time. Scoring at least once in 9 games (16 gms total) yields a 56% chance of a score in each game. I can't see Mostert getting enough work to justify his current ADP. Avoid. He was a reliable pass-protector, and had sure hands. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB9 | Consensus Projections RB9. Chad Parsons: The price has vaulted up on Javonte Williams after a quality rookie season. The depth behind Ekeler is average, but there are enough players to steal touches. These are players that will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. Then we have the Taysom Hill conundrum. Take a chance on a committee back in the same range who might emerge into a starter or become one due to injury. He also spent his first 5 years on the saints, where he got 20 carries exactly 2 times there. These are players that will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. Jason Wood: We all want Dobbins to be an every-down workhorse. But, man, there are all sorts of asterisks to add to that description. Yes, but it doesn't feel like he'll be a top-10 type of running back, even in the Chiefs' potent offense. Notre Dame's Kyren Williams was one of them and Georgia's James Cook was the other player named. Also, Jalen Hurts is poised to siphon a few short-range scores from the running back position. Bettis was also a nonfactor in the passing game. 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. Victoria Geary: We should not steer clear of Harris completely for the 2021 season, but we should lower our expectations for a locked-and-loaded RB1 finish. Jalen Hurts will inevitably take away carries and goal-line rushes from the backfield, capping any true remaining upside Sanders may have been clinging to. 1 status. Cohen is not even a projected injury-away auto-start fantasy option heading into training camp. Gordon has always been a runner that needs a large workload to produce fantasy stats. Links to similar discussions on other positions: The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. Never a good idea. Investing in Sanders as your RB2 is likely to leave you feeling disappointed. The team likes fourth-round pick Zamir White and passing down back Ameer Abdullah, and Kenyan Drake is still on the roster, so Jacobs is going to have trouble being consistent enough to merit an every-week RB2 start. The Raiders declined to exercise Jacobs fifth-year option this offseason, drafted Zamir White in the fourth round, signed Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden, and Kenyan Drake returns from injury. Pat Fitzmaurice: This is the type of player I won't draft at any cost. 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. Gordon was adequate last year, but that was almost purely on volume. In an attempt to point out these players, we asked our staff to look . With the second-year back getting selected in the early second round of most drafts, fantasy managers must be expecting that trend to continue in 2021. Then, two players were listed as being the most overrated compared to their draft projection. It probably comes off as harsh to call Montgomery one of the most overrated running backs of the past decade, but he is. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB22. Combine a true committee situation with a quarterback who racks up 1,000 yards and a handful of scores, and you have a ceiling on Dobbins that won't be unlocked without a rash of injuries. He showed elite promise in his rookie year and followed it up with a top 10 season despite a high ankle sprain limiting his ascension. The fact is, he never . 1. Fred Taylor He made general managers look like geniuses with more than 2,000 total yards and 20 touchdowns in 2016. To point out these players, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should underperform their draft position. That, plus the uncertainty of Edmond's role, leaves me more concerned than excited. Brown has more power and better acceleration and change-of-direction quickness than Gaskin, who is the better receiver. 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. Sigmund Bloom: Johnson was still in line to start after he took a pay cut to stay with the Texans, but then the team added Phillip Lindsay after he and the Broncos parted ways, which embroils Johnson in a frustrating committee backfield in an offense that is likely to be among the league's worst. Gordon was adequate last year, but that was almost purely on volume. Wait until next year. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB18. 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. Jordan McNamara: Javonte Williams got a major bump in value in the offseason when Melvin Gordon III was a free agent. 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. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB19 | Consensus Projections RB20. 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. 15 receptions, 111 yards, less than a TD per year. LaDainian Tomlinson 6. It's possible that Las Vegas will lean on Jacobs, knowing he won't be back next year, but that goes against McDaniels' past style of play. Jason Wood: We all want Dobbins to be an every-down workhorse. Combine a true committee situation with a quarterback who racks up 1,000 yards and a handful of scores, and you have a ceiling on Dobbins that won't be unlocked without a rash of injuries. Bursting onto the scene in our list is Micah Richards. Jamal Lewis 18. Chad Parsons: McKissic is priced reasonably with an implied drop in targets. His fantasy value was bolstered late in the year due to an insane usage rate in the passing game, seeing a whopping 8.6 targets per game when Alex Smith started. Taylor can be a rock-solid option and still be pecked away with Hines and Mack enough to be more in the RB10-15 range. I'm out. Brown has always been a strong contributor inside the five-yard line scoring 9 rushing touchdowns in the last two years in that hot zone. McKissic, one the league's better pass-catching backs. Davis has changed teams five times in the last three seasons. Murray scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 9 different games in 2020. He doesnt have that much of a skill set difference with Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed either. Barry Sanders is easily the best ever. David Montgomery looked the part of a workhorse profile after Cohen left the lineup, and Khalil Herbert is a rookie to watch for upward mobility on the depth chart. Flick's Package Liquor Inc. PO Box 221 3320 Sterns Rd. His lack of use as a runner has to be a concern. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered 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. I understand the upside, but I don't want to take a huge miss if I'm drafting in Week 1. There have been 49 running backs taken among the first 10 picks since 1960, and Byars has the lowest rushing average of the bunch. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was used as a space player last year, and his lack of a red-zone presence placed a ceiling on his fantasy value. 3 back on the depth chart before the first preseason game. 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. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Jamal Lewis rushed for nearly 3,400 yards in the first two seasons back from his ACL tear. Before McKissic was injured with a concussion in Week 12, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season, Gibson was only getting targeted 2.6 times per game. Expect some early-season force-feeding of Etienne until there's a realization that the usage is predictable and inefficient. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans | Consensus Rankings RB3 | Consensus Projections RB2. The Eagles also resigned Jordan Howard and added Kerryon Johnson to the backfield, exhibiting their lack of trust in Sanders as an every-down back. Without the volume, he is hard to use. His week one status is in doubt, and there are reports he may not be ready for 12-15 touch workloads until October. 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. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. The investment in veteran wideout Sammy Watkins and rookies Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace almost cements Dobbinss capped upside in the passing game. There have been personnel changes and a change in offensive coordinator to Matt Canada. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. Edgerrin James 17. Saquon Barkley, NY Giants | Consensus Rankings RB8 | Consensus Projections RB10. That is still great, but not quite as good as many people have him ranked. These players will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. 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. Unless his ADP falls a bit, he's a pass where he's being drafted right now. 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. The Five Most Overrated Fantasy Football Running Backs in 2019. Here's our list of the greatest 30 running backs in NFL history. Ryan Hester: Gibson is a unique case in fantasy football. That enthusiasm should be tempered because Canada was the offensive coordinator fired by LSU before LSU hired Joe Brady, who oversaw Joe Burrow's historic season. Brady is known for being the only quarterback in history to win 7 Super Bowls, and is often considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Top 10 Most Overrated Athletes of All Time It's not that they aren't great players, they just aren't everything we've been led to believe. With McKissic back taking over passing down duties and Brian Robinson Jr possibly taking over red zone opportunities, Gibson is being overvalued in fantasy drafts. Has no highlight reel. Washingtons offense ranked 21st in overall DVOA last season and doesnt project to improve much in 2022 despite the addition of Carson Wentz. His primary use has been as an excellent pass-catching back. We've seen running backs repeatedly return from severe knee injuries; very seldom do they return the following year and have a memorable fantasy season. 5 / 30. In 2019, the Lions tried to steal him away with a restricted free agent offer. This is a major factor to any expectation that Robinson is fantasy lineup-relevant without an injury to one of the other options, especially beyond the very early weeks in the season. David Johnson, Houston | Consensus Rankings RB27 | Consensus Projections RB31. Instead, McKissic is a receiving-centric option where targets will be at a premium considering the competition in Washington, which was not present in the 2020 version with notable wide receiver additions Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, and Dyami Brown. It also must be remembered his journey through the NFL before that. Gordon is a massive red flag at his ADP. Photo: Isaiah J. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay | Consensus Rankings RB33 | Consensus Projections RB31. Kudos to James Robinson. Chase Edmonds, Arizona | Consensus Rankings RB25 | Consensus Projections RB23. McKissic will get passing down work, so Gibson's floor and ceiling will be lower than last year, the only question is how much lower. More of the stats of an average RB, which Laurence Maroney and Rashard Mendenhall are. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas | Consensus Rankings RB19 | Consensus Projections RB19. Edmonds is a great player who offers a ton of talent on the field to help win games, but he will never be the high volume type of player that we are all desperately looking for each year. Color me skeptical Sanders has a new ceiling for receiving production with Scott and Gainwell passing game-centric options, and Howard could be a goal-line option. His primary use has been as an excellent pass-catching back. Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your And while Johnson sits atop the Houston depth chart, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram II, and perhaps Rex Burkhead will factor in as well. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB17 | Consensus Projections RB15. His ADP says drafters are aware of the easy schedule down the stretch, but he's still being overvalued at his current price. Ryan Hester: If Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay, no Green Bay players will see their output exceed their price tag. They did not pick up his fifth-year option and took Zamir White in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Detroit signed Jamaal Williams to take the heavy work and kicked the tires on Todd Gurley before declining his addition. Ben Cummins: Im a big fan of Antonio Gibsons talent, but he will have to overcome a lot of hurdles to pay off his current ADP. Backs who will receive bigger shares of their teams usage are going after Chubb. Footballguys staff members discuss running backs who are overvalued. Had more rushing touchdowns last year than Williams. 1 cornerstone. The Ravens have also continued to trust Gus Edwards and have kept the backfield intact as a true timeshare. 1 receiver for a significant chunk of the season. Mostert is now 29 years old and has the highest draft position of anyone in this stable of capable running backs. 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. Every NFL team's most overrated player of all time Jarrett Bailey 12/21/2021 180K donated to doctor who preformed 10-year-old girl's abortion to help with legal costs, security. 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. 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.