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 Author: Kevin Lewis (@Klew24)



In my opinion, the wide receiver is the deepest position in fantasy. I don’t think you have to aggressively target wide receivers as you can just let the position play out the way it’s going to. I think it’s the easiest of the three positions to formulate a plan for given the depth of the position. 

Running back is so volatile that a lot of them are getting pushed into territory they don’t belong in for the sake of “FOMO”, so that pushes WR down. There are a lot of ways one can attack WR this year and there aren’t many WRs, in my opinion, that have enough red flags to the point where you should avoid them

Tier 1

1)Michael Thomas

2)Davante Adams

3)Julio Jones

4)Tyreek Hill


Michael Thomas was number 1 in Yards per route run last season. I know people make jokes about his route tree and his style of play, but the man is cold.


If Green Bay wasn’t so hellbent on mirroring the 2009 New York Jets, I’d be tempted to rank Davante Adams at 1. Even with that, it still wouldn’t be surprising if Adams did finish at 1. He’s still Rodgers only trusted target and he’s still ticketed to get around 10-12 targets a game.


I don’t know when the decline is coming for the 31-year-old Jones, but he’s still rocking as arguably the league’s best wide receiver. The Falcons saw a few departures in the skill player portion of their offense, so Jones could conceivably see an uptick in target share. I will offer a piece of friendly advice. If faced with the decision of Julio vs a running back you aren’t terribly sure about, just take Jones. He is bankable and stress free.


Tyreek Hill isn’t going to be the guy getting 10-12 targets a game but he has ranked in the top 5 in Yards Per Route Run in 3 of the last 4 seasons. He also battled injuries last season so that might have contributed to his downturn in targets, but Hill is the most explosive offensive player in football, and he is playing with the league’s best quarterback.


Tier 2

5)Chris Godwin

6)DJ Moore

7)Allen Robinson

8)Adam Thielen

9)Kenny Golladay

10)Amari Cooper

11)Juju Smith-Schuster

12)DeAndre Hopkins

13)Mike Evans


Chris Godwin made me look very smart last year as I continually touted him all summer. I took him in roughly 75% of my leagues and had a very good season partially because of his exploits. With that said, I’m not terribly excited to draft him this season because of how expensive he is. With that said, his skillset fits what big-age Tom Brady wants to do. The Buccaneers are bound to be less aggressive and likely will not be trailing 21-0 every week so Godwin’s downside is probably greater than most are willing to admit.


Teddy Bridgewater loves to throw the ball short. DJ Moore loves to work in the short areas of the field and is a YAC monster. Carolina’s defense looks like a good bet to stink so there could be a lot of game situation benefits to starting Moore weekly.


I fiddled around with Allen Robinson’s ranking quite a bit in the process of making this piece. I had him at various spots from 7-15 throughout trying to figure out where to rank him. I hope that Nick Foles wins the starting job because the talent/volume combination that Allen Robinson brings isn’t matched by many. Side note, Robinson has caught most of his passes from Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubisky. Yuck. 


I’m not in a rush to draft DeAndre Hopkins this year. He changed teams in a year with compromised practice and preparation time and I remain skeptical that the Cardinals are going to target him the way Houston did. With that said, he is one of the game’s preeminent WR talents and going to play with one of the brightest young quarterbacks in the league. 


Adam Thielen has two seasons under his belt in which he saw over 100 targets. He has been a WR1 in PPR in both of those seasons. Barring injury, he’s going to be targeted a ton this season especially now that Stefon Diggs departed to Buffalo. Getting him in round 3, where he is currently going on average, is a blessing.


Despite Matthew Stafford’s unfortunate injury issues, Kenny Golladay led the league in touchdowns last season (11). He was also seventh in receiving yards with a sparkling 1,190. He’s one of the league’s most dangerous contested catch threats and if Stafford stays reasonably healthy, it’s fair to wonder how high his ceiling is.


Amari Cooper is so much more tolerable if you just accept him for what he is and just don’t even look at his points production from week to week. Just look at the back of his football card at the end of the season and appreciate it for what it is. He can go for 30 or 0 in each game, but he’s in the league’s #2 passing offense from last season and presumably healthy unlike the second half of last season. I think it’s a likely bet he finishes as a WR1 even if the road to getting there makes you rip your hair out. 


Remember when Juju Smith-Schuster was going in round 1 last summer? Nothing has really changed with the player outside of the fact that we know he can’t succeed with Mason Rudolph and a guy named fuckin Duck throwing him the ball. Ben is back, for now, and if he manages to stay on the field the whole season, Juju represents a massive discount opportunity in round 4, where he is currently going on average.


Even if I’m not a believer in Evans fit with Tom Brady, he’s a still a monster and is still practically a mortal lock for 1,000 plus yards. 


Tier 3

14)Calvin Ridley

15)Odell Beckham

16)AJ Brown

17)Tyler Lockett

18)Terry McLaurin

19)Cooper Kupp


Atlanta has three noteworthy targets at this current juncture and one of them is a relatively unproven tight end (Hayden Hurst). Given Ridley’s talent level, Atlanta’s likelihood to find themselves in many shootouts and his likely target share, Ridley is an extremely attractive buy this season.


Beckham clearly wasn’t healthy last season and Baker Mayfield’s play fell off a cliff. They still aggressively targeted him down the field and that figures to remain the same with new OC, Kevin Stefanksi, on board. 


AJ Brown is my favorite young wide receiver in football. I am conservatively ranking him because I have no idea what the Titans pass to run ratio is going to look like. He did have one of the best rookie seasons for a WR, is a physical freak and clearly has a rapport with Ryan Tannehill. His efficiency isn’t going to be as otherworldly as it was last season but his talent and a potential uptick in targets might make any concerns moot. 


Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett have a telepathic kind of chemistry. While Lockett is never going to be a 150-target guy, he’s wildly efficient and Wilson aggressively targets everybody down the field. 


Terry McLaurin has very minimal competition for targets and has a chemistry with Dwayne Haskins, as they’ve played together in both college and now the pros. McLaurin ranked 14

 in yards per route run last season and could see a boost given Haskins takes a step forward from year 1 to 2.


Cooper Kupp is a very boring but solid WR2. 


Tier 4

20)Robert Woods

21) TY Hilton

22)DJ Chark

23)DK Metcalf

24)Michael Gallup

25)Courtland Sutton

26)Will Fuller


Robert Woods is like Cooper Kupp. He’s a boring and solid pick. With Cooks gone, he feels like a lock for at least 120 targets.


I don’t feel great about ranking Hilton here, but he should lead the team in targets, and he does get a QB upgrade. 


DJ Chark came out of nowhere last season to lead the Jaguars in every relevant receiving category. There is number 1 WR upside here, in real life and in fantasy. We will see whether Gardner Minshew and Jay Gruden can help him achieve that. DK Metcalf reminds me of Dez Bryant. I might be too low on him, but I don’t think he’s going to get the volume necessary for a huge second season breakout. 


The Cowboys drafting Ceedee Lamb is helping keep Michael Gallup’s ADP in check. Gallup was sixth in receiving yards per game and nothing about his situation really changed. I see a buying opportunity with Gallup.


I love Courtland Sutton’s ability and his ranking here underscores just how deep the WR position is. I need to see more from Drew Lock and I expect the Broncos to run the ball a lot. Those are the reasons he isn’t higher. 


DeAndre Hopkins is out of town and we know what Will Fuller is capable of when healthy. The injury risk is still there but he is a potential league winning pick. 


Tier 5

27)Marquise Brown

28)Keenan Allen

29)Jamison Crowder

30)Davante Parker

31)Stefon Diggs

32)Jarvis Landry


I am not a physical fitness professional but hearing about these 20 pounds that Marquise Brown gained in the offseason makes me pause. With that said, he has game breaking speed and if he sees an uptick in snaps, a rookie to sophomore leap in production isn’t out of the question. 


Keenan Allen is one of the league’s singular route runners. He also took a QB downgrade and more neutral game scripts might lead to the Chargers throwing less as a whole. Allen is a pretty clear avoid for me in drafts this season.


Jamison Crowder has a good rapport with Sam Darnold and that is important in a climate such as the one we are in. Also, someone has to catch the passes in NY. 


DeVante Parker really came on strong last season once Preston Williams got injured. He averaged 100 receiving yards a game after Williams ACL injury. Two Dolphins WRs opted out of the season due to COVID concerns so his target share looks stable as of right now.


Stefon Diggs is switching teams and taking a downgrade as far as passers go. Pass.


I would rank Jarvis Landry higher If not for his injury concerns but at peak health, his target share is stable and he’s a high floor option. 


Tier 6

33)Diontae Johnson

34)Christian Kirk

35)Julian Edelman

36)Marvin Jones

37)Tyler Boyd

38)Brandin Cooks

39)Brandon Aiyuk

40)AJ Green

41)Henry Ruggs
42)Desean Jackson

43)Ceedee Lamb

44)Jalen Reagor

45)John Brown


I’d rather buy Christian Kirk at his ADP than DeAndre Hopkins at his, if I want exposure to the Arizona Cardinals passing offense. 


I don’t expect Edelman to get the same kind of targets he was getting with Tom Brady under center, but he should still lead the Patriots in targets and he still gets open frequently.

 

With every training camp report I read out of Philadelphia, I get more excited about Jalen Reagor’s 2020 prospects.


In the games Marvin Jones scored over 10 PPR points, he scored 23 points per game. Jones is a perfect WR3-4.


Tyler Boyd isn’t the world’s most efficient wide receiver and he probably stands to lose a few targets, barring another AJ Green injury. He is still very reliable and there is a chance that a rookie QB leans on a slot guy.


Brandin Cooks has put together 1,000-yard reasons for 3 different NFL teams, which is a very impressive feat. I’d be higher on Cooks if not for the switching teams in the middle of a global pandemic. 


Brandon Aiyuk’s pulled hamstring dampens camp optimism but if he gets back at a reasonable time, he’s still in a good spot given how depleted the Niners WR corps is.


AJ Green was so fun to watch at the peak of his powers despite Andy Dalton’s limitations holding him back a little. I guess, in theory, that he has a lot of upside, but I’ll believe it when I see it at this point.


Tyrell Williams’ injury should mean more targets for Henry Ruggs, who apparently has been lining up all over the place at Raiders camp.


Desean Jackson, if he stays healthy, could possibly be the most targeted non-Zach Ertz Eagles pass catcher.


All the reports out of camp have been about how explosive Ceedee Lamb is. It should be noted that Amari Cooper is nursing an injury, even if the Dallas Cowboys don’t think it is serious. 


A secondary pass catching option in the Bills offense isn’t worth going out of your way to draft, so John Brown is off my radar.


The Rest

45)Breshad Perriman

46)Golden Tate

47)Curtis Samuel

48)Emmanuel Sanders

49)Sterling Shepard

50)Darius Slayton

51)Michael Pittman

52)N’Keal Harry

53)Allen Lazard

54)Preston Williams

55)Mike Williams

56)Randall Cobb

57)Hunter Renfrow

58)Parris Campbell

59)Deebo Samuel


Breshad Perriman has an easy route to a lot of targets on a team that should be trailing a lot. There is sneaky upside here.


I love Curtis Samuel’s game from a real-life perspective. Assuming they give him more high-percentage targets, his ceiling is probably a little higher than we realize. 


Hunter Renfrow ranked 11 in yards per route run with 2.09. He had 35/490/4 in 8 games after week 8. Parris Campbell is someone to watch, especially from a dynasty perspective. 


Author: Shawn Losier @iLoveShawn5000

Higher than Consensus ADP:

Nick Chubb – My Rank: [3], Fantasy Pros experts: [7]

The discourse around Chubb this offseason has revolved around how the presence of Kareem Hunt dipped his production towards the end of last season. Fret not! Chubb turned in one of the most efficient rushing seasons behind an offensive line that can’t be any worse than it performed in the last year. He led all running backs in broken tackles and is astonishingly nimble on his feet which allows him to move the sticks while being a big play threat on every carry. Chubb already finished last year third behind only Ezekiel Elliot and Christian Mccaffrey. Browns new head coach Kevin Stefanski utilized Dalvin Cook in a way last year that should show the upside Chubb possesses in a balanced and effective offense. Chubb has ended up with 8 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons as the lead back, and truthfully this is probably closer to his floor outcome in regards to future touchdown production.

Ronald Jones – My Rank: [27], Fantasy Pros experts: [37]

RoJo was one of the main beneficiaries after a recent film review of his 2019 season which led to me moving him up inside my RB ranks. For a prospect considered a speed back coming out of USC, Jones runs with more physicality than he’s given credit for which is a nice mix for someone with his agility.   One of the highest upside RB3’s you can fill out on your roster, in deeper leagues as the depth of the position dries up Jones qualifies as a lottery ticket who has the possibility to finish inside the top 15 of his position. Jones finished last season as RB26 in PPR leagues, while accumulating 1032 total scrimmage yards this is closer to his floor outcome than the ceiling.

Not to mention, Jones lost 230 yards on plays called back due to penalties, an uncharacteristically high amount thats due for regression to the mean. The path to Jones floundering revolves around his struggles in pass protection, his efficiency as a pass catcher, and his consistency in executing Bruce Arians run scheme. Ke’Shawn Vaughn possesses NFL starter upside, yet it isn’t enough to deter me from investing in what Jones showed on tape, especially in a shortened season since Jones is the more talented back and getting first crack as lead back.

David Montgomery – My Rank: [19], Fantasy Pros experts: [22]

Volume is always king in Fantasy Football, the former Iowa State cyclone product parlayed his 267 total touches last year into RB25 production by the end of the season. Overall, it was an extremely meh rookie campaign which will happen when you’re attached to a rudderless offense being guided by a mediocre talent in Mitchell Trubisky. Tarik Cohen remains his only competition for carries for the Bears, and unless he’s gained 20 pounds during quarantine shouldn’t’ threaten Montgomery’s chokehold as the primary between the tackles runner. Montgomery received the 6th most carries inside the 5 yard line, although he failed to be convert them at an efficient rate this bares well for how secure of an investment he should be.

Running back efficiency is a nuanced subject which goes much further than just checking yards per carry. Was he inefficient because he was running behind an awful offensive line against packed boxes in a predictable offense? Or was it because he’s nothing special as a talent? Montgomery was behind only Josh Jacobs, and Devin Singletary among rookies in forced missed tackles, partially because of how consistently defenders would be in the backfield before anything materialized.

His elusiveness is something that he showed on tape during his three years as a starter in college,  this wouldn’t be the first time a rookie running back bounced back from a middling rookie season. Montgomery has room to improve as a runner and from being attached to hopefully offense, target him as a high end RB3 or RB2 in dynasty drafts this summer.

Nyheim Hines – My Rank: [46], Fantasy Pros experts: [59]

During the early draft cycle, the 2018 4th round pick has been someone who continuously ends up on all my drafts. Phillip Rivers led all QB’s last season targeting his running backs on 27% of his passing attempts and accumulated 10 passing touchdowns to his running backs, which also led the league. Hines was the biggest loser for fantasy purposes after Andrew Luck decided to hang up his cleats, during his rookie year he was targeted 81 times out of the backfield which fell to 58 targets with Jacoby Brissett under center.

Hines is a legit 4.3 40 athlete who has joystick quickness and has the versatility to run routes out of the slot. A conservative projection for targets would be around 6 per game which would have him flirting with 100 targets over 16 games, if he gains the role as Phillip Rivers security blanket out of the backfield he has great odds to return value higher than his current ADP.

Damien Harris – My Rank: [44]Fantasy Pros experts: [52]

The Sony Michel experience over the past few seasons have left his owners with a underwhelming taste of disappointment in their mouths as the production continues to fall short of expectations. This makes Harris one of my favorite late round dart throws as he could be another string of ineffectiveness from Sony Michel away from grabbing a chunk of the backfield. Harris isn’t the sexiest upside play, but considering the team he plays for the fact that he’s a solid all around running back could actually sway things in his favor. Harris possesses solid vision for a power running back and proved under Nick Saban at Alabama that he could be trusted in goal line, short yardage scenarios, and to ice away teams with important carries at the end of games.  Sony Michel underwent foot surgery in May, keep an eye out on his recovery as between injuries and ineffectiveness his role as the incumbent could be at risk.

Joshua Kelley – My Rank: [50]Fantasy Pros experts: [55]

Sneakily one of the best bargains currently on the dynasty market.  Chargers Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen, following the draft hinted at the idea that he would have a role in his offense for all three of their running backs including Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, and Joshua Kelley. 

Kelley is an unheralded JUCO recruit who despite lacking the prospect pedigree of others in his running back class has ended up in a situation where he could find early success. Melvin Gordon accounted for 217 combined rushes and targets during his 12 games last year, and although some of this work could be split Kelley has the skill archetype to make a name for himself as the power running back amongst the Chargers trio of halfbacks.

Kelley was one of the main standouts at the Senior Bowl prior to the NFL Draft, he combines being an intelligent runner with solid vision who also ran a 4.49 40 time and has the power to run through arm tackles and fight through contact. The 4th round pick out of UCLA should be on your radar as you get towards the end of your drafts as a stealth asset that could return a great investment to your dynasty roster. 

Lower than Consensus ADP

Austin Ekeler – My Rank: [22] Fantasy pros experts: [13]

After Steichen took over from Ken Whisenhunt as OC in Week 9 (8 games), Ekeler averaged 7.5 carries per game and 6.5 targets per game till the end of the fantasy season. Ekeler never reached the end zone via rushing touchdown after Week 5 when Melvin Gordon returned from his holdout. The assumption is that Ekeler will get gifted the vacated volume in the backfield, but the possibility of the work getting split between Kelley and Jackson makes this a budding landmine for dynasty purposes. Ekeler scored 8 receiving touchdowns which will be difficult to duplicate inside of a offensive ecosystem in the midst of a polar shift in run/pass tendencies due to A. The stylistic differences of Phil Rivers & Tyrod Taylor or B. The presence of a raw rookie QB (Justin Herbert).

NFL decision makers are often formulaic and adverse to changing the status quo, and the truth is Ekeler is at risk of ceding goal line carries and a candidate to be closer to the other pass catching specialists in the future (Tarik Cohen, Phillip Lindsay, Duke Johnson, James White, Nyheim Hines) than the true premium feature running backs. Ekeler’s role as the lead pass catcher is secure and wont be challenged, the question is how valuable will that be in a different offense?    

Author: Kevin Lewis 
(Editors Note: These rankings are geared towards Redraft/PPR format)

Tier 1


1)Christian McCaffrey


Christian McCaffrey averaged 8.6 more PPR points per game than the next best RB last season (D. Cook). Is he going to catch 116 passes again? No. If he catches 90 or so, he is still likely to be the preeminent fantasy player at the position. 


Tier 2


2) Saquon Barkley
3) Ezekiel Elliott
4) Alvin Kamara


I think you can pick the names in this tier out of a hat. You can rank them in any order and

make a good argument for it. 


Barkley put up a casual 1400 total yards while playing a good portion of the season injured. He’s arguably the most talented RB in football. 


Ezekiel Elliott is going to do what he does. He has been top five at the position in three out of four seasons. He never misses time and he’s part of a loaded offense. Elliott is the safest RB in this tier.


Kamara played through a bad knee injury last season which explains why his explosiveness disappeared. Despite that, he ranked eighth in PPR PPG. 


Tier 3


5) Dalvin Cook
6) Miles Sanders
7) Clyde Edwards-Helaire
8) Joe Mixon
9) Derrick Henry 



Dalvin Cook is one of the most talented running backs in football. He has also missed 19 of a possible 48 games in his three NFL seasons. If he plays most of the games, he is an elite building block for any fantasy team. 


I’ve seen mostly negative coverage on Miles Sanders this summer and I don’t really know why. He’s clearly a dynamic playmaker and he doesn’t have much competition for touches. After Jordan Howard’s injury in week 9, Sanders averaged 16.3 PPG. Boston Scott should slice into his workload a little bit, but I think there is more feature back appeal here than a lot of others seem to believe. 


I almost ranked Clyde Edwards-Helaire at the top of this tier. I don’t have any big analysis here. Andy Reid has rarely ever failed any of us with regards to productivity at the RB position and word out of Kansas City is they believe he is as good as Brian Westbrook. Giddy up.

We are waiting for Joe Mixon to put together a whole great season in the pros instead of samples of greatness. With that said, the Bengals have largely stunk the last two seasons and Mixon has managed 2,888 total yards and 14 touchdowns in that time frame. He was also RB4 in the second half of last season. If he can put it all together for a full season and Joe Burrow can breathe life into the Bengals offense, Mixon’s ceiling is limitless. 


There is an alternate universe that exists where Derrick Henry catches 55-60 passes in a season and smashes everything. 


Tier 4


10) Nick Chubb
11) Kenyan Drake
12) Austin Ekeler
13) Aaron Jones
14) Josh Jacobs
15) James Conner


This tier is the most volatile one. All these guys have RB1 upside and have clear red flags. Nick Chubb is an extremely gifted runner who is possibly going to be a zero in the passing game. I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend a high pick on Nick Chubb, but just know that you are completely relying on his running.


All signs point up for Kenyan Drake. Arizona’s rushing attack was 2nd in DVOA. Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray combine to form one of the brightest QB/HC duos in the NFL and Drake caught nearly four passes a game last season for the Cardinals. A small part of me just can’t shake the fact that no coach, at any levels, has ever been willing to make him the undisputed feature guy. That might be an irrational concern that Drake can put to bed with a full season continuation of his monster 2019 second half. 


Targets are worth more than carries in any kind of PPR format. Given how the Chargers use Ekeler, I think his floor is stable. With that said, he is a massive regression risk. He caught 92 passes and 8 touchdowns last season. Both of those numbers are likely to fall especially given that LA downgraded at QB. 


If Aaron Jones scores 19+ touchdowns again, I will print this out on a piece of paper, put some hot sauce on it and eat it. Isn’t no way in hell he does that again. 

Josh Jacobs is essentially a slightly lesser Nick Chubb in my opinion. They are great runners in questionable offenses who don’t project to catch a ton of passes. 


Tier 5

16) Todd Gurley
17) Mark Ingram
18) David Johnson
19) Chris Carson
20) Leonard Fournette
21) Jonathan Taylor
22) Le’Veon Bell
23) David Montgomery
24) Devin Singletary


Todd Gurley is currently going at pick 29 right now. That’s a big “NO” for me, but I see the appeal. The Falcons should score a ton of points and he doesn’t have a lot of competition for reps. I can’t justify paying a top 30 pick for him given how cooked he looked last year, but there’s a decent enough chance spending that kind of capital on him pays off.


If we had the normal training camp and such this year, Ingram might be a prime candidate to get usurped by his backup, J.K. Dobbins. As is, Ingram is going to get a lot of touches in a great Baltimore offense.

David Johnson ran like he had a piano strapped to his back for a good portion of last season. If he has anything left, he’s in a good situation for fantasy production.

Chris Carson was a lot more appealing before the Seahawks signed Carlos Hyde. His fumbling and his injury concerns make him a high risk/moderate reward investment.

Leonard Fournette got 100 targets last year and only scored 3 touchdowns. Both of those things seem like they are going to regress to the mean. He volumed his way to a top 12 finish. I guess, in theory, he should be reliable because there isn’t a lot of competition for touches, but he’s a guy I’m not thrilled to draft.

Jonathan Taylor running behind that Colts offensive line against that early season schedule could pay immediate dividends.

If you’re drafting Le’Veon Bell, you’re doing so based PURELY on his volume. If you want to trust Adam Gase to give him a consistent, heavy workload, be my guest.

I could type the same thing for David Montgomery that I typed for Le’Veon Bell. Matt Nagy isn’t a maniac, but volume is the only real appeal to Montgomery on an offense that is Allen Robinson and little else. 


Devin Singletary is a good and fun player but goal line and passing game concerns make him a risk. Buffalo drafting Zack Moss didn’t help his cause.

Tier 6

26)Kareem Hunt 

27) Raheem Mostert

28) J.K. Dobbins

29) DeAndre Swift

30) Cam Akers

31) Tevin Coleman

32) James White

33) Tarik Cohen

34) Duke Johnson

35) Antonio Gibson


Kareem Hunt is one of the most gifted runningbacks in football. He’s going to get plenty of touches in Kevin Stefanski’s scheme and they’re willing to trot him out there in the slot at times. Also, if something happens to Nick Chubb, Hunt is a league winning type of player. 

The Niners gave Raheem Mostert a pay raise which might indicate that they want to give him the ball more. They still have a few capable backs and Mostert is likely providing nothing in the pass game. 

I can see J.K. Dobbins closely mirroring Gus Edwards production from last season. 700 yards and 5 touchdowns or so.

I like the Lions offensive players. I like DeAndre Swift as a player. I want to rank him higher but then remember that Matt Patricia is the head coach. 

I’m not in on Ronald Jones like a lot of people are but if the Buccaneers offense is good, there is sneaky TD potential here. Until proven otherwise, he has feet for hands so don’t expect much in the passing game.

I have no idea what to make of Cam Akers. People who know more than me swear by the talent, but I don’t think Darrell Henderson is just going to disappear. If he is the lead back in LA, he likely blows past this ranking.

While I view Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert as similar in caliber, Mostert is going 3 rounds ahead of Coleman. While I don’t really want either player that much, I will have some exposure to Coleman.

James White is Mr. Reliable. I don’t expect Cam Newton to throw the ball to White as much as Tom Brady did, but White is going to get his targets and his snap count might rise with the Patriots RB depth chart looking the way it does. 

Tarik Cohen’s efficiency crashed last season, but he still averaged 6.5 targets a game. I don’t think there’s a lot of harm done if you have him as your RB3/4. 

I will never understand how teams see how effective Duke Johnson is with his touches and decide to not give him more of them. Either way, he’s a flex type with upside for more if David Johnson gets injured again. 

Antonio Gibson was the hardest player to rank in this entire piece. The hype has gotten crazy since the Washington football team released Derrius Guice. There is Austin Ekeler usage appeal with Gibson here but the Washington football team is a mess so who knows. If he hits, he could make you rich.


Tier 7

36) Darrell Henderson

37) Marlon Mack

38) Chase Edmonds

39) Tony Pollard

40) Alexander Mattison

41) Kerryon Johnson

42) Adrian Peterson

43) Damien Harris

44) Zack Moss

45) Philip Lindsay

46) Matt Breida

47) Jordan Howard

48) Boston Scott

49) Ke’Shawn Vaughn

50) Latavius Murray


The Rams don’t seem too sold on Darrell Henderson’s talent, as evidenced by them picking Cam Akers in round 1 of the NFL draft, but as mentioned earlier, a lead back on this team could be a difference maker. 


Marlon Mack is a better real-life player than he is a fantasy player. He’s a good runner but they don’t use him in the passing game much and he should cede a lot of touches to Jonathan Taylor.


Given how good the Cardinals running game is, Chase Edmonds might have random RB2 weeks even as Kenyan Drake’s backup. As it is, he is ranked here because he’s a league winner type if Drake goes down.


I think Tony Pollard would be an upper echelon starting runningback if given the opportunity. He’s explosive, makes quick cuts and is very good at making people miss. If Ezekiel Elliott goes down, Pollard is a potential league winner.


If adjustment periods for rookies causes issues this year, Kerryon Johnson could return good value where he is going. He’s talented but has had injury issues. As much as Matt Patricia is a bane of my existence, I don’t mind throwing a mid to late-ish round dart on Kerryon Johnson.


Adrian Peterson is going to somehow fall into 200-plus carries until the year 2050. 


Sony Michel is injured, and an old Lamar Miller is Damien Harris’ only real competition on the depth chart. 


The same concerns about Devin Singletary apply to Zack Moss. How much is Josh Allen’s reticence about throwing the ball to his running backs and goal line proficiency going to cut into production from Moss? I do think there a decent enough chance that Moss is better than Singletary. The Bills backfield is one that I’m generally looking to avoid. 


Philip Lindsay needs a Melvin Gordon injury to matter in fantasy.


I’ve underestimated Jordan Howard every single year he has been in the league, so I fully expect him to make me look goofy again. I like Matt Breida as a player but he’s competing for touches behind Jordan Howard and playing behind a shitty OL. 


Boston Scott is a good player and Philadelphia keeping him as their #2 back shows you how they feel about him.


LeSean McCoy signing with the Bucs really dampens any excitement about Keshawn Vaughn’s 2020 potential.


Latavius Murray is still on of the league’s most valuable handcuffs. 


Just missed: LeSean McCoy, DeAndre Washington, Bryce Love, AJ Dillon, Joshua Kelley


*You can follow the author of the piece on twitter @Klew24