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Featured Pros: High Upside Running Backs

Toby Gerhart (RB) Jacksonville Jaguars

“Toby Gerhart jumps out as a legit RB1 candidate for 2014” – Kevin Roberts

 

In the last couple weeks, we’ve covered Running Back Busts and Players to Target and Avoid. With the draft season approaching each day, one question we often wonder is who can we get that has some serious upside, but also won’t cost a top round pick.

 

Naturally, we decided to ask our pros that exact question in hopes to find some steals outside the top 20. More specifically, our experts have focused in on a few high upside running backs for your reading pleasure.

 

Draft Wizard Mock Draft Simulator

 

Q1. What RB with an ADP outside the top 20 has the best shot of putting up RB1 numbers?

 

TOBY GERHART (RB) JAGUARS

Consensus RB ADP: #23

 

“The Jaguars coaching staff have said, “Toby (Gerhart) will be our workhorse.” Gerhart showed fantasy owners he can break them off something nice as his 123.4 elusive rating was tops among running backs and so too was his 3.78 yards after contact per attempt (min. 30 attempts). In addition, he has the body of a goal line back, so he should not have to worry about a teammate vulturing touchdowns and he has proven that he can be a threat in the passing game thus adding to his value in all formats.”

Michael Pichan (Fantasy Alarm)

 

“Toby Gerhart jumps out as a legit RB1 candidate for 2014. Not only did he have impressive averages as a backup in Minnesota, but he was an extremely productive back coming out of Stanford. We know he has the skill-set (running, catching, blocking) of a potential feature back, and with Jacksonville coaches talking him up as the bell cow all summer, we also know he has the role. There is risk with him on the Jags, but he’s a powerful runner with an underrated burst. He’ll have a real shot at top-10 production if all goes well.”

Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

 

 

TRENT RICHARDSON (RB) COLTS

Consensus RB ADP: #27

 

“I know, I know… But I’m going there anyway. Despite being on quite a few ‘dead to me’ lists right now, Trent Richardson has finished as a RB1 before and may just need a full season in Indianapolis to do it again. I’m fully aware of the 3.3 YPC career average and I know he’s never topped 1,000 yards, but Richardson is a talented runner who can pick up yards after contact and there is no one who wants to see him succeed more than the Colts’ front office. While there are some potential wildcards who could hit big after RB20 (Gerhart, Jennings, Tate, Miller), there aren’t any who provide the talent, opportunity, and upside that Richardson does. And yes, I realize that I just stumped for Trent Richardson.”

Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)

 

 

SHANE VEREEN (RB) PATRIOTS

Consensus RB ADP: #25

 

“I suspect we’ll get a few Toby Gerhart/Trent Richardson responses to this question, for good reason, so I’ll zag a little bit and go with Shane Vereen. While Vereen obviously possesses higher upside in a PPR league, I don’t see a reason to actively avoid him in  non-PPR. In fact, I think Vereen more so than any other player on the New England roster can fill the “move TE” spot they’ve lacked since 2012, which means he can play at the same time as other backs on the club. He was due for a monster year in 2013 if he didn’t get hurt — he was a top-20 point-per-game finisher even in a non-PPR format.”

Joseph Dolan (Fantasy Guru)

 

 

RASHAD JENNINGS (RB) GIANTS

Consensus RB ADP: #21

 

“The running back I enjoy targeting outside the top 20 running backs (per ADP) is Rashad Jennings. What makes Jennings the best candidate to reach RB1 status is his pass catching ability. Last season in Oakland, Jennings showed off his receiving skills by hauling in 36 passes for 292 yards. Jennings should expect to see at least 35-40 receptions this season as a part of new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s west coast system and will be the primary ball carrier as well. As the entire New York Giants offense returns to normalcy after a horrendous 2013, Jennings will be a running back on the rise in 2014.”

Jeff Brubach (The Fake Football)

 

 

Q2. Who is one backup RB you like that could jump into a starting role this year? When should fantasy players target him?

 

JOIQUE BELL (RB) LIONS

 

“Lions Joique Bell, especially if your league is a points per reception league (PPR). Bell is a hometown kid that takes nothing for granted and is one of the unheralded leaders on one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. Bell has already proved he can be counted on, when healthy, even if he isn’t the team’s starting back. He was one of just five backs with eight-plus rushing touchdowns, 50-plus receptions, and 500-plus receiving yards last season (J. Charles, Moreno, McCoy, and Forte). Target him around pick number 60.”

Michael Pichan (Fantasy Alarm)

 

 

JAMES WHITE (RB) PATRIOTS

 

“At risk of turning into The James White Guy, I really think there is a halfway decent chance that neither Stevan Ridley or Shane Vereen is the Patriots’ starting running back by Week 10 or so. Ridley has a long-term lease on the top-floor of Belichick’s doghouse and Vereen has had trouble staying healthy in all three of his NFL seasons, while White brings an ability to pass protect and doesn’t fumble (only two on 752 touches in college). Bill Belichick doesn’t spend draft picks on running backs often and it’s no coincidence he did so 10 months before Ridley and Vereen become free agents. I wouldn’t spend anything earlier than a really late-round pick on White, but I also don’t think it’s crazy to think he sees 150-plus carries in an offense that was Top 10 in rushing attempts last season.”

Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)

 

 

CARLOS HYDE (RB) 49ERS

 

“Carlos Hyde was my favorite “volume back” in the 2014 NFL Draft, and while he landed in a less than ideal situation — buried in San Francisco — I think that can actually help his fantasy value for savvy players. There are a ton of questions about the other backs in San Francisco. Frank Gore is 31, Kendall Hunter has been strictly a change-of-pace guy, Marcus Lattimore is a wild card, and LaMichael James is a major bust. The fact that San Fran picked Hyde in Round 2 shows you what they think of him, and any back taking a lot of snaps in this offense will put up numbers. Hyde is a worthwhile target in the double-digit rounds, because I think he’s the Gore handcuff to own.”

Joseph Dolan (Fantasy Guru)

 

 

TERRANCE WEST (RB) BROWNS

 

“Terrance West makes a lot of sense. He was ridiculously productive in college and Ben Tate has been made of glass so far in his career, so it’s likely West gets touches early. If Tate struggles to be effective or gets hurt like he normally does, West could be one of the steals of your draft. Tate owners will want to handcuff West for sure (around round eight), while owners looking for quality stash talent will aim for him around round nine or ten if he can slide that far.”

Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

 

 

JONATHAN STEWART (RB) PANTHERS

 

“Since he is being drafted after his backfield counterpart, I will tab Jonathan Stewart as the backup running back that could jump into a starting role this season. Stewart played sparingly in 2013 (shocker) and only had one carry after Week 13, so he should be as fresh as his brittle frame can possibly be when the 2014 season begins. In Carolina’s offense over the last three seasons, the top two backs have averaged a total of 288.3 carries combined so there are plenty of touches to go around if Stewart stays on the field. Add in the fact that he is four years younger (27) than DeAngelo Williams (31) and has pass catching skills as well (47 grabs in 2011, his last full season), and Jonathan Stewart could be on the verge of finally breaking out.”

Jeff Brubach (The Fake Football)

 

 

 

Thank you to our experts for contributing their thoughts, you can follow them on Twitter here.

 

 

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