After going through and talking about early quarterback rankings yesterday, we move onto the running back position today. Many believe you’re supposed to reach for one of these guys in the first-round, as the workhorses will be gone by the third- or fourth-round. Well, the same can be said about wide receivers, but more about them tomorrow.
2019 Draft Kit: View printable cheat sheets, sleepers & mistakes to avoid 
As for workhorse running backs, we’re losing a few each year, as there were an average of 17.6 running backs per year getting 250-plus touches from 2009 through 2013, though we’ve been watching that number shrink. From 2014 through 2018, there’s been an average of just 12.4 running backs hitting that number, with just 12 of them in 2018. The idea is to get at least one of those running backs you know would hit that 250-touch mark in a 16-game season. We can’t predict injuries, so stop trying. That’s 15.6 touches per game. There’s a running back going in the third, and sometimes fourth round, who is going to get maybe 300 touches, if healthy. Leonard Fournette is a steal in that territory, as it’d allow you to get a couple stud wide receivers in the first two rounds. Let’s see where all the running backs land in my early 2019 rankings.
ADP – Average Draft Position
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
