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2020 FantasyProjections: Notable Running Backs (Fantasy Football)

2020 FantasyProjections: Notable Running Backs (Fantasy Football)

I’ve gotten quite a few questions the past couple of months about what I will be writing on during the NFL season. My co-host on The FantasyPros Football Podcast, Mike Tagliere, obviously has The Primer and it’s an incredibly valuable asset during the season.

Well, this year, I will be writing an article every week that will give you a breakdown of every fantasy relevant player on every team and my projected stats for them in the upcoming matchup. I’ll be utilizing several resources at my disposal to make these as accurate as possible in hopes of helping you construct the best possible fantasy lineup.

With that being said, I wanted to spend the next couple of weeks giving you a preview into my season-long projections and how I construct my rankings. Each day, you’ll find a different category highlighting ten players and a brief summary on my thoughts for them in 2020. If you missed yesterday’s article on notable quarterbacks, you can find that here.

Let’s get right to it!

Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
270 1271 9 107 889 4 347.47

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CMC was obviously dominant last year and put up absurd numbers from a fantasy football perspective. It’s hard to see him reaching those marks again this season, but he’s as safe of a pick as they come. If you have the No. 1 overall pick, you should be doing cartwheels. While this offense is going to look very different with Teddy Bridgewater behind center, their defense is going to force them to throw a lot to remain in games. For many other RBs, this would be terrible news due to the fact that they might be game-scripted out. However, we know that this simply means even more targets for CMC out of the backfield. Don’t think twice about selecting CMC if you’re on the clock at the 1.01.

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
295 1415 10 86 695 3 331.96

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Last season, Saquon struggled with an ankle injury and he simply wasn’t the same player during that stretch. However, you can clearly tell when he got healthy last year if you look at the game logs. Saquon returned back to his normal form and was utterly dominant down the stretch last season. As long as he’s healthy this year, there’s no reason to doubt that Saquon will be a top-tier running back for your fantasy roster. As you can see in my projected fantasy points, there’s not much of a gap between CMC and Saquon. If you have the No. 2 overall pick, don’t be saddened about the fact that you missed out on CMC. Saquon’s going to be just as dominant for you.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
288 1381 10 52 404 2 276.65

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Since entering the NFL, it’s been hard to find a RB who has been as steady and solid for your fantasy lineup as Zeke. There have been very few games where you’ve been disappointed with his performances and he comes with incredible upside on a week-to-week basis. This offense is going to be near unstoppable this season with Dak Prescott behind center throwing to guys like Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb. Tony Pollard should have an increased role in this offense, which could limit Zeke’s overall ceiling, but he’s going to be as safe of a pick as they come and he should be off the board within the first five picks of your draft.

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
271 1113 7 46 416 2 229.69

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If I had to identify one player who has skyrocketed up my rankings over the course of the offseason, it’s Miles Sanders. Historically, Doug Pederson has never leaned into just one running back, which led me to believe that the Eagles were going to sign another option at some point. However, it now appears that the Eagles are set to move forward with Sanders and guys like Boston Scott and Corey Clement behind him. Sanders is going to be the clear starter in this dynamic offense and he has the talent to capitalize on his opportunity. Sanders has moved into my top-10 running backs and is an absolute steal in drafts right now.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
121 484 4 78 752 3 204.41

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This Chargers offense is going to look dramatically different than what it did in 2019 with Tyrod Taylor now behind center. The Chargers threw the ball 597 times in 2019 and they’re going to be lucky to crack the 500 mark in 2020. Ekeler will see some drop-off in targets as a result, but it might not be as much as you’d think. Taylor is a smart QB that takes care of the football and is unlikely to put the ball in dangerous situations. He’s going to take what’s there for him and Ekeler has the speed and athleticism to constantly get open. Ekeler should be heavily targeted in this offense and he gets a major boost in Full PPR leagues. He’s an excellent RB2 to have on your roster this season.

Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
217 782 5 70 487 2 203.78

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Bell is one of the most talented RBs in the NFL. However, he plays on one of the worst teams in the league, which directly impacts his overall fantasy outlook. With the additions of Frank Gore and Lamical Perine this offseason, Bell’s upside diminishes. Gore wouldn’t have signed with the Jets if they hadn’t guaranteed him a role on this team and Perine was someone that I loved coming out of Florida. Bell will still provide steady RB2 production for your fantasy roster with his receiving contributions, but there’s very little upside potential for him in this offense.

Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
185 852 6 23 240 2 168.66

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Towards the end of last season, Mostert was a fantastic fantasy RB and he helped carry several teams deep into the playoffs. This season, it’s hard to see a way for Mostert to repeat his dominant performances with the other options that are in this backfield. Tevin Coleman will still be involved, Jerick McKinnon is receiving positive reviews during camp, and one of either Salvon Ahmed or JaMycal Hasty figures to be involved as well. At Mostert’s size – and age – it’s unlikely that he receives more than 200 carries in this offense. He’s a fine RB2/RB3 option that you can plug into your lineups on bye weeks, but expectations need to be tempered for the veteran running back.

Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
165 776 5 34 253 2 161.81

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Singletary was incredibly efficient on the ground last season, but he simply just wasn’t used around the goal line, which is where fantasy running backs make their money. Expectations were high for Singletary in the offseason after the Bills moved on from Frank Gore, but the addition of Zack Moss quashed those hopes quickly. Singletary will continue to be utilized in a change-of-pace role where he can keep his efficiency metrics high. Unfortunately, this might not be enough to return true fantasy value. The elusive and talented RB falls outside the RB2 range for me in my projections and he’s going to be nothing more than a FLEX play or bye week fill-in this season, per my projections.

Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
194 914 7 27 228 2 181.69

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Ingram was outstanding last season and finished as the RB8 in all of fantasy football. He was unbelievably efficient and finished with 5 receiving touchdowns on 26 receptions. While he is certainly in the right offense to exceed expectations again this season, the addition of the rookie Dobbins to the RB room certainly hurts Ingram’s ceiling. Dobbins is an incredibly talented back in his own right and should be heavily involved. Ingram will be a fine low-end RB2 or FLEX play for your lineup on a weekly basis though and does present upside if Dobbins were to miss any time.

JK Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens

RUSH ATT RUSH YDS TDs RECEPTIONS REC YDS TDs FPTS
148 679 6 27 218 2 151.09

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Just like with Ingram, Dobbins’ fantasy production isn’t going to match his talent level this season. The presence of Ingram in this backfield cancels out the true ceiling that Dobbins could have, but he’s still a smart pick in the mid/late rounds due to the built in upside. If Ingram misses any time this season, Dobbins would shoot up into top-10 RB consideration almost immediately. He’s a pro-ready back and he’s in one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. While the projections indicate that Dobbins is nothing more than a RB4 right now, the potential payoff is enormous in the event that he becomes the lead back.



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Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.

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