Mike Tagliere is back with his top-50 running back rankings to help you prepare for your fantasy football season.
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ADP – Average Draft Position
Saquon Barkley (NYG)
After setting the fantasy world on fire his rookie season with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns, Barkley hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations producing 1,535 total yards and eight touchdowns over 15 games the last two seasons. He tore his ACL early in the season, which should give him plenty of time to bounce back, though his violent running style could take a bit longer in recovery. The Giants suddenly have more weapons than ever in the passing game, so Barkley is unlikely to come close to the 121 targets he saw in 2018, though he should have more scoring opportunities. There is some risk with Barkley at the top of drafts due to his knee, but when on the field, we know he’ll produce.
Travis Etienne (JAC)
When a team drafts a running back in the first round, history suggests they’re going to use him a ton. In fact, there’s been just one running back drafted in the first round over the last eight years who hasn’t touched the ball at least 197 times, and that was Rashaad Penny, who’s continually injured (it was also a shock to hear his name in the first round). Etienne was a favorite of many in this draft class, and is now tied to an offense that has Trevor Lawrence at the helm rather than Gardner Minshew/Mike Glennon. The Jaguars have also been using him as a wide receiver in camp, which is never a bad thing. In PPR formats, targets are worth 2.5 times as much as carries. He’ll share some work with James Robinson, but make no mistake about it, Etienne is the lead back with the most talent.
Darrell Henderson (LAR)
Here’s something not many people know. Cam Akers had two more touches than Henderson in 2020, yet Henderson finished with 35 more total yards and scored three more touchdowns. He also broke tackles more consistently than Akers. Look, this isn’t me saying that Henderson is going to be the lead back; it appears that Sean McVay likes Akers and wants him to be the guy. All I’m saying is that if Akers isn’t producing like they’d hoped, Henderson can fill that role. This is likely to be more of a timeshare than most believe, though Henderson is on the wrong end of it. Still, he’ll have some value, and should Akers miss any time, Henderson could be a league winner.
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