If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say “This is the last time I draft RBs early!” last season, I’d have enough money to bring Cordarrelle Patterson back to the Falcons.
Let’s dive into some running backs currently ranked outside of the top-24 in FantasyPros’ Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) who have the potential to finish as RB1s.
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A.J. Dillon (RB – GB): RB25
I assume Dillon is ranked here because, for the moment, Aaron Jones (RB – GB) is still a Packer. However, even if Jones returns, I love the value here. Dillon outscored Jones in seven of Jones’ 15 games played. Dillon proved he can provide value catching the ball as well as punching it in from the goal line. Assuming they’re both Packers in 2022, Dillon and Jones will be ranked very closely for me.
Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE): RB28
There’s not much to say here other than he’s the poster boy of this article. Kareem Hunt is by definition an RB3 with RB1 POTENTIAL. Not that you need to hear it again, but if Nick Chubb (RB – CLE) were to miss any time, Hunt would be a weekly top-six ranked RB.
Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAC): RB29
Etienne’s best-case scenario in 2022 is Cordarrelle Patterson. The preseason hype about Etienne getting reps as a receiver was very real. Unfortunately, an injury derailed his rookie season. The bright side, however, is that he had more than enough time to recover. Etienne was drafted in the first round by a team that already has James Robinson (RB – JAC). The Jaguars believed he was the best player available and would be silly not to force-feed him touches.
Tony Pollard (RB – DAL): RB33
With Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL), Pollard is a weekly flex consideration. Without Zeke in the lineup, he’s a weekly top-ten play. It’s as simple as that.
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – FA): RB34
If there is one person who can defy the age-production continuum, it’s Cordarrelle Patterson. Sure, he’ll be 31 for the 2022 season, but before 2021 he never once saw more than 85 touches in a season. If Patterson returns to Atlanta, he’s a surefire top-16 RB for me.
Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN): RB39
Through three full seasons, Mattison is averaging 4.2 yards per attempt on the ground. Last season, he caught 32 of 39 targets and, in the three games he saw more than 13 carries, he averaged 105 yards per game. Mattison is a *full stop* MUST draft for managers rostering Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN) and will pay dividends if Cook misses any time.
J.D. McKissic (RB – WAS): RB44
McKissic went from an under-the-radar “gadget guy” who, on a good day, was reminiscent of Shane Vereen, to a bonafide weapon as a receiver and in the red zone REAL QUICK in 2021. Through his six-year career thus far, he’s averaging 4.4 yards per rushing attempt. Over the last two seasons, he’s averaged 4.5 receptions per game. McKissic has proven he doesn’t need a huge sample size to be fantasy-relevant, and if Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS) were to miss time again, McKissic could easily become a must-start. He’ll be 29 come the 2022 season, but has received only 414 career touches to this point, so he’s got plenty of juice left.
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