Our analysts are here to share a few of the running backs they are targeting this fantasy football draft season. And be sure to check out their full list of players to target as part of our 2022 Fantasy Football Draft Kit.
- Matthew Freedman’s Players to Target
- Derek Brown’s Players to Target
- Andrew Erickson’s Players to Target
- Pat Fitzmaurice’s Players to Target
- Joe Pisapia’s Players to Target
Rankings noted using FantasyPros half-PPR Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) and Consensus ADP.
5 Fantasy Football Running Backs to Target
Melvin Gordon III (DEN)
ECR RB34 | ADP RB32
Javonte Williams is immensely talented and could lead the NFL in rushing one of these years. But it’s unlikely to happen with Melvin Gordon around, and Williams enthusiasts were horrified when the Broncos re-signed Gordon to a one-year deal in late April.
The thing is, Gordon is still good. The seven-year vet averaged more rushing yards per game and more yards per attempt than Williams last year and scored more touchdowns.
In fact, Gordon has scored double-digit touchdowns in five of the last six seasons, averaging 11.2 touchdowns a year over that span.
Maybe the division of labor will start to shift in Williams’ favor this year. Maybe it won’t. Regardless, the Denver offense should be more potent with Russell Wilson at quarterback, which should mean more touchdowns to be divided and more overall play volume.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
AJ Dillon (GB)
ECR RB25 | ADP RB27
Aaron Jones has had an excellent three-year window but has shown some signs of breaking down a bit. A.J. Dillon has power, speed and ability to catch the football. Dillon’s efficiency grade from PFF since entering the league is 90.1. and there aren’t many guys around RB25 who have a path to an RB1 finish. Dillon has that in this depleted Packers offense this season, especially if Jones (entering his sixth year in the league) misses time.
– Joe Pisapia
Travis Etienne Jr. (JAC)
ECR RB23 | ADP RB23
Provided Travis Etienne is 100% healthy, he is in a situation that could lead to a blow-up season. First, let’s address the elephant in the room, James Robinson. Projecting Robinson to be ready to go Week 1 and back to his old self is a difficult pill to swallow. If Robinson is a shell of himself, Etienne is left battling for touches with Snoop Conner and a collection of has-beens and never-weres. We need to be kind and rewind and realize that Etienne was an electric prospect entering the league.
In his final two seasons at Clemson, he ranked first and 20th in yards after contact per attempt and 14th and fourth in yards per route run (minimum 100 rushing attempts, 20 targets per PFF). On the ground, Etienne has touchdown upside with Doug Pederson, who was 14th, 11th and tenth in red zone rushing rate in three of his five seasons in Philly. Etienne is competing with Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Laviska Shenault for targets through the air. Not an impressive group, huh? Exactly my point. I won’t be surprised if Etienne earns a D’Andre Swift-esque target share in 2022.
– Derek Brown
Leonard Fournette (TB)
ECR RB11 | ADP RB14
It’s been a long journey for Leonard Fournette from his last days as “Fat Lenny” with the Jacksonville Jaguars to earning the moniker “Lombardi Lenny” due to his brilliant play for Tampa Bay the last year and a half.
He impressed the Buccaneers’ front office — and a certain No. 12 quarterback — enough to earn a three-year deal with his old team worth $21 million (up to $24 million with incentives). There’s zero doubt with his performance and contract that he will be the entrenched clear-cut starter for the Bucs, and that’s exactly the desired outcome for fantasy football.
Fournette ranked fifth in fantasy points and fourth in expected fantasy points per game before his Week 15 injury, leading all running backs in receptions (62). Upon his return to the lineup for the Buccaneers’ playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Fournette reclaimed bellcow duties, playing 86% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps to go with 22 touches for 107 yards from scrimmage.
With an all-encompassing skill set at just 27 years old, Fournette possesses easy top-10 running back fantasy appeal. He slides inside my early 2022 running back rankings as RB8 because a fantasy RB1 is exactly what he has been in a Tom Brady-led offense. Their offense throws more than anyone else in the league, ensuring Fournette continues to rep a high target share. His six targets per game last season tied D’Andre Swift for the most in the NFL.
– Andrew Erickson
Isaiah Spiller (LAC)
ECR RB47 | ADP RB48
Last year, the Chargers gave 137 carries and 33 targets to backup RBs Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree. Those opportunities are up for grabs. Jackson left the team in free agency, and if the Chargers were satisfied with Kelley and Rountree, they almost certainly wouldn’t have drafted Spiller. The former Aggie fell to the fourth round because of a poor pro day with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, but he remains a potential-laden player as a 21-year-old early-declare rookie with a four-star recruitment pedigree and three years of three-down SEC production (541-2,993-25 rushing, 74-585-1 receiving). Starting RB Austin Ekeler is coming off a career year with 276 touches. Either through a scaled-back workload or injury, he seems unlikely to replicate that usage, which means Spiller could have a valuable change-of-pace and handcuff role.
– Matthew Freedman
FantasyPros Staff Consensus 2022 Redraft Fantasy Football Rankings
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.