Our analysts took a look at the NFL landscape, identified the biggest fantasy-relevant question for every team, and then broke down each situation. Here are the seven burning questions they have for some of the running back situations around the league ahead of the 2022 NFL Season.
Previously, our analysts took a look at the most overrated and underrated players, the top rookies, the top breakout candidates, and the safest pick on each NFL team:
- Most Overrated Player on Each Team
- Most Underrated Player on Each Team
- Top Rookie on Each NFL Team
- Top Breakout Candidates on Each NFL Team
- Safest Pick on Each NFL Team
- NFL Head Coach & Staff Consensus Rankings
- Biggest Question for Each NFL Team
- NFL Offense Consensus Rankings
- Top Bust Candidates on Each NFL Team
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.
Will the Ravens revert back to their 2019 run-heavy offense?
QB Lamar Jackson‘s passing efficiency has declined each year since his 2019 MVP campaign (8.9 adjusted yards per attempt in 2019, 7.6 and 6.9 in 2020-21), and the Ravens traded away No. 1 WR Marquise Brown this offseason, so they could lean more on the running game this year. If the Ravens run as much as they did in 2019, when they had a league-high 54.1% rush rate, then RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will likely both offer fantasy value while TE Mark Andrews and WR Rashod Bateman could underperform expectations.
– Matthew Freedman
Is it worth drafting rookie RB Dameon Pierce?
The Texans backfield was a sea of darkness in 2021. Rex Burkhead led Houston’s RBs with 427 rushing yards and three TD runs. The Texans spent an early fourth-round draft pick on Dameon Pierce, who’s an intriguing prospect but was a committee back at the University of Florida. Pierce could quickly surge to the top of the depth chart, but he could also end up in a value-killing timeshare with Burkhead and Marlon Mack. Even if Pierce becomes the clear No. 1, will the Texans offense be competent enough to make him a trustworthy fantasy asset?
– Pat Fitzmaurice
What should we expect from Travis Etienne?
RB Travis Etienne missed his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury. He has a seemingly clear runway in Year 2 with fellow RB James Robinson recovering from a torn Achilles, but Robinson will be back at some point, and it’s hard to tell how new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson will deploy his running backs once J-Rob is healthy. Etienne has an appealing prospect profile, and it doesn’t hurt that he played with Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence at Clemson, but is Etienne worth his fourth-round price?
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Is Cam Akers worth drafting as a top 20 running back?
The short answer is yes. Cam Akers faced a mountain of adversity last season in his return, and that’s not even accounting for the severe injury he returned from. Akers played at least 53% of snaps in three of his four games in the playoffs, with a high of 81% against the Buccaneers. Sean McVay had no issues leaning on his young back, but the offensive line offered him no help up front. 94.8% of his rushing yards during this stretch came after contact.
Add in that Akers faced four teams that ranked 17th, fifth, second, and ninth in adjusted line yards allowed last year, and it’s no wonder he struggled. With a full offseason to work his way back, a coach willing to roll with him in a workhorse role, and an offense that was sixth in points per game and third in red-zone scoring attempts per game, Akers is primed to pay off.
– Derek Brown
Is Saquon Barkley still elite?
Saquon Barkley was the RB1 in PPR leagues as a rookie, and he followed that up by finishing RB10 in 2019 despite missing three games. He missed 14 games in 2020 after a devastating knee injury and didn’t look himself in 2021, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and 4.6 yards per target. He also missed four games with a sprained ankle. After two injury-plagued years, Barkley is more affordable than ever in fantasy drafts, and the arrival of new head coach Brian Daboll offers hope for a livelier NYG offense, but can Barkley still be the fantasy colossus he was in his first two NFL seasons?
– Pat Fitzmaurice
How should fantasy managers play the Seattle RB situation?
The Seahawks spent a second-round draft pick on Michigan State’s Ken Walker, widely regarded as one of the two best running backs in this year’s draft. However, the oft-injured Rashaad Penny went on a late-season rampage in 2021, producing four 100-yard rushing days and six TD runs over Seattle’s last five games. Penny reportedly will enter camp as the clear No. 1, but can he keep the talented rookie in a backup role? What happens if Chris Carson, who’s recovering from a ncek injury, is cleared to play? And how eager should we be to invest in an offense with such a bleak QB situation?
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Can the “King” Derrick Henry still handle an insane workload?
Derrick Henry was viewed as nearly invincible but finally broke down in the middle of last season with a foot injury after averaging nearly 30 touches per game. At 28 years old coming off a season with a career low in yards per carry (4.2) and rushing yards over expectation per attempt (0.05) is this the beginning of the end of his supreme reign in fantasy football?
A lack of receiving usage combined with impending offensive regression from last year’s No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Titans plan on riding him out as long as he’s healthy, so Henry might start out the gates hot. But things could turn quickly by the time the fantasy football playoffs come along.
– Andrew Erickson
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to 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 Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.