Rookie running backs tend to get taken early in fantasy drafts; arguably too early. But when Saquon Barkley, Derrius Guice (pictured) and maybe Ronald Jones or Sony Michel get taken early in drafts this summer, it will be harder than usual to argue against those selections. Rookies are having a fantasy impact more than usual of late.
A year ago, six rookie running backs -- Kareem Hunt, Alvin Kamara, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Jamaal Williams and Joe Mixon -- finished in the top 40 among fantasy running backs (1 point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards, 6 points for touchdowns). It's the fifth straight years at least five rookies have ranked in the top 40. You have to go back to 2011, in fact, for a year when fewer than four rookies ranked in the top 40. That was the last year that didn't produce at least one top-10 rookie running back; most of the years had two or more.
All top-40 rookie running backs since 2011, by year with their statistics that season, are shown below. Note that nine rookies cracked the top 40 in 2015 -- that's nearly 25 percent.
TOP-40 ROOKIE RUNNING BACKS, 2011-PRESENT | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Run | Rec | Tot | TD | FF | Rk |
2017 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 1327 | 455 | 1782 | 11 | 244.2 | 3 |
2017 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 728 | 826 | 1554 | 14 | 241.4 | 4 |
2017 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 1040 | 302 | 1342 | 10 | 194.2 | 8 |
2017 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 435 | 651 | 1086 | 7 | 150.6 | 16 |
2017 | Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 556 | 262 | 818 | 6 | 117.8 | 29 |
2017 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 626 | 287 | 913 | 4 | 115.3 | 32 |
2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 1631 | 363 | 1994 | 16 | 295.4 | 2 |
2016 | Jordan Howard, Chi. | 1313 | 298 | 1611 | 7 | 203.1 | 9 |
2016 | Robert Kelley, Wash. | 704 | 82 | 786 | 7 | 120.6 | 26 |
2016 | Devontae Booker, Den. | 612 | 265 | 877 | 5 | 117.7 | 27 |
2016 | Derrick Henry, Tenn. | 490 | 137 | 627 | 5 | 92.7 | 40 |
2015 | Todd Gurley, St.L. | 1106 | 188 | 1294 | 10 | 189.4 | 5 |
2015 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 581 | 457 | 1038 | 13 | 181.8 | 7 |
2015 | Jeremy Langford, Chi. | 537 | 279 | 816 | 7 | 125.6 | 24 |
2015 | Thomas Rawls, Sea. | 830 | 76 | 906 | 5 | 120.6 | 26 |
2015 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 740 | 279 | 1019 | 3 | 119.9 | 28 |
2015 | Karlos Williams, Buff. | 517 | 96 | 613 | 9 | 115.3 | 31 |
2015 | Javorius Allen, Balt. | 514 | 353 | 867 | 3 | 104.7 | 36 |
2015 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 490 | 304 | 794 | 4 | 103.4 | 37 |
2015 | Duke Johnson, Clev. | 379 | 534 | 913 | 2 | 103.3 | 38 |
2014 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 1124 | 215 | 1339 | 9 | 187.9 | 10 |
2014 | Andre Williams, NYG | 721 | 130 | 851 | 7 | 127.1 | 21 |
2014 | Tre Mason, St.L. | 765 | 148 | 913 | 5 | 121.3 | 25 |
2014 | Isaiah Crowell, Clev. | 607 | 87 | 694 | 8 | 117.4 | 28 |
2014 | Branden Oliver, S.D. | 582 | 271 | 853 | 4 | 109.3 | 31 |
2014 | Terrance West, Clev. | 673 | 64 | 737 | 5 | 103.7 | 33 |
2014 | Alfred Blue, Hou. | 528 | 113 | 641 | 4 | 88.1 | 38 |
2013 | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 1178 | 257 | 1435 | 11 | 209.5 | 7 |
2013 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 860 | 399 | 1259 | 8 | 173.9 | 15 |
2013 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 695 | 514 | 1209 | 8 | 168.9 | 17 |
2013 | Zac Stacy, St.L. | 973 | 141 | 1114 | 8 | 159.4 | 18 |
2013 | Andre Ellington, Ariz. | 652 | 371 | 1023 | 4 | 126.3 | 25 |
2012 | Doug Martin, T.B. | 1454 | 472 | 1926 | 12 | 264.6 | 3 |
2012 | Alfred Morris, Wash. | 1613 | 77 | 1690 | 13 | 247.0 | 5 |
2012 | Trent Richardson, Clev. | 950 | 367 | 1317 | 12 | 203.7 | 10 |
2012 | Vick Ballard, Ind. | 814 | 152 | 966 | 3 | 114.6 | 27 |
2011 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 897 | 183 | 1080 | 2 | 120.0 | 30 |
2011 | Roy Helu, Wash. | 640 | 379 | 1019 | 3 | 119.9 | 31 |
--Andy Richardson