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Undrafted rookie running backs

Can a nobody become somebody this summer?

I put together the depth charts for the Weekly, and it's trickier than you might expect this time of year. Teams have nearly twice as many players in camp now (90) as they'll have at the start of the season (53), so I have to make the call as to which players to list or not. If I list all 10 running backs or 15 wide receivers a team has on its July roster, I'm not doing anyone any good.

So invariably, I'll be listing some guys who may have almost zero chance of making the team, or leaving off guys who will emerge and maybe even have a significant fantasy role at some point during the season. As recent history shows, sometimes a nobody can become a somebody, especially at running back.

This century, I've added about 30 undrafted runners into our comprehensive rookie file. Not all of them actually did anything in their first seasons, but if they didn't, they came into fantasy value a year or two down the road. C.J. Anderson and Fred Jackson are good examples of that. And then there are the guys who put up usable numbers right away: Dominic Rhodes and LeGarrette Blount, for example.

I've added three players from last year into the file, and all three may -- may -- be significant players in 2018. Matt Breida (pictured) of San Francisco is one of our sleepers, and both Corey Clement in Philadelphia and Austin Ekeler for the Chargers are late-round targets with a chance to either start or at least play a large role in committee backfields.

Names I've seen mentioned in camp reports thus far included Keith Ford in Buffalo, Josh Adams in Philadelphia, Mike Boone in Minnesota and Shaun Wilson in Tampa Bay. Who knows? Maybe one of those guys will need to be added to this list a month from now.

In the table, which shows rookie numbers, players in bold went over 1,000 total yards at some point in their first three seasons. Some guys (Fred Jackson, Earnest Graham) got there eventually; others (Thomas Rawls, Rob Kelley) came close.

NOTEWORTHY UNDRAFTED RUNNING BACKS, 2000-PRESENT
YearPlayerRunRecTotTD
2017Matt Breida, S.F.4651806453
2017Austin Ekeler, LAC2602795395
2017Corey Clement, Phil.3211234446
2016Peyton Barber, T.B.223282511
2016Kenneth Farrow, S.D.192702620
2016Jalen Richard, Oak.4911946853
2016Rob Kelley, Wash.704827867
2015Thomas Rawls, Sea.830769065
2015Zach Zenner, Det.6011710
2014Damien Williams, Mia.1221873091
2014Charcandrick West, K.C.0000
2014Isaiah Crowell, Clev.607876948
2014Branden Oliver, S.D.5822718534
2014Juwan Thompson, Den.272252973
2013C.J. Anderson, Den.380380
2013Khiry Robinson, N.O.22402241
2012Bobby Rainey, Balt.0000
2012Brandon Bolden, N.E.0000
2010LeGarrette Blount, Tenn.10071410216
2010Joique Bell, Buff.0000
2009Arian Foster, Hou.257933503
2008BenJarvus Green-Ellis, N.E.275373125
2007Pierre Thomas, N.O.2521514032
2006Fred Jackson, Buff.0000
2005Samkon Gado, K.C.582776697
2005Ryan Grant, NYG0000
2004Earnest Graham, T.B.730730
2004Willie Parker, Pitt.186162020
2001Dominic Rhodes, Ind.1104224132810

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index