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Detroit running backs

Kerryon Johnson willing to share load with D'Andre Swift

I don’t think there necessarily will be a “winner” in Detroit’s backfield. They’ve got a bunch of running backs, and I think they’re going to use multiple backs in every game.

They drafted D’Andre Swift early in the second round, of course. But they also have another recent second-round pick on the roster – Kerryon Johnson. And there probably will be a role for Bo Scarbrough, who wasn’t drafted at all but has better ability than those backs to slam between the tackles.

Other backs might get on the field as well. They drafted Ty Johnson last year, and they used a later-round pick on Jason Huntley.

Kerryon Johnson sounds like he doesn’t have any issues with a committee approach. “Look, I knew we were going to draft a running back eventually,” he says in an article on mlive.com.. “I think we got, in my opinion, definitely one of the top two (in the draft). I love having a running back. I love winning games and I think he can help us do that, so I wasn’t tripping at all.”

As an early second-round pick, Swift probably will be the first Detroit running back chosen in fantasy drafts, but to me, he looks pretty similar to Kerryon Johnson. And with the Lions being a modest team using a committee approach, I’m not confident that either of them will put up good numbers.

In the last 10 years, Detroit has used four second-round picks on running backs, but it hasn’t yet gotten an 800-yard season out of any of them. Using PPR scoring, only one of those backs has had top-30 season (Mikel Leshoure was the 18th-best back in 2012).

Here’s the list showing all running backs chosen in the second round in the last 10 years. The numbers you see aren’t their rookie-year numbers, but the stats from their best pro season.

BEST SEASONS BY SECOND-ROUND RUNNINB BACKS
YearPlayerRunRecTotalTDPPRRk
2014LeVeon Bell, Pitt.1,3618542,21511370.51
2019Derrick Henry, Ten.1,5402061,74618300.65
2019Dalvin Cook, Min.1,1355191,65413296.46
2014Eddie Lacy, G.B.1,1394271,56613276.66
2019Nick Chubb, Cle.1,4942781,7728261.28
2018Joe Mixon, Cin.1,1682961,4649243.410
2017Carlos Hyde, S.F.9383501,2888235.88
2013Giovani Bernard, Cin.6955141,2098224.913
2019Miles Sanders, Phil.8185091,3276220.715
2014Jeremy Hill, Cin.1,1242151,3399214.910
2012Mikel Leshoure, Det.7982141,0129189.218
2018T.J. Yeldon, Jac.4144879015175.122
2019Ronald Jones, T.B.7243091,0336170.325
2014Shane Vereen, N.E.3914478385165.820
2013Ben Tate, Hou.7711409114149.130
2011Dexter McCluster, K.C.5163288442142.431
2018Kerryon Johnson, Det.6412138544141.433
2016Christine Michael, Sea.-G.B.5831076908139.035
2017Ameer Abdullah, Det.5521627145126.440
2011Toby Gerhart, Min.5311907214119.139
2013Montee Ball, Den.5591457044114.443
2014Bishop Sankey, Ten.5691337022100.244
2013Daniel Thomas, Mia.40663469697.951
2019Derrius Guice, Was.24579324357.469
2011Montario Hardesty, Cle.266122388052.874
2012Ryan Williams, Ariz.16444208027.8101
2013Isaiah Pead, St.L.217899022.9108
2012LaMichael James, S.F.12529154018.4116
2020• D'Andre Swift, Det.??????
2020• Jonathan Taylor, Ind.??????
2020• Cam Akers, LAR??????
2020• J.K. Dobbins, Balt.??????
2020• A.J. Dillon, G.B.??????

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index