Fantasy Index

Factoid

Running backs

Hidden value of 2nd- and 3rd-string running backs

In the second halves of fantasy drafts, it makes sense to pay attention to backup running backs. They end up contributing a lot more than you might expect.

Almost every team turns to that second back at some point, and the majority (as in, more than half) are also led in production in at least some games by a third running back.

Only one team last year was led in running back production by one running back in every game: the Steelers, with Najee Harris (pictured). And even Harris eventually broke down, with Benny Snell finishing slightly better numbers in their playoff loss at Arrowhead.

Below see the running back numbers displayed in a different way. For each team, I took the most productive running back (using PPR scoring) for each game. I then took those 17 games for each team and totaled them up.

Of the 32 teams, 19 were led in production by at least three running backs.

So for fantasy purposes, I think it can be a good idea to throw a lot of darts at the running back position in the second half of the draft. A lot of those guys will pay off in at least some weeks.

(For the teams with just two backs, they are tagged with black dots.)

TOTALS FOR BEST BACK OF EACH WEEK
Tm PlayerAttRunNoRecTDPPR
Ind.• Taylor/Hines3281,7724440621387.8
LAC• Ekeler/J.Jackson2179757874522382.0
Ariz.• Conner/Edmonds2348996258618318.5
Cle.Chubb/Hunt/D.Johnson2591,4624337815317.0
Ten.Henry & 3 others3471,5303731914305.9
Cin.• Mixon/Evans2991,2404633817305.8
G.B.• A.Jones/Dillon2169096353816303.7
Pitt.Najee Harris3071,2007446710300.7
Min.• Cook/Mattison3261,502543999298.1
Was.Gibson/McKissic/Patterson2379356660312291.8
T.B.Fournette/R.Jones/Vaughn2189377549612290.3
N.O.Kamara/Ingram/Montgomery2801,0686656510289.3
N.E.D.Harris & 3 others2121,1053328717274.2
L.V.Jacobs/Drake/Barber2349676545711273.4
Dall.• Elliott/Pollard2141,0405235113269.1
Den.• Gordon/J.Williams2101,0164839213266.8
Det.Swift/J.Williams/Reynolds232989695018266.0
Car.Cmac/Hubbard/Abdullah224883725947261.7
LAR• Michel/Henderson2871,2203925312258.3
K.C.CEH/D.Williams/McKinnon1978675343312255.0
Atl.• Patterson/Davis1566015858513254.6
Chi.• Montgomery/Herbert3031,193513458252.8
Buff.Singletary/Moss/Breida1818195138913249.8
Phil.B.Scott & 3 others1909884532811242.6
Jac.Robinson & 2 others2209554531711238.2
S.F.Mitchell & 3 others2981,327292039236.0
NYG• Barkley/Booker229872614337233.5
Sea.Carson/Collins/Penny2411,2701916211228.2
Mia.Gaskin & 3 others2298714927210223.3
Balt.Murray/Freeman/Ty'Son186910392429208.2
NYJCarter/Coleman/T.Johnson173775474236202.8
Hou.Burkhead & 3 others187640463495174.9

—Ian Allan

8 Reader Comments:

Samuel Dugan

Wilkinsburg, PA
2022-08-13T19:28:11Z
Pgh Jaylen Warren has been getting a lot of hype in local media. Don’t think it would take a whole lot to move past Snell and Macfarland. Not saying to draft as backup, but keep an eye on.

Ian Allan

Seattle, WA
2022-08-13T20:02:43Z
Yes, I saw that. Will be interesting to get a look at Warren today (and also George Pickens).

John Evans

Jacksonville, FL
2022-08-13T23:12:09Z
I’m confident that Snell is useless. I’m not putting him in my lineup even if he starts.

Robert Schule

Oakland Gardens, NY
2022-08-14T07:07:59Z
Young mans position. Take Harris, Swift, Javonte, Dillon over the older guys at RB. Like Justin Eleff says, rather be a year early on these guys then late.

Yaesha Newman

2022-08-14T12:34:53Z
Elides seeing how contracts for RBs have fallen apart. The league needs a true RB to win a super bowl or be successful in playoffs. Derrick Henry and Johnathan Taylor are the old school RBs and those teams are not going anywhere. The position is going to continue to dwindle until someone proves otherwise. RBs have extremely unimportant in the last x superbowls.

Scott Anderson

Las Vegas, NV
2022-08-14T14:30:24Z
Ian, you have Edmonds as Conner's backup. Don't you mean Benjamin?

Ben Hogevoll

Siletz, OR
2022-08-14T14:45:00Z
Yaesha,League needs a true Rb to win a Super Bowl.You mean like Kupp last year?Oh wait a min,he isn't a RB.

Ian Allan

Seattle, WA
2022-08-14T15:17:16Z
To clarify: In the chart above, you're looking at the 2022 guys (hence Conner/Edmonds for Arizona, even though Edmonds now with Miami).
Sign in to add a comment

Fantasy Index