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Factoid

Playoff running backs

Top performers make postseason

I saw a news item yesterday talking about how there were three 1,500-yard rushers in the NFL this season, and none of their teams made the playoffs. It was making the point that having a top running back didn't necessarily translate into team success. It depends how you look at it.

While it's true that those top rushers -- Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb -- labored for teams left out of the playoff field, a whole lot of the league's top performers at running back did do their work for teams currently still playing. Because running is only part of what they do; a lot of them are also critical components of their team's passing game.

Look at the league's top running backs in terms of total yards -- rushing production, and also receiving. In 2022, of the league's 30 top running backs in terms of total yardage, half of them (15) are on the league's 14 playoff representatives. That includes 1o of the top 14 in total yardage last year other than Jacobs, Henry and Chubb. And three of those four whose teams missed the playoffs, plus Henry, were knocked out on the final weekend of the season (Aaron Jones, Najee Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson).

2022'S TOP RUNNING BACKS (TOTAL YARDS)
PlayerRunNoRecTDTot
Josh Jacobs, L.V.165353400122053
Derrick Henry, Ten.153833398131936
Christian McCaffrey, S.F.113985741131880
Nick Chubb, Cle.152527239131764
Saquon Barkley, NYG131257338101650
Austin Ekeler, LAC915107722181637
Aaron Jones, G.B.11215939571516
Dalvin Cook, Min.117339295101468
Rhamondre Stevenson, N.E.10406942161461
Travis Etienne, Jac.11253531651441
Alvin Kamara, N.O.8975749041387
Tony Pollard, Dal.100739371121378
Miles Sanders, Phi.12692078111347
Najee Harris, Pit.103441229101263
Joe Mixon, Cin.8146044191255
Kenneth Walker, Sea.10502716591215
Leonard Fournette, T.B.6687352361191
Tyler Allgeier, Atl.10351613941174
Jamaal Williams, Det.10661273171139
David Montgomery, Chi.8013431661117
Dameon Pierce, Hou.9393016551104
Devin Singletary, Buf.8193828061099
Raheem Mostert, Mia.8913120251093
James Conner, Ari.7824630081082
Jeff Wilson, Mia.8602218561045
Jonathan Taylor, Ind.8612814341004
AJ Dillon, G.B.770282067976
Ezekiel Elliott, Dal.876179212968
Isiah Pacheco, K.C.830131305960
D'Onta Foreman, Car.9145265940

Running backs often get the short end of the contract stick, they seldom win MVP awards, and they don't get nearly the credit or acclaim of quarterbacks or even some of the elite wide receivers. But a lot of the league's playoff teams are there in large part because of those players' contributions. Even if they weren't running for 1,500 yards.

--Andy Richardson

Fantasy Index