I am a heretic in that regard. Yet, Travis Etienne was drafted in the first round, and Carlos Hyde, who Urban Meyer coached at Ohio State, was signed. Even when Barkley was a big fantasy hit, it took big plays that can be very mercurial from year to year to make it happen. Color me skeptical Sanders has a new ceiling for receiving production with Scott and Gainwell passing game-centric options, and Howard could be a goal-line option. Matt Waldman: After studying Swift's best weeks in 2020, the Lions' offseason acquisitions, and Coach Lynn's analysis of his backs, I'm less enthusiastic about Swift. Chad Parsons: Malcolm Brown looks, at a minimum, like a strong 1B option but did get the start and most of the snaps with Tua Tagovailoa with the first team in the initial preseason game. Most overrated players in Madden 21 J.J. Watt, defensive end, Houston Texans. The new coaching staff is inexperienced (second-youngest in the NFL), the system is unproven, the quarterback is going to gobble up a ton of rushing yards and touchdowns, and the front office has added running back depth aggressively in the offseason. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup Single Gibson was even in the game after Robinson was out. ESPN lists Georgia's James Cook as one of two 'most overrated' running They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Therefore, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should underperform their draft position. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was used as a space player last year, and his lack of a red-zone presence placed a ceiling on his fantasy value. With an almost entirely new coaching staff, quarterback and receivers, it is difficult to trust that Swift will be worth his asking price. The additions of Mike Boone and Javonte Williams haven't done anything to dispel this idea. When we go into advanced stats, we can tell even more about Bettis: * Note: The stats are Bettis averages per season, not total career. He has the ability to handle that role and thrive in the process. Sigmund Bloom: Not that the Texans offense was anything you wanted to go near in fantasy drafts in the first place, but Johnson's ADP needs to adjust by multiple rounds to the news that he will be sharing the backfield with Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram II and no longer in the lead back role. Gordon was adequate last year, but that was almost purely on volume. 31 Unsung Running Backs in NFL History | Stadium Talk Ben Cummins: Robinson was an awesome story in 2020 as he just kept producing while seeing 21.43 opportunities per game (6th most in the league) from Weeks 1-16. This likely puts Gibson two injuries away from a full workload, and Robinson is capable of taking away money touches in the redzone as well. The fact is, he never . Most Overrated RB Of All-Time - Bleacher Report Earl Campbell 9. Even if the split is swapped with Williams as the slight 1A to Gordon's now 1B, achieving a top-12 result will hinge on Gordon missing a chunk of the season. most overrated running backs of all time - cldaniels.com Got the exact same number of carries as Williams. Jason Wood: Sanders is talented, and when healthy, was productive under former head coach Doug Pederson. Sigmund Bloom: There are too many forces that Barkley has to swim upstream again to justify taking Barkley at his lofty ADP. Draft capital is not a predictor of talent as much as a predictor of opportunity. His knee injury involved multiple ligament tears, and the Giants are likely to bring him along slowly. Investing in Sanders as your RB2 is likely to leave you feeling disappointed. Unfortunately, Dobbins is on a team with an elite rushing quarterback in Lamar Jackson, who will always cap Dobbins' upside in total carries and goal-line looks. The Raiders are sure to recoup as much production as they can on the $8.5 million guarantee they gave Drake on a two-year deal, so this will look closer to a committee than a true lead-back situation. Without the volume, he is hard to use. Montgomery hasn't turned a corner in his career arc. From Weeks 13 through 17, Dobbins received a measly two total targets from quarterback Lamar Jackson. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB22. 1 cornerstone. He rewarded those believers with an RB18 PPG season. The role we envisioned for Johnson is already in question. Yep. History has shown us that Harris's ADP will likely move into Round 2 or 3 as the next few months pass. He had the second-worst catch rate in the league last year among running backs, catching only 56% of his targets and dropping eight passes along the way (tied for most with Ezekiel Elliot). In an attempt to point out these players, we asked our staff to look . Crimson Tide skill players have been pretty good coming into the NFL recently, and Robinson's early start to camp has been generating buzz. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings RB21 | Consensus Projections RB22. This is a major factor to any expectation that Robinson is fantasy lineup-relevant without an injury to one of the other options, especially beyond the very early weeks in the season. Even if Winston wins the competition and keeps the New Orleans passing game afloat, Kamara will have a hard time repeating last year's 21 total touchdowns. He's not a player to build your team around if you pick in the top half of the first round. This is a major factor in any expectation that Robinson would be fantasy lineup-relevant without an injury to one of the other options, especially beyond the early weeks of the season. The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. D'Andre Swift, Detroit | Consensus Rankings RB12 | Consensus Projections RB14. If you look at Bettis total career marks, you will see that he is 5th on the all time rushing yards list and 10th in TDs. Jordan McNamara: The news on Saquon Barkley does not reassure me. Jamal Lewis rushed for nearly 3,400 yards in the first two seasons back from his ACL tear. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB9 | Consensus Projections RB9. Mckissic, and there was talk of rookie Brian Robinson Jr taking on the short yardage work. There's zero appeal here. If Gordon's injury is extended, Williams could be appropriately priced, but until there is more information, he is an avoid at cost. I have seen Bettis crack the top 20 and even top 10 of some lists, and this is inexplicable. His average DVOA of 0.085% would rank him 31st in the NFL in 2009, right behind Rashard Mendenhall. He didnt have a top 5 offensive line, so that eliminates the argument that he was made by the offensive line. The only reason Johnson had fantasy value last year was a superhuman effort from Deshaun Watson to move the offense and produce points. The Greatest 30 Running Backs in NFL History, Ranked - Alot Living Whenever a new coaching group comes in, especially an inexperienced one, there is always the risk that players with a high fantasy price underachieve. He's a workout warrior - I get that, but whether or not he recovers immediately from this injury is yet to be seen, and because there is a doubt, he's someone I am avoiding at nearly all costs. Jamaal Williams is a fine receiver, route runner, and red-zone back who will limit Swift's upside to a low-end fantasy RB2, at best. Nyheim Hines is one of the premier pass-catching options, and Marlon Mack's health is a wildcard in the Colts' backfield rotation. But you do have to attribute some of his success to his top 10 run blocking. While Hunt has moderate standalone value playing alongside Chubb, he'll need to either break a long run, vulture a touchdown at the goal-line, or catch a score to help you win a weekly matchup -- all things that are difficult to bank on. Dave Kluge: Sure, youre not giving up any crazy draft capital to get J.D. 9 Tim Brown Via nfl.com I was one of many who publicly voiced outrage over the fact that Tim Brown had to wait until 2015 get his Hall of Fame honor. These players will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. A veteran, a trade, or another team's roster cut is more likely to be the bigger threat. Dillon is maturing as a receiver and might be used in that facet of the game despite his size profile suggesting hes a bruiser. During the next few weeks, we here at NFL.com will unveil our Most Underrated and Overrated Players of All Time for all 32 teams and allow users to determine their choices as well.. Brown has more power and better acceleration and change-of-direction quickness than Gaskin, who is the better receiver. By the end of the year, that may change, but Etienne will be a change-of-pace and gadget player who might earn flex value this year until then. That is not the stat line of an elite RB at all. The Commanders drafted Brian Robinson Jr on Day 2 of the draft, a bigger back who excelled in pass protection. He's never carried the ball more than 132 times in a season. I definitely do not want the most expensive option here (Carter), but Coleman and Johnson are arbitrage plays. Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your Back up Share project Close 2022 hyundai sonata limited interior; what is birkenstock oiled leather; bates high gloss duty oxford; most overrated running backs of all time. Its a knock on his offensive line. We don't yet know how much of Kamara's past success as a pass-catcher to attribute to Brees. When Melvin Gordon III re-signed, many dismissed him as purely a backup player. Jeff Haseley: Chase Edmonds scored in five different games in 2020, exceeding eight carries in a game only twice in 15 qualifying games. 3 back on the depth chart before the first preseason game. His ADP has been climbing recently, and while his price says drafters are aware of the easy schedule down the stretch, he's still being overvalued at his current price. Nick Chubb, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings RB10 | Consensus Projections RB11. Give me Chris Carson or Josh Jacobs in a similar draft range with stronger probabilities to hit as a top-10 option. He's not a player to build your team around if you pick in the top half of the first round. There is no upside with drafting Gaskin this high. We've seen J.D. Barkley could hit on pure talent and above-average recuperative ability, but everything else is going against him to return value on his lofty ADP. Ben Cummins: I dont want much to do with the Texans at all this season. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against Kamara repeating as the best player in fantasy football. But when we look closer, The Bus only averages 1,050 rushing yards per year and 7 touchdowns, far from elite stats. Jason Wood: Jacobs was the only projected Raiders offensive starter to play in the Hall of Fame game, which should be a blaring red flag for how much new head coach Josh McDaniels values Jacobs as a centerpiece. As well as he played in the postseason, Fournette is still an inefficient committee back ticketed to share work with Ronald Jones II and Giovani Bernard. Flick's Package Liquor Inc. PO Box 221 3320 Sterns Rd. While 3,000 hits is nothing to scoff at, his place as an. Jeff Haseley: It's easy to succumb to the notion that Saquon Barkley is one of the best running backs in the league. This three-headed committee with a healthy Jones is bad news for Fournette and means he is way overvalued at current ADP. Chad Parsons: Travis Etienne and Carlos Hyde were chosen additions by the new Jaguars regime with either Round 1 pedigree (Etienne) or a productive NFL profile (Hyde). At 5-foot-6 and 191 pounds, Cohen is too small and one-dimensional to be used as a lead back even if David Montgomery gets hurt. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB15 | Consensus Projections RB13. Projecting a fourth-round pick to take over the backfield would be fine if there was evidence that this was happening. Mike Davis, Atlanta | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB23. The Eagles consistently added to the depth chart this offseason with Kerryon Johnson, Jordan Howard, Kenneth Gainwell added to Boston Scott. That number of targets limited his ceiling, and he was barely a low-end RB2. Jeff Bell: Gibson finished fourth in rushing attempts. Every Prem club's most overrated player and Arsenal fans must end They did not pick up his fifth-year option and took Zamir White in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Expect some early-season force-feeding of Etienne until there's a realization that the usage is predictable and inefficient. Aaron Jones, Green Bay | Consensus Rankings RB7 | Consensus Projections RB6. As everyone knows by now, Montgomery faced some of the worst run defenses in the league over that finishing stretch to put up those huge numbers. Gaskin may be the top option for now, but that could change with a strong outing from veteran Malcolm Brown or Salvon Ahmed. Here are some stats from footballoutsiders.com: * Note: ADY = adjusted line yards, PSR = power success rank, SR = stuff ranking Average ADY: 4.29 Average PSR: 11th Average SR: 9th * These stats werent kept until 1996, so this doesnt include Bettis first 3 years in the NFL. Without the volume, it is going to be difficult to get decent fantasy numbers. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB19 | Consensus Projections RB20. Lets take a look at the average Jerome Bettis season: 277 carries, 1051 yards, 3.9 YPC, 7 TDs. David Johnson, Houston | Consensus Rankings RB39 | Consensus Projections RB47. In 2019, the Lions tried to steal him away with a restricted free agent offer. Tony Dorsett 12. And the Titans got worse this offseason, losing wide receiver Corey Davis, tight end Jonnu Smith, cornerback Adoree' Jackson, and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Andy Hicks: The Broncos dont seem overly excited to use Melvin Gordon III this year. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB18. San Francisco 49ers: All-time underrated, overrated players - NFL.com Sigmund Bloom: Swift is surely more likely than Jamaal Williams to be the hot hand in the Detroit backfield, but Swift's ADP is too high for any back that has to rely on the hot hand approach to get the majority of the volume in the backfield. 31 Unsung Running Backs in NFL History By Paul Ladewski on August 3, 2021 Chris O'Meara / AP Photo Before franchise quarterbacks took pro football hostage, there was something known as franchise running backs. That is still great, but not quite as good as many people have him ranked. Top 50 Running Backs of All Time List - Sports Articles Instead, McKissic is a receiving-centric option where targets will be at a premium considering the competition in Washington, which was not present in the 2020 version with notable wide receiver additions Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, and Dyami Brown. Scoring at least once in 9 games (16 gms total) yields a 56% chance of a score in each game. And free-agent acquisitions Mark Ingram II and Rex Burkhead didnt even play. Ben Cummins: Im a big fan of Antonio Gibsons talent, but he will have to overcome a lot of hurdles to pay off his current ADP. James Brimacombe: Johnson has been a fantasy hero for us in the past, but now entering Year 7, his best days are behind him. The team added Brian Robinson Jr Jr. on day two of the draft while retaining J.D. 2022/07/02 . Sigmund Bloom: Barkley may not be 100% to start the season, and he might not truly be 100% until next season. He was used more as a receiver than anything. Zamir White is looking like a capable back and could eat into Jacobs' carries. Ten different running backs had more targets alone than the entire Ravens backfield in 2020. Unfortunately for him, the team replaced the coaching staff that he impressed and signed veteran Carlos Hyde and drafted Travis Etienne in the first round. Curtis Martin 11. World's top 10 most overrated football players in history McDaniels is someone who deploys multiple backs throughout the course of the game. There are plenty of clarified RB1 types later in the draft to avoid taking the variable shot on Williams. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered O.J. Jacobs is not the alpha; he's one of many in the Vegas backfield. Jeff Haseley: Josh McDaniels' history of using multiple running backs in his offense is enough to be concerned about Josh Jacobs not having a full-time role as the lead back for the Raiders. Yeah, us, too. Davis was great in relief of Christian McCaffrey in Carolina last year, but he got tired quickly. Anthony Amico: The story with Gibson is somewhat similar to that of Jacobs but with a proof of concept already complete. Harris has the potential to be this year's Clyde Edwards-Helaire, as he may end up burning us relative to his current ADP of RB13 and 20th overall. He's a strong talent with some flaws with a better all-around back ahead of him. 5. It seems the case that he is being drafted well above his upside. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. His ADP has not shot up the draft boards as quickly as he propelled into fantasy relevance last year due to the almost non-existent target share he received in the passing game. Sigmund Bloom: Johnson was still in line to start after he took a pay cut to stay with the Texans, but then the team added Phillip Lindsay after he and the Broncos parted ways, which embroils Johnson in a frustrating committee backfield in an offense that is likely to be among the league's worst. There are too many risk factors to comfortably draft Ekeler as a No. Jan 26 . But the Broncos re-signed Melvin Gordon III, which cannot be interpreted as anything short of a re-commitment to a 50/50 committee. His career YPC was 3.9. These players will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. Andy Hicks: Austin Ekeler isnt going to rush anyone to a fantasy title. Tarik Cohen, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB49 | Consensus Projections RB47. Chris "Beanie" Wells. Brown never stopped earning playing time for the Rams despite the team investing early draft capital at the position.