The Commanders drafted Brian Robinson Jr on Day 2 of the draft, a bigger back who excelled in pass protection. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB17 | Consensus Projections RB15. Henry is one of my favorite players in the league, but there are preferable first-round picks for me in 2021. Even the best backs need help, and Harris is less likely to have consistent holes to run through than any of the backs going around him. . While he can certainly put up some strong fantasy weeks, the savvier move would be to wait for the younger backs later in the draft. J.D. Saquon Barkley, NY Giants | Consensus Rankings RB4 | Consensus Projections RB5. In 2020, James Conner ranked 36th and Benny Snell ranked 54th in expected yards-per-carry out of 55 qualifiers, a sign of a weak offensive line and scheme. In five games without Mark Ingram II in 2020, Dobbins only out-carried Gus Edwards 13 to 11.6. Gordon caught only 32 passes last year, and outside of three games where he scored two touchdowns, he was a mediocre fantasy back. Photo: Isaiah J. Quarterback Lamar Jackson will always cap Dobbins' upside in total carries and goal-line looks. 15 receptions, 111 yards, less than a TD per year. 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. Never a good idea. Single Barry Sanders is easily the best ever. Sigmund Bloom: Anthony Lynn basically told us that he will run a committee of Swift and free agent pick Jamaal Williams when he called Williams his "A" back. Pat Fitzmaurice: First, a hat tip: For a guy who was a nonfactor in Purdue's offense for four years and was mostly a special-teamer in his first four NFL seasons, Mostert turned out to be a pretty good running back. Thurman Thomas 14. Vegas used other backs last year and pigeonholed Jacobs as a two-down grinder. Additionally, Brandon Bolden -- a member of Josh McDaniels' Patriot teams -- is with the club. Is the 40 Yard Dash the Most Overrated Test for Running | STACK James Brimacombe: I view Melvin Gordon III this season a lot like I viewed Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville last offseason. Yeah, us, too. Every Prem club's most overrated player and Arsenal fans must end His best year came in 2011 when he ran for 10 touchdowns and 1,047 yards, but other than that he didn't do much else. Curtis Martin 11. Gordon's arrow is pointing down for 2021, and he could be marginalized as the season goes on because the team also likes free agent signing Mike Boone. With McKissic back taking over passing down duties and Brian Robinson Jr possibly taking over red zone opportunities, Gibson is being overvalued in fantasy drafts. Jason Wood: Williams has the talent to be a top-10 fantasy back for years. Jason Wood: We all want Dobbins to be an every-down workhorse. In an attempt to point out these players, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should underperform their draft position. He yields passing work to J.D. Gibson fumbled in the preseason opener, and ball security has been an issue as he coughed up the football four times last year. As a rookie, Montgomery was a disappointment, averaging just 10.7 fantasy points per game. But I do not believe The Bus should be in the list of the top 40 RBs of all time. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. Nobody should ever try to run like Barry Sanders, because they will never be Barry Sanders. When Melvin Gordon III re-signed, many dismissed him as purely a backup player. 24 Overrated Running Backs - Footballguys 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. He feasted on unsustainable opportunities and a soft schedule. Sigmund Bloom: There are too many forces that Barkley has to swim upstream again to justify taking Barkley at his lofty ADP. Etienne's selection early in the late first signals he should have an immediate opportunity, especially with a new coaching staff in place. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB25 | Consensus Projections RB26. Jason Wood: Sanders is talented, and when healthy, was productive under former head coach Doug Pederson. Jason Wood: Preseason depth charts aren't perfectly predictive, but the new Texans coaching staff clearly sent a message listing Johnson as the No. Matt Waldman: Gaskin displayed underrated skills last year and has become a favorite sleeper in the fantasy community. And was brought back by a new staff that keeps saying he will be a significant part of the offense. Harris stayed an extra year in college to improve his draft capital, and rightfully so, as the 2020 class was filled with elite running back talent. David Johnson, Houston | Consensus Rankings RB27 | Consensus Projections RB31. Chad Parsons: It's a crowded Jets depth chart, and assuming Carter rises to the top of a collection of similar profiles is overstated with his draft valuation. Its a knock on his offensive line. Lynn's mauling offensive line and run-first mentality give Swift a chance to make good on his ADP, but he is being drafted at his ceiling. Gaskin is a nice player, but the signings by this staff the last two offseasons say they don't have confidence that Gaskin is their guy. At present, I'm avoiding Gaskin because I do not trust the role, especially ahead of projected starters like Mike Davis and other players with higher upside like Travis Etienne. But now in the NFL, he is removed from passing down work in favor of J.D. DYAR: 96 DVOA: 0.085% His average DYAR of 96 would rank him 24th in the NFL in 2009, right ahead of Laurence Maroney. He has had 9,088 receiving+rushing yards over his career. That number of targets limited his ceiling, and he was barely a low-end RB2. The final reason why Jerome Bettis is the most overrated RB of all time is because of the offensive line he ran behind. Top 10 Most Overrated Athletes of All Time It's not that they aren't great players, they just aren't everything we've been led to believe. Dave Kluge: Sure, youre not giving up any crazy draft capital to get J.D. His average DVOA of 0.085% would rank him 31st in the NFL in 2009, right behind Rashard Mendenhall. Links to similar discussions on other positions: The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. Brown has more power and better acceleration and change-of-direction quickness than Gaskin, who is the better receiver. The team didn't improve a problem defensive line. Michael Carter, NY Jets | Consensus Rankings RB37 | Consensus Projections RB36. If Gordon's injury is extended, Williams could be appropriately priced, but until there is more information, he is an avoid at cost. Mostert is now 29 years old and has the highest draft position of anyone in this stable of capable running backs. Jeff Haseley: The Dolphins have a three-headed approach to the running back position this year. 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. Jalen Hurts will inevitably take away carries and goal-line rushes from the backfield, capping any true remaining upside Sanders may have been clinging to. Davis has changed teams five times in the last three seasons. Jason Wood: We all want Dobbins to be an every-down workhorse. Then we have the Taysom Hill conundrum. Downing, USA Today Sports. Give me Chris Carson or Josh Jacobs in a similar draft range with stronger probabilities to hit as a top-10 option. Here are the players who received the most votes: And here are all of the payers mentioned and the reasons why. The investment in veteran wideout Sammy Watkins and rookies Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace almost cements Dobbinss capped upside in the passing game. Footballguys staff members discuss running backs who are overvalued. Coach Brian Flores comes from New England, where they liked employing a committee, and now they have come out publicly to say this will, in fact, be a committee in Miami. If Johnson is the starter, he is probably a value where he is being drafted, but I'm not taking him at his current cost without some reassuring news about his role in the coming weeks. McKissic will get passing down work, so Gibson's floor and ceiling will be lower than last year, the only question is how much lower. But even if he doesnt, this backfield could be a closer split than many think. There isnt much to like here. At cost, D'Andre Swift and others are better combinations of floor and ceiling. Tony Dorsett 12. And while Johnson sits atop the Houston depth chart, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram II, and perhaps Rex Burkhead will factor in as well. The current regime did not select Robinson. Unless his ADP falls a bit, he's a pass where he's being drafted right now. Gordon is a massive red flag at his ADP. 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. J.K. McKissic, Washington | Consensus Rankings RB47 | Consensus Projections RB45. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville | Consensus Rankings RB26 | Consensus Projections RB26. There are backs going after Chubb who will receive bigger shares of their teams usage. This NFL season, which isn't even over yet, 5 running backs have already rushed for more yards and 16 have more touchdowns. When you select Dobbins in your drafts, you are banking on the hyper-efficiency of his limited touches to continue. There is also the slight concern that he will need some ramp-up time to fully be healed from his ACL tear from a season ago. Now, these guys are treated with all the respect of disposable diapers. Green Bay Packers: Most underrated, overrated players of all time - NFL.com The Giants offensive line, playcalling, and quarterback play give us no faith that they can help create fantasy overachievers. Now, if the right-back fully lived up to his potential, then he could have been a Man City great. Overrated Sleepers Running Backs Values Overrated Sleepers The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. I'm out. 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: It is hard for an undrafted rookie running back to succeed in the NFL. Barring an injury to Chubb, Hunt will drive you crazy trying to figure out when to start him as anything other than a flex option. Baltimore Ravens: Most underrated, overrated players of all time But, man, there are all sorts of asterisks to add to that description. Jim Brown 2. This was largely in line with his previous year's number of 10.7 per game, allowing him to plod his way to an uninspiring RB24 finish. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia | Consensus Rankings RB20 | Consensus Projections RB20. Frank: Most overrated and underrated Eagles: RBs | RSN 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.