most overrated running backs of all time most overrated running backs of all time

J.K. McKissic, Washington | Consensus Rankings RB47 | Consensus Projections RB45. Got the exact same number of carries as Williams. The problem is it never really felt like we stopped moving Edmonds up the board even after the signing of James Conner. Jason Wood: Williams has the talent to be a top-10 fantasy back for years. Jeff Haseley: The Dolphins have a three-headed approach to the running back position this year. In addition, Antonio Gibson finished the year banged up and ceding snaps to McKissic. Nick Chubb, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings RB10 | Consensus Projections RB11. Davis was great in relief of Christian McCaffrey in Carolina last year, but he got tired quickly. 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. Harris has the potential to be this year's Clyde Edwards-Helaire, as he may end up burning us relative to his climbing ADP. Compared to Jim Brown (5.2 YPC), Larry Csonka (4.3 YPC), and Earl Campbell (4.3 YPC). Andy Hicks: It is hard for an undrafted rookie running back to succeed in the NFL. Jordan McNamara: Like Gaskin, David Johnson is in a cloudy situation after Philip Lindsay drew the starting role in Houston in week 1. 24 Overrated RBs. If Gordon's injury is extended, Williams could be appropriately priced, but until there is more information, he is an avoid at cost. Phil Alexander: What makes people so confident the Dolphins backfield is not a committee? John Riggins 19. Jan 26 . Cohen is strictly limited to passing-down work, and the numbers suggest that he isn't outstanding in that role either. Jeff Haseley: Clyde Edwards-Helaire has all of the tools and skills to be a successful fantasy back but failing to finish runs in the end zone has slowed his progress. But, man, there are all sorts of asterisks to add to that description. Washingtons offense ranked 21st in overall DVOA last season and doesnt project to improve much in 2022 despite the addition of Carson Wentz. It seems the case that he is being drafted well above his upside. 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. Melvin Gordon III, Denver | Consensus Rankings RB29 | Consensus Projections RB28. But after he sat a game due to injury, the Bears' lead runner came out hot after their bye, and he finished at a torrid pace of 25.7 points per game as the overall RB1 from Weeks 12 to 17. . His primary use has been as an excellent pass-catching back. 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. Jacobs could easily wind up as a player who does a lot of work between the 20s with no meaningful fantasy production. McKissic. Phil Alexander: Michael Thomas' ankle injury opens up additional targets for Kamara, who will operate as New Orleans' de facto No. Drew Brees is arguably the best screen game quarterback in NFL history. McKissic, one the league's better pass-catching backs. I have seen Bettis crack the top 20 and even top 10 of some lists, and this is inexplicable. Jason Wood: Ekeler can single-handedly carry a fantasy team for a week or two. Footballguys staff members discuss running backs who are overvalued. 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. Barkley is a workhorse. Jonathan Morris: I can't endorse a high pick on Javonte Williams when he will yield a lot of work to Melvin Gordon III. Tony Dorsett 12. Tarik Cohen, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB49 | Consensus Projections RB47. Here are the NFL running backs with the most career touchdown runs over 50 yards (based on stats through 2016). That enthusiasm should be tempered because Canada was the offensive coordinator fired by LSU before LSU hired Joe Brady, who oversaw Joe Burrow's historic season. Walter Payton 5. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB18. The Giants offensive line, playcalling, and quarterback play give us no faith that they can help create fantasy overachievers. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered I just see way too much downside to take a risk on lightning striking twice. Phil Alexander: Drew Brees is arguably the best screen game quarterback in NFL history. 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). Some running backs, such as Chris Johnson this year, are a full 2.0 YPC over their offensive lines ADY. Lets take a look at the average Jerome Bettis season: 277 carries, 1051 yards, 3.9 YPC, 7 TDs. I'll pass on Barkley at cost. Pittsburghs front five looks nothing like last years group. While Jacobs is capable of a bell-cow role, McDaniels has a long history of maddening running back usage as the Patriots OC. Jason Wood: We all want Dobbins to be an every-down workhorse. Tevin Coleman was specifically brought in because he knows the run-blocking schemes the Jets will employ this year, and Ty Johnson hasn't gone anywhere either. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. But so far, there is nothing to suggest that it is, and all three running backs are likely to play plenty. You wrote in to criticize me immediately following a 4-0 win against Forest where, for the first time all season, Moyes bowed to enormous pressure and played a back 4, told Declan to actually be . LaDainian Tomlinson 6. Matt Waldman: Gaskin displayed underrated skills last year and has become a favorite sleeper in the fantasy community. Gaskin is an easy fade at his current price. 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. Zamir White is looking like a capable back and could eat into Jacobs' carries. The notorious "Frankenstein" graphic did him no favors. The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. Also, Jalen Hurts is poised to siphon a few short-range scores from the running back position. 15 receptions, 111 yards, less than a TD per year. Worst of all, he is now playing on the Houston Texans, who have no identity on offense heading into the season. Whenever a new coaching group comes in, especially an inexperienced one, there is always the risk that players with a high fantasy price underachieve. Pat Fitzmaurice: The appeal is that he's an inexpensive lead back. The team didn't improve a problem defensive line. Edgerrin James 17. His ADP says drafters are aware of the easy schedule down the stretch, but he's still being overvalued at his current price. Andrew Davenport: I've had ample opportunities to draft Gaskin and just haven't been able to do it. I believe it is more accurate to measure a RB by per season averages, because running backs such as Jim Brown did not play long. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered Gibson has also been struggling with fumbles in training camp, which have drawn the ire of the Commanders coaching staff. The Ravens have also continued to trust Gus Edwards and have kept the backfield intact as a true timeshare. I understand the upside, but I don't want to take a huge miss if I'm drafting in Week 1. However, I would ask - where is the upside to tilt a league here? When we go into advanced stats, we can tell even more about Bettis: * Note: The stats are Bettis averages per season, not total career. USA Today named the most overrated player on every NFL team in 2022 and for the Cleveland Browns, Jadeveon Clowney was given this unwanted distinction. Gordon caught only 32 passes last year, and outside of three games where he scored two touchdowns, he was a mediocre fantasy back. Here are the players who received the most votes: And here are all of the payers mentioned and the reasons why. It all depends on who works best in the new scheme and if the scheme works. Dave Kluge: To close out the 2020 season, Cam Akers saw 21, 29, 15, and 21 carries over his last four games. Though volume is important in fantasy football, Harris could struggle behind his offensive line and not garner an elite share of red zone touches. Sigmund Bloom: The Raiders are going to adopt a frustrating Patriots-style committee at running back under Josh McDaniels, which means that Jacobs will be at best Damien Harris in this offense. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore | Consensus Rankings RB16 | Consensus Projections RB17. 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. There is no other way to explain a mid-range RB3 price when he is in one of the worst possible situations in Houston. Heading into this season, their offensive line is mediocre, their quarterback situation is a mess, they have a new coach, and the rest of the skill position players are uninspiring. That is not the stat line of an elite RB at all. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB7 | Consensus Projections RB7. Gordon has always been a runner that needs a large workload to produce fantasy stats. Its a knock on his offensive line. He has the ability to handle that role and thrive in the process. Avoid. Gibson is more likely to lose his job than return a significant profit on his draft price. Simpson 13. James Brimacombe: I view Melvin Gordon III this season a lot like I viewed Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville last offseason. 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. Montgomery hasn't turned a corner in his career arc. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Murray scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 9 different games in 2020. There are too many risk factors to comfortably draft Ekeler as a No. I believe he should be elected because he was able to maintain a good level of consistency throughout his 13 years. This was largely in line with his previous year's 10.7 per game which allowed him to plod his way to an uninspiring RB24 finish. Henry has never caught more than 19 passes in a season, and that limited production as a receiver is an issue. The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. If Robinson claims goal line work, there is an upward battle for returning a value in his ADP. And while Johnson sits atop the Houston depth chart, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram II, and perhaps Rex Burkhead will factor in as well. Finally, Sanders has continued fumbling and dropping passes in camp -- problems that plagued him last season. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay | Consensus Rankings RB33 | Consensus Projections RB31. He also is a touchdown liability -- he's scored 5, 6, and 4 touchdowns in three of his four seasons (11 the other season), which had led to finishing outside the Top 25 each of those years. Jonathan Morris: As soon as Josh McDaniels came into the picture as the new head coach of the Raiders, my valuation of Jacobs immediately went down. 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. Think about that for a moment. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis | Consensus Rankings RB8 | Consensus Projections RB7. I think this is pretty unfair to call him the most overrated. 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. Gibsons problems with fumbles have been a complaint of Ron Rivera, and he has already shown it is not gone in the preseason. 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. Wait until next year. The Steelers were 23rd in red zone attempts per game in 2020 and were recently ranked as having the fourth-worst offensive line ahead of the 2021 season by Pro Football Focus. The team likes fourth-round pick Zamir White and passing down back Ameer Abdullah, and Kenyan Drake is still on the roster, so Jacobs is going to have trouble being consistent enough to merit an every-week RB2 start. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB9 | Consensus Projections RB9. 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. There are no guarantees he fits with what Atlanta wants to do or whether he has the endurance to handle a workload after last year's use. 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. 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. Kudos to James Robinson. Andy Hicks: The Broncos dont seem overly excited to use Melvin Gordon III this year. And just how many touchdowns should we expect from an offense with glaring question marks at quarterback and the worst wide receiver depth chart this side of Detroit? Give me Chris Carson or Josh Jacobs in a similar draft range with stronger probabilities to hit as a top-10 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. 3 back on the depth chart before the first preseason game. Only he and Jim brown had a full career average of 5.0 ypc lifetime. He has had 9,088 receiving+rushing yards over his career. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against Kamara repeating as the best player in fantasy football. 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. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay | Consensus Rankings RB30 | Consensus Projections RB27. 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. 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. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals. So should drafters trust the first 25 games of his career where he was a compiler with minimal ceiling or the final six games against bad defenses in 2020? The additions of Mike Boone and Javonte Williams haven't done anything to dispel this idea. To point out these players, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should underperform their draft position. Its easy and lazy to make comparisons to "Todd Gurley under Sean McVay," but that hope is pushing him into a tier of running backs that he does not belong. Ricky Watters 20. It also must be remembered his journey through the NFL before that. Etienne's selection early in the late first signals he should have an immediate opportunity, especially with a new coaching staff in place. The Top Ten 1 David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham is (born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president & co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City.. The final reason why Jerome Bettis is the most overrated RB of all time is because of the offensive line he ran behind. That is still great, but not quite as good as many people have him ranked. 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. Brown has more power and better acceleration and change-of-direction quickness than Gaskin, who is the better receiver. Miami will use a committee as none of the backs on the roster can handle the lead-back role. 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. Jason Wood: Sometimes fate aligns, and that's what happened for Mike Davis last year in Carolina. NFL's 5 Most Overrated Running Backs No Name August 6, 2011 Over the past decade, the NFL has really evolved into a passing league. Green Bay seems to like A.J. Yet, Travis Etienne was drafted in the first round, and Carlos Hyde, who Urban Meyer coached at Ohio State, was signed. Drafting running backs on the downside of their career, on bad offenses, in a platoon situation, is fraught with peril. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Director: Jonathan Demme. At times he looked like the future back Detroit has been looking for this century. Links to similar discussions on other positions: 12 Quarterbacks11 Tight Ends28 Wide Receivers25 Running Backs, 10 Quarterbacks12 Tight Ends23 Wide Receivers25 Running Backs, 9 Quarterbacks11 Tight Ends15 Wide Receivers13 Running Backs. Can he still be fantasy-relevant? In no way am I saying Bettis should not be a hall of famer. 1. 15 Best Running Backs of All-Time; He also spent his first 5 years on the saints, where he got 20 carries exactly 2 times there. Chad Parsons: McKissic is priced reasonably with an implied drop in targets. 3) Micah Richards. Drew Davenport: Gordon hasn't been a special player for a while now, and at times last year looked completely ineffective. 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. 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. Jamal Lewis rushed for nearly 3,400 yards in the first two seasons back from his ACL tear. Unfortunately, he needs to stay hyper-efficient on the ground to stay fantasy relevant, as Ravens running backs have gotten a 70/30 carry split with Jackson over the last three years. Now, if the right-back fully lived up to his potential, then he could have been a Man City great. First, Johnson turns 30 in December, and considering all the injuries he's dealt with in his NFL career, it's hard to see him aging well. Jason Wood: Sanders is talented, and when healthy, was productive under former head coach Doug Pederson. Ryan Hester: Even before he played double-digit snaps in the most meaningless of all meaningless preseason games, Jacobs was a solid fade. Jonathan Morris: Gibson was already someone I was worried about getting enough volume to be drafted at his current ADP. However, Melvin Gordon III returning is the lynchpin for tepid upside expectations outside of a Gordon injury. The 4.29 ADY by the Steelers offensive line would be tied for 8th place in the NFL in 2009. McKissic returns from injury to his role as the pass-catching back, and Washington also drafted Brian Robinson Jr in the third round. Ryan Hester: If Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay, no Green Bay players will see their output exceed their price tag. 1 status. With talented guys like Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers. 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. Swift also picked up bad footwork habits working alongside a different style of back in Adrian Peterson last year, opting for inefficient jump cuts that hurt his game. Chad Parsons: Travis Etienne and Carlos Hyde were both chosen additions by the new Jaguars regime with either Round 1 pedigree (Etienne) or a productive NFL profile (Hyde). 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. Andrew Davenport: Fournette's production in the playoffs was artificially inflated by the injury to Ronald Jones II, and part of Fournette's regular-season fantasy production last year was due to his pass-catching role. It's possible that Las Vegas will lean on Jacobs, knowing he won't be back next year, but that goes against McDaniels' past style of play. A veteran, a trade, or another team's roster cut is more likely to be the bigger threat. 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. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup He's playing for his fifth team in seven seasons and has never been an instinctive runner. These are players that will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. Phil Alexander: Beware of drafting running backs based solely on their perceived opportunity. But even if he doesnt, this backfield could be a closer split than many think. 1 Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr., is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. Mike Davis, Atlanta | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB23. 2022/07/02 . What follows are some of the most notable BackCAST projections for the running back prospects available in the 2022 NFL draft, along with two overrated back based on this model: ESPN + His current draft price is almost his upside. 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. His career marks are high because he played long (13 yrs) and was consistent. Nobody should ever try to run like Barry Sanders, because they will never be Barry Sanders. I would probably rank him around 43. The Raiders declined to exercise Jacobs fifth-year option this offseason, drafted Zamir White in the fourth round, signed Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden, and Kenyan Drake returns from injury. The investment in veteran wideout Sammy Watkins and rookies Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace almost cements Dobbinss capped upside in the passing game. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans | Consensus Rankings RB3 | Consensus Projections RB2. Gordon isn't going away just because fantasy managers want him to. At cost, D'Andre Swift and others are better combinations of floor and ceiling. Drew Davenport: Through nine games last year, Montgomery was the 26th ranked PPR running back in points per game at 12.2 a contest. That looks like a mistake from where the situation sits now. Jim Brown Jim Brown spent a little less than a decade playing for the Cleveland Browns between 1957 and 1965, but that was enough time to prove he's likely the greatest running back to ever play the game and one of the greatest NFL players of all time. 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. The Eagles consistently added to the depth chart this offseason with Kerryon Johnson, Jordan Howard, Kenneth Gainwell added to Boston Scott. 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. Photo: Isaiah J. The first thing that pops out at us is that Jerome Bettis 3.9 YPC is a good deal lower than the offensive lines mark of 4.29 (ADY). 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.