Deion Sanders tops the list of overrated cornerbacks. But the Broncos re-signed Melvin Gordon III, which cannot be interpreted as anything short of a re-commitment to a 50/50 committee. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered There's zero appeal here. Brady is known for being the only quarterback in history to win 7 Super Bowls, and is often considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Weve seen flashes of Raheem Mostert over the last couple of years feasting in this offense, but its sporadic and challenging to predict. Combine a true committee situation with a quarterback who racks up 1,000 yards and a handful of scores, and you have a ceiling on Dobbins that won't be unlocked without a rash of injuries. Think about that for a moment. Andrew Davenport: I've had ample opportunities to draft Gaskin and just haven't been able to do it. 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. McKissic returns from injury to his role as the pass-catching back, and Washington also drafted Brian Robinson Jr in the third round. He was used more as a receiver than anything. He's as gifted a receiver as he is a runner, which allows him to have huge games regardless of game script. 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. Ryan Hester: He might not keep his job, his offense probably wont be great, hes not explosive, and hes on the wrong side of the running back career arc. Whenever a new coaching group comes in, especially an inexperienced one, there is always the risk that players with a high fantasy price underachieve. This should be a fair competition, considering that Miami is changing its scheme this year. But you do have to attribute some of his success to his top 10 run blocking. He finally received the workhorse role fantasy players have craved. He also has a new coaching staff, a new play-caller, and a new system to learn. 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. "Matthew Berry, ESPN. 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 has good hands, but his route running hurt his opportunities to make clean catches against man-to-man coverage. 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. You are better off investing in a more consistent player for your RB2 when you get to the late second or early third round of drafts. Edgerrin James 17. Preseason may help a little. His current draft price is almost his upside. As everyone knows by now, Montgomery faced some of the worst run defenses in the league to put up those huge numbers over that finishing stretch. If he is still on the opening day roster, his workload will be usurped by the rookie when the coaching staff trusts him. 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. Sigmund Bloom: Barkley may not be 100% to start the season, and he might not truly be 100% until next season. 20 20. By the season's end, Mike Davis will be a case of "I knew it," but the guy who pushes him down or out is pure guesswork at this stage. Johnson was once a big name at the running back position and is still getting drafted based on that name and past production. Bettis was nothing more than an average RB for a long period of time (13 years). Ryan Hester: This isnt a knock on Harris, whose athletic profile and projected workload are things fantasy players dream of. Lambertville, Michigan 48144. most overrated running backs of all time(734) 854-2000 When we go into advanced stats, we can tell even more about Bettis: * Note: The stats are Bettis averages per season, not total career. Expect a more even split in touches than many are forecasting and potentially for Brown to earn the lead role. He feasted on unsustainable opportunities and a soft schedule. Ten different running backs had more targets alone than the entire Ravens backfield in 2020. John Riggins 19. Overrated David Boston -- WR, 1999-02 Boston was a former first-round pick by the Cardinals who had an epic Pro Bowl /All-Pro season in 2001 when he caught 98 passes for nearly 1,600 yards and. Durability is atop the list after missing six games last year. 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. Pat Fitzmaurice: The Buccaneers' playoff run was the best four-game stretch for Fournette since the early part of the 2019 season. 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. Avoid. But the Ravens are a Super Bowl contender and won't veer from the system that's gotten them to the peak. Scoring at least once in 9 games (16 gms total) yields a 56% chance of a score in each game. Footballguys staff members discuss running backs who are overvalued. Jason Wood: Ekeler can single-handedly carry a fantasy team for a week or two. 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. Wait until next year. 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. Had more rushing touchdowns last year than Williams. Gibson was even in the game after Robinson was out. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas | Consensus Rankings RB19 | Consensus Projections RB19. by | Jul 2, 2022 | beaches near airports florida | legends untold sewers | Jul 2, 2022 | beaches near airports florida | legends untold sewers Kudos to James Robinson. 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. The Ravens have also continued to trust Gus Edwards and have kept the backfield intact as a true timeshare. I feel like most drafting Gordon right now are doing it on name value, but he now has plenty of competition with Javonte Williams and Mike Boone as priority adds this offseason. The depth behind Ekeler is average, but there are enough players to steal touches. Swift relied heavily on touchdown production for his fantasy numbers. Williams can still be a great producer, but at his ADP, I won't be drafting him when he isn't getting the bulk of the touches. Sigmund Bloom: There are too many forces that Barkley has to swim upstream again to justify taking Barkley at his lofty ADP. As a model for other running backs, one of the greatest running backs of all time is a horrible example. Robinsons workload will dramatically decrease this season, and drafters arent taking that into account as much as they should. But, man, there are all sorts of asterisks to add to that description. I am a heretic in that regard. And Hill is only touchable due to the cheat code rushing factor for quarterbacks. However, his footwork and explosiveness in tight spaces allowed him to slip would-be tacklers with consistency. He has the ability to handle that role and thrive in the process. While 3,000 hits is nothing to scoff at, his place as an. Ryan Hester: If Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay, no Green Bay players will see their output exceed their price tag. A new offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh also adds uncertainty to the situation. 9 out of the 13 years Bettis played in the NFL he averaged less than 4 yards per carry. We've seen running backs repeatedly return from severe knee injuries; very seldom do they return the following year and have a memorable fantasy season. I have seen Bettis crack the top 20 and even top 10 of some lists, and this is inexplicable. The next season he hit bottom with a knee injury that damaged his ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Tatum Bell isn't the only Lions running back of the 2000s to get snakebitten. Top 10 Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. There's just not enough upside here to justify taking Johnson anywhere near his ADP and no expectation of consistency in Johnson's usage or the Texans' ability to move the ball week to week. Though volume is important in fantasy football, Harris could struggle behind his offensive line and not garner an elite share of red zone touches. David Johnson, Houston | Consensus Rankings RB39 | Consensus Projections RB47. Ben Cummins: Henrys past two monster years were with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the head coach in Atlanta. 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. The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. Ryan Hester: Short of Taysom Hill (if he wins the job), this whole offense is an avoid for fantasy football right now. Zamir White is looking like a capable back and could eat into Jacobs' carries. J.D. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB17 | Consensus Projections RB15. Victoria Geary: Sanders 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). 1 cornerstone. 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. 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. 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? As a rookie, Montgomery was a disappointment, averaging just 10.7 fantasy points per game. Andy Hicks: Austin Ekeler isnt going to rush anyone to a fantasy title. Daniel Jones was one of the most uninspiring quarterbacks in the league last year. Phil Alexander: Drew Brees is arguably the best screen game quarterback in NFL history. 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. Jamal Lewis-- RB, 2000-06 There have been seven running backs who have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season, and Jamal Lewis is by far the least memorable of the bunch. 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? The Top Ten. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB18. Gary Davenport: Drafting an RB1 based on wishful thinking isn't an ideal strategy, yet Williams keeps getting picked inside the top-12 at his position. It's not entirely his fault. Take Carter later as a committee back with some possible upside, but he's being overvalued by drafters right now. Nobody should ever try to run like Barry Sanders, because they will never be Barry Sanders. 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. His production waned down the stretch in Carolina last year, and when was the last time we cared about an Atlanta running back in fantasy football anyway? 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. But even if he doesnt, this backfield could be a closer split than many think. Gordon has always been a runner that needs a large workload to produce fantasy stats. Add in the fact that offense is unlikely to provide as many goal-line chances as the other high-end RB1s, and Kamara has plenty of factors going against him. Mostert is now 29 years old and has the highest draft position of anyone in this stable of capable running backs. My, my, how the game has changed. Gibsons problems with fumbles have been a complaint of Ron Rivera, and he has already shown it is not gone in the preseason. Brown never stopped earning playing time for the Rams despite the team investing early draft capital at the position. Jacobs could easily wind up as a player who does a lot of work between the 20s with no meaningful fantasy production. The investment in veteran wideout Sammy Watkins and rookies Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace almost cements Dobbinss capped upside in the passing game. His fantasy value came in catching 59 receptions, which won't happen in Arthur Smith's offense that doesn't throw to the tailbacks much. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore | Consensus Rankings RB16 | Consensus Projections RB17. His ADP says drafters are aware of the easy schedule down the stretch, but he's still being overvalued at his current price. He doesnt have that much of a skill set difference with Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed either. . Jordan McNamara: Fixing your running game by drafting running backs is a losing strategy. Anthony Amico: Dobbins is being drafted as if he has a far greater stranglehold on this Ravens backfield than he likely will. David Johnson, Houston | Consensus Rankings RB27 | Consensus Projections RB31. 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 . Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your There isnt much to like here. Hes the favorite for running back targets, but the offense doesnt really throw to the running backs. 5. The Steelers were 23rd in red zone attempts per game in 2020 and were ranked as having the fourth-worst offensive line ahead of the 2021 season by Pro Football Focus. Running back Chris Wells of the Arizona Cardinals was a first-round draft pick, 31st overall, in 2009 who always seemed to be on the injured list year after year. It probably comes off as harsh to call Montgomery one of the most overrated running backs of the past decade, but he is. D'Andre Swift, Detroit | Consensus Rankings RB14 | Consensus Projections RB10. The Eagles also resigned Jordan Howard and added Kerryon Johnson to the backfield, exhibiting their lack of trust in Sanders to be an every-down back. A veteran, a trade, or another team's roster cut is more likely to be the bigger threat. 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. Dave Kluge: The 49ers drafted Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell and signed free agent Wayne Gallman. 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. Phil Alexander: Michael Thomas' ankle injury opens up additional targets for Kamara, who will operate as New Orleans' de facto No. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans | Consensus Rankings RB3 | Consensus Projections RB2. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay | Consensus Rankings RB30 | Consensus Projections RB27. Detroit signed Jamaal Williams to take the heavy work and kicked the tires on Todd Gurley before declining his addition. 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. Chad Parsons: The price has vaulted up on Javonte Williams after a quality rookie season. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. 24 Overrated RBs. There are backs going after Chubb who will receive bigger shares of their teams usage. Kevin Coleman: Antonio Gibsons value took a hit this offseason. There are too many risk factors to comfortably draft Ekeler as a No. However, Melvin Gordon III returning is the lynchpin for tepid upside expectations outside of a Gordon injury. James Brimacombe: Johnson has been a fantasy hero for us in the past, but now entering Year 7, his best days are behind him. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. 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 2019, the Lions tried to steal him away with a restricted free agent offer. He rewarded those believers with an RB18 PPG season. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB19. 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. Theyre going to be one of the worst teams in NFL History. Jason Wood: Williams has the talent to be a top-10 fantasy back for years. Links to similar discussions on other positions: The flip side of succeeding with value players is failing with overvalued players. 2022/07/02 . 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. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Director: Jonathan Demme. 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. Malcolm Brown is one of the least-sexy names in fantasy football, but NFL teams sure seem to love him. Chad Parsons: Cohen is coming off an injury, and Damien Williams is a notable veteran addition to the depth chart. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia | Consensus Rankings RB21 | Consensus Projections RB21. This three-headed committee with a healthy Jones is bad news for Fournette and means he is way overvalued at current ADP. Ryan Hester: Chubb shares his backfield with a very talented player in Kareem Hunt, and Hunt is the one who gets the lions share of the passing game work. Gaskin has an RB2 ceiling, but an RB3 value is a much stronger likelihood than many realize, whether it's Brown or a summer free-agent acquisition like Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, or a recent starter a team lets go to make room for an emerging force. Brown has always been a strong contributor inside the five-yard line scoring 9 rushing touchdowns in the last two years in that hot zone. 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. Quarterback Lamar Jackson will always cap Dobbins' upside in total carries and goal-line looks. Drafters are still grabbing David Johnson due to projected volume, yet in their first preseason game, Houston utilized Phillip Lindsay on first and second downs with the starters while David Johnson was restricted to a third-down role. 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. Only he and Jim brown had a full career average of 5.0 ypc lifetime. Barry Sanders - 15, averaged one 50-plus-yard TD every 204 carries. The coaching staff did not ignore this, as they selected the best pass-catching running back in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in Kenneth Gainwell. Jeff Haseley: We know what Saquon Barkley is capable of, but we haven't seen him perform much in Jason Garrett's offense under Joe Judge's rule. He didnt have a top 5 offensive line, so that eliminates the argument that he was made by the offensive line. The Ravens view Gus Edwards and Dobbins as co-starters who are both vital cogs, and the front office rewarded Edwards with a new contract supporting his role. 21 RB Sleepers. 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. Subscription, Early-March Top 10 Defensive Back IDP Rankings, 5 RBs to Buy In Dynasty Before NFL Free Agency. 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. Jason Wood: Sanders is talented, and when healthy, was productive under former head coach Doug Pederson. 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. He has lapses in vision and decision-making. 1 status. 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. only site on the planet. 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. When I was comparing Bettis stats to the the 3 RBs I mentioned above, I saw that Bettis was highly overrated. Chad Parsons: Sanders stands out in the mid-teens of the running back draft pecking order most with his odds of being a high-impact option. 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. O.J. There have been 49 running backs taken among the first 10 picks since 1960, and Byars has the lowest rushing average of the bunch. Raheem Mostert, San Francisco | Consensus Rankings RB31 | Consensus Projections RB35. They might be lucky to win three games, which means limited touchdown potential for Johnson and a shortage of run-friendly game scripts. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup 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. In Week 16 of the 2011 season, Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and returned as the #1 overall running back in 2012. Combine a true committee situation with a quarterback who racks up 1,000 yards and a handful of scores, and you have a ceiling on Dobbins that won't be unlocked without a rash of injuries. James Brimacombe: I view Melvin Gordon III this season a lot like I viewed Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville last offseason. Gaskin's current draft position is indicative of him being the top back in Miami, and it's not a foregone conclusion that he is. J.K. McKissic, Washington | Consensus Rankings RB47 | Consensus Projections RB45. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals. 3) Micah Richards. Additionally, Brandon Bolden -- a member of Josh McDaniels' Patriot teams -- is with the club. But so far, there is nothing to suggest that it is, and all three running backs are likely to play plenty. Most Overrated QB: Tom Brady 1 of 6 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. Here are some stats from footballoutsiders.com: * Note: ADY =. However, I would ask - where is the upside to tilt a league here? David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB19 | Consensus Projections RB20. Yet, Travis Etienne was drafted in the first round, and Carlos Hyde, who Urban Meyer coached at Ohio State, was signed. The current regime did not select Robinson. Nyheim Hines is one of the premier pass-catching options, and Marlon Mack's health is a wildcard in the Colts' backfield rotation. Jason Wood: Preseason depth charts aren't perfectly predictive, but the new Texans coaching staff clearly sent a message listing Johnson as the No. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia | Consensus Rankings RB20 | Consensus Projections RB20. Victoria Geary: We should not steer clear of Harris completely for the 2021 season, but we should lower our expectations for a locked-and-loaded RB1 finish. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB25 | Consensus Projections RB26. Andy Hicks: Austin Ekeler isnt going to rush anyone to a fantasy title. Thurman Thomas 14. Given Russell Wilson's historical propensity to score rushing touchdowns in goal-line situations, it's hard to get overly excited about Williams, particularly in PPR formats. The uncertainty of Fournette's touch volume will make it hard to start him with confidence throughout the season, so a late-sixth-round ADP seems steep. Backs who will receive bigger shares of their teams usage are going after Chubb.