Running back is arguably the most important position in your draft. Odds are you will be picking a running back in the first round, but considering the risky, fickle nature of the position, you will probably need to find good backs deeper in your draft or perhaps off the waiver wire. The deeper your league, the harder it is to find a good back. With that in mind, here's an array of running backs, ranging from guaranteed starters to unsigned backups, all of whom have the potential to provide good relative value thanks to other owners sleeping on them.
Buried underneath the avalanche of Tom Brady appeal news (and opinion) on Twitter earlier this week, was a significant development regarding the health status of St. Louis Rams uber-talented rookie running back Todd Gurley. The best health news of the week may belong to Kansas City safety Eric Berry (who is now cancer free), but the fact that Gurley, who tore his ACL less than nine months ago during his final campaign at Georgia, will open training camp on the active roster is a huge development that has plenty of fantasy implications.
Fantasy Focus
Despite a 3-13 season in 2014, the Oakland Raiders have young talent and seem to be on the rise. While no one should expect the “Silver and Black” to smell the playoffs, don’t be surprised if one or more offensive players breakout this season. Players like QB Derek Carr and RB Latavius Murray will look to build off successful 2014 campaigns and cement themselves as future stars of the NFL. Guys like WR Michael Crabtree, RB Roy Helu, and RB Trent Richardson will look to benefit from a change of scenery while fourth overall pick Amari Cooper will begin what he hopes to be a long successful career.
Fantasy Focus
The Indianapolis Colts made it to the AFC Conference Championship last season before falling to the New England Patriots. While the “Deflategate” scandal took over the headlines for the game, the Colts’ defense and poor running contributed to the blowout loss to the Patriots. The inability to defend and rush plagued the Colts throughout the season. However, this offseason the Indianapolis coaching staff made changes in the running game and was able to give Andrew Luck a stronger receiving corps. With these new tools, the Colts are hoping to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2006.
Fantasy Focus
Rookie wide receivers often struggle during their first season NFL season. At least that's the standard assumption -- and one shattered by the 2014 class. The likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin rocked as rookies and they were't alone. Here's a look at where those three plus Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks and others ranks among the top 10 second year wide-outs drafted in the first two rounds in last year's draft.
Fantasy Focus
When drafting tight ends, beware of the incredibly fickle nature of the position. Sure, you can go for one of the top-tier tight ends like Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham, but players like those are often overvalued because they significantly outscore most tight ends. After the first few tight ends, however, the position offers many players who are very closely separated in value. It's not too hard to find a good value pick later in your draft or even off the waiver wire. Here are a few names you may want to look for that offer either steady value or good upside from the tight end position.
- Ajallades Hennis
Fantasy Focus: Sophomore RBs
Some 2014 rookie running backs did not live up to their expectations. Others zoomed past them. Here are the top five sophomore running backs that could make the fantasy updates by carrying the workload on the field and for your fantasy team.
It’s more important than ever to be aware of the trends in Points Per Reception (PPR) leagues, as more and more owners are making the switch to such scoring formats. We broke down fantasy WRs may be overvalued in PPR leagues because other owners overlook the impact of PPR scoring. Make sure to wait on these guys come draft day.
Fantasy Focus: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints were a colossal disappointment in 2014, and things are still looking bleak for a team with a talented but worrisome roster. GM Mickey Loomis spent the offseason trying to manage bad contracts while still adding players to try and put a playoff-caliber team on the field. This offense may take a step back after losing Jimmy Graham, Ben Grubbs and Kenny Stills, but the combo of Sean Payton and Drew Brees are always a threat to win games.
Fantasy Focus: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a 3-13 record last season. Yikes. So, they sought help in the offseason while hoping their young core develops. The pieces are interesting, but has Jacksonville solved the winning football puzzle or at least improved enough to make believers out of fantasy football players?
