When it comes to fantasy football running backs (RBs) are key contributors. The best RBs are very consistent when in fantasy football . They play almost the entire game, they are constantly given the ball at least 20 times a game, they are good pass catchers, and they are are given ample opportunities to score touch downs. These guys are work horses. The only way these players aren't scoring points is if they are benched or injured. For the 2018 football season there is a solid number of running backs to choose from who will be scoring lots of points. My top 15 RBs (starting from the bottom at #15) include:
15.Derrick Henry
14.Kenyan Drake
13.Devonta Freeman
12.Christian McCaffrey
11.Jordan Howard
First off at number 15 I have Derrick Henry from the Tennessee Titans. This dude is a monster at 6'3 and 247 lbs (NFL.com), over the past two seasons he has been splitting carries with fellow RB Demarco Murray. Being relatively new to the league he got the short end of the stick really getting the scraps and lying in the shadow of Murray as the experienced pro bowl veteran on the team was given the advantage. However, this last season while Murray was injured Henry was able to show what he could do and really put on a show. In my opinion, the Titans should have never dragged Murray on and just let Henry run hungry as a rookie. At the same time though, it was probably really good for Henry to learn the tricks of the trade from the experienced and successful veteran. Continuing, the Titans let Murray go to Free Agency, now Henry has the chance to really explode this next season. The Titans did add Dion Lewis to the team, but Henry is the main #1 back for them. Honestly, I was ready to put Henry in my top 10, but since he hasn't been. (2018 prediction: 220 attempts, 1,025 rush yards, 9 ruTDs; 20 receptions, 150 yards, 1 reTD)
Next up, at 14 is Kenyan Drake, RB for the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have a lot of problem areas. Not only that, but they lost their best offensive and defensive weapons over the past year (RB Jay Ajayi-Eagles, WR Jarvis Landry-Browns, & DT Ndamukong SUh-Rams). The good news is their backup runningback to Jay Ajayi was really freakin' good. So good, that he is now really the only weapon on the offense the team has. The Dolphins are rebuilding, they know the team they have won't win a super bowl. This means give it to the runningback and play conservative. Last season, Drake carried the team when Ajayi was gone and Damien Williams was hurt. With star WR, Jarvis Landry gone Kenyan Drake also has the opportunity to improve his receiving skills and add some more catches to the resume. Even though the Dolphins added the veteran Frank Gore to the squad, Drake should remain the lead back for the team and in my opinion will have a break out season. (2018 Prediction: 180 attempts, 850 rush yards, 6 ruTDs; 50 reception, 500 yards, 5 reTDs)
Devonta Freeman, RB for the Falcons is at number 13 for me. Freeman has shown that he is good enough to be a top 10 running back in the past with two back-to-back 1,000 yard 11 Touch down seasons in 2015 and 2016. However, with his injury history and him splitting carries with Tevin Coleman, I'm going to keep him out of my top 10. Granted, if Tevin Coleman is injured and Freeman is fully healthy, he can certainly be unstoppable for fantasy. For me though, this position is pretty deep this year so it is hard for me to put him below the top 10 mark for the reasons I just listed. (2018 Prediction: 220 attempts, 1,050 rush yards, 11 ruTDs; 55 receptions, 300 yards, 2 reTDs)
My number 12 RB is Panthers RB, Christian McCaffrey. A lot of people have him as a top 10 running back. I do not. Why is this? Well, he did not do what people expected him to do as a RB, a little bit disappointing. I think people still think he is playing in college (which he was great, but this isn't college). Also, the Panthers Offensive line wasn't great and he split carries with Jonathon Stewart. McCaffrey only had 435 yards and 2 Touch downs on 117 attempts. Now, with Stewart on the Giants, McCarffeey should see an increase in carries in his second year, however I get the feeling he will still be splitting carries with CJ Anderson who was recently added this offseason. What McCaffrey has lacked as a runner in the backfield, from a Fantasy perspective he was phenomenal receiver. He had 80 receptions last season for 651 yards and 5 touchdowns! With these numbers he is more receiver than running back! Personally, I truly believe he should just be a slot WR. Anyways, this kid definitely is exciting in the passing game and has the potential to get more attempts. He is not a top 10 runner for me, however for fantasy purposes with his production as a receiver he is good enough to be a really solid, good pick. (2018 Prediction: 175 attempts, 625 yards 4 ruTDs; 85 receptions 720, 6 reTDs)
RB Jordan Howard on the Chicago Bears comes in at number 11. I really do like him as a player. His first two seasons in the NFL were great! He has a combination of 2,435 rushing yards on 528 attempts in his first two seasons which is fantastic! He had less yards this past year than in his rookie season, but that was because of some offensive issues and they added on a solid backup RB Tarik Cohen. Really this dude is a work horse. The Bears are still trying to figure out how everything is going to work for them. What I do know is that he is going to get the ball a lot, he is a 1,000 yard rusher, and his team has really improved this last season which is good for him. (2018 prediction: 230 attempts, 1,150 yards, ruTDs 9; 42 reception, 300 yards, 2 reTDs)