Fantasy Football season is one of the most exciting times of the year. We are well into drafts and leagues are starting to take shape with the season less than two weeks away. Overvalued fantasy football running backs need to be known, as do overrated fantasy football running backs and overvalued ADP fantasy football players.
Over the years, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, and LeSean McCoy have dominated the top five of fantasy drafts. They were not overrated fantasy football running backs or overvalued ADP fantasy football selections. In 2020, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley have taken over. One thing that has not changed is the position and the priority of owners on draft day.
While running backs are the premiere position, this could lead some owners in the wrong direction. There are many players that are drafted before they should be. ADP stands for average draft position and it is exactly what it sounds like. Sometimes a player’s ADP does not match with the kind of player they are.
When drafting, it is important to get value in all picks. With these running backs, they have been drafted high and the production will not match the selection. Here are the top five overvalued running backs based on ADP in 2020.
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor enjoyed one of the best collegiate careers of all time. In three years at Wisconsin, Taylor rushed for 2,000 yards twice. He was a second round pick of the Indianapolis Colts and will be a factor in their offense.
The only problem is that Taylor is a rookie. There is no telling how his game will transfer into the NFL. More importantly, he will not be the only back. Marlon Mack rushed for 1,000 yards in 2019. He will be No. 1 on the depth chart heading into the season. It is unknown how Taylor will be used in the offense because we have not seen it yet. He fits the profiles of overvalued fantasy football running backs.
Taylor is being drafted in the third round of many drafts. This is based off his incredible collegiate career and belief that he will transfer well into the professional game. That maybe true, but he will be splitting time with Mack and that makes it hard to rely on him as an RB1. Taylor is worth a draft pick, but reaching on him might be a mistake.
4. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
Many will disagree with this selection on a list of overvalued fantasy football running backs, but a case can be made that 2019 was an aberration.
Jones has been a hot commodity in drafts after a productive 2019 campaign. He led the league with 16 rushing touchdowns last season while adding three on the receiving end. He thrived in his first year under head coach Matt LaFleur but entering the final season of his contract, the Packers added another running back.
Jamaal Williams is still on the depth chart and could take some carries from Jones but he is not the player to worry about. The Packers used their second round pick on Boston College running back A.J. Dillon. He is a big back that is strong with the football. He is not much of a receiver out of the backfield but he could definitely steal some carries from Jones, especially around the goal line.
Jones is being taken early in the second round, if not in the first round. This is high for a running back that will lose carries. Despite his ADP, Jones is not a RB1 this season. He is a high-end RB2.
3. Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons
When considering overvalued fantasy football running backs, this is one of the notable names which might elicit some pushback. However, Gurley has fallen from grace in fantasy football. Just a few years ago, Gurley was the undisputed top player on the board. In 20020, he is being drafted in the third round on average.
This is even high for Gurley in 2020 and it seems like people are hearing his name and thinking of the elite back of yesteryears. Gurley was not used how he should have been last year in Los Angeles. This led to a breakup between him and the Rams. The Falcons saw an opportunity to sign Gurley after they released Devonta Freeman.
This is not a situation where Gurley will be fighting for touches. The Falcons are a pass happy offense and will continue that trend with Matt Ryan under center. Gurley is a capable receiver out of the backfield but he will not be as productive on the ground.
2. Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals
Drake will be the feature back in Arizona this season. He is being overdrafted in leagues early in the second round. He is one of the overvalued fantasy football running backs because the Cardinals are a big question mark heading into the season.
David Johnson is gone. He was dealt to Houston in a deal that brought DeAndre Hopkins to town. This will be the second season of Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury attempting to bring the air raid offense to Arizona. Drake has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield but he is not the threat that Johnson used to be for the Cardinals.
Drake is anther unknown player within his team’s offense. He should not be viewed as a top running back until it is proven.
1. Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jones’ current ADP in fantasy is about 60th overall. This would land him in the sixth round on average. This is not as high as other members of this list but he lands at No. 1 because of his limited production throughout his career. He has to be front and center on the topic of overvalued fantasy football running backs.
During his rookie season, Jones played in nine games and carried the ball just 23 times. In 2019, he was supposed to step up as the guy in Tampa Bay. He finished with 724 yards and six touchdowns. Jones averaged 45.3 yards per game. It seems as though since he entered the league, Jones has been seen as the No. 1 back in preseason. That has just not been the case for one of the primary overvalued fantasy football running backs.
The Bucs made some big moves this offseason when they brought in Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. They also signed LeSean McCoy, who spent 2019 with the Kansas City Chiefs. McCoy is not the ball carrier that he used to be but he still has some speed and explosiveness left in his game.
Jones is not a reliable fantasy back. He is the most overvalued player based on expectations and ADP. Do not draft Jones to be a starter. Keep him and other overvalued fantasy football running backs on the bench or try and pawn him off to someone in a trade.
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