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Putting together a solid draft in your fantasy football leagues is the key to a successful season. Drafting solid running backs early on is crucial, as you need two of them in most leagues. But it's going to be important to avoid some of the overvalued fantasy football running backs when it comes to your work in the draft.
Finding good value in your draft is crucial. Taking a player a pick of two too early could end up being a huge loss in value for your draft and your team as a whole, and in most cases, the running backs on this list are being taken too early.
Using average draft position (ADP) we will take a look at five running backs who are overvalued on many folks' draft boards heading into the 2022 season. You don't necessarily need to avoid these players, but you should be wary of taking them too early like many folks have done in drafts so far. With that being said, let's jump into the list.
Overvalued fantasy football running backs in 2022
5. James Conner (ADP: RB16)
James Conner is riding high on the back of a 2021 campaign where he finished with 18 total touchdowns. Conner effectively took over the Arizona Cardinals starting running back job from Chase Edmonds midway through the season, and was an absolute beast throughout the rest of the season.
The problem is that Conner's 2021 season probably isn't repeatable, and fantasy owners aren't picking up on that. Conner is being treated as an RB2 option, despite the fact he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry last season. Conner will get the majority of Arizona's carries this season, but if he isn't finding his way into the end zone, it's hard to see him producing enough to be an RB2.
4. D'Andre Swift (ADP: RB8)
D'Andre Swift has quickly emerged as a very solid fantasy option at running back through the first two seasons of his career. He's very dangerous both as a runner and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, and it's easy to see why he's being treated as an RB1 in many drafts this season.
The problem is that Swift hasn't been nearly reliable enough to be a shoe-in RB1. He missed four games last season, and will see Jamaal Williams take carries away from him as a secondary running back option. Swift will get the majority of the carries out of the Detroit Lions backfield, but there's a lot of risk that will be associated with treating him as an RB1 this season.
3. Javonte Williams (ADP: RB9)
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Javonte Williams may be one of the most polarizing players in all of fantasy football heading into the 2022 season. Some folks think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and are expecting him to be one of the top breakout candidates in the NFL. Others are more skeptical, believing the fact that he will be sharing carries with Melvin Gordon could limit his fantasy value.
The hype surrounding Williams has allowed him to become a solid RB1 option, when he's really safest as an RB2. Williams' ceiling is extremely high considering he will be the Broncos lead running back, but labeling him as an RB1, considering some of the players he comes in ahead of in ADP, feels a bit risky. If Williams falls, he's a solid option, but there's no sense pulling the trigger early on him.
2. Damien Harris (ADP: RB28)
Damien Harris is being treated as a backend FLEX option heading into the season, and even that is probably too high for the New England Patriots lead running back. Similar to Conner, Harris relied heavily on his 15 touchdowns last season to keep him relevant in the fantasy sphere. Chances are he won't reach that total again.
Even then, Harris may be in a timeshare role with Rhamondre Stevenson, who impressed during his rookie season. Stevenson could end up becoming an even more valuable running back than Harris this season, which makes relying on Harris for any contributions an inherent risk. Harris could be a solid bench option, but counting on him to be a weekly starter is wishful thinking.
1. Antonio Gibson (ADP: RB32)
Antonio Gibson has seen his draft stock tumble after reports of Brian Robinson taking over as the Washington Commanders lead running back this season. Robinson's recent injuries he sustained from an armed robbery may result in Gibson being forced to take on a larger role, but even then, head coach Ron Rivera's murky comments on Gibson's status make him an extremely risky pick.
Gibson is basically a bench option at this point, but even that makes Gibson look like one of the most overrated fantasy football running backs in the league. Relying on him for any sort of fantasy production this season seems foolish given the events that have taken place this offseason, and there's no reason to burn a draft pick on him. If you want to pick up Gibson as a free agent option, that's fine, but when it comes to drafting, there are many better options available.
