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Running backs are one of the most crucial positions in fantasy football that can spell success for fantasy rosters. However, some ball-carriers turn out to be busts and have awful seasons altogether. It may be due to getting lost on a stacked position group, being haunted by lingering injuries, or merely getting caught in a long slump. It is key to take note who are the players that are most likely to not live up to the bill and fail to exceed their performances last season.
Here are the top 5 fantasy football running back busts in 2020:
5. Sony Michel
Sony Michel had a superb rookie campaign in the 2018 season followed by a good showing in that year's postseason when the New England Patriots bagged the Super Bowl LIII title. However, his numbers still regressed even though he had a bigger role in the 2019 season. The former Georgia Bulldog finished with 912 rushing yards and seven touchdowns along with 12 receptions through 16 games played last season.
Health remains to be a major concern for Michel heading into the upcoming season. In fact, he had three separate knee injuries in the last three years dating back to his collegiate days. He recently had surgery in May and just returned to the training camp three weeks before their Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Sophomore Damien Williams has recently been impressive in training camp and is making a strong case to start at the running back position. Three-time Super Bowl champion James White, eight-year veteran Rex Burkhead, and undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor are also gunning for a bigger role.
Given the tighter competition, it seems unlikely that he can exceed his numbers last season and may well be on his way to be a fantasy bust. His injury history and the uncertain quarterback situation in New England are not good indicators for Michel as well.
4. Leonard Fournette
Leonard Fournette has already stained his relationship with the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise that drafted him in 2017. A stellar rookie campaign by the former LSU Tiger immediately went downhill in the next season. He was bothered by a hamstring injury that caused him to miss significant time during the 2018 season. He was able to bounce back strongly and exceeded 1,000 receiving yards last season.
Despite his recent performance, the Jaguars' front office refused to sign Fournette to a contract extension. They even tried to trade him but no suitors were truly interested in acquiring the four-year veteran.
On the field, things aren't going well for Fournette too. The Jaguars tend to shy away from utilizing the ground attacks when closing out a tight game in crunch time which limits their backfield's overall touches. Fournette had a busy season in 2019 where he had 76 receptions. However, it will is unlikely that he will repeat the feat next season.
Newly-acquired offensive coordinator Jay Gruden also brought along with him his running back from Washington in Chris Thompson. The former Washington head coach may favor utilizing Thompson more than Fournette. 2020 won't be a productive season for Fournette added with the uncertainty of his contract talks with the Jags' front office. His high chances of becoming a fantasy football bust may encourage his drafters to stay away from him unless if he falls in the tail-end of the draft boards.
3. Le'Veon Bell
Once upon a time, Le'Veon Bell starred for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was one of the best running backs in the game. His solid play made him a household name in the NFL until the 2017 season. However, he has fairly become non-existent and unproductive ever since he relocated to the New York Jets. He was eventually left behind by his peers who have drastically improved in recent years.
Bell and the Jets were not a good fit right from the get-go. Head coach Adam Gase still hasn't figured out the right way to ease in Bell's skill set and athleticism into their offense. To make things worse, both Bell and Gase are currently at odds over his usage at the position especially with the arrival of 16-year veteran Frank Gore.
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The downtrend likely won't change as long as he will remain with the soured franchise. Given the current situation in the Jets' camp, it is a safe choice to not draft Bell and use the pick for a more productive player instead.
2. Derrick Henry
Make no mistake about it, Derrick Henry had put up one of the most spectacular campaigns of a running back last season. He will still remain as the focal point of the Tennesee Titans' offense in the coming seasons. However, there seem to be loopholes in his breakout year.
He led the league with 1,540 receiving yards on 303 attempts and 16 scored touchdowns through 15 games played for the Titans. It doesn't get better than that. The pace that he is going on is not sustainable and it is doubtful that he can exceed his high tally even more next season.
The former Crimson Tide found himself listed outside of the top 5 running backs in point per reception (PPR) leagues. Henry rarely gets involved in the passing game and will most likely see a regression in both his rushing yards and touchdowns total in the upcoming season. His drafters may want to prioritize other top-tier running backs because drafting him too early can be a costly price to pay.
1. Todd Gurley
The top award in this unfortunate list went to Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley. Chronic knee problems have been the main antagonists to his playing career ever since. It will also be the main factor that will keep him from reaching his ceiling moving forward.
His career initially turned out well to which the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, three-Pro Bowl appearances, and three All-Pro selections can attest to. However, his career numbers looked to regress in the last three seasons. He had the lowest tallies of his career last season with 857 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 31 receptions.
There is certainly a reason why he was released from the Los Angeles Rams and went from being a $60 million player to a mere $5 million asset. Encountering a new offensive scheme with the Atlanta Falcons won't help Gurley's productivity in fantasy football next season. It will take more time for the 26-year old player to settle and find his place on the rotation of his new team.
Despite being a household name among football fans, it would be a wise decision for them to leave him out of their fantasy football rosters. They can also let him fall in the later rounds to get the most out of his value or set their sights on other rushers instead.
