X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Why Bengals Running Back Jeremy Hill is Undervalued in 2015

What Appears In This Article? hide

Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill had a fantastic rookie season. As a result, he is being drafted in the mid-2nd to early-3rd range in early mock drafts. That seems like a pretty fair ADP for a guy with just 16 games of experience and even fewer as a starter. He’s already being drafted ahead of some really good players with long track records of success. Could he be a bargain even if his ADP continues to rise? I think so.

Editor’s Note
: If you’re looking for a new, awesome, highly customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, something more capable than Yahoo, better looking than CBS, and built from the ground up with fantasy football in mind, play free fantasy football with our friends at Fleaflicker.

The main concern with Jeremy Hill is probably Giovani Bernard. There are a couple of factors for why Bernard concerns people when drafting Hill. For starters, didn’t we see Gio hyped up as a 2nd year RB only to be a let down in a big way? Who’s to say Jeremy Hill won’t experience a similar disappointing sophomore season? Secondly, just how many touches can Jeremy Hill get with Giovani Bernard around? Doesn't that limit his ceiling?

Let’s start with why Jeremy Hill is a much better running back than Giovani Bernard. Hill had a way better rookie season than Bernard did and his competition (Bernard himself) was much stronger than Bernard had (BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who wasn’t even in the league the following year). Bernard showed clear signs that he wasn’t capable of being an every down back when he failed to exceed 45 rush yards or a 3.75 YPC over the final four games of 2013, including the playoff loss. Jeremy Hill on the other hand was at his best at the end of his rookie season with 20+ carries and over 100 yards in each of his final three regular season games. Admittedly, he wasn’t great in the playoff loss against the Colts but he did score a touchdown and exceed that 45 yard mark that Bernard could not. Bernard never went over 15 carries in his rookie season. Hill did so six times, a reassuring sign that he can handle the workload of a premier running back.

Can Hill have enough of a workload to be a top fantasy RB in 2015? Giovani Bernard missed three games in 2014. When he came back, Hill had grabbed the #1 role and his workload from that point on is a reasonable expectation for what we will see this year. In the final seven games, (including the playoff loss) Hill totaled 122 carries and 11 receptions. That’s 19 touches per game which equates to 304 touches in a season, well ahead of the 249 touches in his rookie year. Even better, he had over 20 carries in each of the final three regular season games. That may be a sign that his touch total will be even higher.

Only five running backs exceeded 300 touches last season. Notably absent from that list? Eddie Lacy and Jamaal Charles, two of the top picks so far in mock drafts. I think the only question that remains is can Jeremy Hill be productive enough to merit a first round ADP? Based on his stats once he became the clear number one option in Cincy, it’s an overwhelming YES! In the final nine games, Jeremy Hill had 929 rush yards at a 5.4 YPC and six touchdowns. That is phenomenal. In fact, it’s so good that only DeMarco Murray had more rush yards during that span, by three yards!

It’s true a couple other RBs had more total yards during that span. That list is made up of Marshawn Lynch, Le’Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy and C.J. Anderson. Those first three all have an ADP in the first five picks! C.J. Anderson doesn’t but I also have significant concerns with Denver’s offensive line following the losses of Orlando Franklin and Ryan Clady. The Bengals have no such concerns as they return all five starters of a very good line and even spent their first two picks on offensive tackles! I can’t say this enough: Jeremy Hill is an absolute steal at his current ADP. I would be surprised if it doesn’t rise by the time you are having your real draft in August, but you know what? I will gladly take Jeremy Hill even in the late first. He looks like an exceptional talent with a very good offensive line and based on what we’ve seen, Giovani Bernard poses no real threat to his touches.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Al Horford10 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White10 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl11 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon11 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter11 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic11 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio11 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday11 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton12 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid12 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert13 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
LeBron James13 hours ago

Officially Active Against Memphis
Eduardo Rodriguez13 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Won't Play Against Grizzlies
Victor Wembanyama13 hours ago

Playing On Wednesday
Anthony Edwards13 hours ago

Will Play Against Detroit
Garrett Mitchell13 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Aaron Nesmith13 hours ago

Back For Pacers Wednesday
Alec Burks13 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Chad Green13 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Mitchell Robinson13 hours ago

Returns For Knicks Wednesday
Erik Swanson13 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman13 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Dejounte Murray14 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
John Konchar14 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Vince Williams14 hours ago

Jr. Misses Another Game On Wednesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo14 hours ago

Expected To Face The Pelicans
Gleyber Torres15 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard15 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson15 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer15 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia15 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen15 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers15 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers16 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers16 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar17 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark17 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers18 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB18 hours ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels18 hours ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB18 hours ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby18 hours ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith18 hours ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds18 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti19 hours ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga20 hours ago

Throws Wednesday
Matt McLain20 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Doug Ghim20 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA20 hours ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry20 hours ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox20 hours ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak20 hours ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan22 hours ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg22 hours ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn22 hours ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby22 hours ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin22 hours ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord22 hours ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala23 hours ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark23 hours ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler23 hours ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Colton Cowser24 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Sam Ryder24 hours ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen24 hours ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama24 hours ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Yariel Rodriguez1 day ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Taylor Moore1 day ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson1 day ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Jordan Montgomery1 day ago

Diamondbacks Agree On One-Year Deal
Amon-Ra St. Brown1 day ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff1 day ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins1 day ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
Jon Gray2 days ago

Dealing With Stiff Neck
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
Justin Verlander2 days ago

Throws Successful Live BP Session
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Shea Theodore2 days ago

Maintains Good Scoring Form With An Assist
Brock Boeser2 days ago

Hits Goal No. 37
Cam Talbot2 days ago

Collects Fourth Consecutive Win
Anze Kopitar2 days ago

Records Fourth Straight Multi-Point Game
Oskar Sundqvist2 days ago

Suffers Knee Injury
Elias Lindholm2 days ago

Sits Out Monday
Jonathan Marchessault2 days ago

Bags Overtime Winner Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers2 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Jarrett Stidham2 days ago

To Compete For Starting Job
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR3 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
Rose Namajunas6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Amanda Ribas6 days ago

Set For Main-Event Matchup
Edmen Shahbazyan6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Dobson6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla6 days ago

Seeking Victory In Third UFC Appearance
Luis Pajuelo6 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF