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
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

Three Undervalued Running Backs Based on ADP Data

The days of building your fantasy football team around two stud running backs drafted in the first two rounds are over. Most NFL teams rely on a committee of running backs, as opposed to the workhorse strategy of old, and there are only a handful of true bell cow backs left in the league. If you don't end up with a Top 6 pick this season, the chances of you getting reliable studs like Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles or Eddie Lacy are basically non-existent.

This new pass-happy NFL has made quality RB1s a rare commodity and has forced fantasy owners to dig deeper to find undervalued players. Add in the fact that running backs selected in the first round have a higher bust rate than any other position, and it becomes even more crucial that fantasy owners find productive backs in the mid to late rounds to fill out their rosters. Players like Justin Forsett and Mark Ingram were afterthoughts during the draft, but ended up changing fantasy fates in 2014.

Here is a list of three underrated running backs, currently ranked outside of the Top 20 at the position, who will help solidify the position for owners without the high draft or auction cost. To read about more 2015 fantasy football draft sleepers, be sure to check out our running list of ADP values that can return draft day profits and help you dominate your leagues.

 

2015 Running Back Draft Values & Potential Sleepers

1. NYJ RB Chris Ivory - ADP: 79, RB 29

Over the last two seasons, it could be argued that Chris Ivory was the most reliable offensive weapon for the New York Jets. Ivory averaged a very respectable 4.35 YPC over the last two years and topped 800 yards in both seasons.

Heading into 2015, the Jets have upgraded their receiving corps with the addition of Brandon Marshall, and Ivory appears to be leading a backfield that also features an injured Stevan Ridley, an underachieving Bilal Powell and an unclear role for Zac Stacy.

Ivory has proven to be a durable pass-catching threat out of the backfield and figures to get at least 200 carries this season. As the 29th running back coming off of the board in the seventh round or later, you could do a lot worse than Ivory. I expect him to finish as a Top 20 rusher this season.

 

2. NYG RB Rashad Jennings - ADP: 84, RB 31

On the surface, it might appear that Jennings is too old, too brittle and in a backfield that's too crowded to trust him. Jennings is 30, a supposed age of decline for running backs, has never played 16 games in a season and will have to compete with second year back Andre Williams and newly signed free agent Shane Vereen.

However, Williams was a disappointment during his rookie season, averaging 3.3 yards per carry and showing off his hands of stone with just 18 receptions on 37 targets. Vereen has never been more than a receiving back, with the 96 carries he got a year ago in New England being a career high. While Jennings certainly did not set the fantasy football world on fire last year, he averaged more yards per carry and was a bigger factor in the passing game than Williams. He is also a much more reliable down-to-down ball carrier than Vereen has proven to be.

In 2015, Vereen will likely be the lead receiving back in New York, but there's no reason to believe that Jennings won't get the bulk of the carries and flirt with 200 totes. Additionally, he proved to be a very capable receiver last year, actually gaining more yards per catch than Vereen. The big question with Jennings, as it is with all running backs, is health. If Jennings can stay healthy, there's no reason that he can't be a Top 25 back with Top 10 flashes from time to time. You can't ask for more than that from an eighth round selection.

 

TB RB Doug Martin - ADP: 88, RB 34

When the Muscle Hamster burst onto the scene during his rookie campaign with 1,926 total yards and 12 TDs, it seemed that he was on his way to being one of the best backs in the game. But the last two seasons have been unkind to Doug Martin and his fantasy owners, with him missing 16 games and averaging 3.6 yards per carry during that span. As a result, his fantasy stock has plummeted.

Entering the 2015 season, Martin is finally healthy and has been named the starting running back for the Buccaneers. All reports indicate that the fourth year runner looks fantastic as well. The presence of second-year back Charles Sims shouldn't scare anyone off either, after he averaged an underwhelming 2.8 yards per carry in 2014. Bobby Rainey has been decent in flashes, but has been mostly mediocre throughout his time in Tampa.

Martin is the only running back on the team who has proven he can be a Top 5 type producer. He is going late in the eighth round and presents almost no risk. Go for the homerun by drafting Martin. At worst, you drop him for a replacement - at best, you get a near return to rookie form and get a steal near the end of the draft.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Corey Heim23 mins ago

Qualifies 32nd For Cup Series Debut At Dover
Troy Franklin31 mins ago

Broncos Trade Up To Select Oregon Receiver Troy Franklin
Zac Gallen48 mins ago

Diamondbacks Optimistic About Zac Gallen's Injury
Rafael Devers52 mins ago

Back At Third Base, Masataka Yoshida Starting
George Springer58 mins ago

Resting Against Dodgers
Max Muncy1 hour ago

Gavin Lux Sitting Saturday
Bradley Beal4 hours ago

Leads Suns With 28 Points In Game 3
Anthony Edwards4 hours ago

Ties Franchise Mark With Another 30-Point Effort
Tyrese Haliburton4 hours ago

Completes Big Effort With Overtime Game-Winner
Khris Middleton4 hours ago

Goes Off For 42 Points Friday
Anthony Davis4 hours ago

Questionable With Wrist Injury
Reggie Jackson4 hours ago

Questionable For Game 4
Damian Lillard4 hours ago

Aggravates Achilles Injury In Game 3
Yandy Díaz12 hours ago

X-Rays Negative On Yandy Diaz's Hand
Jhoan Duran12 hours ago

Making Another Rehab Appearance Saturday
John Means12 hours ago

Needs One More Rehab Start
Jake Burger13 hours ago

Completes Full Workout Friday
Zac Gallen13 hours ago

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness
Paul Sewald13 hours ago

Likely Needs Another Rehab Game
Blake Snell13 hours ago

Resumes Playing Catch Friday
Deebo Samuel13 hours ago

49ers Set To Keep Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk?
J.P. Crawford14 hours ago

Not Expected To Return When Eligible
Luke McCaffrey14 hours ago

Selected By Commanders 100th Overall
Kawhi Leonard14 hours ago

Struggles In Game 3
Jalen McMillan14 hours ago

Heads To Tampa Bay
Tip Reiman14 hours ago

Cardinals Take Tip Reiman At No. 82
Roman Wilson14 hours ago

Selected 84th Overall By Steelers
Blake Corum15 hours ago

Rams Select Blake Corum With 83rd Pick
Jermaine Burton15 hours ago

Taken At No. 80 By Cincinnati
Yandy Díaz15 hours ago

Yandy Diaz Hit By Pitch, Leaves Game Early
Jasson Domínguez15 hours ago

Jasson Dominguez A Few Weeks Away From Rehab Games
Alex Cobb15 hours ago

Still Feeling Soreness In Shoulder, Will See Doctor
Trey Benson15 hours ago

Cardinals Select Trey Benson With The 66th Pick
Malachi Corley15 hours ago

Jets Trade Up To Select Malachi Corley
Bobby Witt Jr.16 hours ago

Hits Triple, Has Three-RBI Day
Ben Sinnott16 hours ago

Taken At No. 53 On Friday Night
Adonai Mitchell16 hours ago

Colts Snag Adonai Mitchell At No. 52
Jonathon Brooks17 hours ago

Panthers Trade Up To Select Jonathon Brooks
New Orleans Saints17 hours ago

Saints Take Kool-Aid McKinstry At No. 41
Delon Wright17 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
Daniel Gafford18 hours ago

Will Play In Game 3
Keon Coleman18 hours ago

Bills Select Keon Coleman At Pick 33
Vaughn Grissom18 hours ago

Could Be Activated On Tuesday
Kawhi Leonard18 hours ago

Available On Friday Evening
Anthony Rendon18 hours ago

Dealing With Partial Hamstring Tear
Terry Rozier18 hours ago

Out Again For Game 3
Giancarlo Stanton18 hours ago

Absent On Friday
Jackson Merrill18 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Manny Machado18 hours ago

Returning On Friday
Deebo Samuel19 hours ago

Bills, Patriots Unlikely To Trade For Deebo Samuel
Nicolas Hague19 hours ago

Not Ready To Return On Saturday
Justus Annunen19 hours ago

Available On Friday
Rasmus Sandin19 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Nick Jensen20 hours ago

Could Be Back In Action Friday
Ivan Miroshnichenko20 hours ago

Makes Stanley Cup Playoffs Debut
Sonny Milano20 hours ago

Ready For Action
Khris Middleton20 hours ago

Upgraded To Active For Game 3
NYR20 hours ago

Alex Wennberg Good To Go Friday
Grayson Allen20 hours ago

Remains Questionable For Game 3
Kyle Anderson20 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Game 3
Tennessee Titans20 hours ago

JC Latham To Play Left Tackle For Tennessee
Giannis Antetokounmpo20 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Matthew Stafford21 hours ago

Seeking Reworked Contract
Deebo Samuel23 hours ago

Bills Have Interest In Trading For Deebo Samuel
Jacoby Brissett23 hours ago

Drake Maye To Compete With Jacoby Brissett
Jonathon Brooks23 hours ago

Cowboys High On Jonathon Brooks
Alex Perez24 hours ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Matheus Nicolau1 day ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 91
Ariane da Silva1 day ago

Ariane Lipski Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Karine Silva1 day ago

Looks For Ninth Victory In A Row
David Onama1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Jonathan Pearce1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Donovan Mitchell1 day ago

Struggles In Game 3
Paolo Banchero1 day ago

Dominates In Game 3
Anthony Davis1 day ago

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Loss
Nikola Jokic1 day ago

Just One Assist Shy Of Triple-Double In Game 3
Aaron Gordon1 day ago

Posts Big Double-Double
Tyler Myers1 day ago

On Track To Return Friday
Jesper Fast1 day ago

Unlikely To Feature In The Playoffs
Matthew Tkachuk1 day ago

Bags Two Goals In Game 3 Victory
Steven Stamkos1 day ago

Scores Third Postseason Goal
Ilya Sorokin1 day ago

Lasts 27 Minutes In Game 3
Frederik Andersen1 day ago

Stops 29 Pucks In Another Win
Sonny Milano2 days ago

Misses Practice On Thursday
Filip Chytil2 days ago

Joins Rangers For Trip To Washington
Jesper Fast2 days ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Matt Martin2 days ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Anton Lundell2 days ago

Takes Over As Second-Line Center Thursday
Ryan Lomberg2 days ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Alex Vlasic2 days ago

Inks Six-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Kyle Okposo2 days ago

To Suit Up In Game 3
Uros Medic2 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane2 days ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Jhonata Diniz2 days ago

Making UFC Debut
Bogdan Guskov2 days ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 91
Ryan Spann2 days ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC Vegas 91
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski5 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo5 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson5 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell6 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman6 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric6 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton6 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF