Should I Draft Deuce Vaughn? Fantasy Football Outlook

August 10, 2023

Should Deuce Vaughn be on your fantasy football radar this season? Read the 2023 fantasy football outlook for the former Kansas State star in his first NFL season with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted running back Deuce Vaughn in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With no clear backup behind starter Tony Pollard, can Vaughn carve out an important role in the Dallas offense?

Vaughn was an electric college football player at Kansas State, posting over 1,800 yards in each of the past two seasons.

The Cowboys running back depth chart is wide open behind Tony Pollard as well. Can Deuce Vaughn make a name for himself and prove he's worthy of consistent NFL touches? Let's dig in.

Dallas Cowboys Backfield Opportunity

Starting running back Tony Pollard, in his first season without Ezekiel Elliott, is set up for a monster year and the lion's share of backfield touches. Second-year running back Malik Davis and fourth-year RB Rico Dowdle have been getting training camp hype behind Pollard also.

With the recent suspension of Ronald Jones, rumors have been circulating that the Cowboys will look to pursue a veteran free agent, such as Ezekiel Elliott or Leonard Fournette. Any veteran signing would be detrimental to Deuce Vaughn's potential touches and ability to even make the roster.

Deuce Vaughn's Athletic Profile

Despite Vaughn's prolific college performance, his athletic profile and underlying metrics leave a lot to be desired. Standing at 5'5" and 179 pounds, he lacks explosion and quickness. Athleticism matters.

Regardless of consistent training camp hype from beat writers, Vaughn's rushing efficiency metrics were poor in college. He primarily succeeded with volume and a favorable offensive scheme.

Should You Draft Deuce Vaughn?

Having a bottom 50th percentile Relative Athletic Score (RAS) and an extremely undersized frame, it's unlikely Vaughn will ever be able to support an NFL-caliber workload. If Tony Pollard were to sustain an injury, it would be easier to see a path for Dowdle, Davis, or one of the unsigned veterans before Vaughn.

He is more than one injury away from seeing the field on Sundays for the Dallas Cowboys. He needs to worry about making the team first, given his sixth-round draft pedigree.

His current Average Draft Position (ADP) is below 230, around the same range as Joshua Kelley and Michael Carter, several running backs with better paths to playing opportunities. Deuce Vaughn should only be drafted in best-ball for roster differentiation and should not be touched in your redraft drafts this season.

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