RADIO
Each year, elite running backs are a necessity for fantasy football rosters. With guaranteed touches each game, these consensus top-tier running backs are some of the first names off of draft boards and consistently perform well throughout the season.
However, there is also a good amount of unpredictability at the position, with breakout players appearing from out of nowhere year-in and year-out. Whether they dominate for stretches over the year or end up as top-level talents themselves, unproven or underrated running backs represent a very good opportunity for fantasy owners entering drafts due to their lower draft capital and high production premiums.
In this series, we will go through each NFL division and point out one running back on each team in that division that is currently ranked outside of the top-12 at the position who could finish among the league's best when all is said and done. Today, let's look at the AFC East and see who could be that next elite fantasy ballcarrier.
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Running Backs - AFC East
Sony Michel, NE
With the New England Patriots, you can never tell who will star at the running back position. One of the quagmires of fantasy football for the last decade or so, it has been increasingly difficult to predict the depth chart of New England's running backs each week. However, the last few years has seen a trend towards more of a workhorse role with some scatbacks in the mix as well. In 2016, we saw LeGarrette Blount rush for 1,000 yards as well as 18 touchdowns. In 2017, Dion Lewis started the season at the bottom of the mix and was able to rush for almost 900 yards and six touchdowns as well as snag three receiving scores despite not getting more than seven carries in the first six weeks of the season. Although running backs like Rex Burkhead or James White have stolen the spotlight from time to time, New England still seems to feature a lead runner more often than not if they have the ability to produce.
This brings us to the curious case of Sony Michel, the Georgia running back with minimal tread on his tires who was selected in the first round by the Patriots. That's right, Bill Belichick believed in Michel so much that he spent a coveted first-round pick on him. Clearly, this is a sign that Michel may not just be another rotational back for the Patriots, but could end up taking the lion's share of the carries on an elite offense that may run the ball more as quarterback Tom Brady ages. Even if Michel doesn't become the workhorse, he has shown how successful he can be in a committee backfield, having shared Georgia's carries with Nick Chubb. That being said, if Michel can attain at least 200 carries on the year, we may see the next great NFL running back come in the shape of the man from Georgia, making him a pretty good bet to achieve RB1 numbers. Michel is currently going at the back of the 4th round, which is a fair price point for the running back despite the fact that there is an inherent risk in selecting a Patriots RB that high.
Chris Ivory, BUF
After an interesting two-year stint for the Jaguars that saw him rotate touches with T.J. Yeldon in 2016 and be the backup for Leonard Fournette in 2017, Chris Ivory was signed to be LeSean McCoy's backup for the Bills in 2018. Although there is not too much upside in being the backup running back in an offense that will have to run through McCoy, Ivory has some upside in the event that recent allegations against McCoy are true. Because Buffalo is a team that runs the ball more than almost anyone else in the league, if McCoy can't play, Ivory would instantly become a workhorse back for a team that will likely struggle at the quarterback position and be forced to run the ball for the majority of the game. Therefore, Ivory could approach McCoy's totals if he is the eventual starter, making him an interesting RB1 candidate. However, you should not be looking to draft Ivory in any format unless further news is provided about McCoy's status for 2018.
Kenyan Drake, MIA
After being the backup running back to Jay Ajayi in 2016 and for the first half of 2017, Kenyan Drake was finally thrust into a workhorse role after Ajayi was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the middle of the 2017 season. After spending a few weeks rotating touches with Damien Williams, Drake was given the keys to the running back room for the last five weeks of the season and impressed massively, with over 100 combined rushing and receiving yards in three of those five games. Drake finished the year with almost 900 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns and has been touted as Miami's next workhorse back. Although he will still face competition from aging veteran Frank Gore, Drake should become one of the focal points on the Dolphins offense in 2018, justifying his current 4th round ADP and making him an excellent RB2 target with legitimate RB1 upside.
Isaiah Crowell, NYJ
Isaiah Crowell has been quite the consistent rusher in his four year NFL career. Since signing as an undrafted free agent for the Cleveland Browns in 2014, Crowell has had 148, 185, 198, and 206 rushing attempts in each season. Additionally, he was featured in the passing game with 40 and 28 receptions in his last two seasons with the Browns (despite the presence of elite passing back Duke Johnson). Now, Crowell has signed with the New York Jets and will look to reignite his career and his team's rushing game with an improved season in 2018. Crowell has demonstrated that he has the ability, and with the Jets on the rise, he could reach the echelon of top-tier running backs if he becomes the team's workhorse and is given the lion's share of the carries. With his upside, he is well worth the 8th round draft pick fantasy owners are currently spending to acquire him for their teams this season.
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