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 NFC South and see who could be that next elite fantasy ballcarrier.
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Running Backs - NFC South
Mark Ingram, NO
Last year, no team had a better rushing attack than the New Orleans Saints. With a one-two punch featuring Mark Ingram as the early-down bruiser and Alvin Kamara as the big-play threat, the Saints led the league in rushing and demonstrated the effectiveness of having two running backs with a do-it-all skill set. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Kamara's breakout season was Ingram, who ended up logging a career-high in rushing and receiving yards. Ingram, who only had one 1,000 yard season coming into 2017, ran the ball 230 times for 1,124 yards and twelve touchdowns. Additionally, the ex-Alabama running back had 416 yards through the air on 58 receptions. It's clear that as quarterback Drew Brees has aged, the Saints have placed a bigger emphasis on the team's ground game and defense, making games easier for Brees to manage.
Entering 2018, Ingram was expected to have a repeat performance of 2017. Obviously, fantasy owners will expect some regression, but Ingram and Kamara proved that they could succeed together last year, demonstrating the viability of both finishing as top-tier running backs when all is said and done. However, now facing a four-game PED suspension, Ingram will have to watch from the sidelines for the first few weeks as Kamara takes on a bigger workload. Nevertheless, Ingram should be fresh when he comes back and resume his workload from last season, making him an excellent bet to repeat his RB1 finish in the weeks that he is active in 2018.
Christian McCaffrey, CAR
Coming out of college, Christian McCaffrey was projected to be one of the top running backs in the country and was selected in the first round by the Carolina Panthers to be a true difference maker on offense. Through his first year, McCaffrey had a lot of difficulty running against NFL defenses, logging 435 yards on 117 carries for a below-average 3.7 yards per carry. However, he more than made up for it with his receiving work, accumulating 80 receptions for 615 yards through the air. With two rushing scores and five receiving touchdowns, McCaffrey demonstrated that he could compete at the next level as a mismatch option.
Despite working behind Jonathan Stewart for much of 2017, 2018 will see McCaffrey take the reigns of the backfield and attempt to become the team's workhorse back. Despite signing C.J. Anderson (who is coming off of a 1,000-yard year), the Panthers have committed to McCaffrey and increasing his workload, making him a much more viable fantasy option this year. If the young playmaker is able to have more success on the ground, we could see a legitimate RB1 finish (especially in PPR formats) from a player who is currently ranked just outside the RB1 range in the late second/early third round of fantasy drafts.
Tevin Coleman, ATL
Two years ago, the Atlanta Falcons had the most impressive rushing attack in the NFL, spearheaded by Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. With Freeman taking the reigns as the lead back, Coleman provided valuable relief and devastating big-play ability when he took the field. In 2016, Coleman finished the season with 520 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns as well as 421 receiving yards and a further three touchdowns. It was clear that the offense was due for some regression in 2017 as a result of the departure of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, but Coleman was largely consistent, logging 628 rushing yards behind Freeman and a further 299 receiving yards. Additionally, with eight total touchdowns, Coleman proved that he could be a playmaker in all levels of the game. With his only notable area of regression being in the touchdown department, it is likely that 2017 was the more realistic version of Coleman. However, if he is able to keep playing the way he has been for the past two seasons and sees a slight uptick in touchdowns, we could see Coleman in for another huge season, making him a great value at the back of the 6th round in PPR drafts.
Ronald Jones II, TB
One of many rookie running backs selected in the first few rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft, Ronald Jones was an early second round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who will look to change the team's offense this season. Jones showed that he could produce at the college level as he was one of the best big-play threats in the NCAA last season. However, the NFL is a completely different game and Jones will have to adapt in order to become a top professional player. Entering his rookie season, the Buccaneers backfield looks to be headed by either Jones or Peyton Barber - based on the draft capital spent on Jones, you have to expect that he will be involved in a major way in 2018. This makes Jones a fantastic value selection on a team that will miss quarterback Jameis Winston for the first few weeks of the season, putting a higher emphasis on the team's ground game. Fantasy owners can currently draft Jones with a 5th round pick, which is an absolute bargain for a player that has a chance to finish as an RB1 and will undoubtedly lead his backfield in touches by a wide margin come the end of the season.
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