X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Backfield Committees to Avoid in 2020?

Antonio Losada looks at NFL backfields expected to use an RBBC, making those running backs bad fantasy football draft assets for the 2020 season.

In fantasy football, volume is the key to rostering and fielding a winning team. While everything boils down to that concept, seeking volume calls for looking deeper than just the name and reputation of players. Put a great running back in an RBBC backfield and his volume--and thus his fantasy outcome--will drop without question. The touches and opportunities will go down and with them the chances at scoring fantasy points.

With that in mind, it makes sense to pursue backfields with clear and very well-defined roles. Even if the players in those backfields are not top-tier options they will get all of the opportunities they can handle, which will ultimately benefit them. Those players might not be that good, but they will compensate for it just on pure volume. And the exact opposite is also true: great ballcarriers can rack up points even on low volume, separating themselves from the pack.

Today, I will explore some backfields that enter the 2020 season with doubts at the position and are expected to run an RBBC, making their players bad draft picks for the upcoming year. Let's get to it!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Ronald Jones II

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If only were tailbacks the ones bringing me a headache from Tampa Bay... Not only do the Bucs feature two virtually equal running backs, but they also are bringing to the team QB Tom Brady and best-friend TE Rob Gronkowski to the team to bulk an already-in-place receiver corps that consists of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. This offense, simply put, can't be more stacked.

Focusing on the backfield of Jones and Vaughn, though, it's just too risky to go with either of them for the 2020 season. Ronald Jones is projected by PFF to reach the highest rushing attempt share among RB2 league-wide with a staggering 41.5% of them. The problem is he will also be losing 43.5% to rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn. On the receiving side of things, neither Jones (1.1% target share with 6) nor Vaughn (5.9% with 32) projects to be relevant.

Tampa doesn't need its tailbacks to produce through the air with such talented players as Evans, Gronkowski, and Godwin (and even O.J. Howard) as their primary receiving weapons. That makes both Vaughn's and Jones' projected total opportunity shares of 21.1% and 17.4% pale when compared to those of the average no. 1 (29.4%) RB of the rest of the NFL teams.

 

Jordan Howard, Matt Breida

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins will have a brand new backfield in 2020, but I'm not entirely sure if they know what they'll do with it come Week 1. Both Jordan Howard and Matt Breida project to log at least 18% of the team's total opportunities between rushing and receiving over the rest of the team's players, but that 22% of Howard is ridiculously low for an RB1 in the NFL (remember: the average RB1 projects to get 29.2% of opportunities).

Howard ranks 30th among RB1 in 2020 opportunity share projections (only above Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Derrius Guice), and Matt Breida ranks as the 38th-highest RB but is behind WR1 Davante Adams in opportunity share (as wide receivers are not expected to carry the ball, all of their shares come from targets, so to fall behind a wide receiver while being a running back is a no-go for RB1).

There will definitely be a battle for that no. 1 spot in Miami's backfield and the most probable outcome is an even share of opportunities between Howard and Breida that will see both lose fantasy points if only because of the touches and targets they'll miss in favor of the other.

The numbers are very even: Howard projects to get 161 carries and 23 targets to Breida's 119 and 35. They are expected to reach 120.6 and 118.0 PPR respectively. You can 1) draft one of those two and expect them to finish the year on those even terms, or 2) avoid them and not risk one of the two to clearly beat the other, leaving the latter in the dust and (if you're the owner of that last one) you too.

 

Marlon Mack, Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines

Indianapolis Colts

I love Indianapolis' backfield more than any other and can't wait to watch it in action. That been said, I want no part of it in my fantasy teams. Either if you believe the projections for Taylor as the RB1 of the Colts or if you flip his projections with those of Mack, if you like veterans more, you still have to factor Nyheim Hines in the equation. There is so much going on here.

First of all, it isn't clear if Mack or Taylor will be the actual no. 1 rusher of the team. Taylor is a rookie with massive upside, but Mack is a proven veteran that should at least be given the benefit of the doubt during the first few weeks. That is already going to hurt you if you have any of those two RBs in your roster because they'll split opportunities. Then, there is the presence of Hines.

Hines projects as the fifth most-targeted player of the Colts, all-positions considered. The coaches have been saying that he will get all of the targets he can handle from the backfield, which means no carries/targets for both Taylor and Mack. I think the 199 rushing attempts PFF is giving to Taylor are too many, and that he will surrender some to Mack. If that is the case, we might watch a backfield in which three players get between 14% and 20% of the team's opportunities, which would be too much of a share to make any of the three RBs a league-winning asset.

 

D'Andre Swift, Kerryon JohnsonBo Scarbrough

Detroit Lions

I know, you might not consider Bo Scarbrough a real threat to both Swift and Johnson, but you have to still include him in what is starting to look as a messy backfield in Detroit. Swift is a rookie with upside, and Johnson can be considered a veteran already. This resembles the situation in Indianapolis, only there is not such a clear threat on the passing game as Nyheim Hines is there.

Fantasy GMs (and PFF projections) are currently giving Swift the edge by drafting him at more expensive ADPs and also better projections. Even with that, both rushers are really close to everything. Swift projects to get 177 rushing attempts to Johnson's 161, and they're 2:1 target projections with 47 (8.7% share) and 24 (4.4%) respectively.

That expected split of duties translates into both player's PPR projections for 2020: Swift is currently the RB24 for PFF (179.2 PPR) and Johnson would finish as RB38 (134.5). Just so you see how low in the top-tier (no. 1 rushers) and high in the second-tier (no. 2 rushers) they are: Swift would be 9th-worst RB1 in the league among all 32 "starting" rushers, while Johnson would be the 7th-best RB2.

They will lose a lot of points between themselves, and while Bo Scarbrough doesn't profile as a real threat, in the case of any injury popping during the season he could become a menace to whoever stays healthy (you know what happened last season when he came out of nowhere).

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Logan Gilbert

Fans 10 In Return Start Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers, DeShon Elliott Agree to Two-Year Extension
Ryan Pepiot

Strikes Out 11 in Win
Hunter Goodman

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Isaac Paredes

Returns as DH on Monday
New York Giants

Mike Kafka Expected to Reclaim Play-Calling Duties
Jon Runyan

Limited During Minicamp
Saquon Barkley

Feels Great Physically
Justin Simmons

Panthers Have Talked With Justin Simmons
Jordan Addison

Trial Date Set for July 15
New York Jets

Jets Sign Kingsley Jonathan, Marquis Hayes
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Justin Verlander

Returning to the Rotation on Wednesday
Tony Finau

Finishes Tied For 38th at U.S. Open
Bud Cauley

Misses The Cut at U.S. Open
Cameron Young

Finishes Tied For Fourth at U.S. Open
J.J. Spaun

Wins U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 12th at U.S. Open
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at U.S. Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 42nd at U.S. Open
Vershon Lee

Vikings Ink Undrafted Offensive Lineman Vershon Lee
Luke Clanton

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
San Francisco 49ers

C.J. West Signs Rookie Deal with San Fran
Jaylen Warren

Training to Handle Larger Workload
Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Will Campbell

Ends Minicamp as Top Left Tackle
Sam Cosmi

Making Good Progress From Torn ACL
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Adonai Mitchell

Impresses at Minicamp
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Bradley Chubb

Fully Healed, Looking Disruptive
Jonnu Smith

Contract Talks "Still Fluid"
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF