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

Biggest Breakouts of 2018 - Running Back

Steve Janik looks at the biggest breakouts at the running back position from the 2018 NFL season. These RBs were tremendous draft values in fantasy football leagues.

As volatile as running backs are on the real-life gridiron, they’re equally as volatile for us fantasy owners. Injuries, suspensions, and contract holdouts have recently plagued some of the bigger names in the NFL, allowing lesser-known entities to step into the limelight. These “breakout” players are what makes fantasy so rewarding because these are the types of players that win you championships.

In most cases, these breakouts weren’t high on your radar come draft day. One way or the other, we're talking about them after the season ends. 

Just for substance, we’ll be going over those players who may not have been on everyone’s radar entering the season (i.e. not Saquon Barkley). The following three backs burst onto the scene for one reason or another this year and will continue to be big names to look at in 2019.

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

 

Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos

2018 ADP: N/A

It’s hard not to label Lindsay as fantasy football's biggest breakout at the running back position. An undrafted free agent out of the University of Colorado, the 24-year-old finished his rookie campaign with 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Through the air, he was solid, catching 35 of 47 passes for 241 yards and another touchdown.

As the season began, many expected Royce Freeman to be the main guy in a likely committee approach by the Broncos. Then Week 1 came around, and Lindsay and Freeman had an even split with 15 carries apiece. It was this way until Week 7 when Freeman went down with an injury, so Lindsay assumed the starting duties the following week.

Over the final eight games of the season when he was the key back, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry, rushing for 601 yards and eight touchdowns. Of course, Lindsay injured his wrist in Week 14 against the Raiders, eventually leading him to miss the final two weeks of the season once the team shut him down. Combine the end-of-season numbers and the undrafted free agent status, Lindsay was easily the biggest surprise of any running back in the NFL.

 

James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

2018 ADP: 154

The second-year back out of Pittsburgh was arguably the most publicized breakout this season, mainly due to the Le'Veon Bell situation. It was clear that the Steelers saw a lot in him, drafting him in the third round in 2017, but when Bell threatened (eventually following through) to hold out the whole season, the organization was confident in Conner.

He went through to the tune of 972 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, while also hauling 55 of 71 targets for 497 yards and a score. Conner would have surely toppled the 1,000-yard mark had he not gone down with an ankle injury in Week 13. Regardless, he made for a weekly plug-and-play option at running back. 

The 23-year-old offered a perfect balance for the Steelers, proving he could perform as a three-down back, and more importantly showed that behind an offensive line as good as the Steeler's possessed, that a player of Bell's type isn't a necessity in today's game. Proof you ask? Nine of Conner's 12 touchdowns came inside the 10-yard line, and all but two of his 13 total scores came inside the red zone. In the wake of his injury, rookie Jaylen Samuels also emerged as a weapon for the Steelers; however, barring some miracle with the Bell situation, this is Conner's backfield in 2019.

 

Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

2018 ADP: 60

In the era of pass-heavy attacks, Pete Carroll keeps the Seattle Seahawks engrained in the ground-and-pound play style. This allows bruisers like Chris Carson to become a fantasy star. The second-year back out of Oklahoma State stepped into the big stage in 2018 for a playoff Seahawks team.

Carson rushed for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns on 247 carries, for an average of 4.6 yards per attempt and 82.2 yards per game. This landed the 24-year-old inside the top 10 of every major rushing category, and even in the top five of several stats.

The bruiser had one of the strongest finishes of any running back in recent memory, making him a huge part of some fantasy league championship lineups. Over his final our games, Carson took 90 carries for 447 yards and five touchdowns, leading Seattle to the playoffs and helping his fantasy owners win big in the playoffs.

While he doesn’t offer much in the passing game, it doesn’t matter when he’s the top back on a run-heavy team. Carson is young and seems primed to thrive beyond 2018, making him an intriguing back to target come draft season.

 

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

2018 ADP: 111

The rookie out of Georgia wasn’t named the Browns’ starting back until Week 7 when Cleveland traded Carlos Hyde. From that point on, the rookie took the league by storm, helping to bring the Browns back to mere relevancy. He finished the season with 996 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. 823 of those yards and six touchdowns came after he was made the starter. Chubb and his quarterback Baker Mayfield may very well be the duo that turns the Browns into a playoff team, so don’t be surprised if it’s in 2019.

 

Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

2018 ADP: 84

Few, if any, knew what to expect out of the Indianapolis Colts this season. Andrew Luck was returning after missing all of 2017, but that hardly meant they were primed for big things. This meant a lot of people were expecting Mack to shoulder some of Luck's workload (pun intended). The second-year South Florida product rushed for 908 yards and nine touchdowns over just 12 games. If he can stay healthy in 2019, he should continue to trend upward along with his Colts team.

More Fantasy Football Year-in-Review




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

Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Xavier Watts

Falcons High on Xavier Watts
Xavier Restrepo

Training With Star Wideouts
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF