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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Under-the-Radar RB Signings: Fantasy Risers or Fallers?

There have been a lot of big-name signings so far in free agency, but what about some of the players who've flown below the radar? Guys who might not be stars, but could still be key contributors on their new teams and on your future fantasy teams.

Today, we'll be taking a look at some under-the-radar signings at running back.

Are these players going to be fantasy risers in 2021? Or will their new digs find them struggling to make an impact?

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

 

Malcolm Brown - Miami Dolphins

Last year with the Rams was Malcolm Brown's highest-usage season in the NFL, as he had 101 carries and 23 receptions. His 124 touches were 52 more than his second-most touched(?) season.

But even with that, Brown only had 26.2 rushing yards per game, and two running backs on the team had more carries in Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr.

I'm tentatively higher on Brown in Miami because the competition for touches might not be as severe. Myles Gaskin seems set to be the starter in Miami, but behind him, there's not a clear-cut No. 2. Matt Breida is headed to Buffalo. Salvon Ahmed and Patrick Laird are football players who technically exist. But barring the team drafting a running back, Brown will probably be that No. 2.

So, a clearer role should make him a fantasy riser, theoretically. The problem is that a quick look at Malcolm Brown's efficiency numbers from PlayerProfiler is, uhh, not super encouraging:

We probably don't have time to dive into why these numbers aren't great, but they do suggest that Brown doesn't create many yards and doesn't really have big-play potential.

So, yeah...volume could help him have a decent season, but I don't see a ton of upside here.

Conclusion: Ri...ser?

 

Mark Ingram II - Houston Texans

It wouldn't take much for Mark Ingram to improve on what he did at the end of 2020, as he was a healthy scratch two of the last three weeks of the season, plus for both playoff games. His best game was Week 2 when he had nine carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. After that, he had over 40 yards just once.

So, just by virtue of maybe actually playing football in Houston, Ingram gets a slight boost.

But the potential for him to get a big boost was taken away when the team signed Phillip Lindsay, who should enter 2021 as the team's lead back, with either Ingram or David Johnson serving as the primary second-stringer. Ingram might get some decent short-yardage usage, but his upside will be limited.

We also don't know what the quarterback situation looks like in Houston, which adds some uncertainty into the mix. If Tyrod Taylor is the starter, will Houston end up running the ball more, adopting a Ravens-esque system that would help support the running backs in fantasy? But even then, would Ingram do much of anything?

Conclusion: A riser by default

 

Carlos Hyde - Jacksonville Jaguars

The running back market has not been fun this offseason. When Kenyan Drake to Vegas is the biggest name to change teams, well...yeah.

Anyway, Carlos Hyde signing in Jacksonville happened, and I guess we should touch on that move just a little bit.

So, Carlos Hyde joined a Jaguars team that relied a lot on rookie James Robinson last year, who had 95.62 percent of the running back carries for the Jags. But Jacksonville underwent a head coaching change, so we can't assume that Doug Marrone's running back usage carries over to Urban Meyer's running back usage.

What that should mean: Robinson falls off some as we see a more normal carry split with his backup -- presumably Carlos Hyde. But Robinson had an impressive rookie year, with PlayerProfiler showing him ranked sixth in yards created and fifth in evaded tackles.

Hyde, meanwhile, was 52nd in yards created and 36th in yards created per touch. He was 157th in expected points added and 45th in true yards per carry.

What I'm trying to say is that Hyde is going to get touches, but he isn't a huge threat to Robinson. Hyde had 356 yards and four touchdowns last season, plus added 16 catches for 93 yards. Maybe he gets around that in Jacksonville? Maybe? But Hyde also had the advantage in Seattle of having Chris Carson miss some time and also getting a lot of touches in a blowout win over the Jets.

At this point in his career, it doesn't feel like Hyde is much of a threat to Robinson. If everyone is healthy, I think he winds up with just four-to-six touches per game.

Conclusion: Faller

 

Jamaal Williams - Detroit Lions

The former Packer is now playing for cross-division rival Detroit, where he'll be backing up second-year back D'Andre Swift.

Considering how Swift came on over the final three games of the season, Williams feels mostly like insurance here. During those final three weeks, Swift saw 68.52 percent of the running back carries for the Lions, which is notable as he saw just 36.67 percent of the attempts over the first 13 games of the season.

In Green Bay, Williams had always been a threat to Aaron Jones' touches, as he's had 100 or more carries in each of his four seasons. But Williams also had averaged just 33.1 yards per his time with the Packers.

I'd say that Williams might be a slight riser over what he was in Green Bay due to the way Detroit should use the running game, especially with a switch from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff at QB, which should lead to more run-game reliance? Except, a bad Lions team might also play from behind more, offering fewer chances for the team to give their No. 2 back rushing attempts.

Again, I don't know. Williams doesn't really offer enough upside to excite me in fantasy, even if he might be in a slightly better situation.

Conclusion: Maybe a slight riser but probably not.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

JT Brubaker5 mins ago

Throws Live BP Session
Jonathan Isaac8 mins ago

Downgraded To Out Versus Hornets
Tyrese Maxey9 mins ago

Will Miss Wednesday's Game
Andrew Nardi13 mins ago

Dealing With Lower-Back Inflammation
Alexandre Sarr17 mins ago

Returns To Action Wednesday
Jalen Suggs24 mins ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Drey Jameson28 mins ago

Confident He'll Be Ready For Opening Day
Damian Lillard34 mins ago

Out On Wednesday
Sawyer Gipson-Long36 mins ago

Continues To Rehab
Vince Williams Jr.37 mins ago

Questionable Versus Clippers
CJ McCollum41 mins ago

Returns To Pelicans Lineup Wednesday
Grayson Allen47 mins ago

Will Not Play Against Rockets
Javier Báez47 mins ago

Javier Baez Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Bradley Beal52 mins ago

To Miss Fourth Consecutive Game
Garrett Whitlock54 mins ago

Hits 95 MPH During Live BP Session
Devin Booker59 mins ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Ja Morant1 hour ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Matchup With Clippers
Kadarius Toney1 hour ago

Arrested For Aggravated Assault
Jakob Pelletier1 hour ago

Ready For Action After 4 Nations Face-Off
Dante Fabbro1 hour ago

Expected To Return After 4 Nations Face-Off
Kyle Lowry1 hour ago

Ruled Out Again On Wednesday
Mika Zibanejad1 hour ago

To Center Top Line For Sweden
Tyler Alexander2 hours ago

Brewers Sign Tyler Alexander To One-Year Deal
Eric Gordon2 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Joel Eriksson Ek2 hours ago

Available Wednesday
DL Hall2 hours ago

To Be Shut Down For A Few More Weeks With Lat Injury
Filip Gustavsson2 hours ago

Faces Canada Wednesday Night
Joel Embiid2 hours ago

Unavailable On Wednesday
Robert Garcia2 hours ago

Dealing With Nerve Irritation In His Forearm
Jordan Binnington2 hours ago

To Start For Canada In 4 Nations Face-Off Opener
Lou Trivino2 hours ago

Fully Healthy
Sidney Crosby2 hours ago

Good To Go Wednesday
Jordan Hicks2 hours ago

Gains 14 Pounds
Tom Murphy2 hours ago

A Full-Go For Spring Training
Kyle Harrison2 hours ago

To Compete For Rotation Spot
Jung Hoo Lee2 hours ago

A Full-Go For Spring Training
Seattle Seahawks3 hours ago

Saints Give Seahawks Permission To Interview Rick Dennison
NFL4 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders To Visit With Browns, Giants
Ryan Walker4 hours ago

To Be Giants Closer
Cincinnati Bengals4 hours ago

Germaine Pratt Requests Trade Out Of Cincinnati
James McArthur4 hours ago

To Be Delayed In Camp After Elbow Surgery
Alec Marsh4 hours ago

Might Be Delayed Due To Shoulder Tightness
Shane McClanahan4 hours ago

100% With No Restrictions
Drew Smith4 hours ago

Re-Signs With Mets
Cal Quantrill4 hours ago

Marlins Agree To One-Year Deal With Cal Quantrill
Sandy Alcantara5 hours ago

Throws Live Batting Practice On Wednesday
Gary Woodland6 hours ago

In Great Form Heading Into Genesis Invitational
Cameron Young6 hours ago

Is An Interesting Play At Torrey Pines
Akshay Bhatia6 hours ago

A Strong Value Play At Genesis Invitational
Sahith Theegala6 hours ago

Is Riding The Struggle Bus To Torrey Pines
Justin Rose6 hours ago

Looks For Redemption At Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark6 hours ago

Searching For Consistency At Torrey Pines
Travis Kelce7 hours ago

To Take His Time On Retirement Decision
Sam Stevens7 hours ago

Aims To Repeat Success At Torrey Pines
Harris English7 hours ago

Looking To Repeat At Torrey Pines
Max Strus9 hours ago

May Miss Another Game On Wednesday
Ty Jerome9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable Wednesday
Collin Sexton9 hours ago

Remains Out Wednesday
P.J. Washington9 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Nicolas Claxton9 hours ago

Carries A Questionable Tag Wednesday
Michael Porter Jr.10 hours ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Jamal Murray10 hours ago

Probable For Wednesday's Matchup
Boone Jenner11 hours ago

Expected To Return After International Break
Gustav Forsling11 hours ago

Moves Past Illness, Expected To Play On Wednesday
Sidney Crosby11 hours ago

Practicing With Team Canada
Mikko Rantanen11 hours ago

Cleared To Play For Team Finland
Quinn Hughes11 hours ago

Sitting Out Of 4 Nations Face-Off
Travis Konecny11 hours ago

Returns To Practice, Expected To Play On Wednesday
New England Patriots20 hours ago

Patriots Have League-High $110 Million In Salary Cap Space
Tee Higgins20 hours ago

Franchise Tag Could Be In Play For Tee Higgins
Miami Dolphins20 hours ago

Dolphins Hire Bobby Slowik As Senior Pass-Game Coordinator
Tyler Lockett20 hours ago

Seahawks Still Deciding On Tyler Lockett's Future
Jonathon Brooks20 hours ago

Could Miss All Of 2025
Aaron Rodgers20 hours ago

Jets Were Willing To Stick With Aaron Rodgers Under Certain Stipulations
Maverick McNealy22 hours ago

A Volatile Play At Genesis Invitational
Min Woo Lee22 hours ago

In Great Form Ahead Of Genesis Invitational
Viktor Hovland22 hours ago

A Solid Value Play At Torrey Pines
Rasmus Hojgaard23 hours ago

A Strong Play At Genesis Invitational
Scottie Scheffler23 hours ago

Aims For A Strong Rebound At Torrey Pines
Collin Morikawa1 day ago

An Excellent Play At Genesis Invitational
Matthew Wright1 day ago

 Signs Reserve/Future Contract With Panthers
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

Could Be Ready For Week 1
Shane Lowry1 day ago

Back In Action At Torrey Pines
Derek Carr1 day ago

Likely To Remain Saints Starter In 2025
PGA1 day ago

Sungjae Im Is A Highly Volatile Play With Persuasive Upside
Brock Purdy1 day ago

49ers Committed To Brock Purdy
NFL1 day ago

Kyle McCord A Potential Late-Round NFL Draft Sleeper
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Brandon Staley The Leading Candidate To Become Saints Defensive Coordinator
Russell Henley1 day ago

Torrey Pines May Be A Place To Avoid Russell Henley
New Orleans Saints1 day ago

Saints Finalizing Deal With Kellen Moore For Head-Coaching Position
Nick Taylor1 day ago

Might Not Thrive At Torrey Pines
Adam Scott1 day ago

Is A Fun Long Shot At Genesis Invitational
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Repeat Torrey Pines Success
Robert MacIntyre1 day ago

Could Be Intriguing At Genesis Invitational
Kansas City Chiefs2 days ago

Nick Bolton Wants To Stay With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints2 days ago

Saints Expected To Have Interest In Brandon Staley For Defensive-Coordinator Role
Kirk Cousins2 days ago

Browns To Look At Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones?
MMA2 days ago

Weili Zhang Wins Decision In Co-Main Event Of UFC 312
Tatiana Suarez2 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Justin Tafa2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 312
Tallison Teixeira2 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 312
Francisco Prado2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 312
Jake Matthews3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC 312
Rodolfo Bellato3 days ago

Battles Back To Get A Draw At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute3 days ago

Fights To A Draw In Return At UFC 312
Sean Strickland3 days ago

Suffers Lopsided Decision Loss At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis3 days ago

Retains Middleweight Belt At UFC 312
Drew Doughty3 days ago

Joins Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off
Rasmus Ristolainen3 days ago

To Sit Out 4 Nations Face-Off
Jakub Dobes3 days ago

Starts On Sunday
Matias Maccelli3 days ago

Heads Back To Press Box Sunday
Connor Ingram3 days ago

Takes On Capitals Sunday
Logan Thompson3 days ago

Faces Utah On Sunday
Mathew Barzal3 days ago

To Miss Roughly Six Weeks
Lukas Dostal3 days ago

Stops 43 Shots In Victory
MMA5 days ago

Weili Zhang Set For Third Title Defense
Tatiana Suarez5 days ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Tallison Teixeira5 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC 312
Justin Tafa5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 312
Francisco Prado5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Jake Matthews6 days ago

Opens Up UFC 312 Main Card
Rodolfo Bellato6 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC 312
Jimmy Crute6 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC 312
Sean Strickland6 days ago

Looks To Reclaim Middleweight Title At UFC 312
Dricus Du Plessis6 days ago

Puts Middleweight Title On The Line At UFC 312
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF