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

Running Back Committees To Avoid In 2017

RotoBaller's Frankie Soler takes a look at some running back committees (RBBC) in 2017, analyzing situations that are better off avoided in redraft leagues.

Running back committees are essentially the kiss of death for fantasy production. The unpredictability of who gets touches when is enough to drive an owner to a hair-pulling hissy fit. And that's just for the teams we can even identify as even having a committee in the first place. Considering that we haven't hit the preseason yet, there are only so many of these situations we can point to and say you should definitively avoid them. Nevertheless, some teams look to be flat out nightmares at the running back position.

For the purposes of this piece we'll be defining a committee as a team that has at least two backs who are poised to see considerable playing time. It's a simple definition but one that's worth repeating. As an example, we can't really claim that the Green Bay Packers are a committee despite drafting three rookies at the position because Ty Montgomery is still the presumed starter. There is currently no reason to believe that anyone else is due to get significant run.

Now, let's look at the teams with full-blown committees that fantasy owners should consider off-limits on draft day.

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

 

Running Back Committees to Avoid

New York Jets

The combo of Matt Forte and Bilal Powell has created a head-scratcher in New York. Both backs were able to produce to some extent in 2016 and had similar numbers to boot. Forte clocked in at 813 yards and seven touchdowns compared to Powell's line of 722 yards and three TD. Forte had significantly more attempts, however, skewing the efficiency a bit. Looking ahead, there's been a ton of talk about Powell overtaking Forte as the starter, leading some rankers to pencil Powell in as an RB2. Meanwhile, there's also some reports out there that suggest the offense will run through Forte. Fantasy owners have a tendency to have knee-jerk reactions to this sort of thing, forcing themselves to one side or the other.

This has all the makings of a genuine committee. You have the grizzled veteran who keeps proving people wrong and the (slightly) younger, trendy fantasy name. Rather than committing to a firm stance of being a "Forte guy" or a "Powell guy," you're better off calling this situation what it is. It's an unknown. At best, one of the two backs gets the bulk of the workload. That would mean you'd have to actually figure out which one it is first. At worst, this is an even split that cuts both them off at the hip. The most likely possibility is the latter. We're also talking about a Jets team that is going to be flat out bad anyway. Do you really want your RB2 to hinge on the possibility that you're able to guess which running back a terrible offense is going to commit to? You'd be much wiser taking someone like Ty Montgomery or Frank Gore, players who you at least know are going to start at the top of the depth chart.

Baltimore Ravens

I'm bound to offend the Terrance West defenders out there so I might as well go all-in on my criticisms. Terrance West has been in the league for four seasons and has only played all 16 games once, missing 26 in the process.  Those 26 missed games coincidentally line up with his ripe age of 26, but he's also failed to produce a significant fantasy year. The only reason he even got significant playing time to begin with was because both Lorenzo Taliaferro and Javorius Allen missed significant time. To be fair, 2016 was indeed his best year at 774 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Even with that in mind, he's not someone to be considered a lead back no matter what the situation is. And speaking of situations, West isn't in a good one to begin with.

The dual presence of Taliaferro and Allen is bad enough but to make matters worse the Ravens added Danny Woodhead during the off-season. Woodhead possesses strong PPR value provided he's able to stay healthy at 32 years of age. He's coming off of a torn ACL in 2016 and missed all of 2014 with a broken leg. Health is a genuine concern for the elder 5' 8" running back. Woodhead is a pass-catcher who should only be targeted as a flex in PPR formats. Beyond that, the Ravens are another team whose backfield offers more headaches than necessary.

New Orleans Saints

Another offseason, another raving review of how good Adrian Peterson looks. Admittedly, this is a whole different narrative now that Peterson is on a brand new team in New Orleans. His new teammates are talking him up like the second coming. What you don't hear much about, though, is that he too is 32 with two major knee surgeries to boot. By the way, the Saints still have Mark Ingram. The team also added intriguing rookie Alvin Kamara via the draft. Yikes.

Some expect Peterson to waltz right in and steal the starting gig away from the incumbent Mark Ingram, with Kamara taking a back seat in his rookie year. The more likely scenario is a three-headed monster approach at running back. We've seen the Saints do this plenty of times before. They like to rotate backs at will. In fact, they actually did it as recently as last year with Ingram and Tim Hightower. Expecting such a drastic change in philosophy is pretty unfounded.

If you want one last bit of assurance as to why this backfield is better off ignored, just think about how many football fans you know who are Adrian Peterson diehards. There is bound to be someone in your league who is infatuated with Peterson enough to where they'll reach for him. Maybe you're that person, and to that I say more power to you. For as good as Peterson can be this year, you're going to have use a decently high pick to get him. Mark Ingram is no slouch, he's going to have a legitimate role in the offense. Kamara may be a rookie but he's bound to be a factor in the passing game. Barring a brand new offensive approach, the Saints will continue to rotate multiple backs, limiting everyone involved.

 

Honorable Mentions

New England Patriots

As a surprise to no one, the Patriots have once again hoarded a plethora of weapons heading into the new season. They've added running backs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead to go along with the likes of Dion Lewis and James White. It might seem like this is a disaster waiting to happen but each player's individual value is low enough where you don't need to "avoid" the situation. Gillislee has the most intrigue as he's shown he can produce while complimenting LeSean McCoy in Buffalo. He's the safe bet to lead the team in carries while Rex Burkhead and James White see action in the receiving game. Dion Lewis will likely be the odd man out and a candidate for an off-season release. It's murky for sure, but it could definitely be worse.

Denver Broncos

There seems to be a common misconception that the Broncos are entering 2017 with a committee approach. People forget that C.J. Anderson was actually having a decent year prior to getting hurt last season. He was on pace to crack 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, good enough to net him high-end RB2 value. Considering Anderson's track record of inconsistency, the presence of Devontae Booker is a tad threatening. Add in the signing of Jamaal Charles and some folks are running for the hills. Booker is still very much an Anderson handcuff while Charles is a Hail Mary signing for Denver. Charles has had significant ACL problems the last two years and is already 30 years old. This is closer to a situation of uncertainty rather than a committee. C.J. Anderson is on track to be undervalued with Jamaal Charles as the deepest of deep fliers.




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

Saquon Barkley

Scores Touchdown in Low-Yardage Outing
Jalen Hurts

Rushes for Two Touchdowns on Thursday
Javonte Williams

Salvages Inefficient Outing With Two Touchdowns
CeeDee Lamb

110-Yard Game Marred by Four Drops
Will Shipley

Questionable to Return on Thursday Night
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Expected to Return on Friday
Micah Parsons

Expected to Play in Week 1
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Exits With Knee Contusions
Christian McCaffrey

Listed as Limited With Calf Injury
Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Omarion Hampton

to Start Against Chiefs on Friday
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Najee Harris

Off the Final Injury Report, Will Play in Week 1
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP