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

NFL Free Agents - Running Back Preview

Melvin Gordon - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Justin Carter previews which running backs in the NFL will hit free agency at the start of the 2022 offseason and what it could mean for fantasy football managers.

It's March, which means it's the month that NFL free agency begins. For a full explanation of how the process works, check out Frank Dyevoich's comprehensive breakdown.

Today, we're going to preview some of the running backs that will hit the market. Where could they go? Will a change of scenery help them in fantasy? Make sure to check back soon for the follow-up to this, as I look at wide receivers who are hitting free agency.

Players in this article are listed in order of the number of snaps they played in 2021.

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

 

Leonard Fournette

2021 Recap: In his first season in Tampa, Leonard Fournette rushed for 367 yards and played 43% of his team's offensive snaps. It looked like the former top-five pick was heading for a career as a backup.

But Lenny looked rejuvenated in 2021. He nearly doubled his number of carries, from 97 to 180, and finished with 812 yards and eight touchdowns, plus had his second-best year as a receiver, catching 69 passes for 454 yards. Fournette showed that he can still make good things happen when he's running north/south and showed some solid pass-catching skills.

Future Outlook: Please, please, please give us Fournette in Buffalo. With Josh Allen there, he'd have ample room to run up the middle, and the Bills need to add someone who can be the lead back over Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. In the right spot, Fournette is a solid fantasy RB2.

 

James Conner

2021 Recap: Conner left the Steelers for Arizona, where he rushed for 752 yards and 15 touchdowns and also added three receiving scores.

That's...a lot of touchdowns and was the big reason why Conner unexpectedly finished as an RB1 last season.

Future Outlook: So, James Conner had 18 touchdowns in 2021.

Since 2017, there have been 11 seasons where a player scored at least 18 touchdowns. Two of those belong to Alvin Kamara. Two belong to Todd Gurley. The other names are Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Jones, Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, and Davante Adams. Those are really good names. Conner's presence on the list is...weird. He only had one other season with double-digit touchdowns. This number will go down in 2022, and his fantasy value will too. Regardless of the landing spot, don't expect another RB1 season, though if he ended up somewhere like Buffalo or Miami, he'd likely see the majority of the backfield work and would be an RB2 play.

 

Sony Michel

2021 Recap: Michel had a solid year in Los Angeles, turning 229 touches into 973 scrimmage yards. He did that while playing just 49% of the team's snaps, the highest mark of his career.

Michel has spent four seasons playing in less-than-ideal spots for fantasy. He was never on the field for more than 37% of snaps in New England, for example.

Future Outlook: In theory, Michel would be a great fantasy option if he landed a lead-back role. Get him on the field for 60% of the snaps and he'd be someone who would provide you some consistent numbers.

But, will that happen? As much as I like Sony Michel, it doesn't seem like he'll be more than a complementary piece on his next team. That will continue to limit his fantasy ceiling.

 

Melvin Gordon

2021 Recap: Gordon was just kind of annoying last year, as he blocked the way for the Javonte Williams breakout that everyone thought would happen. Gordon rushed for 918 yards and eight touchdowns and also added 213 receiving yards and two scores.

Future Outlook: Hopefully, for Williams' sake, Gordon isn't in Denver in 2022, though that's definitely something that's in play. Gordon's landing spot will be intriguing because he definitely still has the juice left to contribute. Unless he goes somewhere where he's clearly the best back (and again, I'll mention teams like Buffalo and Miami, even though everyone can't be signed by one of those teams), he'll likely do what he did in 2021: split backfield work and lower the fantasy value of his backfield mate while providing some serviceable RB2/3 numbers himself.

 

Chase Edmonds

2021 Recap: Even with James Conner siphoning off all the touchdowns, Edmonds had 903 scrimmage yards last season. His fantasy numbers would have looked better if he'd gotten more than two touchdowns, but Edmonds has never been a big TD guy, with just 14 over his four NFL seasons.

Future Outlook: I really like Edmonds as part of a committee, which is good because that's likely his 2022 situation, whether it be back in Arizona with Eno Benjamin or a free agent/rookie, or somewhere else. He's likely to be a solid flex guy somewhere, but don't get your hopes up about a fantasy breakout in his next home.

 

Cordarrelle Patterson

2021 Recap: The former wide receiver/return specialist was forced to be Atlanta's lead back this year, which was both very weird and very cool. Even more cool was that he delivered in his new role, finishing with 1,166 scrimmage yards, the most of his career. Patterson's always been an electric player, but now he's an electric player who proved he can carry the ball 150-plus times in a season.

Future Outlook: I think the best place for Patterson is Atlanta, but he could be a nice addition to a handful of teams. Atlanta would probably be the spot that would most use him like he was used last season, but I'm not as high on Patterson moving forward as others might be. Over the last four weeks of the season, he had just 71 rushing yards and averaged 2.29 yards per carry. Maybe he'd hold up better if he was in a smaller role, but I don't see him posting numbers that reach his 2021 levels.

 

David Johnson

2021 Recap: Yikes. Johnson played 13 games for the Texans, carrying the ball 67 times for 228 yards and adding 225 receiving yards and a touchdown. Once one of the NFL's most exciting backs, Johnson was routinely outperformed by Rex Burkhead last year.

Future Outlook: Johnson is done — not in the "won't be signed" sense, but just in the general sense. Maybe he winds up somewhere in training camp. Maybe he flashes some good stuff in the preseason and makes a final roster. Maybe he even has a good game or two on an NFL team in 2022. But I don't buy the argument that injuries are the only reason Johnson struggled last year. A healthy David Johnson won't bounce back and be the versatile option he once was. He's a backup going forward who might have situational fantasy value due to injuries to players ahead of him on the depth chart.

 

Rashaad Penny

2021 Recap: Penny came on strong late in the season, with four 135-plus yard rushing games over the final five weeks of the season. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season and was one of the biggest surprises.

Future Outlook: Want to know more about Penny's fantasy outlook? Then check out Scott Engel's excellent piece on him from earlier this month.

 

Ronald Jones II

2021 Recap: Jones was expected to challenge Leonard Fournette for the lead role in Tampa, but Fournette snatched that, Gio Bernard took the receiving back duties, and Jones was left to just kind of...exist. After having 192 carries for 978 yards in 2020, he dropped to 101 carries for 428 this season. He played just 20% of Tampa's snaps and appears to be on his way out of town, though if Fournette leaves, Tampa could try to bring him back for cheap.

Future Outlook: There's still some juice left with RoJo. I think his best chance of having future value is to do a one-year prove-it deal in Tampa if Fournette leaves, as he wouldn't face too much competition for the lead role. If that happens, he's a low-end RB2, assuming the team doesn't do exactly what it did in 2020, which was to add another back to the mix before the season. If he leaves Tampa, it's hard to see him earn more than a 30% split of the snaps without an injury ahead of him somewhere, unless he winds up in some weird place like Houston.

 

Marlon Mack

2021 Recap: Coming off of a torn Achilles, Mack had 28 carries for 101 yards. Part of that was because he played behind Jonathan Taylor and Mack still being young is a good sign, but his stock is incredibly low after 2021.

Future Outlook: It's really hard to see Mack finding a solid role after his poor numbers last year. Achilles injuries have historically been bad for running backs and while there have been exceptions, I don't think Mack's upside makes up for the huge injury risk. Regardless of the landing spot, he won't be high on my draft board.



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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

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
Austin Cindric

Remains an Overrated Road Racer
Brad Keselowski

Likely to Brush Past Chicago Street Course to Focus on Daytona
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek One of the Best Underdog Options After Strong Runs at Mexico City and Last Year
Cole Custer

Strong Mexico City Run and Xfinity Series Chicago Win Make Him a Solid DFS Option
Erik Jones

Likely Not Good Enough on Road Courses for DFS Consideration Despite Poor Qualifying Result
Noah Gragson

May Be Better Than Other Cheap DFS Options
Riley Herbst

Despite Decent Mexico City Run, Don't Expect Riley Herbst to Contend at Chicago
Cody Ware

Is a Road Course Veteran, but It's Rarely Helped Him in NASCAR
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Is The Heavy Favorite to Win at Chicago Street Course
Christopher Bell

Should Be Strong Despite Practice Struggles at Chicago Street Course
Chase Elliott

an Easy DFS Pick at Chicago Street Course
Chris Buescher

Should Be Strong at Chicago Street Course
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Solid DFS Target After Qualifying 37th at Chicago
Michael McDowell

Has Solid Saturday at Chicago Street Course
Will Brown

an Interesting Fantasy Option at Chicago Street Course
Justin Haley

Has Strong Record at Chicago Street Course
Todd Gilliland

Could Surprise at Chicago Street Course
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade may not Happen Until "August, September"
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Houston Rockets

Jock Landale Waived by Rockets
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Considering Returning to Europe
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Jabari Walker

Signs Two-Way Deal With Sixers
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Byron Young

Still Improving?
Cody Simon

Jonathan Gannon has Been Impressed With Cody Simon
SirVocea Dennis

has Impressive Offseason
Trevor Penning

Could Still Have a Role in New Orleans
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Decline Recent Offer for Jonathan Kuminga
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner, Magic Agree to One-Year Deal
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
Robbie Ray

Earns Ninth Win in Complete Game
T.J. Watt

Likely to Reset the Edge-Rush Market
George Springer

Blasts Two Homers, Drives in Four
James Wood

Goes Yard in Five-Hit Night
Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
Max Scherzer

Cleared to Start on Saturday
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Kodai Senga

Could be "in Play" to Return Before All-Star Break
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Jacob Monk

Sees Plenty of Work With Starters
Avonte Maddox

has Impressed Dan Campbell
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Chicago Bears

Ruben Hyppolite Shows Notable Improvement
Sandro Mamukelashvili

Heading to Toronto
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF