Running Backs to Prioritize in PPR Leagues

July 29, 2021

Antonio Losada evaluates running backs that should be prioritized in PPR fantasy football leagues while faded in Standard due to their prowess catching the ball at the RB position compared to their rushing abilities.

For fantasy football GMs, draft season is gearing up. Preparing for what is waiting for us in our virtual war rooms is a key part of the process, and the first thing to know is the language our leagues will speak to us in.

The first step is to know if you're going to battle your foes in Standard or PPR (Point-Per-Reception) scoring systems. The difference between those leagues comes down to a simple matter of awarding one extra point to players that catch a pass. Standard scoring was a staple in the early days of fantasy football, but PPR has become the most played system lately.

With both Standard and PPR-scoring systems in mind, it's time to discover which players are surefire bets in one system but potential duds in the other.

PPR Running Backs

Today, I'm highlighting some running backs who are primed to become studs in PPR-format leagues but not so much when used in Standard leagues.

Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

If you look at the image above, you'll find a chart including the top-41 running backs when it comes to standard-format projected fantasy points for the upcoming season (via PFF). The colors range from red (1:1 PPR: STD ratio) to green (2:1 ratio). That means that green players are more suited for PPR, while red ones not so much (preferable in standard-scoring leagues).

If all of the highlighted Edmonds, Gaskin, and Ekeler look so green to you, that's because they are. All three rushers feature in PFF projections with a top-nine PPR: STD ratio. Their marks at that range from 1.34 to 1.31, which means they're 30%+ more valuable in the PPR format than the standard one. Not bad, indeed. And looking at those players' profiles and projections, it all makes a lot of sense.

Enter Edmonds, for example, who is now the go-to RB of the Cardinals after Kenyan Drake's departure. Drake has a rather high PPR: STD himself, but he's going to face stiff competition in Las Vegas with Josh Jacobs around. Edmonds, though, will get his more-than-fair share of targets with Drake out: PFF projects Edmonds to go 42-of-50 in receptions for 352 receiving yards and a couple of touchdowns.

With only 44 combined targets in his first two seasons, Edmonds racked up 67 in 2020, catching 79.1% of them. He accrued 402 receiving yards and four touchdowns while posting top-eight marks (min. 500 snaps) in Yds/Opp, Yds/Touch, and Yds/Route Run. Why? Because of his excellent pass-catching, which also came on a bulky volume that saw him finish no. 5 in targets and no. 5 in receptions among RBs. Expect that volume to stay the same or even go higher, making Edmonds a must-have PPR rusher.

Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins

Gaskin has yet to play more than 10 games in a single season. That's a hit on his upside, I know, but it kind of gets softened by the fact that the Dolphins truly believe in him as the lead rusher of their offense after passing on bolstering the unit this offseason. Gaskin already racked up 142 (!) rushing attempts and 47 targets in 2020, and that can only grow next season (here's hoping he stays healthy) with a clear go-to RB1 role and no real competition at the position.

The Dolphins improved their receiving corps and have a running QB himself in Tua Tagovailoa. Alright. That doesn't mean Gaskin won't put up numbers. He comes off a 16.4 FPPG season, just in case, and finished the year close to RB2 numbers even though he missed six games entirely. Gaskin was a top-15 RB in both targets and receptions, and he was able to finish as a top-five pass-catching RB in terms of actual receiving yards with 388 on the year. He wasn't great at converting passing plays in scores, though, with only two receiving touchdowns last season.

Gaskin's bread and butter comes in catching every rock thrown his way as he proved it with his 87.2% Catch Rate in 2020. Those are easy PPR points coming his way weekly, as he doesn't seem to know how to drop a pass. The slightest of upticks in pass-play usage might see Gaskin became a league-winning play for those getting his shares in PPR formats more than anything.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

I have reserved the best for last. First things first: nobody is going or should fade Ekeler in either PPR or Standard-scoring leagues. Don't be that person. But also consider Ekeler's price and upside in each format when drafting, folks. Ekeler projects to a PPR finish of RB6 compared to an RB13 finish in Standard leagues. That's quite a jump in production, going from mid-level RB1 in the former format to just high-end RB2 in the latter.

Ekeler is getting off draft boards with a discount for those getting shares of him in PPR leagues (RB11) but he's actually a sunk cost in Standard leagues as his projection drops a ton. That's because Ekeler's expected to average 15.3 PPR points per game compared to 11.0 in standard formats. PFF has him projected to 87 targets to go with 72 receptions for 559 yards and three receiving scores on the year.

The numbers have been steady through Ekeler's career, as he's finished all three of the last years in the 530-to-557 rushing-yard clip. His receiving numbers went down a bit in terms of efficiency last season, but in his first three campaigns, he posted back-to-back-to-back 10.3+ YPR marks while never catching fewer than 73.6% of the passes thrown his way--that actually got better the past two years, with two seasons posting 85.2% and 83.1% Catch Rates.

Ekeler should have no real competition in the Chargers' backfield, won't be limited to third-down work, and will actually be a three-down tailback for LA. Again: there is nothing to hate about Ekeler in either format, but his numbers in PPR leagues come with a much higher ceiling than they do in the Standard format of the game we play.

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