Running backs are far easier to find lightning in a bottle for a few weeks during the fantasy football regular season sprint than wide receivers. A single injury can boost an otherwise unplayable bench back into an automatic weekly role. Let’s start with some of the lowest-cost producers from 2015:
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Join Now8 RB1 Weeks: DeAngelo Williams. Was healthy for critical run of opportunity with LeVeon Bell out of lineup for strong offense.
4 RB1 Weeks: James Starks. The duo of Starks and Eddie Lacy combined to have five weeks where neither was in the top-24 of PPR running back scoring. It was not just the pass game in Green Bay which struggled.
4 RB1 Weeks: Javorius Allen. All four weeks came in the second half of the season, after not notching a top-40 weeks in the first half of 2015.
2 RB1 Weeks: Rashad Jennings. A low-appeal older veteran with a string of four straight top-24 weeks to close the season, including both of his RB1 performances.
2 RB1 Weeks: Ronnie Hillman. In addition to RB1 scoring, Hillman added five weeks of RB2 numbers.
2 RB1 Weeks: Matt Jones. The Washington rookie was the ultimate boom-bust (mostly bust), flash in the pan last year. Jones had two top-5 weeks and did not register another top-24 game the rest of the season.
1 RB1 Week: Darren Sproles. He was hot late in the year with four top-20 weeks over the final six games.
1 RB1 Week: Karlos Williams. Before he would have a horrific 2016 offseason, Williams had seven top-24 performances.
Random RB1 Weeks
- Bishop Sankey, RB4 in W1
- Mike Gillislee, RB14 and RB9 late in the year
- DuJuan Harris, RB2 in W17
- Ahmad Bradshaw, RB6 midseason with no other top-40 weeks
- Denard Robinson, back-to-back top-16 weeks in December.
- Chris Thompson, just one (RB8) top-24
Looking for Cheap 2016 RB1 Performers
*Looking for Round 3 rookie pick-type trade value, all the way down to waiver wire adds*
Baltimore Running Backs: Pick any of them, all are viable bets to log RB1 weeks. Javorius Allen and Terrance West are the cheapest investments.
Terrell Watson: While I have not been a fan of his tape in the preseason, he still projects as the interior grinder behind Crowell in case of injury.
Stevan Ridley: The latest add for the lackluster Colts backfield beyond Frank Gore. If he sticks, the best talent of the bunch.
LeGarrette Blount, Tyler Gaffney: Both are cheap bets for multiple touchdowns in a game this season as power backs in New England.
Khiry Robinson: Still like the talent, could be interior option if Matt Forte is out of the lineup.
Chris Thompson, Rob Kelley: Matt Jones was a non-factor outside of two games as a rookie. Kelley (inside) and Thompson (passing game) offer RB1 upside if Jones is out of the lineup or fumbling away his opportunity as the lead back.
Peyton Barber: More and more, I sense Barber being the interior option of a committee if Doug Martin were to miss time.
Shaun Draughn: He had four weeks of RB2 numbers last year. Without a strong challenger to Carlos Hyde’s primary backup role, Draughn is an ideal bet.
Darren Sproles: After six weeks in the top-20 a year ago, Sproles is a dirt-cheap bet to have the No.2 role (and likely No.1 passing role) in Philadelphia.
Rashad Jennings: Still cheap, still the No.1 option with the Giants.
Tim Hightower: A late-season darling in 2015 with three top-10 weeks over the final month. Projects as the best interior option behind oft-injured Mark Ingram.
James Starks: Another year, another opportunity as the unquestioned backup to Eddie Lacy.
Detroit Power Backs: Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington are both cheap and offer touchdown upside weekly. An Ameer Abdullah injury would pave the way to a top-20 projection for one of them.
Alfred Morris: With the likely run game volume for Dallas, Morris is one of the few backups with top-12 upside any given week.
Chris Johnson: Projects as the replacement to David Johnson if injury occurs. Chris Johnson had three weeks of top-24 production in the first half of 2015
