Top 10 RB Rankings + Best Ball Breakdown - Fantasy Football Podcast for 8/7

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast - Episode Summary: "Top 10 RB Rankings + Best Ball Breakdown" (Released August 7, 2020)

In this engaging episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright delve deep into their Top 10 Running Back (RB) Rankings for the upcoming NFL season, followed by a comprehensive Best Ball Breakdown tailored for Underdog Fantasy players. The episode is packed with insightful analysis, strategic advice, and lively discussions that cater to both seasoned fantasy managers and newcomers alike.

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1. Introduction and Foot Clan Friday

The episode opens with the hosts celebrating the first-ever Foot Clan Friday, a segment dedicated to their most loyal listeners. Jason Moore announces a giveaway of a Sammy Watkins signed jersey, congratulating Ashley Kent as the lucky winner (03:44). This segment emphasizes the community-focused nature of the podcast and rewards listener engagement.

Notable Quote:

Jason Moore (03:44): "An exclusive item every Friday to the Foot Clan. Thanks for supporting the show and enjoy your Sammy Watkins jersey from pristineauction.com."

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2. Co-Managing Teams in Fantasy Football

The hosts shift gears to discuss the dynamics of co-managing fantasy teams, highlighting the challenges and benefits of sharing managerial responsibilities. Jason Moore candidly admits his struggles with co-managing, while Mike Wright suggests pragmatic solutions like delegating specific tasks or using coin flips to resolve disagreements.

Notable Quotes:

Jason Moore (05:32): "Knowing that the Bonjour was on the way. Co managing is. I have a confession to make. I'm a terrible co manager."

Mike Wright (08:31): "Who founded the team? Look, you get a slight edge when it comes to the vote of the start sit or the, or the draft pick."

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3. NFL Opt-Outs and Player News

The discussion moves to the NFL and NFLPA opt-out period, with Jason Moore noting that only a few significant players, like Damian Williams and Devin Funches, opted out as of the deadline. The low number of opt-outs is seen as positive news for fantasy managers, maintaining player availability and competitive balance.

Notable Quote:

Jason Moore (09:07): "Nothing really significant happened. Yesterday there were 66 opt outs in total across all positions... 2.5% of the NFL player base."

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4. Top 10 Running Back Rankings

The core of the episode revolves around the hosts' Top 10 RB Rankings, each providing detailed analysis and justifications for their placements.

1. Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey tops the list unanimously. His dual-threat capability as a runner and receiver makes him an invaluable asset in both standard and PPR (Points Per Reception) leagues. Andy Holloway emphasizes McCaffrey's reliability despite changes in his team’s offensive structure.

Notable Quotes:

Andy Holloway (14:12): "He just rebukes it. It doesn't land. But he is oil."

Jason Moore (17:36): "There has been 116 catches, and that's what Christian McCaffrey had last year. The 141 targets would have been eighth at the wide receiver position."

2. Ezekiel Elliott

Coming in second, Ezekiel Elliott is praised for his consistent performance and pivotal role in the Dallas Cowboys offense. While concerns about potential reduced workload due to Tony Pollard's involvement are noted, his overall reliability keeps him high on the rankings.

Notable Quote:

Andy Holloway (20:48): "He is by far the safest running back. To me, his offense is intact."

3. Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley secures the third spot, highlighted for his explosive playmaking ability and high touchdown potential. Despite previous injury concerns, his athleticism and central role in the offense make him a top-tier fantasy asset.

Notable Quote:

Mike Wright (24:29): "He's going to have more of them that will push you in fully into victories like week 16."

4. Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook is ranked fourth, with the hosts acknowledging his dominant performance last season tempered by injury risks. His workload and offensive team's stability are key factors in his placement.

Notable Quote:

Jason Moore (26:45): "Dalvin Cook made the jump last year, I think Jacobs makes it this year and they involve him in the passing game a little bit more."

5. Clyde Edwards-Helaire

As a rookie, Clyde Edwards-Helaire receives commendation for his immediate impact in the Kansas City Chiefs' high-powered offense. His versatility and potential for touchdown opportunities make him a promising pick.

Notable Quote:

Andy Holloway (35:58): "Clyde Edwards Allaire is more talented than either of those guys, LaShawn or Damian Williams."

6. Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara sparks debate with his sixth-place ranking. Jason Moore places him higher, citing his receiving prowess, while Andy Holloway and Mike Wright express concerns about his injury history and usage in the Saints' offense.

Notable Quote:

Mike Wright (37:53): "Alvin Camara is going to catch 80 plus passes. I do not think it is a guarantee that he positively regresses with the touchdown totals on the ground."

7. Derek Henry

Derek Henry remains a powerhouse with his high volume of carries and consistent touchdown scoring. Jason Moore highlights his dominance, while Andy Holloway underscores the essential nature of his role in the Titans' offense.

Notable Quote:

Jason Moore (41:14): "If you get 16 touchdowns again, you do need the touchdowns because the 12 the year before in 2018, 16 last year."

8. Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs is recognized for his potential to elevate into the upper echelons of fantasy RBs. The hosts discuss his increased involvement in the passing game and his growing role within the Raiders' offensive scheme.

Notable Quote:

Jason Moore (44:21): "Josh Jacobs is a flag plant for me this year."

9. Miles Sanders

Miles Sanders ranks ninth amidst some contention among the hosts. Andy Holloway passionately defends his status as a workhorse back, while Jason Moore remains more cautious, considering his offensive environment and potential workload.

Notable Quote:

Andy Holloway (48:20): "There is no chance he is not a workhorse back. He will be one of the few workhorse."

10. Aaron Jones

Rounding out the list, Aaron Jones is lauded for his versatility and touchdown potential. Concerns about his usage and possible regression in touchdown production are discussed, though his role in the Packers' offense remains strong.

Notable Quote:

Mike Wright (52:31): "I like Aaron Jones. I think he's a spectacular talent."

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5. Best Ball Breakdown with Underdog Fantasy

Transitioning from rankings, the hosts introduce the Best Ball Breakdown, offering strategic tips for players participating in Underdog Fantasy's Best Ball format. Andy Holloway emphasizes the importance of drafting diverse running backs from different teams rather than stacking backups from your own team to maximize weekly performance and mitigate risks.

Notable Tips:

• Avoid Stacking Backups: "Don't draft your own team's backup running backs. Do draft other teams' backup running backs."
• Leverage Elite QBs: In smaller leagues, prioritize elite quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as there are limited top-tier options.

Notable Quote:

Andy Holloway (57:51): "Don't draft your own team's backup running backs. Do draft other teams' backup running backs."

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6. Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode wraps up with a reminder to listeners to leave reviews on Apple Podcasts, enhancing the show's visibility and community strength. The hosts also encourage joining their fantasy football community at jointhefoot.com and following them on Twitter at @theffballers for ongoing updates and insights.

Notable Quote:

Jason Moore (60:27): "Do us a favor leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps the show a lot. We'll talk to you on Monday."

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Key Takeaways:

• Christian McCaffrey remains the premier RB choice due to his dual-threat capabilities.
• Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley offer consistency and high touchdown potential, respectively.
• Dalvin Cook and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are strong picks with considerations around injury risks and rookie potential.
• Alvin Kamara, Derek Henry, Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders, and Aaron Jones complete the top 10, each with unique strengths and considerations for fantasy drafts.
• The Best Ball Breakdown provides strategic advice for optimizing team performance in Underdog Fantasy's format, emphasizing diversification and smart drafting strategies.

This episode serves as an invaluable resource for fantasy football enthusiasts aiming to dominate their leagues with well-informed RB selections and strategic best ball tactics.

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Timestamp Guide:

• [03:44] – Foot Clan Friday Giveaway
• [05:32] – Discussion on Co-Managing Teams
• [09:07] – NFL Opt-Outs Update
• [14:12] – Christian McCaffrey Analysis
• [17:36] – McCaffrey's Enhanced Receiving Role
• [20:48] – Ezekiel Elliott's Safety and Consistency
• [24:29] – Saquon Barkley's Touchdown Potential
• [26:45] – Dalvin Cook's Injury Risk
• [35:58] – Clyde Edwards-Helaire's Rookie Impact
• [37:53] – Alvin Kamara's Receiving and Injury Concerns
• [41:14] – Derek Henry's Dominance
• [44:21] – Josh Jacobs' Potential Growth
• [48:20] – Miles Sanders' Workhorse Status
• [52:31] – Aaron Jones' Versatility
• [57:51] – Best Ball Strategy Tips
• [60:27] – Call to Action for Reviews

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Note: The timestamps correspond to segments within the transcript for reference.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

There's some indecisiveness in the air, but I promise you, I don't take this lightly. My fantasy draft, it's an important job. I need someone I can trust and.

[Jason Moore]

The Fantasy footballers are my number one guys.

[Andy Holloway]

Their ultimate draft kit is the everything I need to get ready for my drafts. Don't dance with the devil in a pale moonlight. Jump on over to www.ultimatedraftkit.com. without it, you just might be a dead man.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, this is Austin Eckler and you're listening to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, foreign.

[Andy Holloway]

To the Fantasy Footballers podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, welcome in.

[Mike Wright]

It's Friday time.

[Jason Moore]

You stated that as the fact that it is.

[Mike Wright]

Well, like for us, you know, that's the only experience I could speak from. But we've had such a strange work schedule. We've been at home for so long. Time flattened and ate itself. Like the snake that just bites its tail and consumes itself alive.

[Jason Moore]

Time does not exist.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, school has started. For the children's, much to their chagrin, they're doing the virtual thing. But it's like I woke up and went, holy crap, I know it's Friday. I don't have to wake up at 6:30 in the morning tomorrow. I could sleep in at least a little bit.

[Andy Holloway]

A Friday means something now. Yes.

[Mike Wright]

That's all it meant is hey, Friday.

[Andy Holloway]

I believe I could be wrong here. Someone do the math. I think this is our first Friday show of the year.

[Mike Wright]

That seems like the math checks out.

[Andy Holloway]

Incredible.

[Mike Wright]

Is the computer good?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. What do you do? You the dot matrix printer? Yes. The math checks out. Welcome into the show, the Fantasy Footballers. Annie, Mike and Jason. Back with you, top 10 running backs.

[Mike Wright]

It's time.

[Andy Holloway]

Will Austin Eckler leading us into the show be in the list? Wait and find out.

[Jason Moore]

I know what Mike would do in a situation like this. We have our first best ball breakdown segment on the show today. This is best ball season, so if you are playing at Underdog Fantasy, you are looking for some strategic advice. This is when you do your best ball drafts and we're going to break it down for you at the back half of the show. Get into some mailbag if we have time for it and it is Friday.

[Andy Holloway]

Foot Clan Friday.

[Jason Moore]

As is the tradition here at the Fantasy Footballers, we use Fridays to celebrate the foot clan, the supporters of the show [e-mail] and this year is going to be a little bit better.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean we're both true, it's different but it's better.

[Jason Moore]

Both true. We're both true. As he said this week this what we're doing is we used to give a gift card to shop ballers. We're going to give an exclusive an exclusive item away from Pristine Auction and today's item is a Sammy Watkins signed jersey suits. Cold blooded blooded Sammy Watkins signed jersey goes to Ashley Kent. Congratulations.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you for supporting the show. Ashley.

[Jason Moore]

An exclusive item every Friday to the Foot Clan. Thanks for supporting the show and enjoy your Sammy watkins jersey from pristineauction.com where you can sign up and use the code ballers and get $10 off your first sports memorabilia purchase. So the first Foot Clan Friday in the books for 2020. A reminder. You can get the Ultimate Draft kit atultimatedraftkit.com get ready for your drafts. Makes sense.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Look when you're getting ready for drafts, you need something that's ultimate.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. Yes. I took a little poll on Twitter to see how many people are playing in more leagues or about the same amount of leagues and most of you are doing what you've done over the past few years.

[Mike Wright]

It feels like a status quo year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Yeah. Maybe not adding to the equation as much, but there were. There's still about 20%. Oh, there's maniacs out there that want more M O A r more. Quick question of the day from Alex in British Columbia.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, Bonjour.

[Jason Moore]

Bonjour High ballers. I love co managing a team with a good friend as it gives us lots of reasons to stay in touch. But last year we had a lot of disagreements over starts and sits and do you have any recommendations for successfully co managing?

[Mike Wright]

And they throw in a merci.

[Jason Moore]

Oh yeah, there you go. Knowing that the Bonjour was on the way. Co managing is. I have a confession to make.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

I'm a terrible co manager. In fact, I'm just the worst. I need to stay nimble. I need to stay fresh. I need to be able to do what I need to do. And I have a co owner and his name is Brian in our league of record and maybe co owner is generous in that situation.

[Andy Holloway]

You let him know what you've done.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

By him receiving the email from the platform saying what?

[Mike Wright]

So I guess trade has gone through.

[Jason Moore]

I guess I can say that I have had no problems having an underling.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, so. So there's two types of co owners.

[Mike Wright]

Your team has an intern.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, right.

[Andy Holloway]

Exactly.

[Jason Moore]

Sometimes I ask him for help. When I think about it, sometimes I do things and then get his validation later. And sometimes I forget to tell him at all.

[Andy Holloway]

I think for a lot of people, they don't know. They've never heard of co owners. They had. They don't have any in their league. Co ownership is really, really fun. Two people sharing, you know, the responsibility for a team. But there's two different types of co owners, right? In our league, in the league of record, most teams have a co owner and it's kind of a rite of passage to get your name on the list to be in the league. You know, everybody that is, you know.

[Jason Moore]

There'S a long waiting list to be an owner. And that's like step one of being an eventual owner is you got to be a co owner for some of the teams, be exposed to the league, get yourself primed up.

[Andy Holloway]

So in this situation, I don't blame you, Andy, for being, you know, overlord. Being overlord of your team, because I feel like my co owner is a, is a co owner. Yes, I am the owner of the franchise. You know what I mean? Like it's my team and I have a co owner.

[Jason Moore]

Once again, not a co owner's real definition, but yes, it's.

[Andy Holloway]

Co owner means like co owner's definition.

[Jason Moore]

Let me get like we all three of us are co owners of the Fantasy footballers podcast.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, that's the real definition.

[Andy Holloway]

That would be the other type of code. When two people go in on a team, that's such a bad question.

[Jason Moore]

We have no comprehension of how to do this properly.

[Andy Holloway]

My way to do it properly, I.

[Mike Wright]

Feel like Jason, because your co owner is. Brooks.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Brooks. I've got Michael Butler, I've got, you know, a slew of co owners.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

You have like a whole corporation, right?

[Jason Moore]

An ownership group, right.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean like Jay Z owned a piece of the Nets once upon a time, but he wasn't the main guy, you know, is that fair?

[Mike Wright]

I guess.

[Jason Moore]

I don't know. Are you charging for this? Are you?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah. You guys, let's. You guys let corners come for free. Not in my league.

[Jason Moore]

It's tough. If both are exact equal parts, you're going to have a difference of opinion each and every week on something. And the worst part of that is it's human nature to blame the person that got their way and then got it wrong. So that's the complication.

[Mike Wright]

Here's my solution for this because I would generally say, well, who founded the team? Look, you get a slight edge when it comes to the vote of the start sit or the, or the draft pick. But if you truly are a co managed team, you both Came in together and you have a disagreement, you have no choice but to go to the coin flip. The NFL, the NFL still uses coin flips to start games. They still use coin flips to split ties in draft picks. It's.

[Jason Moore]

I'd rather you blame the coin than the fantasy footballers podcast for a mistake. That's a good point.

[Andy Holloway]

And that would be impossible. Andy.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I have seen it successfully managed like when two, two owners maybe have different responsibilities. Somebody's responsible for like the waiver wire as their primary objective and the other person might be more of a get the starting roster going and somebody else might be more of the trade guy that, that works, you know, or just expand the league and if you can't do that, can't get it going, expand the league, add another. Add another team. Doesn't hurt nobody. And we don't really have any big time news today. We thought we would, we thought we would have probably some significant fantasy football opt outs. The deadline for the NFL and NFLPA opt out period was yesterday at 4 Eastern and nothing happened. I mean Josh Dockson opted out.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

And so the real big off season significant opt out was Damian Williams. You had Devin Funches. He had a couple of wide receivers that were in the mix and you know, like Marquis Goodwin types, but nothing really significant happened. Yesterday there were 66 opt outs in total across all positions offensive defense in the NFL, which is 2.5% of the NFL player base.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And I was going to say that some of these opt outs, I mean the Damian Williams, that one's a major one but the other ones do have like low key fantasy impact that you know it.

[Jason Moore]

Like line play. You're saying like the O lineman.

[Mike Wright]

Well, yeah, the offensive line. But I'm speaking specifically to skill players. Where the Devin Funches opt out in Green Bay, you didn't.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

The Aaron Rodgers wide receiver two hasn't been of value of fantasy value as they have been in past years but you know, it's still a possibility. And when Devin Funchester is getting the contract, the free agent acquisition, not a major one, but still a free agent acquisition that the team wanted is. Okay, well Devin Funches be that or will it be Alan Lazard? To me now it is clearly Alan Lazard.

[Andy Holloway]

You don't think it's going to be functions now that he's opted out.

[Mike Wright]

Exactly. That's. I mean that's my point. And for Miami.

[Jason Moore]

No, Miami is a good example too.

[Mike Wright]

Mike Gasicki is now, now feels like a much safer breakout pick. I know there's you know, Twitter has been Mike Kazicki's face. Some Twitter backlash for not being elusive, not getting yards after the catch like George Kittle. But his opportunity is now secure where he doesn't have to deal with fighting for slot reps with Albert Wilson.

[Jason Moore]

And does he get like, you're not elusive DMs on Twitter. Is that what happens? That feels like it would hurt me if somebody sent that to me.

[Mike Wright]

So, number one, never ever tag a player for fantasy football. This is a motto I live by and I hope that our audience lives by it as well. They don't need to be brought into it. But like Albert Wilson could have been a problem for Gasicki to be a big slot tight end and Marquis Goodwin field stretcher for the Philadelphia Eagles. Him opting out, I do believe forces Jalen Rager or their hand to get Jalen Rager more involved than they were kind of talking about at the beginning of the off season.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, the Miami News. I adjusted risk ratings associated with Devonte Parker and Mike Gasicki when you saw a little bit more clarity in the. In the targets. So.

[Mike Wright]

And Devin Ozzy.

[Andy Holloway]

Ozzy.

[Mike Wright]

Oi, oi. Rookie tight end for the Patriots might.

[Jason Moore]

Get some action because Matt Lacoste is gone.

[Mike Wright]

That is correct.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Anything's possible, Mike. That's what everything is.

[Mike Wright]

Everything at the tight end position. Every single year we. You go in.

[Jason Moore]

You need to be careful, though, because we say we know what rookie tight ends do in general.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I'm just saying you're like an 11 out of 10 on Aussie Ozzy hype right now. I'm just warning you for the man's name.

[Mike Wright]

I love the man's name.

[Andy Holloway]

I give the man's name a high score, but not his fantasy production this year. I think I'd rather have Jeremy Sprinkle.

[Mike Wright]

No, you would not.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Another good name, right?

[Andy Holloway]

Another. And who? So whose name is better?

[Jason Moore]

Jeremy Sprinkle.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I feel like you're going right to the dessert.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, of course. I mean, look at my body. I am a man of desserts.

[Mike Wright]

I am of desserts. I am built by desserts.

[Andy Holloway]

That's right.

[Mike Wright]

I am 60% dessert.

[Jason Moore]

If he was a thing, we'd have cupcake jokes. There's no doubt.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yeah. Jeremy Sprinkle. Get on it.

[Jason Moore]

Take care of business.

[Andy Holloway]

Also, folk land, do not draft either of these players.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, absolutely. Do you have any other news that you want to bring up? Any other things to talk about? Are we now?

[Mike Wright]

We're good. Let's get into the running backs.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's do it. Running backs, number one.

[Mike Wright]

This one will surprise everybody.

[Jason Moore]

Shocker. We. We discussed this in internally here. We spent some time breaking things down, looking at it analytically, watching film.

[Andy Holloway]

I was pretty upset that you guys copied my ranking here, to be honest.

[Jason Moore]

See, I thought you copied my ranking.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And I thought you guys copied my ranking.

[Jason Moore]

It is, of course, Eddie Lacy.

[Andy Holloway]

That's right.

[Jason Moore]

Now, Christian McCaffrey is the number one running back on our board. Not a surprise. We are going through our consensus top 10 running back rankings, half PPR and Christian McCaffrey's at the top of the list. He came out yesterday and said, look, I would draft myself first. Becoming the first fantasy player to ever have that level of confidence in himself.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I like it.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, you gotta love confidence.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

There are things that have been brought up on the show to, you know, you can't throw cold water on Christian McCaffrey. He just rebukes it. It doesn't land. But he is oil.

[Andy Holloway]

Repels the water.

[Jason Moore]

He is oil. You're right. You're right. And McCaffrey will be in a position where we once again, like, you know, different offensive system, different head coach, different quarterback. Those variables are in play also, you know, running backs, they fluctuate at the top of these lists. But McCaffrey's as guaranteed as anybody gets. He is the center piece of their offense. And he had, you know, when you look at wide receivers in the top 12, several wide receivers come from teams that were, you know, not successful on the field, high draft pick teams, not as common at the running back position. And yet McCaffrey was one of those guys. I mean, he was number one in the league on a very bad team that struggled to get around the goal line, that struggled at the quarterback position. And so, you know, it's probably fair to say things are upgraded for Christian McCaffrey from a team perspective. And so anything that he would miss by way of a little bit of volume is probably safe. I mean, there's. I just don't have a different expectation for him this year.

[Andy Holloway]

No, I mean, the reason is because of his receiving work, right? Yep. He is. I forget the stat, but if you just took his receiving work and put him in the wide receivers, he's basically one of the best wide receivers in fantasy football. You get that added to his rushing total. And so that's why, you know, if you're going to be a running back, you know, Derek Henry is not going to succeed if the Titans are a bad team. But Christian McCaffrey can succeed when his team is bad because they dumped the ball off. And the thing I really love is the fact that their offensive line is bad. Teddy Bridgewater is an accurate. Not, you know, pushing the ball down the field, but dumping it out, getting it out quick.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, quick decisions.

[Andy Holloway]

It's basically a perfect alignment for DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey to have success this year. The fact that their defense is bad, they're completely trying to rebuild it. Their offensive line is bad. Their quarterback is a great, short, accurate passer. It just all lines up there are, you know, if at the end of the year, Christian McCaffrey is the running back five because of all these changes, nobody's going to be shocked. But you have to put him number one based on what he's done in the past. And while we, the fans, footballers. I don't know if you. I don't think we've announced this on the main show, but what are you doing? You might want to check out our website and check out these new hot player profiles that we've got coming soon. But I've been doing some work behind the scene on the athletic profiles. And when you just look at Christian McCaffrey and what he's able to do, not for fantasy, but just as a human being, you're like, oh, I see why he's so good at football.

[Jason Moore]

The there's only been 18 wideouts in NFL history with 116 catches, and that's what Christian McCaffrey had last year. The 141 targets would have been eighth at the wide receiver position.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jason Moore]

And then let's just throw in 287 on the ground, 1387 yards and 15 touchdowns on a team that struggled at times on offense. He can break the big play percentage chance that CMC repeats as the RB1. That's a good question. As we move towards the second player on our list. I put it at about 50%.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I'm right. I was thinking 45%, which that's very high. Would be my largest percentage. You know, even though it is. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I would say this is the most confident I've been in the RB one. Repeating. I'm still lower than you guys. I would put it at about 35, maybe even 30%, but follow the money. Got the bag. Who's behind him in the depth chart? Reggie Super Bonafon?

[Jason Moore]

Well, the big. The reason I have so much confidence in it compared to like maybe previous years is the gap is not small between the Saquon Barkley and the Ezekiel Elliott reception totals of last year, it's double. He has double the receptions of those two players last year and obviously Saquon with the injuries and things like that. But I don't have some tremendous amount of confidence that New York's going to, you know, up that total tremendously. So that's why that percentage is higher than maybe previous years.

[Andy Holloway]

And. And throwing this out there. Last thing I think we should say on Christian McCaffrey, the depth chart is part of the confidence in him. There's really nobody to, you know, you brought up Reggie Bonifant as the backup, but it is also worth noting because people sometimes are drafting the backup, that it could be Mike Davis. And I would. In fact, I just did a best ball league where I did draft Mike Davis, not Reggie Bonifa.

[Jason Moore]

All right, number two on our consensus rankings. Number two for me. Number two for Jason. Number three for Mike. Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys. He's as reliable a fantasy option at running back as you can really get. Average 19.2 fantasy points per game and 24 touches per game through his 56 NFL games coming into the year. Lost to center Travis Frederick. He retired. Kind of didn't have him for all of last year. Kellen Moore, still the offensive coordinator. It's an offense that can move the football. Great deal of confidence in Dak Prescott and what they were able to do last year. When I look at Zeke, I guess the only thing that comes to mind from a negative perspective is I don't think Zeke's going to finish a lot of blowouts. I think Tony Pollard is going to get some playing time. In those situations, you'll probably be looking, you know, you have the great Zeke game, first three quarters, and you're saying, man, this could become one of those monster games. Might not be on the field a lot in them, just because I think they like Tony Pollard. I think they want to give him some opportunities to do things here and there, but it really doesn't affect, obviously, my ranking on Zeke. He's number two.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I mean, what it does is it says that instead of being the running back one that week, he's going to be the running back six on a weekly basis. And so it takes a little bit of the edge off. But on the flip side, not on the upside, but on the downside, he is the safest.

[Mike Wright]

Lot of sides, a lot of side.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, you know, we're all this coin talk. There's at least two sides every coin.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's what I've heard.

[Andy Holloway]

He is by far the safest running back. To me, his offense is intact. His offensive coordinator is the same. Even though the head coach has changed. He has been the most consistent running back since he entered the league. The fewest number of bus games last season. Literally not one bus game. Nobody, not even Christian McCaffrey, could say that. And you do have this extra wrinkle of the fact that we know he has gone through the coronavirus and you.

[Mike Wright]

We don't know, man.

[Andy Holloway]

We know.

[Jason Moore]

This is an absolutely worthy point to bring up, that one.

[Andy Holloway]

We know he went through it because he said it, and he was upset that his agent said that, but we know that one. And my point is. So I was just the number two draft pick in an expert, best ball league, full ppr, and I had the choice between Saquon and Zeke, and that was the tiebreaker for me. So, I mean, if it matters to me, I think it would matter to others in the sense that it's just one. I mean, look, I love both those guys. You could, I don't know, flip a coin between them. But that was my tiebreaker, and I think it's. I just can't imagine anyone safer than Zeke. I can't. He. He doesn't get injured. He can carry the workload. He's got a great offensive line, a great offense, continuity, and he's always been great. That's why he. I think some people would be surprised that he's number two and not Saquon.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And speaking of the. The player that I have at number two, we're gonna get into that, but first, want to thank today's sponsor, fantasy Champs. This is the place you need to go for your fantasy hardware. You want to show off the. The victory. Grab a trophy, grab a ring, grab a belt. Just grab something for fantasychamps.com so you can rub it in everybody else's face that you were the winner and they were not. In fact, they were all losers. So remind them of that on a daily basis. And right now, they're running a promo that if you buy a trophy or a belt and you use the code baller draft, they're gonna give you a free draft kit. If you're doing something, you know, where you like to. You're a little bit of an analog person, you know, not digital analog. You want to put it up on the board. You can get a free one using the code baller draft. Save 39 bucks if you buy a trophy or belt. That's fantasychamps.com.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Mike, did you want to add anything to the Zeke or we move on.

[Mike Wright]

It's just a transition of. The reason I have Zeke at number three is because I have Saquon Barkley at number two. And the reason for that is I'm going with burst. I'm going with huge games. Instead of the consistency. I will not argue, I think that Zeke is a safer pick. He's going to be a top 24 running back each and every week. But those ceiling games, Barkley is going to have more of them that will push you in fully into victories like week 16. If you were in your championship week and you had Saquon Barkley, you could have benched everybody else on the team and he would have handled the business by himself. It's hard for me to see those games coming at any sort of regular clip. For Zeke, it was nice to have the touchdown positive regression come back where you, you know, he was over 1400 yards two years ago and only hit six touchdowns. It bounced back the way that it should. But because of the, the high ceiling games that. That can come from Saquon Barkley, which, I mean, he was hitting ceilings all the time until the injury and the recovery time of the injury. That's why I have Saquon number three, week seven on. Number two.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, week seven on. He was the RB5. I got no problem with that, Mike. I think in a full ppr, I think Saquon has, you know, like you said, breakaway potential on any given play. That's what he's shown outside of the injury window. Picks up Jason Garrett as an offensive.

[Andy Holloway]

Coordinator, which I don't mind at all. I mean, to me you have Jason Garrett coming from the Cowboys where he used Ezekiel Elliott as a workhorse. So no fears of him trying to put some committee in place when you've got Saquon.

[Jason Moore]

Mike, big news for you. I know from the 4th of August this came out, according to Empire Sports Media, Saquon Barkley's thighs actually look like they have gotten bigger.

[Mike Wright]

That's impossible.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, no. Can he still walk?

[Jason Moore]

Can the Grand Canyon become more grand?

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, goodness gracious, that's impossible.

[Jason Moore]

He still walk.

[Mike Wright]

How does this man put pants on?

[Andy Holloway]

Those are custom. Those are. That's a custom pant right there.

[Jason Moore]

Zip ups.

[Andy Holloway]

Like.

[Mike Wright]

Do you remember the, the old, like, like general pants where it would like really, really skinny on the bottom, but then they just.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

What did you wear? What did you used to wear in high school? Jinkos. Jinkos could fit those.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yeah, it's true.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe a little Tight.

[Mike Wright]

But look, say.

[Andy Holloway]

These are my skinny jeans.

[Mike Wright]

Someone introduced Cua to his skinny jeans are Jinkos.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man. Give me my skinny jeans, honey.

[Andy Holloway]

Here's your jiggle.

[Mike Wright]

We're going out tonight.

[Andy Holloway]

He's great. I agree with Mike that he his upside on a weekly basis. He will give you higher explosive games. His athletic profile is off the charts. What he's done his entire career has been great until he got injured last year and it had a little bit slower time getting back from the high ankle sprain. But obviously at the end of the year you saw it. I'm 100% fine with any one of these three guys taking them number one. I would have no problem.

[Mike Wright]

We did see the targets go down for Barkley when they made the switch to Daniel Jones, but again, that's. It was a small sample that you can't say for certainty that's what's going to happen next year. He's still going to get a bunch of targets.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Dalvin Cook at number four. We weren't positive he would end up here by this time, but he is.

[Mike Wright]

He's back.

[Jason Moore]

He's back and I've got him at 4. Mike has him at 4, Jason at 5. He was absolutely dominant to begin the year. He was the RB2 from weeks one through 14. And my guess, if I were to presume upon my colleagues here, would be that the reason he doesn't fit in that top three tier is the injury risk. We saw it at the very end of the year. And so you know that you have a window here. It wasn't one week, two week, three week. You have a 14 week window where he was the RB2 in that Spanish. But he didn't help you in the fantasy playoffs. He has a history of not being able to finish seasons and so that knocks him down a little bit. It raises that risk rating up. But at the same time, if you're comfortable with that risk, he is the player that, you know, we get the question of where do you want to draft? Like if you could pick your own draft spot, are you comfortable going down into the 4, 5, 6 range? If you look at Dalvin Cook in the same lens as a Saquon or as a Zeke, then you know, that gives you the opportunity to draft higher in the second round. I think that this offense is built. I mean, we've seen it around Dalvin Cook. This is also a team that I have a little bit more confidence in the stability of than somebody like the New York Giants or even Christian McCaffrey. At the top. So, you know, you just have to take that injury risk if that's. If you're going to go. Dalvin Cook.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I would be curious if he didn't get injured at the end of the season, played through the playoffs. It was just completely healthy because like you said, great Glass entirety of the season, he was the running back to. He averaged 20 points a game and half PPR. That was, you know, you think about Austin Eckler was great. He was number five. He was down at 17 points per game. So he was dominant. And if he had stayed healthy, would he be, you know, up in that conversation with the other three guys we mentioned 100%?

[Jason Moore]

I think he would, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

But I mean, the reality is he has an injury that has a degree of needing surgery in the future. Like, there's a percentage that is higher than 10% that he will need surgery in the future, and that is enough for me to worry about him. He's not my number four, you know, but the workload, if he plays 16, I think everyone would say he's going to be one of those rare elite backs that give you double production in.

[Jason Moore]

1/3 most goal line carries last year despite missing two games.

[Mike Wright]

That's hot.

[Jason Moore]

Second in fantasy points per game, fourth in evaded tackles and an offense entirely Zimmer fied. He wants to run that football.

[Andy Holloway]

And you get Gary Kubi. Gary Kubes. Kubbs is leading the charge. He is now the offensive coordinator. Kubes is. You know how we talk about Kyle Shanahan and about how his team has always been able to get the running game going the way that nobody else has? Well, not the way nobody else has. He got it. He got it from his daddy, and his daddy worked with Kubiak, and their system is unbelievable. That was part of what made Dalvin Cook last year. But now Kubiak is totally in charge. So if you want to take a shot at health and you take him number four, I don't have any problem with it. But I, you know, we've talked about this before. My draft strategy in the first round is that everyone is great. Everyone has the chance to be top five at their position. So I avoid risk. I avoid things that are seeable coming. You know what I mean? Like we. If he gets injured, we're going to go. Ah, dang it. I knew it.

[Jason Moore]

But that's not enough for you. I mean, I understand the risk aversion, but is that enough for you to go select a Michael Thomas over at Alvin Cook? Yeah. So you would if you're sitting there. You would.

[Andy Holloway]

I would not.

[Jason Moore]

But my answer to the question is I would not.

[Andy Holloway]

That is enough to make that decision. If you are looking at, you know, and if I was in a three wide receiver ppr, I would take Michael Thomas over Dalvin Cook.

[Mike Wright]

So you have Alvin Camara ranked higher than Dalvin Cook?

[Andy Holloway]

I do, yes.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, so you have, you're taking Alvin Camara at pick four.

[Andy Holloway]

Correct.

[Mike Wright]

And then so pick five, you would, you would at least consider going Michael Thomas over Dalvin Cook if it was.

[Andy Holloway]

A three wide receiver full ppr. Yeah, if it's.

[Mike Wright]

And then.

[Jason Moore]

Well, we'll talk about Alvin Camara shortly. But I mean he has similar injury concerns.

[Mike Wright]

And then the final thing. So the. Because Jason and I have both been pretty vocal about if I'm willing to take the risk on Dalvin Cook, I am drafting the insurance running back, the backup running back, Alexander Madison, who has, if you looked at the adp, you know, early in the offseason with all the, the hullabaloo about a possible holdout, Madison was jumped up to, you know, seventh, even the sixth round. He has since plummeted. Jason, where are you targeting? You draft Cook now you're going to target Madison. I think you're going to make sure you get him. So which round are you.

[Andy Holloway]

I think you'll get him every ninth round. I think he'll be there because the holdout is over. Nobody who doesn't have Cook is going to draft Alexander Madison. Not nobody, but the vast majority of leagues. He'll be there for you in the ninth round. And if I take Cook, I am my ninth round pick is auto locked in and if I'm super late in the ninth, then maybe you consider it in the eighth.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's move on to number five on our consensus list and we start to get some more diversion between us at this point. But it is amazingly Clyde Edwards Allaire. The Kansas City Chiefs talked about Damian Williams opt out. The hype around Clyde first round draft pick hand selected by Patrick Mahomes and I have met seven, Jason at six, Mike at five and he ends up five in our consensus rankings because of some differences of opinion on the players after in my rankings. So 10 touchdowns. Is that a safe projection for Clyde Edwards Alaire?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, to me that is safe. You're talking about the number one scoring offense or at least whatever top three. If Kansas City has a bad year, they're third. So you're talking about a huge opportunity for touchdowns. The fact that he, he was a first round running Back. I get it. You know, maybe you're nervous about drafting a rookie running back in the first round, but he was drafted in the first round and we see time and time again these players get opportunity immediately. There was a little bit of concern with Damian Williams being the presumed starter, but now that he has opted out for his family, Clyde Edwards is the unquestioned starter of this team. He's going to get first round draft capital opportunity on a very high scoring offense and on an offense that the running back doesn't just score rushing touchdowns like we saw, you know, Kareem Hunt and Damian Williams both having major success of scoring reception or receiving touchdowns, which not all running backs have that in.

[Jason Moore]

Their repertoire, but all the Chiefs running backs do. And that's the kind of interesting point with Clyde Edwards. Allaire is the other two significant players in the backfield were drafted to be the same thing or picked up as well. DeAndre Washington at Texas Tech with Patrick Mahomes, another guy he had an influence in bringing in can catch the ball. Darwin Thompson, he can catch the football. Started to progress a little bit in that respect towards the end of the year. So you may see. I mean, I don't disagree with anything you're saying. I think Clyde gets the majority work, but I think those two guys will be worked in as well.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, to me, this is the opportunity to have Edwards, Allaire come in, in game one, be the guy. I, that's how I see it happening. Now, that's not to say that the other players won't be utilized, but I think they want him involved getting the experience in his rookie season and it's kind of, you know, Damian Williams forced the issue and if he is involved in, you know, being more of a workhorse, more of a old school Lashawn McCoy role that Andy Reid had, not last year's Lashawn McCoy that Andy Reid.

[Mike Wright]

Had who still had success on the field.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean, I just can't fathom, you know, with the lanes. I talked a lot of trash talk about Damian Williams. I did not think he was a great running back. I thought he was an average running back. He's fast, but he's not something special.

[Jason Moore]

And I believe you would point to LaShawn McCoy stats last year as evidence of Damian Williams being in a good situation. Productive, but not.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, and I would point even more to the Damian Williams stats in the.

[Jason Moore]

Sense that it's a good thing to point to.

[Andy Holloway]

He was great for fantasy, but I don't think he was a great running back. Clyde Edwards Allaire is more talented than either of those guys, Lashawn at last year or Damian Williams now. And so when he gets the full opportunity, he will be outstanding. I mean, you know this.

[Jason Moore]

What is the ceiling for Clyde Edwards Lair before we move on to the number six on our rankings, what is the actual possibility? Where could he finish?

[Andy Holloway]

I think the ceiling is number three. I don't think he's going to get the workload to be the number one. But it's, it's, I mean, as high as it gets.

[Mike Wright]

Ceiling is top three for me.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's go to number six on our list. Alvin Camara.

[Mike Wright]

Star power was not what it usually is for him last year.

[Jason Moore]

I think he would have ended up on our consensus ranks ahead of Clyde Edwards Alair if it wasn't for me. I have him at eight, Jason has him at four, Mike at six. Last year just five touchdowns on the ground in 14 games. Dealt with injuries, dealt with coming back from injury, 81 receptions, which is his required total for three consecutive years on 97 targets. I the reason I have Alvin Camara lower than, you know, in a different tier than some of the other running backs is simple. It is the same exact reason, although inverse in play style, as why Nick Chubb has a bump down comparatively to these guys. You have two competent, not just a backup situation, running backs in the fold. Alvin Camara is going to catch 80 plus passes. I do not think it is a guarantee that he positively regresses with the touchdown totals on the ground. Latavius Murray will be used just like Kareem Hunt will be used in Cleveland. And that takes a little bit of the upside away from these players. When you combine that with an injury history where he gets a little bit banged up, he's been concussed. You've dealt with that each and every year with Alvin Camara. Not in some great degree where it's submarines your whole season, but where, you know, last year was tough. You saw him come back from injury and all of a sudden Alvin Camara was giving you. Yeah, that would be his fantasy finish. Not fantasy points.

[Mike Wright]

Oh no.

[Jason Moore]

In week 14. And you know, Latavius Murray was a complement to this offense. This team was great last year. He is a piece of it. So it just takes a little bit of the upside away from Melvin Camara for me, clearly not for Jason with him at four ahead of Clyde Edwards Allaire. So I'll hand you the baton.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean, yes, he had a week where he was 55. That was his one week. Interesting to Point that out. Where he was bad after the, after he got back from injury. But the other games, you know, 15th, 7th, 8th, 23rd, 5th, 12th, he was always 29th. A valuable back. And that was while he wasn't scoring touchdowns. That was while he wasn't.

[Jason Moore]

He just read everyone off except for the 29.

[Andy Holloway]

That was while he wasn't scoring touchdowns. The continuity for the Saints is incredible. I don't know that there is a team in the league, I mean that has as much continuity. Same head coach, same quarterback, same system, same offensive line in intact. And this is a guy who's been great forever since he came into the league and we, you know, you might worry, oh, the injury. He's missed three games in three years. You know, he's drafted at the same time as Dalvin Cook who's missed 19 games in three years. Camara is, you know, there is no guarantee that the, that the touchdowns regress to the mean, but the statistical probability says it does. And you know, he's always been great at scoring touchdowns. So I do expect his touchdowns to go up. He is healthy. There's no injury report to read on him. Unlike Dalvin Cook's shoulder injury which has, you know, a frequency of needing another surgery. Dalvin Cook had a high ankle sprain. Once that is fully healed, that's just a thing of the past. So I like the offense, I like the continuity. I like what we've seen his entire career. I would be happy to take him number four going into this offseason. I wasn't sure because we had a bad taste in our mouth. Right. Once he got back from injury, he was the running back eight, which is good, but it wasn't like, you know, we're talking about him at the Mario of the first round. Do you want running back eight there? No, you want someone who's top three. But I believe that one, he was struggling coming back from that injury. Same that, you know, happened to Saquon and the touchdowns just didn't happen to go his way. I don't think that's going to stay that way for Camara and for me it's.

[Mike Wright]

I'm not worried about Latavius Murray. Like Alvin Camara had all of his success earlier with Mark Ingram also having success for that team. And Latavius Murray, aside from the two games, you know, in the middle of the season where Camara was out, he's only. Murray was seeing maybe an average of 10 opportunities per game. Camara is still the main guy. You saw his five zone carries drop from 13 down to eight from. So two years ago. 13. Last year only eight. I'm still good drafting Camara as a top.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, you can kind of make the argument however you want. I mean, Latavius Murray has played on the team for one year and even though he's had success with Ingram, the team may use Murray in a different fashion. Those five zone carries are more of a reflection of a confidence in Latavius Murray and, well, Murray only. I mean, I've got, I've got him buried at 8. So I can see why. Why you guys.

[Mike Wright]

Well, we have, this is what we have. We have to fight about this. Yeah, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Number seven.

[Mike Wright]

Fight, fight.

[Andy Holloway]

This is our big differences on this show.

[Jason Moore]

So Derek Henry comes in at number seven on our consensus top 10 running back rankings last year. 303 carries, 1540 yards, 16 touchdowns on the ground. Didn't do any damage through the air. 18 for 206 and 2. But he is just such a volume hog and an efficiency hog. And this is an offense that is built entirely around him. Now he's been paid and you know, he's a beast of a man. He led the league in yards after contact. He led the league in 102 yards a game. You're going to get 100 yards a game from Derek Henry this year. The only question in anyone's mind is do you get 16 touchdowns again?

[Andy Holloway]

And that's what you need. You need a ton of touchdowns, not 16. You know, if he comes through with 13, he's going to be great. But you do need the touchdowns because.

[Jason Moore]

The 12 the year before in 2018, 16 last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Right. And I presume, and I have statted him out to get. He is my league leading, you know, rushing touchdown in projections right now. He last year had seven games where he was a top five running back. And that's including the fact that, you know, the first six weeks of the season he had marks Mariota, the team wasn't that good. The ceiling for Derek Henry. I do think even without the passing game could be that running back one. You know, if, if he gets 20 touchdowns, there's not, there's not a lot of, you know, how many backs out there could you without laughing say, yeah, he could get 20 touchdowns this year.

[Jason Moore]

It reminds me so much of Marshawn lynch when Seattle ran the ball the way they did with, with Marshawn. Where the games were ended with Marshawn lynch. That was the whole. Lynch will give you the two or three touchdown games because the third and fourth quarter were Just hand the ball to him and it still worked. You still picked up first downs. You still picked up big plays. Henry's shown the ability to have breakaways, but there is unquestionably more risk to him because you do not have the kind of wrist, you know, break broken up between. Okay, he didn't run well this game, but he got the passing yardage. If the game scripts start to flip, if the Titans aren't as good of.

[Mike Wright]

A team, if Tannehill is not as good. Exactly, then that will be a problem because, Jason, what you were talking about when Mariota was in, Henry was getting 70 rushing yards a game, still very solid. But that number jumped up to 125 rushing yards per game when Tannehill was in there. And I mean, Tannehill was absolutely dominant for, for Tennessee. So that's the, that's the question is that his success does ride a little bit more on other players of his team then than these other running backs that we're talking about. And then, you know, the offensive line, they did lose Jack Conklin on the right, like, so there is, there is some concern, but I'm not betting against Derek Henry.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Josh Jacobs comes in at number eight. He is number six on my rankings. Eleven for Jason, nine for Mike. Josh Jacobs is a flag plant for me this year.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I believe he makes the jump into the upper tier of, of fantasy running back. I believe he sees an increase in passing work and he showed us in spans last year what he was capable of doing and more importantly for fantasy, the willingness of the head coach to give him sufficient opportunities to be in the upper tier of fantasy running backs.

[Mike Wright]

Now, are you reading it at all into the hype train piece that Coach Gruden was allegedly upset that Kyler Murray took home Rookie of the Year and Josh Jacobs didn't.

[Andy Holloway]

What's.

[Mike Wright]

Because Jacobs easily could have have taken home Rookie of the Year.

[Jason Moore]

I was worried as a Kyler fan.

[Andy Holloway]

As a Kyler fan, I was like, I don't know if Kyler gets this because of Jacob.

[Jason Moore]

I don't think people understand how good he was. Go ahead, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

I just say there, there's, there's whispers in the bushes that Gruden was very upset about it and that he is going to use this year to set out to prove that Jacobs should have been that guy.

[Jason Moore]

Well, to answer your question of, I mean, stroll along narrative streaks, have I considered that? No, because I did not know that, so.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, well, now, you know, that's not.

[Jason Moore]

Part of my consideration. But what is, is he had an incredible rookie season that is kind of forgotten about because he missed weeks 14, 16, 17, played with injuries in week weeks 12 and 13 years, yet still finished the rookie year with over 1100 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns and just, you know, wasn't heavily involved on third down running a lot of routes in the offense. Had a six game or a five game span in the middle of the season where he was on pace for 1600 plus yards has shown, you know, and 400 opportunities. If that's the way that Jon Gruden is willing to use him for a span last year, you know, maybe that gets a little bit more regular in 2020. Dalvin Cook made the jump last year, I think Jacobs makes it this year and they involve him in the passing game a little bit more. His number one attribute coming out of college.

[Andy Holloway]

So he's a great pass catcher and that's the question, right? Is he going to get more involved in the passing game? It was infuriating last year watching him dominate NFL defenders, just make him look silly, run through them, run around him and never really be involved in the passing game. And unlike Todd Gurley who was running routes and was, you know, just not getting the ball thrown to him, not getting open or whatnot, he wasn't involved in the passing game. Now hopefully that's because he was a rookie. They used him as a first and second down running back and didn't want him to have to, you know, shoulder that kind of knowledge and responsibility and pass block and all this stuff.

[Jason Moore]

As much his shoulder was hurt so that was harder.

[Andy Holloway]

There you go.

[Mike Wright]

Hard to shoulder when you got a bad shoulder.

[Andy Holloway]

So, but, but it's common. This has happened before where extremely good rookie running backs who were explosive on the ground had more than 1100 yards rushing and fewer than 30 targets. You see them take that jump next year almost across the board. I'll give you a few examples. You had Cadillac Williams, who ran for 1178 yards, only 25 targets in his rookie year, went up to 44. You had Marshawn Lynch, 1115 yards, only 26 targets, went up to 67 targets the next year. Todd Gurley, you forget rookie year. 1100 yards, only 26 targets, went up to 58 targets. Sometimes these great running backs aren't utilized in the passing game their rookie year and the coach goes, well, they're really great, so I should, I should involve them.

[Mike Wright]

There were some miscalculations last year.

[Jason Moore]

Gruden does have the old school. When I get around the goal line, it Goes to my running back mentality, which, whether you bemoan it as a fantasy or as a NFL fan, he just does that. And so that. I think that gives him a rushing touchdown ceiling as well. Miles Sanders at number nine. I got him at 13, Jason at 7, Mike at 10. To be honest, that feels ridiculous to me that I am somehow the lowest on Miles Sanders.

[Mike Wright]

It is a little bit strange, the.

[Jason Moore]

Drumbeat of the past two years and my confidence that Peterson would eventually submit to a workhorse. But that's where the projections go and that's what we do here on the show is we project stat lines and if they line up a certain way, that's how they line up. Jason, you have him at 7. You've talked a lot about him recently. We probably don't have to spend forever on Miles Sanders.

[Andy Holloway]

But go to the Fire and Ice episode and you'll. You'll hear my fire earlier this week.

[Mike Wright]

Monday's show.

[Andy Holloway]

That was Monday's show. Just go back and you can hear me talk.

[Jason Moore]

It's enough fire to last through the week, I'll tell you that.

[Andy Holloway]

Absolutely. And it's a great episode anyway. So I. I won't say much other than to say I truly believe that there is no chance he is not a workhorse back. He will be one of the few workhorse now how good he is with that with this offense. That's TBD, so.

[Jason Moore]

And you've got to have 50 receptions. I mean, that's.

[Andy Holloway]

You've got to running back 13. That's. He could be a workhorse back and finish as the running back 13.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. David Montgomery.

[Andy Holloway]

That's very, you know, in the realm of outcome. But I am confident that he is a workhorse back this year. He will get the majority of the carries and enough targets be on the field a lot. So. I like him.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I. You've made the case. I don't have any objections to the fact that this is his backfield at this point in time. Last year, 179 carries, 50 receptions. If he's given the opportunity so far in his young career, he's proven he can do it. I do like this team note here from it. Maybe Brooks, maybe Kyle. It just says J. How is gone. Has he ever been called J? How's me? Jordan Howard. That's. He's jhow.

[Andy Holloway]

J.

[Jason Moore]

How Jay Howard not been able to stay on one team. Spice him up a little bit.

[Mike Wright]

Jay, howdy.

[Jason Moore]

Howdy, Jay.

[Andy Holloway]

Howdy.

[Jason Moore]

Gross. All right.

[Mike Wright]

I'm sorry, Jordan.

[Jason Moore]

I'm gonna. I'M gonna hand the baton to Mike here as we wrap up our top 10 running backs. But Aaron Jones comes in at number 10. Not disrespected after that monster finish last year and definitely more up and down than other running backs. Had some disappearing weeks, just how the game flow went. In fact, he had five weeks I believe or four weeks that were not what you expected out of a running back that ended what? Number two?

[Mike Wright]

I believe that's correct.

[Andy Holloway]

Two or three. I think it might be 16 touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Sixteen touchdowns that did not come in the same fashion that Derek Henry's touchdowns came in, but 474 yards through the air, three touchdowns. Aaron Jones, why, why do we have trouble not just awarding him that top spot again?

[Mike Wright]

I would you tell me. Because I still have him as a top 10 guy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean I've got him as an RB1, but he is my last RB1 at running back. 12 and a half point scoring. The reasons are I don't trust Matt Lafleur and I do think A.J. dillon is going to eat some of these touchdowns away. Now the touchdown regression was already AJ Villain. That's right.

[Mike Wright]

Oh no.

[Andy Holloway]

He's going. Touchdown.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. Thank you, thank you.

[Jason Moore]

Takes a little longer to find new drops. Mike.

[Andy Holloway]

You know the reality is he was, he's not going to Repeat, you know, 19 touchdowns next year and that was without AJ Dillon. If he was down at 10, that's still a great number. Now if AJ Villain takes two of those and you're at eight, it just pushes you back a little bit. I expect him to be more involved in the passing game this year because I think A.J. dillon will eat into Jamal Williams role a little bit more. And Jamal Williams is much more of a pass catcher than AJ So he'll make up some ground in the pass catching work. He is electric. He's very Alvin Camara esque as far as talent on the field. If he was playing for the Saints, he would be my running back. 4.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's a really good point. Yeah, I mean with a little bit more clarity in the backfield, little less dependency on the super high touchdown totals, I think it's a fair summary. Mike, you're a big Aaron Jones fan.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I like Aaron Jones. I think he's a spectacular talent. I like the fact that I will have a running back that can hit a home run, you know, on just. He could take a 50 yard reception to the house. 50 yard carry to the house. You saw him. His target share went from 6% up to 12% and if he's even more involved, Jay, is your projection.

[Jason Moore]

That's what we asked for. It is like rarely fantasy owner or you know, fantasy football players in the offseason when we ask for things, do they come true? And this was one where it was like, yeah, we are going to use them more.

[Mike Wright]

And he did have a lot of touchdowns. So perhaps the, the opportunities drop. You know, he had 13 carries inside the five. Those 13 carries turned it eight into eight touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Mike Wright]

Which I mean it sounds pretty egregious but you know, like Dalvin Cook very close in percentage of carries inside the five turning into touchdown. Zeke much higher. Henry much higher. So the actual success inside the five, what is not outlandish, perhaps it's the 13 carries that do come down. Like we saw with Camara where he dropped from 13 down to 8, I think is what I just said. But the 10th most touches at the running back position. I still think Aaron Jones is the main guy. I like AJ Dillon. He's a. If you're not familiar who AJ Dillon is, he comps very similarly size, build, athleticism to Derek Henry. So like I am not calling him Derrick Henry by any means, but you shouldn't be shocked if he turns out to be a Derek Henry type player. But for now, Aaron Jones is the guy. I still believe that the packers will be a solid team.

[Jason Moore]

He's one of the easiest to doubt. But that could cost you.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

When you find an argument, we're talking top 10 running back.

[Mike Wright]

So he is, he does carry risk. Higher risk than a lot of players.

[Andy Holloway]

He has fallen in a draft to where he's easy to grab. The aforementioned league where I was the number two pick and I took Ezekiel Elliott. I was able to grab Aaron Jones, that is at the end of the second round.

[Jason Moore]

That's outstanding.

[Mike Wright]

There's such polar opposites of Aaron Jones being inconsistent but high ceiling games. That would be, that would be an incredible start.

[Jason Moore]

That's probably the best combo you could imagine ending up with because you did it, Jason.

[Mike Wright]

Congratulations.

[Andy Holloway]

That's right, I did it.

[Jason Moore]

Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Clyde Edwards Allaire, Alvin Camara, Derek Henry, Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders and Aaron Jones. And we will have another running backs rankings show on Monday.

[Andy Holloway]

Best ball breakdown presented by underdog fantasy super.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. It is time for our first underdog fantasy best ball breakdown segment. As we head into 2020, we're going to be bringing you a weekly strategy segment for best ball players because best ball is back. It's very fun to you, it's all about the draft, which is what the offseason of mock drafting, all that stuff is. And this, you know, just adds that element of look, you might win some money. You can play on Underdog Fantasy. You can sign up today, enter their best ball mania for a chance at 1 million in prizes. You just go to underdogfantasy.com or search for underdog Fantasy app in the App Store. Jason will be bringing us the tip of the week.

[Andy Holloway]

Except hold up, wait a minute.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, it's a chopper.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm going to go with two today.

[Mike Wright]

Before you do, Jake, into the tips, just want to elaborate a little bit more for underdog. People have asked us. Draft is gone. I used to play all my best ball on draft. I'm sad. Where do I, what do I do? If you played on draft, you will like Underdog Fantasy. Trust me.

[Andy Holloway]

The app is amazing. I mean it really like, it really is great. It's the best place to play. And that's a genuine, heartfelt truth from, from me. So here is my first of all tip number one. Do these. It makes you better at fantasy. It lets you see where people are taking people. In real life, you're not drafting a mock draft against a computer that's just drafting based on adp, that's drafting based on a circular logic of computers drafting that same adp. This is real people taking the players where they will in a real draft. So my first tip here, and this is very different, we don't usually, maybe with the COVID year, we don't usually draft backup running backs in draft season in your home leagues and your redraft leagues, you're just going to hold on to them for a couple of weeks, need a roster spot, end up dropping them and then picking them up later off of waivers when and if the starter goes down. But in best ball, you've got a very deep league and very often these, these insurance options for great teams are best ball league winners. All of a sudden your, you know, 20th round pick can, or your 10th round pick can all of a sudden become your highest scoring player on a week. But here is what you don't want to do. You draft Zeke, don't draft Tony Pollard, don't do it. Here's why in basketball you have to, you have to win. There's no playoffs. You're not trying to be in the.

[Jason Moore]

Top half or the, you have to win the league.

[Andy Holloway]

One of the six best teams, you're, you're trying to win the league. If Zeke goes down, yes Pollard gets better, but your team overall does not get better. Got worse. So yay, you finished fourth out of 12. You did, you did your best.

[Mike Wright]

You survived. You dreaded the water.

[Andy Holloway]

Good job. Great. Good job, champ. What you want to do is if you draft Zeke or if you draft whoever you draft, grab other people's insurance policies, other people's backup running backs. If you've got Zeke and Saquon, grab Alexander Madison and Chase Edwards. Then all of a sudden when Edmonds. What did I say? Edwards. You did Chase Edmonds.

[Mike Wright]

Then if you almost convinced me it was Edwards, sure.

[Andy Holloway]

You know, then if those starters go down, your team just gets better and it becomes elite. So don't draft your own team's backup running backs. Do draft other teams, backup running backs. And here's the other tip, the secret tip, if you're playing on underdog, you could play like, you know, three man leagues. They're not all 12 man rosters. If you're in a three man league, the elite, here's the players that really matter a lot. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Travis Kelsey, George Kittle. Those guys matter. Everyone's going to be stacked at running back and wide receiver. And sometimes you'll find yourself in a three person league where the other people are just constantly loading up on these running backs and wide receivers and letting you snag these quarterbacks that they're like, oh, I'm late round quarterback. Well, yeah, but there's so few. There's only three teams.

[Jason Moore]

There's three teams.

[Andy Holloway]

So the difference between the truly elite at the position make a difference. I'll give you an example. I just did a draft where I was the first pick, got Christian McCaffrey, I have Dalvin Cook and Clyde Edwards, Allaire. You know, the running backs are good.

[Mike Wright]

Wow, you drafted pretty well.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, well, here's the thing. I also have Lamar Jackson and Patrick.

[Jason Moore]

Did he get Chase Edwards?

[Andy Holloway]

I can't find him in the system. But you know, after a couple picks, they weren't. I was shocked to see them there. So I just hit Pat Mahomes and Lamar Jackson and then the next round got Travis Kelsey and Zach Ertz, those players at those positions. The other two teams can't compete with me at those positions now.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you, Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

You're welcome.

[Jason Moore]

That was very energetic as well. Underdogfantasy.com if you want to play some basketball. By the way, do you know who Chase Edwards is friends with? Darnell Anderson. That'll do it for this episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Do us a favor leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps the show a lot. We'll talk to you on Monday.

[Mike Wright]

See you next week. Goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter at theffballers.