It’s never too early to project where the top fantasy
performers should reside for the upcoming fantasy football draft. ADF is
providing our insight to where current players should be ranked as of today.
This listing will of course be modified as the offseason continues to move
forward. Projections are based upon 2017 PPR formats.
TOP 50 Fantasy
Running Backs:
Todd
Gurley | LAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 25.82 |Rank 1
After an
abysmal 2016 season, Todd Gurley reaffirmed himself as one of the top runners
in the NFL behind a much improved LA Rams offense under coach McVay. Leading
the league and becoming the top producing running back in 2017 leaves little to
argue that Gurley won’t pick up where he left off. The Rams have continued to
add pieces to the club on both sides of the ball which should allow Gurley to
again be the vocal point of this offense seeing few stacked boxes and enjoying
gaping holes from his offensive line. With the recent addition of speedster
wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the mix, the Rams should be one of the most
explosive offensive units in the NFL. ADF could easily endorse Todd Gurley as
the top pick in fantasy drafts this season.
David
Johnson | ARZ | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 15.00 |Rank 2
Losing his
entire 2017 season to injury (broken arm), David Johnson looks to rebound with
fresh legs and one less year of wear on his frame. Johnson was an absolute
animal on the field in 2016 piling up an incredible 2118 total yards from
scrimmage while rushing the ball only 293 times and adding 80 receptions to his
statistical totals. The new year will definitely provide it challenges for
Johnson as the Cardinals have gone through massive changes to many aspects of
the roster and front office. Gone are the likes of Coach Bruce Arians and
quarterback Carson Palmer, as new Coach Steve Wilks and new quarterback Sam
Bradford look to recreate this offensive punch. The Cardinals have done a
decent job adding pieces to the offensive line which should only assist Johnson
in finding lanes to run through. ADF will be very interested in watching
Johnson in camp to see if he can shake the rust off early. David still remains
a top tier back with the potential to gain 1000 yards on the ground and 1000
yards through the air. Johnson has been on record making claims that he’s in
the best shape of his life, that’s a scary thought.
Le’Veon Bell | PIT | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
23.04 |Rank 3
Once again
Le’Veon Bell was leaned upon as the workhorse in Pittsburgh and again found a
way to deliver with astronomical numbers. Touching the ball an incredible 406
times in 2017 (321 rush attempts, 85 receptions), allowed Bell to pile up a
whopping 1946 total yards from scrimmage while adding a healthy 11 total
touchdowns, giving Bell a fantastic 23.04 fantasy points per game last season.
The contract situation looms over Bell once again in 2018 as the Steelers chose
to not dish out big dollars but to rather franchise tag the super star for yet
another campaign. If history is any marker, Bell will ultimately sit out the
entire offseason (including the preseason) using his only leverage to make a
statement to the Steelers ownership. The risk for Bell sitting out the
offseason program would suggest he’d have some major catching up to do in terms
of the new playbook and system from their new offensive coordinator. Expect a
slower start from Bell as the season opens, but fully expect him to regain form
quickly.
Ezekiel
Elliott | DAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 20.52 |Rank 4
With the
suspension in his rear-view mirror and the Cowboys looking to rebound from a
lost season, Elliott will undoubtedly return to excellence in 2018. The
offensive system is clearly centered around Elliott and the amount of
production he can provide. Regardless on which way the Cowboys intend to move
in the NFL draft, Zeke will again be the main workhorse carving up opposing
defenses with ease. There is a slight risk this year for the production outlook
for Elliott and it resides with the contract situation of their star receiver
Dez Bryant. While Bryant’s contract is handcuffing the Cowboys, the potential
release of Dez could have a ripple-down effect on Elliott seeing far more stacked
boxes and defenses scheming to stop the run. With that said, Zeke is a super
star talent that should be able to overcome and produce, but the situation
could be more difficult for Zeke in 2018.
Melvin
Gordon | LAC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 18.01 |Rank 5
Some may
argue the placement of the Chargers Melvin Gordon sitting in the fifth rank on
our list, but as of today Gordon absolutely warrants this slot. As Gordon
continues his NFL career he seems to have gained intelligence and has a keen
understanding of how to appropriately run through tackles making the most of
each carry. Under Coach Anthony Lynn who supports a run heavy approach, the
second year for Gordon in this system should only continue to excel his numbers
further. With Philip Rivers still playing at a high level and a plethora of
wide receiver talent on the roster, the Chargers look poised to lead the AFC
West allowing Melvin to take charge. Ranking among the tops in fantasy points
per game at his position, Gordon finally found his way to his first 1000 yard
season in his career while seeing a healthy 58 receptions out of the backfield.
The LA Chargers are definitely on the rise and Gordon will be one of the
biggest benefactors.
Alvin
Kamara | NWO | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 19.65 |Rank 6
Rookie sensation
from a year ago places Alvin Kamara at the sixth spot in ADF’s early rankings.
The way Coach Payton integrated the young dynamic runner into the offense to
compliment his running mate Mark Ingram was nothing short of genius. While
Alvin was the secondary option in the run game, he was the first option in the
pass game holding the third down role to perfection. Kamara was responsible for
hauling in 81 receptions for 826 yards from the great Drew Brees inflating his
numbers to almost see 20 fantasy points per game on average in 2017. As the
Saints look to improve other offensive positions (wide receiver and tight end),
that should only increase Kamara’s value as defenders won’t be able to key in
on Alvin 100% of the time. Alvin should be in tough to exceed his numbers from
last season but should be able to replicate his success.
Kareem
Hunt | KC | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 18.57 |Rank 7
As of today
this rank feels a little low for another rookie who burst onto the scene and
posted great numbers taking the NFL by storm in 2017. While finding his way to
see nearly 19 fantasy points per game on average, the concern with Hunt was his
disappearance for portions of the season as it seemed he hit the rookie wall.
Adding to that, the Chiefs have appointed Patrick Mahomes as the starting
quarterback and the results are still yet to be seen. Having a multitude of
talent on the roster including Spencer Ware coming back from injury could place
a dent into the young runner’s usage. With that said, Hunt should still be leaned
upon to take pressure off Mahomes as the young pivot learns the pro game in
live action making Kareem a solid fantasy producer.
Leonard
Fournette | JAX | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 17.71 |Rank 8
As the
Jacksonville Jaguars continue to build off their spectacular season from a year
ago, another former rookie sensation showed the NFL he was worth the price of
admission. The concerns which came along with the big play ability from
Fournette was the amount of punishment he took being the big bodied runner he naturally
is. Missing three games and playing injured in many more throws up red flags to
question his durability over the course of a grueling NFL campaign. With that
said, the Jaguars still employ a run heavy attack which will allow Leonard to
find success on a squad that seemed to have found other viable weapons on their
own roster (last season) and signing new talent to the fold. It’s easy to see a
jump in production from Fournette in 2018, but the risk of injury should cation
owners to draft a backup plan in case time is missed.
Mark
Ingram | NWO | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 17.75 |Rank 9
The second
half to the dynamic duo in New Orleans places Mark Ingram in the bottom portion
of the top ten. While his running mate Alvin Kamara excelled in the pass game,
Ingram was no slouch himself. Though Mark did most of his damage on the ground
and was the primary back in goal-line situations, he still found himself able
to haul in nearly 60 receptions on the season and generating career numbers in
almost all aspects of his game. Entering a contract year and being denied his
release with contract stipulations of not making the AP All-Pro team, Mark
Ingram will most definitely be geared to prove his worth as an elite running
back in the NFL while chasing a new contract. Coach Payton loves to use his
running backs in his schemes in both the run and the pass game which bodes well
for another productive season.
LeSean
McCoy | BUF | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.60 |Rank 10
Once again
the great Sahdy McCoy finds himself in a situation where he is literally the
only real weapon on the Buffalo Bills roster. As the Bills look to retool the
offense with rumors they plan to move up in the NFL draft to select their
franchise passer, Shady will again be leaned upon as the workhorse in both the
run and pass game. The frustrations for McCoy (from the fantasy owner
perspective), was the lack of usage in the redzone and goal-line opportunities,
limiting his touchdown success watching him finally find pay-dirt in week seven
and only amassing eight total touchdowns on the season. While the Bills don’t
possess top end talent at the wide receiver position and look to employ either
AJ McCarron or a rookie signal caller under center, the benefit of targets
should go to LeSean as great potential to lead the team in receptions exists as
of today.
Jordan
Howard | CHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 12.61 |Rank 11
With
everything shiny and new on the offensive side of the ball in terms of
playmakers and talent, Jordan Howard could be the biggest benefactor to come
out of this Bears offense in 2018. With their young franchise quarterback
looking to take the next step in his development, Howard will undoubtedly be
leaned upon to assist in taking pressure off of Trubisky during the course of
the year. What’s most impressive about Howard is his ability to run through
stacked boxes still generating over four yards per carry in 2017 with very
limited offensive pieces. With all the receiving talent brought into the windy
city in the offseason, ADF fully expects Howard to flirt with 1300 yards and 12
touchdowns making him a top running back for the season.
Dalvin
Cook | MIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 16.85 |Rank 12
Admittedly,
ADF wasn’t the biggest supporter of Dalvin Cook coming out of Florida State
believing his game had flaws and wouldn’t translate over to the NFL as well as
it did. While Cook dazzled on the field, ADF was forced to remove our large
foot from our mouth accepting the fact that Cook was in fact the real deal. The
outlook for the 2018 season has ADF rather excited to watch Dalvin come back
from his terrible knee injury and replant himself as the main back in the
Vikings offense. With Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs proving they are top talent
producers, and adding Kirk Cousins to take over the reins as the franchise
quarterback, Minnesota could prove to be quite a juggernaut offensively in
2018. Of course there are concerns that Cook may start slow on his repaired
knee, so ADF would provide cation to have a backup plan until he’s able to be
unleashed.
Devonta
Freeman | ATL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.44 |Rank 13
Continuing
to fall down the charts after failing to follow up his great 2016 season,
Freeman was unable to produce 1000 yards on the ground and taking a backseat to
redzone and goal-line opportunities that once belonged to him in 2017. With
Tevin Coleman acting as the largest thorn in his side and stealing production
that would ultimately go his way, this year might prove much of the same as we
witnessed from a season ago. The uptick for Freeman and the Falcons rests on
the fact that Atlanta has kept offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to have
consistency with the offensive system allowing players to be more comfortable
while not having to start from scratch again. If the Falcons can get back on
track offensively, believe us when we say Freeman will be a huge part of that.
Potential for great value exists here.
Christian
McCaffrey | CAR | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.41 |Rank 14
While the
skillset of Christian McCaffrey was known, the speculation that he was unable
to run through tackles was proven in 2017 leaving the Panthers to adjust their
way of using the shifty back primarily in the pass game and toss plays. As
Christian continues to develop his craft, ADF struggles to endorse him as an
RB1 in standard leagues leaving his appeal to be a top flight producer in PPR
formats. ADF believes the Panthers will address their running back concerns via
the draft adding a viable option to secure most of the running attempts leaving
McCaffrey to again reach heights of leading the NFL in receptions from the
running back position. Christian will again be a PPR darling in 2018.
Carlos
Hyde | CLE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 14.74 |Rank 15
Never being
a huge supporter of Carlos Hyde in his days in San Francisco, ADF is intrigued
with the possibility of Hyde reasserting himself as a better back then his
stats suggest. Never being able to crack the 1000 yard mark in his career, Hyde
finally has a team that is embedded with talent that could be conducive to his
abilities. With Tyrod Taylor now the starting quarterback in Cleveland, the
potential for the read option is real to where Hyde could exploit defenses. The
largest question mark remains as to what the Browns will do in the NFL draft.
If Saquon Barkley finds his way to Cleveland, Hyde would undoubtedly take on a
secondary role dropping his rank well below where he sits today. However, If
Hyde remains the clear lead back for the Browns in Todd Haley’s offense; he
could be a great producer this season.
Joe
Mixon | CIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.38 |Rank 16
ADF gushed
over the ability of the of the former Oklahoma standout as the 2017 season
began seeing him in the Bengals offense. While his rookie season started slow
and the Cincinnati offense was anemic to say the least, season two has much to
be encouraged about. Taking over the reins as the number one back for the
Bengals in 2018, Mixon should at least see his numbers increase in both rushing
attempts and usage in the pass game warranting his rank as the sixteenth best
running back in fantasy. Though the Bengals haven’t done much to improve the
weapons surrounding Mixon (outside of AJ Green), its plausible to envision Joe
finding his way to over 1000 yards on the ground and seeing an expanded role in
the pass game. His value in terms of where he could be drafted should be
extremely favorable this season.
Derrick
Henry | TEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.44|Rank 17
After the
Titans released DeMarco Murray from the club, ADF was praising the move to
finally allow Henry to showcase his talents as the lead back in Tennessee.
Alas, knowing that this NFL requires more than just one runner, the Titans
offered a big money deal to free agent and former Patriot Dion Lewis to place a
stiff shaft in the potential outlook on Henry’s 2018 season. While it’s the
belief that Henry will act as the primary two-down back leaving Lewis to clean
up the third-down duties, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to see
Dion steal more of a feature role as the season goes on, especially if Henry
struggles. Henry is a true bruising type of back that will succeed in the
latter stages of games when defenses begin to ware down. He still holds
tremendous appeal and should climb our board once his role is further known.
Henry is a prime candidate to be over drafted this season.
Kenyan
Drake | MIA | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.02 |Rank 18
Receiving
the job as the top runner for the Dolphins post the Jay Ajayi trade, Kenyan
Drake gave a glimpse to what his capabilities were on the field in limited
action last season. Drake is an interesting player for us to evaluate at this
point as Miami reeks of dysfunction with puzzling signings over the course of
free agency. While Drake does possess good explosiveness and talent to run
through the tackles, the alarm bells will resound should Miami add a similar
runner to the club via the NFL draft. His injury history should still pose as
somewhat of a concern, but ADF is buying what Drake is selling at the right
price in the fantasy draft. He could be a steal in the later rounds.
Alex
Collins | BAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.67 |Rank 19
Having mixed
emotions on the ability of Alex Collins as the 2017 season wore on, ADF began
to believe after witnessing his performance in week 14 against the Pittsburgh
Steelers where Alex basically could do no wrong. His combination of power,
speed, and elusiveness was extremely impressive as playing in a run heavy
system (like the one in Baltimore) could allow him to produce great numbers.
The issue holding Collins back at this point is the numbers of mouths sharing
the load in the Ravens backfield. Unless Collins somehow wins the job outright
in the offseason, he could be difficult to trust on a weekly basis.
Chris
Thompson | WAS | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 15.54 |Rank 20
As we enter
the bottom five ranks of running backs in PPR formats in the top twenty five,
it begins with the incredible skill of Chris Thompson. Last season placed
Thompson squarely on the map in terms of his ability to be used as a true play
maker in the Redskins offense. With Alex Smith taking over as the starting
quarterback in Washington, and remaining as the king of the check-down, ADF
fully expects Chris to have a feature role and produce numbers of a career high nature. Thompson was easily an
every week flex starter and could once again show that form. So long as he
remains healthy, Chris is a no brainier to have on your roster.
Jerick
McKinnon | SF | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.26 |Rank 21
Perhaps one
of the most intriguing players at the position is newly signed runner to the
49ers, speedster Jerick McKinnon. Playing in the Kyle Shanahan offense leaves
fantasy owners licking their chops as its clear Jerick was brought in to create
mismatches while looking to become a great producer for the Jimmy Garappolo
tenure. McKinnon has always been and ADF favorite and should continue down that
path as the season moves forward. However as seen from the past, Jerick can’t
be trusted as your primary on a weekly basis as he tends to disappear from time
to time. We also fully expect San Fran to add running back depth via the NFL
draft placing a value tick drop on the speedster. Still a great back to have on
your roster.
Dion
Lewis | TEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 12.31 |Rank 22
While Dion
Lewis had a career year in New England last season which allowed him to fetch
top dollar on the open market, he will start the year as the third down back
behind Derrick Henry and produce in the pass game and read option formations
with Marcus Mariota. Lewis has improved his overall game showing he has the
ability to run between tackles with great efficiency. It’s very plausible to
see Lewis steal more work as the year goes on making him a great bench stash to
start the season. Dion also should be viewed as the best handcuff for the
upcoming season.
Ty
Montgomery | GB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.45 |Rank 23
It was
difficult to place the talented runner/receiver as the Packers now possess a
three headed monster in the backfield. With the release of Jordy Nelson it
quite possible to see Monty find his way back to manning a position as a wide
receiver placing all the talent on the field at the same time. As of today Ty
finds himself as a running back with good upside and PPR value. His biggest
concern is his smaller frame enduring the punishment given to players at the
running back position. Depending on where he ends up slotting in on the Packers
offense, he could see a downgrade in targets with the free agent signing of
Jimmy Graham.
Duke
Johnson | CLE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 13.76 |Rank 24
Duke Johnson
still remains a favorite of ADF but his situation is extremely fluid at this
point in the offseason. His role on the Browns is incumbent on the potential of
Saquon Barkley becoming a member of the team in being selected in the NFL
draft. Duke possesses a great skillset that would flourish now with talent
surrounding him making his role as a clear mismatch player which defenses won’t
be able to cover with regularity. Depending on how the backfield takes shape in
Cleveland, Duke would have viable value as a flex starter or no value based on
depth chart placement.
Jay
Ajayi | PHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.94 |Rank 25
With the
Super Bowl winning Eagles continuing to add depth to their roster, the
backfield still houses a vast amount of talented runners dropping Ajayi’s
ranking to the twenty fifth position as of today. With his history of knee
problems and clearly unable to showcase any type of breakaway speed, Ajayi
might find it difficult to produce big numbers consistently in an offense so
dedicated to distributing the ball to its many play makers. His value would
reside as the primary redzone back, but even youngster Corey Clement has his
eyes on stealing some of that role.
Fantasy Running Back Rank 26-50:
Tevin
Coleman: ATL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 11.18 |Rank 26
Rex
Burkhead: NE | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
12.98 |Rank 27
Peyton
Barber: TB | 2017 Fantasy
PPG: 5.48 |Rank 28
Isaiah
Crowell: NYJ | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
8.97 |Rank 29
Lamar
Miller: HOU | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
12.09 |Rank 30
LeGarrette
Blount: DET | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
6.72 |Rank 31
CJ
Anderson: DEN | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
10.94 |Rank 32
Marshawn
Lynch: OAK | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
11.08 |Rank 33
Javorius
Allen: BAL | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 10.38 | 34
Samaje
Perine: WAS | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
7.03|Rank 35
Chris
Carson: SEA | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.93 |Rank 36
Aaron
Jones: GB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 6.67 |Rank 37
James
White: NE | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.57|Rank 38
Ameer
Abdullah: DET| 2017 Fantasy PPG: 9.03 |Rank 39
D’Onta
Freeman: HOU | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
5.90|Rank 40
Corey
Clement: PHI | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
5.65|Rank 41
Jamaal
Williams: GB | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.93|Rank 42
Theo
Riddick: DET | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
9.75|Rank 43
Giovani
Bernard: CIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
9.48|Rank 44
Tarik
Cohen: CHI| 2017 Fantasy PPG: 8.96 |Rank 45
Austin
Ekeler: DET | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
6.93 | Rank 46
Jonathan
Stewart: NYG | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
8.21 |Rank 47
Latavius
Murray: MIN | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
9.84|Rank 48
Doug
Martin: OAK | 2017 Fantasy PPG: 6.91|Rank 49
Bilal
Powel | NYJ | 2017 Fantasy PPG:
9.81|Rank 50
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