With The Elite Running Backs Gone, Who’s Next?

With most people getting ready to do their fantasy drafts, there are a lot of questions about who should go where. When you get stuck picking in the middle of the first round, you lose out on the elite running backs that get taken in the first 5 picks. Fantasy Football Calculator lays out players taken by ADP (average draft position). The top-five selections this season are:

• Saquon Barkley, RB, NYG
• Ezekiel Elliot, RB, DAL
• Alvin Kamara, RB, NOS
• Christian McCaffrey, RB, CAR
• David Johnson, RB, ARI

Melvin Gordon, Running Back, LAC

Melvin Gordon finished as the fifth-best running back in fantasy with 23 fantasy points per game.  He has been an elite fantasy asset the past three seasons and has 38 touchdowns over that time.  Gordon should ideally be the answer for the sixth overall pick.  The only problem is, he’s claiming he will hold out without a new contract or a trade. However, the Los Angeles Chargers are in no rush to resign him.

Best case scenario, he plays the full season and is a top running back this year, again.  The worst case scenario is that he’ll miss most of, if not the whole season. He’s a big risk if you’re drafting early, but if he plays in the preseason, he is good to go.

Le’Veon Bell, Running Back, NYJ

Le’Veon Bell missed the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After agreeing to terms with the New York Jets in the offseason, Bell is set to be the work-horse back that he was before the holdout. However, one concern is that he goes from playing behind one of the better offensive lines in football to the Jets. There he will be playing behind one of the worst rated lines in the NFL. He will also be playing for head coach Adam Gase, who ran the least amount of plays per game with the Miami Dolphins, per teamrankings. With a weaker and much less efficient offense around him, can he produce at the same high level from two years ago?  With his expected volume, he should have a very safe floor.

Davante Adams, Wide Receiver, GBP

Davante Adams had a major breakout season last year. He finished as the number one wide receiver in point per reception (PPR) formats. Adams averaged 22 points per game and was one of the most consistent players in fantasy. Being Aaron Rodgers‘ number one option is always a good thing in fantasy football and don’t expect that change anytime soon. The only risk for taking Adams at sixth overall is missing out on a good second tier of running backs. He also comes with a slight increase in risk for his concussion history. As long as Adams and Rodgers are healthy, you can expect 100+ receptions and double digit touchdowns.

DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver, HOU

DeAndre Hopkins was another fantasy star last year.  Averaging 20.8 points per game in a PPR format was enough to make him the third-best wide receiver in fantasy.  Hopkins is coming off a year in which he suffered multiple injuries and was still dominant. Although Houston has a couple other receivers coming back from injury, Hopkins should still see a monster work load. If you’re fine with taking a wide receiver this early in the draft, you cannot go wrong with Hopkins.

Of course there are other options that you could take at number six. If these four are all healthy and practicing with their teams, any one of them would be a good pick. Follow the preseason games so you know what’s going on with these players and good luck in your draft.

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