Rodney Dangerfield RB2s getting no respect... (1 Viewer)

[sushinsky4tsar]

Highlighting a collection of running backs that appear to be in the second position in their backfield, and seem to be getting little to no respect in fantasy circles despite possibly being one injury away from either being the top back, or at least working a split backfield if there are no significant additions to the depth chart. Which of these guys are you most intrigued by? If the injury in front of them occurs, who get enough action to be legit fantasy factors and who's relegated to an unwinnable RBBC that should make them unrosterable in the first place?

Which NFL backfield is screaming for one of the premier "namebrand" free agent RB2s to land prior to the start of the season? I think this list includes Elliott, Fournette, and Hunt. I think all three of these guys still factor in to the #2 spot, or at least significantly cloud it if signed. However, I'm also not sure how much of that is based on name vs the actual ability still left in the tank in 2023. Other free agents like Darrell Williams, Darrell Henderson, McKissic, and Drake could possibly make things murky or factor in as an RBBC pickup if the lead back goes down.

Other big shoes to drop? I think Dalvin Cook is released or traded, though a restructured deal is still possible. I'm pretty sure Ekeler is going nowhere. I think Mixon is trending towards a return to Cincy, but I think they're open to other options depending on what might come available.

Jerome Ford - I know that he's a commodity in reasonably deep dynasties, but seems to be undervalued even there. I was pretty sure the Browns would draft something in one of the later rounds. Maybe Hunt is re-signed, but it's sounding like they're not going that route. Sure they'll sign someone off the street if Chubb goes down, but if all of the top tier free agents have a home by then, I don't think anyone on the next tier is going to stop Ford from being a major fantasy factor.

Ty Chandler - I know, he's not the #2 yet. I'm projecting a Dalvin Cook absence here. There's a world where Cook gets restructured, but I'm not betting on that outcome right now. At this point, I'm expecting Mattison up top. Is he making enough noise behind Mattison to be fantasy relevant as a #2, probably not. McBride's presence doesn't help, but he still might get enough action to make a name for himself as a backup to own. He doesn't seem to be there yet, and that's to be expected until Cook is resolved. Mattison is obviously the guy. He has the stat lines to back it up when Dalvin has missed time. With that said, I have heard some Vikings insiders make comments about some really questionable [on-field] decision-making on Mattison's part. Do I think Chandler can push Mattison aside? No, but this might not be the complete bellcow situation that some Mattison managers are hoping for. So no Dalvin Cook, Mattison goes down to injury, do you now have a bellcow in Chandler? No, I'm thinking it's a 1-2 punch between McBride and Chandler, but that's still profitable. Is McBride the back to have above Chandler? Honestly, not sure. There's a case for it, but I think I lean Chandler just because he better projects as the complement to Mattison if the injury doesn't happen. Another complication? I could see a K. Hunt addition if they do part ways with Cook.

Tyler Allgeier - Maybe not a true Dangerfield RB after his rookie year, but maybe an opportunity to buy on the dip after the obvious disappointment of the Bijan selection? A lot of R.I.P. Allgeier sentiment, but he could still be a high volume back in the event of an injury up top, right? I think a lot of Bijan managers will be more interested in the handcuff once the bullets start flying and the realization of one play away from disaster sets in.

Chase Brown - I'm not sure why there's not more interest in rookie drafts. Seems like more of a somewhere late in the 3rd target, but not sure why he's not more of a 2-3 turn consideration, especially if Mixon is the #1. I don't think Chris Evans or Trayveon is the answer, though I might have slight interest in the latter.

Eric Gray - I felt obligated to add this one in the same spirit as Chase Brown. Maybe a little more competition in the Giants backfield, but I think this is the Giants RB to own if Barkley goes down. This probably looks a bit more like an RBBC if the worst happens, but considering he's making it to round 4 in some rookie drafts, Gray is worth noting.

Malik Davis - This seems to be the situation where most are expecting a free agent signing and Zeke is the name you hear most. I think they're moving on from Zeke. Maybe Fournette or Hunt are options here. If that doesn't happen, I think Malik is the #2 we want. Maybe even some standalone value since I'm not sure that Pollard as a bellcow makes a lot of sense. I think there's some RBBC downside here if Pollard were to go down (Dowdle, Ro-Jo, Vaughn, FA off the street), but I would certainly want to have Davis and find out what that looks like.

Denver RB2 - I'm not expecting Javonte to start the season here. And I'm not sure how much of factor he is in the back-half. So basically, I'm writing Perine into the #1, but is he really going to be a bellcow? I jumped on the Tony Jones bandwagon in NO, but that went nowhere. Kind of expecting a Hunt landing here (or even Dalvin). If that doesn't happen, do we just write this off as an RBBC mess behind Perine and just hope for a speedy recovery from Javonte? I'm a little intrigued by Jaleel McLaughlin on the chance that he can do a Phil Lindsay Year One impression. Waldman endorsed. Cecil had good things to say about him in rookie camp.

LAC RB2 - IS it Spiller? Kelley? Unwinnable RBBC? Have to bet on someone for an offense this good. I would love to see Zeke land here.

Jaylen Warren- I'm not sure he gets enough respect as a potential volume play behind Najee given the rest of the depth chart? I haven't heard from a lot of people in love with the talent, so I might be guilty of having a blind spot here. I suppose Pickett running the show at QB is enough to make you question what the ceiling really would look like.

Zamir White- The complete lack of playing time made me think the Raiders didn't like what they were seeing behind the scenes. The fact that they didn't do anything at the draft has me interested again. It feels like I'm the only one. Waldman has gone on record as saying he can slot in for the Jacobs role if he goes down. My assumption is that would be as a poor man's Jacobs, but I'm still intrigued by the lack of activity in the Raiders backfield this offseason.

Keaontay Ingram- This one feels kind of gross as he got his shot last year and didn't do anything with it. Another guy that Waldman has endorsed. Maybe a situation where nothing flourishes if Conner goes down?

Gus Edwards- I know everyone in your league knows and respects this guy so he might not belong. Kind of feel like he was one of the premium next guys up to have in your RB core and then the injury took all of the shine off of it. Maybe time to dust him off as one of the backup RBs you want on your roster? Or has his time to matter come and gone?

Others? I think Bigsby, Spears, and Zach Evans are rookies getting healthy respect in rookie draft capital for their chance to factor in as the next guy up on their teams. I suppose Chuba belongs in the conversation as a next guy up going slightly under the radar, but he gets no respect from me. Perhaps Pierre Strong or Kevin Harris behind Rhamondre? I've heard Robinson isn't a lock to make the team, but I don't think any of these guys are monsters if Stevenson goes down. Deon Jackson, depending on your outlook of Moss and Hull? Tampa Bay backfield is very winnable. I'll take the Sean Tucker lotto ticket over Edmonds.

 

[travdogg]

I think Demetric Felton could be an issue for Jerome Ford. Felton has a bit of a JD McKissic vibe, and I think would be enough to prevent Ford from having a huge role in the event of a Chubb injury. I think Felton may actually see more snaps than Ford if Chubb stays healthy, as he's much more suited to be the 3rd down RB than Ford.

With you entirely on Chase Brown, who was one of my favorite day 3 RBs. That said, I think people are underrating Joe Mixon quite a bit. Unless his legal woes lead to something, which seems iffy at most, he's cleared for a potential top-5 season, in an elite offense as a 3-down RB. I do think Brown is likely the handcuff though.

Allgeier is interesting because Patterson is still there, and he is every bit as good. Patterson got banged up playing a workhorse role early, but if Bijan goes down, I could see a 50-50ish split. Kinda wonder if Patterson plays more than expected anyway, possibly as a WR/Jet option.

Maybe a hot take, but I think Jaylen Warren is better than Najee Harris, and the sooner the Steelers figure that out, the better they will be. It reminds me SO MUCH of the Gordon/Ekeler situation 4-5 years ago, where you have an inefficient 1st round pick, and an undrafted guy who adds pop to the offense every time he's on the field.

You mentioned he's getting some respect, but I think Tank Bigbsy is a very real threat to Travis Etienne. Not all that different to Walker/Charbonnet in my opinion.

One more name I'd add, and he's not really under the radar, but Elijah Mitchell could absolutely be a league-winner should something befall CMC, he's obviously nowhere near the pass catcher CMC is (Deebo likely takes a bigger share in that event) but he may be an even better runner.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

One more name I'd add, and he's not really under the radar, but Elijah Mitchell could absolutely be a league-winner should something befall CMC, he's obviously nowhere near the pass catcher CMC is (Deebo likely takes a bigger share in that event) but he may be an even better runner.

Yep, left him out along with a lot of other NFL RB2s because there's no shortage of fantasy respect, but he's relevant because it's still possible that he's being undervalued in some leagues. It's funny, I have CMC and haven't even bothered kicking the tires, just assuming the Mitchell owner has a healthy valuation, but I should probably verify that.

I think he's graduated to one of the premier fantasy backups that has standalone value as is, along with the league-winning upside if CMC goes down.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Gibbs is listed as #1 @ ourlads and is also being drafted that way. Lions want to run and I think both RBs will see heavy action. Montgomery makes sense as the goal line and late game grinder.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

Gibbs is listed as #1 @ ourlads and is also being drafted that way. Lions want to run and I think both RBs will see heavy action. Montgomery makes sense as the goal line and late game grinder.

Haven't dipped my toe into the redraft rankings much, but I would have guessed a dead heat or even a slight advantage to Montgomery. I guess it's not much of a surprise given the draft capital, but the contract Monty received was no joke. I'm not sure that it makes a lot of sense to look at this '23 backfield as the upgraded Jamaal Williams role vs the upgraded Swift role, but if there is any comparison, Gibbs has some catching up to do for that role to be more valuable for fantasy in '23.

 

[League Champion]

Out of those I'm most excited about Jerome Ford. He has a legit shot for immediate production.

 

[houston]

Gainwell? I know they added Swift and Penny, but the team sure seemed to like Gainwell at times during the playoffs.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

Gainwell? I know they added Swift and Penny, but the team sure seemed to like Gainwell at times during the playoffs.

I think there's some buy low value to Gainwell. But it's hard for me to get excited for his outlook in a lineup league. I feel like you're an injury away from even being able to consider him, and probably two before he's actually a commodity. Even then, I have questions about the ceiling. I think we're still talking about someone in a committee. Then again, if he needs 1 or 2 injuries to matter, he has the right names in front of him. I'm probably more interested as best ball depth where you know he has the juice to break one at any time on a top offense.

 

[zamboni]

You mentioned he's getting some respect, but I think Tank Bigbsy is a very real threat to Travis Etienne.

This is what I came in to say before even reading the thread. Very concerned as an Etienne owner.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

Two rookie RBs left for dead based on the landing spot. Abanikanda and (to a lesser extent) Hull? Maybe the RB#2 on these teams is more open than how it appears at first blush?

I think the fantasy perception on Michael Carter is that he's a locked in #2. Rose up the ADP in his rookie year, even going in the late 1st of some rookie drafts. To some extent, he backed up the fantasy hype with decent rookie year production. The rug gets pulled out with the Jets drafting Hall. Carter's numbers take a nose dive in 2022, basically getting matched or bested by a pretty "meh" UDFA talent in Z Knight after Hall's injury.

If Hall gets sidelined again, I think M. Carter would factor in and maybe even Knight to some extent. But I'm starting to think that Abanikanda might be a RB you're very happy to have in this scenario, even if there would be some RBBC to this situation. Maybe the Jets just aren't as in on their former 4th round selection as a lot of the fantasy community has assumed based on Carter entering the league on a bit of a hot streak (at least for fantasy).


Hull, again another situation where we're speculating about the #2 job behind a bellcow #1. Probably another situation where the ceiling is limited by an RBBC even if the bellcow were to miss time. Is chasing the backup on team like this the most compelling use of a roster spot? Probably not, but in a 24-man dynasty I'm generally interested in anyone that's an injury away from being the top fantasy RB on his team, even in a committee. There are some exceptions based on the depth / quality of the committee, and the ineptness of the offense.

I was actually under the impression that the undrafted Deon Jackson was carving out a name for himself. I guess that amounted to two quality games when Taylor went down, with another in the last week with not much else in between. The overall numbers were not as good as I was expecting. I don't get the feeling that there's any steam to a Moss redemption, but his numbers were actually pretty decent after landing on the Colts. So, if the upside of a JT injury is a perfectly balanced 3-man RBBC, it's probably not worth bothering. However, if Hull can establish himself in a fringe above Moss and Jackson, or if we can write off Jackson as a non-factor moving forward, I would be interested in Hull at the late 4th-5th round cost.

 

[menobrown]

Two rookie RBs left for dead based on the landing spot. Abanikanda and (to a lesser extent) Hull? Maybe the RB#2 on these teams is more open than how it appears at first blush?

I think the fantasy perception on Michael Carter is that he's a locked in #2

First of all great initial post breaking stuff down and I might try to give a lengthy response later.

But I don't think the Jet's backfield is as your perceive, In all formats, dynasty and redraft, every league I'm in people are drafting them as if Abankanda is the #2 and Carter is the one left for dead. A lot of people in my rookie drafts were using seconds on Abankanda and they don't own Hall. Heck I went into one draft where I have Hall and after round one I had picks at 2.5, 3.4 and 3.5. My pre-draft thoughts was that I did not think Abankanda would make it to one of those thirds but I'd pass him at 2.5 and try to move one of those thirds up. He went 2.3.

 

[sushinsky4tsar]

Two rookie RBs left for dead based on the landing spot. Abanikanda and (to a lesser extent) Hull? Maybe the RB#2 on these teams is more open than how it appears at first blush?

I think the fantasy perception on Michael Carter is that he's a locked in #2

First of all great initial post breaking stuff down and I might try to give a lengthy response later.

But I don't think the Jet's backfield is as your perceive, In all formats, dynasty and redraft, every league I'm in people are drafting them as if Abankanda is the #2 and Carter is the one left for dead. A lot of people in my rookie drafts were using seconds on Abankanda and they don't own Hall. Heck I went into one draft where I have Hall and after round one I had picks at 2.5, 3.4 and 3.5. My pre-draft thoughts was that I did not think Abankanda would make it to one of those thirds but I'd pass him at 2.5 and try to move one of those thirds up. He went 2.3.

Interesting note, thanks for relaying what you're seeing in the post-NFL draft rookie drafts. Abanikanda seemed like a guy that was gaining a lot of steam pre-draft as someone that seemed destined to be drafted securely within the 2nd round of fantasy rookie drafts. Post NFL draft, it seemed like the immediate reaction from a lot of the talking heads was what a shame, so much for that. Maybe a guy to look at in the middle 3rd or later.

Sounds like there are plenty of dynasty managers that are pushing back on that and chalking it up as a bigger indictment on Carter. There's definitely a lot of ambiguity with an earlier 5th round selection. In 2023, that's definitely not a rejection of Abanikanda's talent, but it's also not a ringing endorsement given that there were a lot of great measurables.

Personally, I'm still much higher on Bigsby and Spears as 2nd round RB targets. After that, I think I might prefer Abanikanda's talent / profile, but I'm definitely intrigued by Chase Brown's situation in the Cincy backfield. There's some distinction between early 5th round capital vs 6th & undrafted, but Zach Evans and Tucker are also in the conversation for me given the RB1s in front of them compared to Hall.

 

[menobrown]

Personally, I'm still much higher on Bigsby and Spears as 2nd round RB targets

Agree but I think so does just about everyone else. Spears went in round one of most of my drafts but I did 9 rookie drafts and these two always went ahead of Abanakanda.

Truth is in the last few weeks leading up to the draft I wrestled with Bigsby, Spears or Charbonnet as RB3 but fair to say I had them as RB's 3-5 depending on the day but my lean was Bigsby as RB3. Miller is the one who took the biggest post draft jump for me, going from RB7 to RB3.. Part of that was draft capital but other part was I just noticed something I missed earlier when watching him play, which was his breakaway speed and I felt a little lazy with my work for not noticing that earlier.

Personally, I'm still much higher on Bigsby and Spears as 2nd round RB targets. After that, I think I might prefer Abanikanda's talent / profile, but I'm definitely intrigued by Chase Brown's situation in the Cincy backfield. There's some distinction between early 5th round capital vs 6th & undrafted, but Zach Evans and Tucker are also in the conversation for me given the RB1s in front of them compared to Hall.

These are all great fliers and I drafted all of them but I was really heavy on Evans and Tucker. When I first dove into the process, like early January, I was solid on Gibbs and Bijan as 1 and 2 but at that time I had Evans and Tucker inside my top 5. Evans in particular I was very fond off and still am based on his talent. Neither of these guys fell in the draft or got undrafted based on their talent IMO, just health and character.

 

[travdogg]

Two rookie RBs left for dead based on the landing spot. Abanikanda and (to a lesser extent) Hull? Maybe the RB#2 on these teams is more open than how it appears at first blush?

I think the fantasy perception on Michael Carter is that he's a locked in #2

First of all great initial post breaking stuff down and I might try to give a lengthy response later.

But I don't think the Jet's backfield is as your perceive, In all formats, dynasty and redraft, every league I'm in people are drafting them as if Abankanda is the #2 and Carter is the one left for dead. A lot of people in my rookie drafts were using seconds on Abankanda and they don't own Hall. Heck I went into one draft where I have Hall and after round one I had picks at 2.5, 3.4 and 3.5. My pre-draft thoughts was that I did not think Abankanda would make it to one of those thirds but I'd pass him at 2.5 and try to move one of those thirds up. He went 2.3.

Interesting note, thanks for relaying what you're seeing in the post-NFL draft rookie drafts. Abanikanda seemed like a guy that was gaining a lot of steam pre-draft as someone that seemed destined to be drafted securely within the 2nd round of fantasy rookie drafts. Post NFL draft, it seemed like the immediate reaction from a lot of the talking heads was what a shame, so much for that. Maybe a guy to look at in the middle 3rd or later.

Sounds like there are plenty of dynasty managers that are pushing back on that and chalking it up as a bigger indictment on Carter. There's definitely a lot of ambiguity with an earlier 5th round selection. In 2023, that's definitely not a rejection of Abanikanda's talent, but it's also not a ringing endorsement given that there were a lot of great measurables.

I think Michael Carter is kind of the new Duke Johnson. He's got things he does very well, but he's not likely rising above COP/3rd down RB. I think if Hall is out, its pretty close to a 50-50 split between Abanikanda and Carter. I think Knight should be the odd man out, and I wonder if he'll even be active if Hall is playing. I think Abanikanda is likely the #3 when everyone is healthy.

Gainwell? I know they added Swift and Penny, but the team sure seemed to like Gainwell at times during the playoffs.

I think he's sort of buried. I kind of think his increased role was less about liking him, and more about being tired of Sanders.

When all of Swift, Penny, and Gainwell are healthy (so maybe just week 1 based on track record) I'm thinking 50% Swift, 40% Penny, and 10% Gainwell.

 

[rockaction]

I think Demetric Felton could be an issue for Jerome Ford. Felton has a bit of a JD McKissic vibe, and I think would be enough to prevent Ford from having a huge role in the event of a Chubb injury. I think Felton may actually see more snaps than Ford if Chubb stays healthy, as he's much more suited to be the 3rd down RB than Ford.

Felton is from the town I live in. His testing numbers were abysmal, and I'm not sure how he's hung on to an NFL team this long with these numbers.

Ford will steamroll him.

Demetric Felton Stats & Fantasy Ranking - PlayerProfiler

Demetric Felton player profile featuring career stats, fantasy ranking, & analytics data. See combine scores, SPARQ, measurables, and comparable players.

www.playerprofiler.com

 

[travdogg]

I think Demetric Felton could be an issue for Jerome Ford. Felton has a bit of a JD McKissic vibe, and I think would be enough to prevent Ford from having a huge role in the event of a Chubb injury. I think Felton may actually see more snaps than Ford if Chubb stays healthy, as he's much more suited to be the 3rd down RB than Ford.

Felton is from the town I live in. His testing numbers were abysmal, and I'm not sure how he's hung on to an NFL team this long with these numbers.

Ford will steamroll him.

Demetric Felton Stats & Fantasy Ranking - PlayerProfiler

Demetric Felton player profile featuring career stats, fantasy ranking, & analytics data. See combine scores, SPARQ, measurables, and comparable players.

www.playerprofiler.com

Felton is a good route runner with good hands. He's the only RB in Cleveland that applies to. Not arguing Felton will have value, just that he could keep Ford from it.

Honestly, if Chubb goes down, the Browns probably just stop being a successful running team, and likely go 45+ attempts a game from Watson.