It happens to at least one owner in every fantasy football league. They draft running backs in the early rounds who are supposed to turn the fantasy game on its head. Instead, that would be work-horse fails to produce for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes there are warning signs of a potential bust, and sometimes they come out of nowhere. Here are four running backs to avoid in the early rounds of the draft.
3 potential running back busts in fantasy football
Over-hyped running back picks are coming with more risk than reward these days. Check out our full 2018 Fantasy Football Draft guide!
McCoy trailed off in 2017 despite rushing for over 1,000 yards. Shady averaged four yards per carry last season compared to five and a half the year before. He finished the season with 287 carries for 1,187 yards and six touchdowns. He also added 59 catches for 448 and two scores to the passing game. He had plenty of yards, but the dip in yards per carry is significant.
The Bills have a lot of issues with their offense heading into the 2018 season. They have a gaping hole of the offensive line having traded Cordy Glenn and lost Richie Incognito to retirement. They have very few passing weapons to open the field for McCoy. Lastly, the QB situation is shaky at best. McCoy has too many obstacles and too much pressure to stake an early fantasy pick on.
Miller is holding onto his starting role in the Texans’ backfield by a thread after a terrible 2017 season. He hit a career-low 3.7 yards per carry last year while rushing for 888 yards and three touchdowns on 238 carries. He also added 36 catches, 327 yards, and three touchdowns to the passing game. Miller essentially lost his job to rusher D’Onta Foreman before the rookie went down in Week 11 with a torn Achilles tendon.
Foreman is not expected to be available to start the season. This leaves Miller’s job safe for now. When Foreman does return it will only be a matter of time before he takes the job back from Miller for good. Owners should not expect Miller’s fantasy stock to rise in the interim.
Crowell departed the Cleveland Browns this offseason only to land in a similar situation with the New York Jets. His talent is there. He was steady with a four YPC average in 2017, but his scores dropped dramatically from seven rushing touchdowns in 2016 to two last season. Crowell’s stock weighs heavily on his ability to reach the end zone.
Similar to Cleveland, the Jets have a poor offensive line and a worse receiving corps. Crowell is competing with Bilal Powell for the starting role, a year after Powell had a slim edge over Matt Forte. Crowell’s uniform changed, but his situation did not nearly enough. His mid-round ADP is not worth it.
Ingram is having a rocky start to his 2018 season. He is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He is also unhappy with his contract with the Saints as he heads into the final year of his current deal. Ingram has a lot to deal with heading into the fantasy draft.
Ingram had a career-high rushing season in 2017. He rushed 230 times for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns while sharing time with rookie sensation, Alvin Kamara. If Kamara can build on his rookie season, he is likely to to steal Ingram’s starting position. The season is not starting off in the right direction for Ingram. Owners should avoid this mess and skip over Ingram too early.
