Who are your favorite deep-cut RB bargains? Guys who are overlooked by most of the fantasy universe? Here are four I'm targeting on draft day:
First, Tank Bigsby. Awful rookie campaign, but there aren't any other realistic contenders for the Jags' handcuff role behind Travis Etienne (though D'Ernest Johnson might snap back). What I like about Bigsby is that he was a bell cow for his final two seasons at Auburn, when he caught a combined 51 passes. Last year he broke an incredible seven tackles on 50 rushing attempts. Among qualifying running backs (based on carries), only Jaylen Warren had a better broken-tackle rate.
I'm comfortable tossing Bigsby's anemic yards per carry out the window. The talent is there, which is why Jacksonville drafted him in the third round last year. Including the playoffs, Etienne had 614 touches these past two seasons. Expect the Jaguars to scale him back at least a little bit, opening the door for 100+ touches for Bigsby as he obliterates his RB69 ADP.
Braelon Allen is becoming a trendy late-round pick, yet his overall ADP remains outside the top 200. The rookie was a three-year bell cow at Wisconsin, catching 28 balls in his final campaign. While few in the league can rival Breece Hall's talent, Allen seems to have the #2 job all to himself. Expect 70+ touches as the Jets aim to keep Hall below 300 touches after netting 299 last year (when the post-prime Dalvin Cook earned 82 touches as Hall's frequent handcuff).
Does Austin Ekeler still have juice? We'll probably know by Week 2 or 3. I'm betting he does. It helps that he'll play with a talented rookie QB whose last NFL-ready teammate was Rachaad White (Arizona State, 2021). That year, he dumped off to White 43 times, accounting for 22% of Daniels' completions. Ekeler is a great bet for 50+ receptions. Even if he doesn't get a lot of carries, his aerial work should keep him in the top 30.
For the second consecutive summer, I'm all in on Chase Brown. He flashed last year and is only one Zack Moss injury or slump away from being a top-24 RB. He's a great investment at his RB38 ADP. Moss is on his third team in three seasons and hasn't been a workhorse since his senior year of college five years ago. I think Brown has the edge even if Moss stays healthy.
Who are you looking at in the final rounds? Which RB(s) seem poised to crush expectations?
---