What sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And what big-name running back could ruin your season? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy Football cheat sheets from the model that called Alvin Kamara's huge breakout last season and find out.
More Fantasy Football
- Jamey Eisenberg's Sleepers 2.0 | Breakouts 2.0 | Busts 2.0
- Heath Cummings' Sleepers 1.0 | Breakouts 1.0 | Busts 1.0
- Dave Richard's Tiers: QB | RB | WR | TE
It's easy to win a Fantasy championship getting by with a good quarterback or a tight end you sprung off waivers, but it's hard to get the job done without quality production from your running backs. The position is as important as ever. Luckily, it's also deeper than it's been for at least five years.
Roughly 18 teams have committed to using one primary running back, and another seven will have a shared situation that favors one guy over others. Some of these squads have two good running backs to add even more depth to the position. The league is morphing into one where rushers are getting lots of touches (not just carries), and Fantasy owners are reaping the rewards.
Want proof? In 2015, the top-12 Fantasy rushers averaged 10.8 points per game in non-PPR and 13.6 in full PPR. Last season, the top-12 running backs averaged 12.7 points per game in non-PPR and 16.2 in full PPR.
This exciting depth doesn't mean you can kick back and wait for running backs. Well, you can if you want, but you'd miss out on a lot of really good, high-ceiling players who could make your Fantasy team great. You should try to land at least one 20-touch (not necessarily 20-carry) running back within your first 25 picks. By the time 70th overall comes around, three running backs should be on your roster (and the first 30 running backs in these tiers will be gone by then). When the draft is over, you should have at least six runners on the roster.
