Originally I thought I might call this a post-free agency Dynasty rankings update, but I'm not sure James Conner, Todd Gurley, Leonard Fournette or James White would appreciate that title. The running back free-agent market has been slow to develop with Aaron Jones and Chris Carson staying home, while Kenyan Drake and Phillip Lindsay accepted backup roles.
For the guys who haven't yet signed, I'm getting a bit nervous. There are several talented backs available in the upcoming NFL Draft, so when the music stops there are likely to be multiple backs who have to make the same decision Drake and Lindsay did. There's been more buzz about Fournette signing than Conner, but that could be because Fournette spent most of last year in a timeshare. And he also had a fantastic playoff run that is still fresh on people's minds.
For now, I'm viewing the pair as No. 3 running backs with some upside. I wouldn't bet on either topping 250 touches next year, and I'd say the odds are they don't have another top 12 Fantasy season left in them. Of course, that could change with the stroke of a pen. And a couple of teams who could sign them also have backs in flux.
The Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins have been mostly quiet in pursuit of running backs. Yes, the Dolphins signed Malcolm Brown, but that feels more like a veteran depth move than a challenge to Myles Gaskin. If Gaskin and Chase Edmonds are able to dodge the 2021 rookie class, or at least the backs who go in the first three rounds, they will rocket up re-draft draft boards and their Dynasty stock will improve as well.
Gaskin is a more attractive bet, because he's three years younger than Edmonds and he thrived in a feature role last year. In seven games with double-digit carries he averaged 106.7 yards from scrimmage and 17.95 PPR Fantasy points per game. But Gaskin is also a former seventh-round pick and the Dolphins have a stockpile of draft picks.
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Gaskin is my favorite of the four backs we've talked about, but he may also be the best back to sell, depending on how your league values running backs. For Edmonds, Fournette and Conner, I'm currently holding until we get more information. Conner and Fournette have seen their value drop too much and it feels like the industry is sleeping on Edmonds' potential role.
Here are my updated Dynasty rankings:
