NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The NFL season is upon us. Fans are excited about their team’s possibilities in terms of reaching a Super Bowl but then you have the fans who are excited for another major part of the NFL season– Fantasy Football. This is where the real fun begins. Who will be the players to help your team reach the goal of winning a championship?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the Top 5 RBs poised to help any team reach that goal. RBs offer a unique spin to your Fantasy Football teams. With Rushing, Reception Yards, Catches, TDs, and Fumbles all factored in, having 2 or 3 backs in your starting lineup could very well be the difference in 1st or 2nd place. Here is my Top 5 RBs to draft to help win your Fantasy Football League.
Christian McCaffrey (San Fransico 49ers)
McCaffrey is the best dual-back in the NFL. Last season he rushed for 1459 yards and 14 touchdowns to go with his 67 receptions for 564 yards and another 4 TDs. In fantasy terms, McCaffrey should be your No. 1 choice. According to ESPN PPR Scoring, McCaffrey totaled 391.3 points with an average of 24.5 Points Per Game.
The 49ers offense has balance but none of it works without McCaffrey. Duplicating his numbers from last season should not be a problem. There is no need for Fantasy owners to worry about his workload as mentioned earlier, the Niners are stacked. If you have the top pick, McCaffrey should be your top target.
Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
Barkley is in a new offense where his talents should shine. Trapped behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL while with the Giants, Barkley still managed to put up respectable Fantasy Football numbers with 223.2 Total Points with an average of 15.9 Per Game.
This season, he should surpass those. While not at the level of Christian McCaffrey, Barkey should be your 1st choice at RB if the Niners stud is off the board. Last season he rushed for 962 yards and 6 TDs on 247 carries while catching 41 passes for 280 yards and 4 TDs.
Breece Hall (New York Jets)
Talk about a player that was slept on last season. Hall posted numbers that would have had any Fantasy Football owner vying for a championship. Last season he ran for 994 yards and 5 TDs for the Jets. Couple that with his 76 receptions for 234 yards and another 4 scores and Hall turned out to be a real steal as he totaled 290.5 Fantasy Football Points with an average of 17.1 Points Per Game. But can he duplicate it?
The Jets will look different this season with Aaron Rodgers under center. Even with the future Hall of Famer taking snaps, Hall’s production should be higher than that of 2023. The presence of Rodgers will open up opportunities that Hall didn’t have. With defenses not being able to stack the box, Hall should have more room to operate. Fantasy Football owners should expect a big year from Breece Hall.
Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons)
You should see the theme here. Fantasy Football is about who brings more to the table than just rushing. McCaffery, Barkley, and Bijan Robinson can hurt you either running or catching the ball. While Robinson has the chance to put up better numbers than Barkley, what made him fall to 3rd is that he’s sharing the backfield in Atlanta with Tyler Allgeier.
In 2023, Robinson rushed for 976 yards and 4 TDs to go with 487 yards on 58 receptions and another 4 scores for a total of 246.3 Fantast Football Points with an average of 14.5 Points Per Game. Robinson, while sharing the load should have better numbers this season thanks to having a proven QB in Kirk Cousins.
Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens)
There are a few other RBs who could be placed here over Henry. But what other player has a chip on his shoulder and a team willing to do whatever to make sure he proves those doubters wrong? The Ravens will feed Henry as much as he can handle and behind that offensive line, Henry will produce.
Last season for the Tennessee Titans, Henry still managed 246.66 Fantasy Points when he rushed for 1167 yards and 12 TDs. Hell, he even threw for 2 TDs and caught 28 passes for 217 yards. With the Ravens, Henry will impose his will while teams worry about Lamar Jackson. He’s a good choice, especially if the other backs on this list are off the board.
