Each year in dynasty formats a new set of rookies come in that take your attention away from the veterans and last year’s class. In this article, I am going to break down some of the rookie RBs from the 2020 class and give you some insight on what’s to expect this season and beyond. The 2020 Rookie RBs are like no other, and with the value and hype that each possesses, these backs will likely continue to be great dynasty assets.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
The twenty-two-year-old running back from Wisconsin disappointed a little with only two games over 100 yards rushing, assuming you didn’t have a Week 17 championship. He started to pick up steam over the back half of the season, but the Colts have shown they want to utilize multiple backs in their offense.
We have to take into consideration that his slow start may be due to the awkward offseason with training restrictions and no pre-season games. Through the last six games that Taylor played (he missed one due to the COVID list) he rushed for 741 yards and had a total of eight TDs. If that pace continues, he will be an absolute monster, and it was clear the team started to trust his abilities by giving him 119 carries over that stretch.
JT is more than likely very hard to acquire right now from a team, and his startup ADP is very high. You must believe in his ability and that the Colts will give him enough opportunity for him to be worth the early pick. Expect RB1 numbers from him this year and for the next few years, but anything less will be a disappointment. The Colts have a muddy backfield behind him and may consistently annoy you by giving their passing work to the others, but I like to view Taylor similarly to Chubb. He can be efficient with TDs and a good chunk of the ground game as long as the team is up. I believe this will be a decent team for a few years, and that tends to favor RB touches which boosts up Taylor’s potential.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Don’t let his end-of-season injury affect your view on Clyde. He is a buy-low candidate because most managers are disappointed with his production from last year. Some people were drafting him ahead of the other backs because of draft capital and landing spot. Push to send an offer to the manager in your league because they may be willing to move on early. Clyde is actually in a great spot heading into 2021. The Chiefs did not add any threats to the backfield, and they signed a few linemen that may improve their running game. Don’t forget, they drafted him in the first round, creating the extra fifth-year option on the rookie contract, which is simply more assurance for fantasy managers.
With only five touchdowns on the regular season and three games missed, no wonder he is being viewed with a little salt. Buy the dip and watch his touchdown numbers pop back up in a high-volume offense that will be near the end zone frequently. Clyde did surpass a thousand total yards but expect somewhere closer to 1,500. He is the type of back that should have a longer shelf life with his shifty play style. Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon are no more than depth pieces. Expect great things from CEH going forward as long as he stays healthy. If you are currently rostering Clyde, I would only trade him for a great offer. You may even want to wait until he is back on the field, and his value returns to form.
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
With ten more fantasy points than Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the season last year, fantasy managers are excited to see if what happened after week seven will continue. Dobbins took a little while to get started, but after week ten, he never dipped below double-digit touches. It was enough volume for him to produce just under 500 yards rushing and 7 TDs in six games. Given his age and the rushing offense that he is incorporated in, I expect Aaron Jones-like fantasy production moving forward now that Mark Ingram has departed to Houston. Of course, Lamar Jackson will take some rushing upside away, but the coaching staff has been adamant about adding receiving weapons and diversifying the offense. This will only allow Dobbins to produce in multiple ways going forward.
Dobbins was able to produce with limited opportunity, and I fully expect the team to give him a few more touches to alleviate the weight of the offense from Jackson’s shoulders. Expectations for Gus Edwards to share the load do not scare me off of Dobbins at all. All premiere running backs need a change of pace guy to catch their breath. If you can, go grab Edwards to handcuff your solid RB2 with RB1 upside. I would have a hard time moving on from Dobbins because his stock should soar in the 2021 season.
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
The evaluation of Swift’s season at first glance is disappointing, but a simple look further into what happened shows why the buzz is growing for this young Lions RB. The passing volume kept him as a better option than he was solely in the ground game. Only once did he surpass 100 yards rushing, but he never had less than two targets in a game. Consistently getting receiving work and having a nose for the end zone with ten touchdowns on the year, I can see Swift taking a large step forward next season.
With a combination of 57 targets in his rookie season and 114 attempts rushing, Swift didn’t disappoint entirely. With the new coaching change and shift towards utilizing D’Andre in the passing game even more, the hope is that he will reach Alvin Kamara levels of production. Temper expectations and try to realize it is still the Detroit Lions. Until proven otherwise, I will view Swift as a solid, young RB2 option for the next few seasons. He has the upside to be a powerhouse for fantasy teams, and I do expect lots of garbage time points as this offense tries to make games look closer than they were.
Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team
Gibson is the most exciting RB of the bunch because one part of his game was not utilized like we expected it would be. Headed into the season last year, Gibson was being compared to Christian McCaffrey in talent by head coach Ron Rivera. However, despite the high praise, the team used J.D. McKissic in the passing game with 110 targets while Gibson only received 44 throughout the season. Despite that lack of opportunity, Gibson did get most of the rushing work with 170 attempts on the ground, seeing the endzone 11 times.
Gibson will be useful moving forward, but I think the team will try to utilize other players, such as McKissic and newly acquired Curtis Samuel, in the passing game. Just like Swift is not Kamara, we have to temper expectations and realize Gibson is not McCaffrey. Do we see potential? Absolutely, and at the end of the day he will be a great asset to your fantasy team, but make sure to capitalize on value while playing dynasty. If you can sell Gibson for a haul, I would do so.
Cam Akers, L.A. Rams
Another back to temper expectations with and to capitalize off of hype with is Akers. The team has shown that it is not loyal to any single running back, and they prefer a fresh legs approach to their backfield. They may have let aged Malcolm Brown go, but Akers’ real issue is Darrel Henderson and the passing offense he finds himself in. Henderson was drafted in the third round and will have a role on this team which limits anything Akers can do.
Akers showed he can’t stay on the field with three inactive games and two games where he was active but didn’t see the field. Whether it is injury or the team not using him during his rookie season, it shows that he can’t fully be trusted yet. Despite getting 145 touches over the season, he only produced one game with over 100 yards rushing. I would sell on the hype that he is going to take over that backfield and try to move him for a proven back on another team or multiple pieces with upside.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
What a gut punch the draft was for Robinson managers. Anyone telling you it wasn’t, that “He still has a significant role,” is not only lying to you, they are lying to themselves. Unfortunately, the addition of Travis Ettienne in the first round is simply a value killer to an undrafted RB. Robinson may have some rushing work this season, but past that I see Ettienne being the guy. After all, they used the first round capital on him and will have to give him the opportunity.
As for last year, he was great, but the team is changing completely with the addition of Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence, and Ettienne. It won’t be long before Robinson is viewed the same way Phillip Lindsay is viewed, and sadly, I believe that is his ceiling moving forward. Lindsay has some value, but all it takes is the opportunity being shifted to another back on the team and what once was a rookie darling is now an add-in on trade offers. Hopefully, you moved Robinson after his big season because he probably won’t have another like it.
Another sophomore back to keep an eye on is Zack Moss the Bills didn’t do much in the offseason to threaten his role but he still hasn’t done enough entirely to warrant too much attention. Hold him on your bench of course and hope for a few big games to capitalize off of. Otherwise, he will be irrelevant without an injury happening or a sudden volume change.
Always be building with Dynasty Football Factory and come check me out @DFF_MattBull, We are going to change how you look at dynasty fantasy football.
