RB RANKINGS 65-80
Auction...............$5
Bye Week.............11
Powell was served a one-year "prove it" contract by the Jets in 2015, and did just that (and more) while filling in for a banged up Chris Ivory down the stretch. Powell posted four games with at least five receptions and 46-plus yards in four of his final six games, while also rushing for 184 yards on 32 carries (5.75 ypc) in that same span. In return, the Jets hit Powell with a new three-year deal with $6 million guaranteed. Now, Forte is the lead back, but as a 30-year-old rusher with over 2,500 career touches, the team will certainly look to spell the veteran at times. This could set Powell up for a series of work here and there, as well as a role in passing situations and potentiall no huddle opportunities. However, with Khiry Robinson also signed as a likely short-yardage specialist, there won't be a ton of opportunities to go around. Powell is a handcuff possibility for those interested in that strategy, and is worth a late-round flier in PPR formats.
Auction...............$5
Bye Week.............6
One of the more intriguing backups in the NFL, the talented Jerick McKinnon just holds little to no value with Adrian Peterson in front of him. McKinnon flashed some serious potential on limited touches in both 2014 and 2015. He'll be a popular handcuff for Peterson owners, and is one injury to the future Hall of Famer away from possibly having starting fantasy value. For now, owning him will be a "how long you can wait-and-see" game. Unless he coups some sort of bigger role as a passing weapon out of the backfield (a possibility), McKinnon is purely a handcuff.
Auction...............$5
Bye Week.............4
With Eddie Lacy battling injuries and weight issues, James Starks took advantage of his opportunities and emerged as the highest-scoring fantasy back in Green Bay in 2015. Starks elected to stay with Green Bay on a new two-year, $6 million contract this offseason and should once again return to his complementary role behind Lacy, who is seeking a new contract of his own and appears to be in phenomenal shape. Starks isn't as good of a back as Lacy, but has proven he can be effective in spurts, especially when given enough touches. For those who employ a handcuff strategy with their running backs, Starks is one of the better options to target as the high-powered Green Bay offense creates loads of opportunities. However, those anticipating another top-25 finish from Starks will likely be disappointed.
Auction...............$4
Bye Week.............9
Thus far in his football career, Jordan Howard has proven no stage is too big for his talents. He made the jump from the University of Alabama-Birmingham to a power-five conference his senior year, and still racked up 1,213 yards and all-conference honors at Indiana. Now, Howard will need to prove he's worthy of the NFL stage after the Bears selected him in the fifth-round of the NFL draft. The team hasn't seemed enamored with the idea of second-year back Jeremy Langford as a workhorse after Matt Forte departed in free agency, which means Howard will have plenty of opportunities to earn touches in what should be an effective committee. In a perfect world, Howard or Langford would earn the starting job outright, but knowing head coach John Fox's penchant for deploying backfield committees, that isn't very likely. For now, both backs are great mid- to late-round targets.
Auction...............$3
Bye Week.............8
Pass-catching specialist Shane Vereen gave the Giants sprinkles of much needed dynamism out of the backfield, racking up 59 receptions for 494 yards in 2015 (both career highs). However, from a fantasy perspective, his production was too hit or miss as he posted four double-digit outings interspersed between nine games with six points or fewer (in standard leagues). He was even hard to trust in PPR, as he had just five games with five or more receptions. Vereen's stock took a hit on draft day as well when the team picked UCLA's Paul Perkins, who boasts the traits to be a pass-catching specialist. Drafting Vereen will be a gamble in 2016 as the frustrating Giants committee backfield is more crowded now, and Vereen's skillset is no longer unique.
Auction...............$3
Bye Week.............4
Despite being part of a three-headed committee in Philadelphia last year, Darren Sproles still managed to carve out his usual pass-catching, jitterbug role. He was the third-most targeted player on the team behind Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, and with DeMarco Murray's 55 targets headed to Tennessee, more opportunities could be there for the taking. Working against Sproles is that he's no spring chicken (he'll be 33 when the season starts), and the team added another small, shifty back through the draft in Wendell Smallwood. For now, Sproles should hang onto his role for at least one more year and represents a nice value pick in the later round of PPR formats, and a potential matchup-based flex option in standard formats. However, fantasy fans should track this competition through training camp and the preseason in case Smallwood makes a bigger push for touches than anticipated.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............8
Kenyan Drake was kind of a wild card in the 2016 rookie running back class, as his raw athleticism was evident on tape, but injuries had kept him on the sideline too often during his time at Alabama. That's why the fit with the Dolphins could be a good one for Drake, as he can play a complementary role to the team's presumed bell cow in Jay Ajayi. Drake is a speedster with great ability in space, so look for the Dolphins to weild him on the field like a swiss army knife, especially on passing downs. Drake is a solid late-round flier option, but gets an added boost in PPR formats.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............5
When the 2015 fantasy season stared, Spencer Ware wasn't remotely close to being on the fantasy radar. He was a practice squad player for the Chiefs after being cut by the Seahawks following two DUI arrests in 2014. Ware got his act together and got a chance to play when Jamaal Charles and Charcandrick West were hit wit injuries. Ware made the most of his limited opportunities, averaging the most yards per carry (5.6) and scoring the most touchdowns (six) of any Chiefs back. He did all of this damage on just 72 carries, too. Ware doesn't offer much in the passing game, though, and will join West as handcuff options for Charles owners in fantasy drafts this fall. He'll need an injury to provide any sort of reasonable fantasy value in 2016 unless the team decides to stop feeding all of the touches to Charles.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............5
Tim Hightower hadn't played an NFL snap since 2011, which made his comeback in 2015 all the more unlikely. Yet, Hightower battled his way onto the Saints roster and proved to have plenty left in the tank filling in for an injured Mark Ingram down the stretch. Hightower saw nearly 80 percent of the backfield touches from Week 14 to Week 17, proving to be the team's preferred backup with workhorse Ingram sidelined. Hightower re-signed with the Saints this offseason, but will return to backup duties with Ingram back to 100 percent. Still, as far as handcuffs go, Hightower is one of the best to own, as Ingram hasn't played in a full 16 games since 2012.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............8
A street free agent in November, Shaun Draughn surprised every one when he signed with the 49ers and turned in a handful of solid fantasy outings from Week 11 to Week 14. Sadly for Draughn, his comeback story was cut short by a knee injury suffered in Week 15 that kept him out the final two games. Draughn re-signed with the team this offseason and will be an option to look for on the waiver wire if Carlos Hyde goes down with any sort of injury. Draughn handled 87 percent of the backfield touches in those four weeks mentioned above.
Auction...............$2
Bye Week.............9
The return of CJ2K as a usable fantasy player was one of 2015's best and most surprising stories. After all, Johnson had a bullet lodged in his shoulder during a drive-by-shooting incident prior to the season. Nevertheless, while serving as the Cardinals de facto No. 1 back from Weeks 2 to 7, he amassed 530 yards on 101 carries (5.2 ypc) and scored three times, posting nine or more fantasy points in four of those weeks. However, the expanded workload took it's toll on Johnson's body, as over his final four games (before heading to IR with a fractured tibia) his ypc average dropped to a measly 2.9. With David Johnson now entrenched as the Cardinals featured back, Johnson's career renaissance appears to be over. He'll be a reserve for the team on his new one-year contract, and is best left on the waiver wire to start the 2016 season.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............7
As a late-round rookie, Cameron Artis-Payne spent most of 2015 learning from the bench. He saw some opportunities late in the season when Jonathan Stewart was out with injuries, but the team split the touches among multiple backs, limiting any fantasy appeal. CAP could have more upside this year as a handcuff for the oft-injured Stewart, but other than that his draft value is minimal.
Auction...............$11
Bye Week.............9
We know that Andre Ellington has ability, but we also know he is almost certainly out of opportunity. David Johnson usurped this job and more with gusto than Ellington ever mustered. At this point, he'll be lucky to hang on to a small change of pace role, as Chris Johnson figures to be the No. 2 option for head coach Bruce Arians nad the offense functioned far better when Johnson was the clear-cut touches hog. If you're into handcuffs, Ellington might be worth something as one of the top guys behind Johnson. His lack of standalone value and the presence of CJ2K makes him a tough sell, though.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............9
With Arian Foster sidelined last season with a torn Achilles, Bill O'Brien had to get unnecessarily creative to generate production from his backfield with wildcat formations, reverses, and so forth. Now, thanks to the addition of Lamar Miller as an early-down workhorse and Tyler Ervin as the change-of-pace back, that will no longer be the case. It's a bit of a mystery how many touches Ervin could see on a weekly basis, as O'Brien has fed 15-plus touches to his leading back in 26 of his 32 games as a head coach, with Foster hitting that mark in almost every game where he was fully healthy. However, Ervin is a elusive in space with great quickness and accelaratoin, giving O'Brien a back capable of making plays without offensive smoke and mirrors. Ervin makes for a nice late-round stash with some upside if the Houston offense finds ways to use him effectively in space in a limited role.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............8
A fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, "Buck" Allen was originally meant to serve in a rotational role behind starter Justin Forsett. However, when Forsett went down with a broken arm, Allen was left to pick up a larger workload. The rookie responded OK, showing some burst between the tackles and ability in the passing game (45 receptions, 353 yards, two touchdowns). However, Allen's role in 2016 seems to be up in the air, as Forsett will return from his injury and the team drafted the talented Kenneth Dixon in the 2016 NFL Draft. Our guess is Allen falls to third in the pecking order for touches, and shouldn't be drafted as more than a late-round handcuff at best.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............10
A fifth-round pick out of Texas Tech, many thought DeAndre Washington would be a role player for the Raiders, but GM Reggie McKenzie believes him to be a "complete back." Either way, Washington figures to get plenty of work in a backfield that gave 307 touches (and nearly 72 percent of the backfield opportunities) to Latavius Murray in 2015. Washington will likely fill the complementary role to Murray, spelling him on passing downs given his ability in the open field. Oakland has averaged 143 passing targets to their backfield over the last two years, giving Washington nice upside as a late-round option in PPR formats if he carves out a large portion of that passing attack.
RB RANKINGS 65-80
