Every year there are players throughout fantasy football that cause people at the end of the season to ask, “How did I not see that coming?” Whether it be caused by injury or the looming presence of another fantasy-relevant player on their team, these players fly under the radar and are then deemed “underrated.” Here are eight underrated fantasy running backs going into this season.
Rankings noted using FantasyPros half-PPR Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) and Consensus ADP.
ECR RB6 | ADP RB7
Joe Mixon finished 3rd in touches and was just one of 2 RBs to post a top-6 weekly finish in seven different games in 2021. He plays in a high-powered offense, and yet he continues to be undervalued by the fantasy community as the RB7 per early best ball ADP. Mixon fits all the criteria that a fantasy manager would want as a mid-range first-round selection in fantasy football
– Andrew Erickson
ECR RB17 | ADP RB15
It’s clear that the experts and sharps are convinced that Cam Akers sucks at football after he averaged an abysmal 2.4 yards per carry during the 2021 season after returning from his Achilles injury – the worst mark of any running back with at least 70 carries. But his inefficient production is partially related to the juggernaut of run defenses he faced down the stretch – San Francisco 49ers (twice) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – when in fact no Rams RB ran efficiently. Ninety-five percent of his rushing yards in 2021 came after contact – the highest mark in the NFL. And he wasn’t even supposed to play AT ALL last season after initially tearing his Achilles in July.
– Andrew Erickson
ECR RB22 | ADP RB18
Josh Jacobs has opened his career with back-to-back-to-back seasons of 1,200-plus yards from scrimmage, and he’s just 24 years old, but, nah, he’s probably not good at football. Why? Because he’s averaged “only” 45.3 targets and 9.3 touchdowns per year. He’s perennially underappreciated.
– Matthew Freedman
ECR RB25 | ADP RB24
A.J. Dillon averaged more carries and more touches per game than Aaron Jones last season from late October on. With Davante Adams gone and the Packers quietly building a powerhouse defense, the Packers are going to throw to their RBs more this season, and they’re going to run the ball more often. Dillon should have a beefy workload, and if Jones were to go down, Dillon would instantly become one of THE most valuable fantasy assets.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
ECR RB35 | ADP RB34
Chase Edmonds has slipped to RB32 in ECR. Edmonds’ ranking can be traced to the downside arguments. The injection of Raheem Mostert and now Sony Michel into this backfield and the history of the 49ers’ multiple back usage, but his upside isn’t fully baked into his ranking. Mostert isn’t a picture of health, and Michel wasn’t an efficient back last year, unlike Edmonds. There’s a range of outcomes where Edmonds sees the majority of the work because he’s simply the best player. Last season he was the RB23 in fantasy points per game in a split backfield while blowing efficiency metrics out of the park. Edmonds was ninth in yards per route run, seventh in yards per touch, and 11th in breakaway run rate.
– Derek Brown
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – ATL)
ECR RB36 | ADP RB32
Cordarrelle Patterson had the best year of his career in 2021, putting up 1,166 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 games. He’s not a conventional running back, but he’s a playmaker — and people are like, “Watch out for that fifth-rounder.” It’s disrespectful.
– Matthew Freedman
ECR RB71 | ADP RB63
Tyrion Davis-Price is being treated as if the 49ers’ didn’t just spend a third-round pick on him. He’s being left for dead, being ranked behind even Trey Sermon. Some respect needs to be put on Davis-Price’s name. On a team where the backfield is a fluid year-to-year proposition, it’s in the range of outcomes that he works his way into a 1A or 1B role by midseason, if not from the jump. Since 2020 the 49ers are fifth in neutral rushing rate (47%). With that type of volume and scoring potential, this team could easily support two top 36 options at the position.
– Derek Brown
ECR RB79 | ADP RB93
Matt Breida has a 1,000-yard NFL season to his name. He’s a good receiver (76.9% catch rate, 6.8 yards per target). He has home-run speed (4.38-second 40-yard dash). He knows HC Brian Daboll’s offensive system from their time together last year with the Bills. And he’s the direct backup to a running back (Saquon Barkley) who has amassed just 950 yards from scrimmage in 15 games over the past two years. Breida has league-winning upside.
– Matthew Freedman
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Mike Maher is an editor and content manager at FantasyPros and BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive, follow him on Twitter @MikeMaher, and visit his Philadelphia Eagles blog, The Birds Blitz.
