Whether you’re a Zero RB purist or a drafter who likes to attack the running back position early on, it’s often those late-round running back selections that really turn an average roster into a league winner. With wide receivers being prioritized earlier in drafts this year, it’s more important than ever to hit on running back selections when you do make them. This article will take a look at running back dart throw options in the 150+ range of Underdog ADP and consider why these dart throws could hit the bullseye in 2023.
- Snake Draft Pick Strategy: Early | Middle | Late
- Draft Targets for Every Round: Early | Middle | Late
- Fitz’s Draft Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
Best Ball Dart Throws: RBs
Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – ADP 150
In one version of 2023, perhaps the former fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier fades away into fantasy obscurity as he fails to command touches from Bijan Robinson, who, in the eyes of many, is the best running back prospect in years. In another not completely unrealistic scenario, perhaps Arthur Smith continues to be a scourge of fantasy football and divides the workload more evenly between Robinson and Allgeier, who is fresh off a rookie campaign where he finished with 1,035 rushing yards. It’s tricky to predict how Allgeier’s career plays out from here, but with the Falcons’ running scheme, he has the potential to be a solid standalone play, and if anything were to happen to Robinson, Allgeier becomes an every-week RB2 option.
Jerome Ford (CLE) – ADP 159
After a slightly rocky end to the Kareem Hunt tenure in Cleveland, the Browns have elected to spend no resources in trying to replace him, seemingly content to roll with what they have in Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford. 2022 was Ford’s rookie campaign, and he only saw eight touches, which he turned into a forgettable 12 total yards. Ford’s final season in college saw him rush for 1,319 yards and score a whopping 19 rushing touchdowns, as well as one through the air. Chubb has averaged a 58% opportunity share over his career in Cleveland, and while it might be true that he will see a big uptick in touches, there will also be plenty left behind for Jerome Ford.
Taxi squad stash no further: Jerome Ford.
pic.twitter.com/8lu4Fgxsbb— John Hesterman (@john_hesterman) June 9, 2023
Tyjae Spears (TEN) – ADP 172
The Titans aren’t concerned about Tyjae Spears’s lack of an ACL, and neither should you be, for this season at the very least. Derrick Henry is entering his age 29 season, and for a Titans team that seems to be unsure if they’re in a rebuild or not, it doesn’t seem outlandish to suggest that Henry might be on a different team before the end of the season. Between that factor and the fact that the Titans have very few offensive weapons, it shouldn’t be surprising to see Spears have an impact this year.
Chuba Hubbard (CAR) – ADP 180
It’s clear to everyone that Miles Sanders is the RB1 in Carolina, but it’s also true that Sanders doesn’t and hasn’t ever profiled as a true three-down running back unless that is, of course, that you think the Eagles, one of the best teams in the NFL, mismanaged Sanders over the last few years and failed to use him to his true potential. Hubbard boasted 2.5 yards per route run in 2022 as a pass-catcher, the second-highest amount of any RB with 10+ targets, and with an upgrade at quarterback that could increase this year. Hubbard will find his way onto the field early and would be a top-tier handcuff if anything should happen to Sanders.
Chuba Hubbard is the best RB pick in best ball at his confusingly low 188 ADP
-Panthers didn’t draft a RB
-Clear #2 on depth chart
-Exact same elusive rating as Miles Sanders last season (52.7)
-6th in yards per route run at RB (1.55) tied with Austin Ekeler last year— Ben Cummins (@BenCumminsFF) May 13, 2023
Gus Edwards (BAL) – ADP 188
Much like JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards is also going to be a year further removed from his ACL injury and should enjoy a healthy training camp ahead of an important year. Throughout Edwards’s career, he has never averaged less than 5.0 yards per carry, being the definition of a running back who will get you what is needed as he runs behind the Ravens’ underrated offensive line. With a new scheme in Baltimore and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the whole of this Ravens offense looks set for a bump in value this year, and Edwards can be viewed as a player with standalone value and also a bet against the uncertainty surrounding JK Dobbins who didn’t take part in mini-camp, amidst a contract stand-off as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.
Zamir White (LV) – ADP 212
Perhaps things got a little out of control last year when Josh Jacobs played in the Hall of Fame game, something which is unusual for starters to do. This, in turn, led to Zamir White being pumped up draft boards, and ultimately that choice fell flat on drafters’ faces. White went on to touch the ball 16 times for 66 yards as Josh Jacobs had a late-breakout season for the ages. Currently, Josh Jacobs has yet to sign his franchise tag, and there are only a couple of weeks left for him to agree to a long-term deal with the Raiders. If Jacobs should hold out or the Raiders decide to trade him in season, there really is very little else to stop Zamir White from having a chance to seize the job.
Trayveon Williams (CIN) – ADP 215
The Bengals don’t seem entirely convinced that Joe Mixon needs to be a part of their future, and it feels that it’s become a marriage of convenience more than anything else. If Samaje Perine hadn’t left in free agency, it could have been a very different story after Mixon was outperformed by Perine down the stretch of the season, and that was before Mixon got himself into a few off-the-field issues this offseason. The team did little to replace Perine in free agency or the draft and has since talked up Trayveon Williams at several opportunities, despite the fourth-year running back having only 40 regular season touches thus far in his career. Williams could be a complete bust and barely see the field, or perhaps he walks into the Samaje Perine role that was so valuable last year and possibly even sees workhorse-type touches if Mixon is suspended at any point. For your last pick in a draft, there are worse dart throws to make.
Wrapping up these post-draft pressers, and Zac Taylor & B. Callahan repeatedly brought up Trayveon Williams when asked about Samaje Perine's replacement
Lines like "The more investment we've given him with playing time, the more he's paid off"
Being drafted as CIN's RB4 on UD pic.twitter.com/3xWkKg8jkR
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) May 9, 2023
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