As advanced metrics become more innovative, the more difficult they are to track. Yards created being a prime example. But just because it is a difficult metric to track doesn’t mean we should stick to less significant stats. Yards after contact, for example, the closest living relative to yards created, is a common default in this area of analysis. The issue with yards after contact is that it can minimize the impact of smaller, more agile backs. Truck-sticking defenders all the way down the field is impressive, but isn’t the juke move to go untouched just as significant?
There are several ways a running back can gain “extra” yardage, so it’s only logical that we use several different metrics to measure a running back’s ability to create extra yards. There are different versions of yards created being tracked, and for this article, I’ll use SumerSports, which defines their metric as, “adjusting yards per carry based on situation and defensive pre-snap look.” Additionally, I will also utilize PFF’s elusiveness rating, which considers missed tackles forced and yards after contact per attempt. With all of this, we will zoom in on yards after contact to paint a full picture.
Here’s the full article on The Best & Worst Running Backs at Creating Yards. Let’s dive into a few notable names below.
Creating Yards in 2023 (Fantasy Football)
Top 10 RBs at Creating Yards
| Top 10 RBs in Yards Created per SumerSports | |
| Name | Yards Created |
| De’Von Achane | 3.52 |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | 0.98 |
| Jaylen Warren | 0.87 |
| Kyren Williams | 0.78 |
| James Conner | 0.75 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 0.72 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 0.65 |
| Aaron Jones | 0.54 |
| Raheem Mostert | 0.47 |
| Emari Demercado | 0.38 |
| Top 10 RBs in Elusiveness Rating per PFF | |
| Name | Elusiveness Rating |
| De’Von Achane | 153.5 |
| Keaton Mitchell | 152.2 |
| Jaylen Warren | 131.9 |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | 113.8 |
| Tyjae Spears | 109.8 |
| James Conner | 109.3 |
| Raheem Mostert | 94.4 |
| Breece Hall | 88.6 |
| Kenneth Walker III | 88 |
| Antonio Gibson | 86.9 |
| Top RBs in Yards After Contact per Attempt | ||||
| Name | Attempts | Yards | YAC | YAC per Attempt |
| Keaton Mitchell | 47 | 396 | 267 | 5.68 |
| De’Von Achane | 102 | 804 | 522 | 5.12 |
| James Conner | 209 | 1039 | 817 | 3.91 |
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 51 | 247 | 186 | 3.65 |
| Jaylen Warren | 149 | 785 | 543 | 3.64 |
| Emari Demercado | 58 | 284 | 205 | 3.53 |
| Antonio Gibson | 65 | 265 | 228 | 3.51 |
| Breece Hall | 222 | 993 | 761 | 3.43 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 272 | 1459 | 929 | 3.42 |
| Pierre Strong Jr. | 63 | 291 | 215 | 3.41 |
| Raheem Mostert | 209 | 1012 | 710 | 3.4 |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | 76 | 410 | 257 | 3.38 |
| Kyren Williams | 228 | 1144 | 761 | 3.34 |
| Derrick Henry | 280 | 1167 | 930 | 3.32 |
There’s a lot to take in, but lucky for you, that’s why I’m here. There are a handful of names that are consistent throughout each table, partially due to my extension of the yards after contact list, but obviously that is a good sign for those players.
It should be noted that Keaton Mitchell did not meet the minimum number of attempts to crack SumerSports’ yards created list, but I’ve included him in the other metrics for obvious reasons. If we apply the same restriction to yards per carry per attempt, De’Von Achane would be atop each list. It’s no surprise to see Achane as the cover boy for creating extra yardage after his extraordinary rookie season, but per SumerSports, he is creating 3.5 times more yards than the runner up. His 7.8 yards per carry are the most of any running back with at least 100 attempts since 1934. Although his size is a concern for staying healthy, Achane averaged 5.12 yards after contact per attempt in his 188-pound frame. Although most of those yards didn’t come while bulldozing defenders, it speaks to his ability to stay upright after initial contact. In other words, arm tackles aren’t enough to bring him down. Achane finished as the overall RB4 in half-PPR points per game, despite leaving a couple contests early. It seems like wishful thinking to imagine him playing a full season, but he would be an RB1 if he can do so.
Keaton Mitchell fell short of the carry minimum to crack the yards created list, but he’s in lockstep with Achane in the other metrics. His 5.68 yards after contact per attempt is an absurd number, even on just 47 attempts. His elusiveness rating of 152.2 trails Achane by 1.3 points, but leads the next-closest player by 20.3 points. Perhaps most impressive is his 14.9% breakway run rate. If he had enough carries to qualify, that would have led the league over Achane’s 12.6% breakaway rate. But despite being a human highlight reel and an advanced stat machine, the odds are against Mitchell becoming anything more than a part-time player. Like Achane, his slim build is a lot to overcome, particularly if he continues to struggle with injuries. He carried the ball in just six games this season and didn’t crack double-digit attempts in any of them. As an undrafted free agent, the likelihood of him sticking are even smaller. Regardless, if he maintains this type of efficiency in a part-time role, he can still be a major fantasy factor.
Continuing along the lines of undersized and undrafted, Jaleel McLaughlin made a quick impression as a rookie, finishing second in yards created at 0.98 and fourth in elusiveness with a rating of 113.8. His yards after contact per attempt of 3.38 was good enough for twelfth-best. McLaughlin was a more consistent member of the Broncos’ offense than we saw from Achane and Mitchell with their teams, but he didn’t pop as often. Still, his 5.4 yards per carry suggest that he will have a role moving forward. I’d expect him to continue as a complimentary option to Javonte Williams next season, with weekly upside as an RB3.
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