Lance's 2021 Fantasy Sleepers: RB
Top: Phillip Lindsay (Houston)
With all the uncertainty surrounding Houston’s QB situation there’s a very good chance they will have to rely heavily on running the ball. They seem to have already expected this since they went out and signed Mark Ingram and Phillip Lindsay, and hung onto David Johnson. Ingram was a non-factor last year which has to make you wonder if it was because he hit that 30-year old wall. David Johnson hasn’t been a big factor since 2016 (you can try and argue 2018, but I’m gonna laugh at you if you do). That leaves Lindsay. He had back to back 1,000 yard rushing seasons before Melvin Gordon came along. He has a very good chance of getting back over the 1,000 yard mark once again. He could even push for 1,500 total yards provided he becomes the go to guy early on.
3 Others: Damien Harris (New England), Jamaal Williams (Detroit), Cam Akers (LA Rams)
Last season Harris averaged 5.0 yards/carry and had spurts where he looked like the real deal. He also dealt with various ailments and was basically a non-factor in the pass game. I’m not saying go take him in the first half of your draft, but I’d use a late-round pick on him. He’ll be even more valuable if Mac Jones takes over, because Newton won’t be vulturing carries from him. Of course, taking anyone in a Bill Belichick backfield is a big risk.
Jamaal Williams steps into a great role. The Lions Receiver situation isn’t stellar, so they will need to rely heavily on their run game that is headlined by Williams and Swift. New Head Coach, Dan Campbell, comes from a Saints organization that spent a couple years splitting backfield duties between Alvin Kamara (lightning) and Mark Ingram (thunder). During that awesome 2018 season both managed over 1,500 yards and double-digit touchdowns. I would expect Williams and Swift to do something similar as long as both guys stay healthy, probably not that good, but over 1,000 total yards and 8-10 touchdowns each would be pretty solid.
After a slow start, Akers finished the year strong. Strong enough to allow the Rams to let Malcolm Brown walk. He’ll still have to deal with losing touches to Darrell Henderson, but if he can pick up where he left off he’s going to be worth that RB2 pick you’re going to have to spend to get him. And he has the potential to push for a top 10 finish at the position.
Rookie: Kenny Gainwell (Philadelphia)
Gainwell was my #3 RB in this year’s NFL draft, but the Eagles were able to snag him in the fifth round and I think they got a steal. Miles Sanders left the door cracked for having his job taken after he missed four games last year and failed to hit the high expectations that were set for him. Gainwell’s athleticism and dual-threat abilities could allow him to steal the job. He’s definitely worth a late-round flier if he gets first team work in Philly’s preseason games, or at the very least an add to your watch list and pickup if Sanders gets injured.
Dark Horse: Qadree Ollison (Atlanta)
I’m ready to get hurt again. I really liked Ollison his rookie year, but he has yet to earn significant playing time heading into his third season. Luckily for him, the only major moves the Falcons made at the position were signing Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson. And they’ve come out and said it will be an open competition. Ollison doesn’t have Derrick Henry’s athleticism (he’s not terrible in that department though), but he is similar in size (6’1”, 230) and also has that bruising playing style. I like his fit with Arthur Smith calling the shots. He has some work to do though, before he’s worth using a pick on.
