X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Boom or Bust - Jeremy Hill, Carlos Hyde, and Jeremy Langford

The running back position has gone from the backbone of fantasy teams in the early rounds to a roll of the dice in the middle rounds. More teams are employing committees and expanded passing offenses, making running backs less essential pieces of a roster. Most fantasy leagues still require two RB in a weekly starting lineup, so picking a player that will contribute each week is harder than ever. In this piece, we'll look at three running backs who are being drafted relatively early, but who carry significant risk due to inexperience. Will these backs provide good return of value or should they be left alone on draft day?

Average Draft Position Data (12 team Standard, non-PPR) taken from Fantasy Football Calculator as of July 18th.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller has the best Premium MLB Subscription for only $1.99 per week. We have all the tools to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Sleeper Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, PLUS Daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids. 

 

2016 Draft Day - Booms or Busts?

Jeremy Hill (RB, CIN): ADP: 5.05

Regardless of his fantasy performance, Hill will have to work wonders on the field to earn forgiveness from Bengals fans. His infamous fumble in the waning moments of what appeared to be a sure victory kept the franchise's 25 -year playoff win drought alive. One critical mistake cost the team a win, but more concerning is the drop-off in production from his rookie season. After putting up 1,124 rushing yards and a 5.1 yards per carry, those figures dropped to 794 rushing yards and 3.6 yards per carry. Despite his poor performance, he maintained his 13.9 rushes per game from his rookie season. So how can we forecast a possible turnaround and justify making Hill a RB1? I'll give you five good reasons.

1) He finished his second half better than the first half, averaging 3.93 yards per carry in his last six games and scored six TD in the last seven games.

2) The Bengals coaching staff had a personal meeting with Hill and discussed his running style, encouraging him to get back to his north-south running style rather than trying to break big runs.

3) New offensive coordinator Ken Zampese will make finding a way to properly utilize Hill a top priority.

4) The departures of receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, as well as a possible delayed return from injury of Tyler Eifert means the Bengals will lean more on their running game this year.

5) In the off-season, Hill consulted his personal mentor, Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, who advised him and motivated him to get past his big mistake.

In sum, Hill's reputation has taken a bigger hit than his productivity. He should be able to post numbers closer to his rookie season and at a fifth-round ADP, represents a good value for a player who is very likely to put up double-digit TD.

Verdict: Boom!

 
Carlos Hyde (RB, SF) ADP: 4.02

Unlike Hill, Hyde is yet to produce in any way that would make him relevant to fantasy owners over his first two seasons. Hyde has posted 333 and 470 rushing yards, with a total of seven TD in those two years. He has also struggled with injuries, missing 11 out of a possible 32 games. So why is he being drafted ahead of proven commodities such as DeMarco Murray, Jonathan Stewart and Frank Gore? Simply put, youth is valued over experience these days at the running back position, which explains why people are expecting Hyde to suddenly break out in his third season. It also explains why some people choose to watch "Toddlers and Tiaras," but that's a different article for a different site altogether.

On the surface, he has the talent and the opportunity. Chip Kelly is the X-factor, as his alleged offensive genius could be a huge boon to the value of the entire 49ers team. Realistically, Kelly was run out of Philly because his managerial style failed and the production didn't match the hype. With a similar style runner who was much more proven in DeMarco Murray, Kelly managed to kill his fantasy value in 2015. To expect Hyde to suddenly take a huge leap forward under the same system seems far-fetched at best. Given the fact that we don't even know who will play quarterback in San Francisco and the receiving corps currently reads as Torrey Smith and a group of no-name players, it may be hard for Hyde to find much running space. Throw in a lackluster defense that has gone steadily downhill since the departure of Jim Harbaugh and it's even harder to envision any running back getting 20+ carries a game. For a back who is also a non-factor in the passing game (23 receptions in two NFL seasons), it's unfathomable that he should be an early fourth-rounder. In PPR formats, he barely warrants RB2 status in my book.

Verdict: Bust!

 
Jeremy Langford (RB, CHI) ADP: 4.07

The fourth-round pick out of Michigan State had a brief taste of success in the NFL after filling in for Matt Forte last season. In weeks 8-12, Langford scored five TD and a two-point conversion while rushing for 277 yards. He also displayed a great knack for picking up Adam Gase's offense in his rookie year by catching 16 balls for 210 yards out of the backfield. He still saw a consistent workload upon Forte's return, which effectively served as the writing on the wall for a free agency departure once his contract expired. Langford is now expected to be the main running back in Chicago and will try to fill the shoes of the multi-talented Forte.

Now the bad news: Gase is gone and so are three of the Bears' best offensive lineman from last season. Chicago projects to have one of the worst offensive lines in the league and the skill position players will have to adjust to a new play-caller. In addition, Langford will now have rookie Jordan Howard to compete with, along with Ka'Deem Carey and Jacquizz Rodgers. Coach John Fox prefers a committee approach and all three competing backs catch the ball well. Langford filled in admirably for a time, but does not possess an elite skill set and is not in a position to post breakout numbers even if he performs up to his potential. He should be a decent RB2, but that might be his ceiling. Therefore, given his current ADP I deem him a slight bust. Here's those same two paragraphs again, summed up neatly in one bold word:

Verdict: Bust!

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kyle Gibson8 hours ago

Still Plans To Pitch In 2025
Justin Fields8 hours ago

Jets High On Justin Fields
Zeke Nnaji9 hours ago

Ready To Play On Friday
Aaron Gordon9 hours ago

Available For Friday's Game
Nikola Jokić9 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared For Friday
Caris LeVert9 hours ago

Uncertain For Saturday
Trae Young9 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Saturday
Las Vegas Raiders9 hours ago

Raiders Plan To Release Andre James
Jordan Poole9 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Saturday
Las Vegas Raiders9 hours ago

Raiders Waive Tomari Fox
Bennedict Mathurin10 hours ago

Might Miss Saturday's Game
San Francisco 49ers10 hours ago

49ers Claim Tre Tomlinson Off Waivers From Rams
Aaron Nesmith10 hours ago

Likely To Play On Saturday
Tyrese Haliburton10 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Saturday
Tennessee Titans10 hours ago

Titans Retain Keondre Coburn, Otis Reese
Patrick Williams10 hours ago

Likely To Remain Out On Saturday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers10 hours ago

Lavonte David Re-Signs With Buccaneers
Kirk Cousins10 hours ago

Teams Being Told Falcons Won't Trade Kirk Cousins
Coby White10 hours ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Nikola Vučević10 hours ago

Nikola Vucevic Tagged As Doubtful For Saturday
Lonzo Ball10 hours ago

Doubtful For Saturday
Jose Alvarado10 hours ago

Uncertain For Saturday
Bruce Brown10 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Reed Sheppard10 hours ago

Won't Play On Saturday
Fred VanVleet10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Gary Trent Jr.11 hours ago

Tagged As Doubtful For Saturday
Damian Lillard11 hours ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Jaylen Brown11 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Kristaps Porzingis11 hours ago

Questionable For Saturday Night
Ian Seymour11 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Tyler Matzek11 hours ago

Expected To Miss Time
Gus Edwards11 hours ago

To Be Released By Chargers
Jalen Beeks11 hours ago

Signs Minor-League Deal With Houston
Geno Smith11 hours ago

Traded To Raiders
Ian Hamilton11 hours ago

Nearing Spring Training Debut
Erik Swanson12 hours ago

Likely To Open The Season On Injured List
Jorge Mateo12 hours ago

A "Long Shot" For Opening Day
Clarke Schmidt12 hours ago

Expected To Make Season Debut On April 3
Giancarlo Stanton12 hours ago

To Have A Third Round Of PRP Injections
Andrew Kittredge12 hours ago

To Have Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Jackson Holliday12 hours ago

To Get Some Reps At Shortstop
Grayson Rodriguez12 hours ago

To Start The Season On Injured List
Evander Kane13 hours ago

Out For Remainder Of Regular Season
Brandon Tanev13 hours ago

Rejoins Jets At Trade Deadline
Scott Laughton13 hours ago

Lands In Toronto
Kirk Cousins13 hours ago

Makes A Lot Of Sense For Browns
Luke Kunin13 hours ago

Blue Jackets Acquire Luke Kunin
Minnesota Vikings13 hours ago

Byron Murphy Expected To Hit The Open Market
Casey Mittelstadt13 hours ago

Joins Bruins
Michael Gallup13 hours ago

Looking To Return To NFL
Arizona Cardinals13 hours ago

Roy Robertson-Harris Visiting With Cardinals
Charlie Coyle13 hours ago

Shipped To Colorado
Arizona Cardinals13 hours ago

Cardinals Inquiring About Trey Hendrickson
Brad Marchand13 hours ago

Traded To Florida
Tennessee Titans13 hours ago

Titans Release Harold Landry III
Giancarlo Stanton14 hours ago

Unlikely To Play In Spring Games
Ezequiel Tovar14 hours ago

Back In Friday's Spring Lineup
St. Louis Cardinals14 hours ago

No-Front Runner For Cardinals Center-Field Job
Matthew Liberatore14 hours ago

Cardinals More Likely To Use Matthew Liberatore In Relief Role
Steven Matz14 hours ago

Likely To Start The Year In Rotation
Christian Walker14 hours ago

No Strain For Christian Walker
Wyatt Langford14 hours ago

Making Cactus League Debut On Friday
George Kirby15 hours ago

To Start Season On Injured List With Shoulder Injury
Prelander Berroa16 hours ago

Needs Tommy John Surgery
Magomed Ankalaev17 hours ago

Challenges For Light-Heavyweight Title At UFC 313
Logan Stankoven17 hours ago

Shipped To Carolina
Alex Pereira17 hours ago

Set For Fourth Title Defense
Houston Texans17 hours ago

Shaq Mason Being Released
Mikko Rantanen17 hours ago

Traded To Dallas
Tyler Lockett17 hours ago

Seahawks Could Entertain Re-Signing Tyler Lockett
Rafael Fiziev17 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Luke Schenn17 hours ago

Traded To Winnipeg
Justin Gaethje17 hours ago

Set For A Rematch
Indianapolis Colts17 hours ago

Colts Release Raekwon Davis
Anthony Beauvillier17 hours ago

Washington Acquiring Anthony Beauvillier
Houston Texans17 hours ago

Texans Restructure Azeez Al-Shaair's Contract
Josh Norris17 hours ago

Traded To Buffalo
Ignacio Bahamondes17 hours ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Washington Commanders17 hours ago

Commanders Inform Jonathan Allen Of His Release
Tanner Hudson18 hours ago

Bengals Re-Sign Tanner Hudson To One-Year Deal
Dylan Cozens18 hours ago

Senators Acquire Dylan Cozens
Jalin Turner18 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Iasmin Lucindo18 hours ago

Looks For Her Fifth Win In A Row
Amanda Lemos18 hours ago

Looks To Return To Win Column At UFC 313
Mauricio Ruffy18 hours ago

Returns To Action At UFC 313
King Green18 hours ago

Opens Up UFC 313 Main Card
Jake Guentzel23 hours ago

Nets Hat Trick On Thursday
Cale Makar23 hours ago

Has Career Game On Thursday
Jordan Greenway23 hours ago

Exits Early On Thursday
Victor Hedman23 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Contest Early
Jake Walman24 hours ago

Oilers Acquire Jake Walman
Brock Nelson24 hours ago

Traded To Colorado
Dougie Hamilton2 days ago

Remains Under Evaluation
Mattias Ekholm2 days ago

John Klingberg Out Against Canadiens
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Looking To Keep Spark From Last Event Alive At Bay Hill
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

An Interesting Play At Arnold Palmer Invitational
Max Homa3 days ago

Hoping His Course History At Bay Hill Can Help Turn Season Around
Tommy Fleetwood3 days ago

Looking To Get Back Into Good Graces At Bay Hill
Michael Kim3 days ago

One Of The Hottest Players In Golf Heading To Bay Hill
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Making Long-Awaited Start Since Rib Injury At Bay Hill
Sepp Straka3 days ago

Needs Accuracy At Arnold Palmer Invitational
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Looking For Better Form On And Around The Greens At Bay Hill
Justin Rose3 days ago

May Be Worth Avoiding This Week
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

Tries To Go One Step Further At Bay Hill
Shane Lowry3 days ago

Has Potential To Contend At Bay Hill
PGA3 days ago

Sungjae Im Trying To Snap Out Of Golfing Funk
Jacob Bridgeman3 days ago

Looking To Build Off Momentum At Arnold Palmer Invitational
Joe Highsmith3 days ago

Steps Up After Cognizant Classic Win
Max Greyserman3 days ago

Be Wary Of Max Greyserman At Bay Hill
Davis Thompson3 days ago

Very Iffy For Arnold Palmer Invitational
Tony Finau3 days ago

And Bay Hill Could Be A Battle
Cam Davis3 days ago

A Question Mark Heading To Arnold Palmer
Sam Burns3 days ago

Could Stick Around At Arnold Palmer
J.J. Spaun3 days ago

Could See Success At Bay Hill
PGA3 days ago

Byeong Hun An Seeks Answers And May Not Find Any
MMA5 days ago

Asu Almbayev Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 103
Manel Kape5 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC Vegas 103
Julian Marquez5 days ago

Loses Fourth Fight In A Row
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Falls Short Of Victory At COTA While Finishing Fifth
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Has A Day To Forget At COTA On Sunday
Cody Brundage5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Continues His Top-10 Streak At COTA With Third-Place Finish
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Has An Eventful Day At COTA That Ends In 20th-Place Finish
Esteban Ribovics5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 103
Noah Gragson5 days ago

Scores His First Career Road Course Top-10 Finish At COTA
Nasrat Haqparast5 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 103
William Gomis5 days ago

Takes Split-Decision Loss
Hyder Amil5 days ago

Remains Undefeated
Sam Patterson5 days ago

Extends Win Streak To Three
Danny Barlow5 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC Vegas 103
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Wins At COTA, Ready To Keep Adding To It
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Finishes Seventh At COTA, Sees Room For Improvement
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Nabs First Top-10 Finish Of Season After Bumpy COTA Race
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Recovers From Lap 1 Spinout To Finish Fourth
William Byron5 days ago

In Battle Between Last Two Race Winners, William Byron Comes Up Short
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Dominates First Two Stages But Fades In Third Stage
AJ Allmendinger5 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Runs Well At Austin Until Late-Race Collapse
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Recovers From COTA Penalty To Finish Ninth
Tyler Reddick6 days ago

Wins Pole At COTA, Looking To Become First Repeat Winner
Chase Elliott6 days ago

Will Be A Top Threat For The Win At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen6 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen the Favorite to Win at COTA
Kyle Larson6 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell6 days ago

Will Be A Fantastic DFS Play For COTA Lineups
AJ Allmendinger6 days ago

Struggling At COTA Despite Strong Practice Speeds
Austin Cindric6 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Recommendations For COTA Lineups
Connor Zilisch6 days ago

Making Cup Series Debut This Weekend
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Cam Ward - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Rookie Mock Draft And Deep Dive: 2025 Post-NFL Combine Fantasy Football 12-Team, Superflex/Two-QB

Dynasty fantasy football truly never sleeps. Thanks to the most dedicated fantasy managers out there, sites like RotoBaller can exist, always bringing you the latest up-to-date news about basically everything sports related, or in my case, telling you exactly who you should and shouldn't draft. Every year, consensus rankings for both rookies and startups are […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Running Back Free Agency Preview: Fantasy Football Impact and Player Outlooks

After suffering a fall from grace in perceived value in the early 2020s, running backs received a resurgence in 2024 due to the play of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Both players demonstrated that elite running back play can still carry your team very far. In Barkley's case, that included a Super Bowl title. Barkley […]


Mark Andrews - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

2025 Fantasy Football TE Best Ball Rankings: Tight End Player Outlooks and Draft Strategy

While redraft fantasy football leagues are the most popular, best ball is quickly catching up. Casual players have come to love playing in best ball leagues, giving them a chance to scratch the offseason fantasy football itch. Much will change between today and the start of the regular season in six months. However, now is […]


Joe Mixon - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Dynasty Fantasy Football Buys: Aging Running Backs to Trade For Before the 2025 Season

Dynasty fantasy football leagues have this tendency to get all about the youth. You feel this constant pressure to get younger and younger, to hoard draft picks and build a team full of the NFL's newest players. Sometimes that approach is antithetical to the whole idea of winning a fantasy league, especially when everyone is doing […]


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, TE, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football TE Rankings and 2025 Outlooks: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta

The tight-end position is one of the trickiest to navigate, especially in dynasty fantasy football formats. It's small and top-heavy. Much of the scoring is volatile and influenced by touchdowns. The cream of the crop, however, can excel with or without touchdowns. A group of young tight ends, led by Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and […]


Tank Bigsby - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire

Top 3 Fantasy Football Running Back Trade Targets: Dynasty Buys Low and Sell-High Candidates for 2025

The running back position is the most "revolving door" group in both the NFL and dynasty fantasy football. Their careers can often be meteoric, with massive seasons being followed by huge fall-offs. Sometimes, those backs fall off the face of the earth. This can leave fantasy managers going from believing they're set at the position […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Landing Spots for Aaron Jones in NFL Free Agency: Team Destinations & 2025 Player Outlook

After spending years struggling to land lucrative contracts, running backs have reentered the fold as teams have found a new value in the position. Minnesota Vikings free agent running back Aaron Jones finds himself in a good offseason to be a 30-year-old running back. Of course, the league still understands the running back age-cliff. Although […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Top Landing Spots For Najee Harris - 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

With only days away from the tampering period opening up on March 10, several free agents will be on the move this offseason. One of those free agents could be running back Najee Harris. Harris will enter free agency for the first time in his career after the Pittsburgh Steelers declined his fifth-year option.  Harris […]


Sam Darnold - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Top Landing Spots For Sam Darnold - 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Sam Darnold's resurgent 2024 season grabbed the eyes of quarterback-needy general managers across the NFL. His disastrous end to the campaign caused trepidation. Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson are the biggest dominoes on the free-agent market. Justin Fields and Daniel Jones could also be signed with a starting position in mind. With a below-average […]


Evan Engram - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Top Landing Spots For Evan Engram – 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made several roster changes this week. They moved on from several veteran players, including trading Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick. However, the biggest move was releasing Evan Engram. The veteran struggled with injuries last season. Yet, he’s been one of the better tight ends […]


Best Trade Destinations And Landing Spots for DK Metcalf In 2025 Fantasy Football

DK Metcalf is still a member of the Seattle Seahawks, at least for now. However, he’s requested a trade. He’s in the final year of his contract and wants to get paid. Seattle has allowed Metcalf and his representatives to find a trade partner. Part of that process involves Metcalf and the new team agreeing […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Best Ball Rankings For 2025 (Tiers 4-8)

The most dormant weeks of the offseason have concluded as we steadily advance toward the onset of free agency. Many of you have intensified your involvement in the best ball draft process which provides an opportunity for you to avoid in-season roster management. However, this enhances the importance of constructing rosters that will withstand the […]


Tee Higgins - Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

3 NFL Free Agency Bold Predictions: 2025 Fantasy Football Player Outlooks & Breakout Candidates

There's never a bad day to make bold predictions about the NFL. And since many things happen that shock everyone who follows the league, it stands to reason that some wild predictions could turn out to be true. This season, there are big-name free agents, and what happens to them could end up surprising everyone. […]