Ellis Johnson's Running Backs #21-30: Half-PPR Fantasy Football Rankings

In the third part of this series, I break down the next back in my rankings. If you're looking for some detailed analysis on the later round backs, you've come to the right place!

Last season my draft rankings finished 61st overall in the FantasyPros accuracy competition. I hope to have another successful year in 2022.

In this article, I break down my thoughts RBs #21-30 and provide my projected statistics for each player. You can find the rest of my projections here. My name is Ellis, and I want to thank you all for checking out my work. Find me on Twitter @YoitsEllis_FF and let me know what you think!

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#21-30 - Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings (Half-PPR)

August 2022 Update

21. Travis Etienne Jr. (RB, JAX):

He’s back. In one of the most devastating injuries of 2021, the first-round running back missed his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury. This foot injury is nasty and does raise concern for reinjury, making him a risky draft pick in 2022. Unfortunately, this was not the only devastating injury in 2021, as undrafted star James Robinson tore his Achilles late in the season.

Despite this, somehow Robinson looks like he might be able to be back early in the season. However, we do not have many success stories of backs coming off this injury, leaving Etienne as the clear lead back and by far the most explosive on the roster.

Etienne will try to jumpstart one of the worst offenses in the league. The team is looking to bounce back and with their new free-agent acquisitions as well as Etienne’s return, they might have the boost they need to revitalize college superstar Trevor Lawrence. I’m excited to see what this electric back can do with full control of this backfield.

22. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB, KC): 

CEH is fascinating this year. After being a major disappointment for fantasy over his first two seasons, things are finally looking up. However, the community seems to be ignoring the signs and leaving him in the RB dead zone. Last season of the backs who played 10 or more games, he was RB23 in points per game, and the season before he finished as the RB22. Currently being drafted as the RB26 on Underdog Fantasy, he might be a great dark horse fantasy option.

The offseason started a little scary for CEH after bringing in Ronald Jones II, keeping Jerrick McKinnon, and hyping up Andy Ried's darling Isiah Pacheco. However, the beat all off-season from camp is that this is  CEH's backfield. What's interesting is that many people use the fact of vacated targets going to the running back to hype up Aaron Jone and A.J. Dillon, but doesn't seem to hold the same weight with CEH.

Tyreek Hill's absence leaves 159 targets on the table, which should benefit CEH the most. I'm excited for him this season and think he might be going under the radar in a lot of drafts.

23. Josh Jacobs (RB, LVR):

Just when everything looked to be full steam ahead for Jacobs, news broke that the team will not pick up his fifth-year option. This came as a surprise as he had delivered for the team, scoring 21 rushing touchdowns over the last two years. Since then, the news has continued to look bad for the young back.

His fantasy production in the past is hard to ignore, as last season from Weeks 10 on, Jacobs averaged the fourth-most points per game. The offense has recently gotten a lot better, adding Davante Adams and the breakout of Hunter Renfrow. This may take some targets away from the position, but thankfully that was never a large part of Jacobs' NFL game.

The decrease in passing work should easily be offset by an increase in endzone opportunities. In the end, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacobs posts another underwhelming top-15 performance. Unfortunately, the news this offseason scares me off of him and moves him down my rankings to RB23.

24. Tony Pollard (RB, DAL): 

All off-season we've heard how Mike McCarthy wants to use both of his running backs more this year. Plus, with Amari Cooper vacating 103 targets and Gallup missing the start of the season, both backs should be heavily involved right at the start of the season. Although Pollard may not have the consistency of Ezekiel Elliott, he certainly is the more explosive at the respective points of their careers.

As a result, Pollard is the perfect high-upside flex play/RB3 for me in redraft leagues. If he is more involved (which all of the reports out of camp seem to think so) he will provide a nice floor with home run hitting ability.

Plus, you get the added benefit if Zeke is to miss any time with injury. Although he might not have the workload of players like Miles Sanders (who is being drafted around him), I much prefer Pollard's upside every week.

25. Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, NE): 

Stevenson has been getting sneaky hype from the fantasy community all off-season. Once James White retired, the idea of a big-bodied back like Stevenson taking that role had fantasy managers salivating. Unfortunately, without Mike McDaniel, this might be a completely new offense and possibly not even have a "James White role."

Either way, Damien Harris should not hog all the touchdowns like he did last year, increasing Stevenson's upside. This might be a firm committee backfield, which on a team primed to control the clock and game-manage to wins, is not a bad thing. I think Harris and Stevenson are quite similar, with the edge going to Stevenson's passing work.

26. Kareem Hunt (RB, CLE):

For the second time in the last three years, Hunt only played eight games. We have seen what he can do with a full season, crack the top-10 backs in 2020. This shows the wide range of outcomes for Hunt, but you know if he is playing, he’ll find a way to provide fantasy value.

He rounds out arguably the best backfield duo in the league and is the primary pass catcher. Now that sexual predator Deshaun Watson and nice guy Jacobe Brissett are splitting the season, his role is a little cloudier, most likely having fewer targets for the position. Despite that, he could very well have increased touchdowns and crack the top-20 backs in 2022.

I am personally concerned about injury and the rushing split between Watson, Chubb, and Hunt, and would not like to rely on him as my weekly RB2. Despite this, he might be one of the best flex/RB3 options in fantasy.

27. Rashaad Penny (RB, SEA):

 I'm a little terrified, but I love Penny this year. In fact, I even highlighted him in my essential players for 2022 article (which you can find here). Last season, Penny finished the season on fire. The only back I can think of that had a similar late-season resurgence was Kenyan Drake three years ago.

Unfortunately, a few things have changed this off-season. Primarily, the biggest change is having Drew Lock or Geno Smith under center, which immediately limits the entire offense.

Secondly, the team selected dynasty heart-throb Kenneth Walker III in the second round of the NFL draft. Although I think Walker is a very talented back, I am very concerned about his current injury. It has been clarified that it is not a sports hernia or an abdominal injury, but outside of that, all we know is that he might not be ready for Week 1 or a couple of weeks after that.

Anytime a player misses some of the preseason and starts the season injured is a red flag for me, especially for a rookie. As a result, I think Penny will be a volume play with the upside of what he showed at the end of last season. Now, all we need is for him to stay healthy, which my projections already have him missing one game.

28. J.K. Dobbins (RB, BAL):

As the season approaches, we still haven't seen a fully healthy Dobbins. This is surprising since he missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL. For this reason, I am concerned that there may be some complications with his injury, but that is just speculation.

The team has come out and said they do not expect any setbacks for the young back and anticipate for him to return as the main back. Dobbins is one fully healthy game from skyrocketing his value, but that's also the risk. Dobbins flashed as an efficient rusher, averaging six yards per carry in his rookie season, and managed to score nine rushing touchdowns over a 15-game span.

What limits Dobbins is his minimal pass-catching work and the other offensive weapons. Of course, Baltimore is one of the best rushing offenses in the league, but with Lamar Jackson and Gus Edwards rushing as well, Dobbins may struggle to see a large volume. The good thing is that he may return as the efficient back we saw as a rookie, meaning he’ll still be great for fantasy.

Personally, I am going to wait until we get clarification that he will be fully healthy in Week One before drafting him in any leagues (in case of any unknown complications).

29. Damien Harris (RB, NE): 

Harris scored the quietest 15 touchdowns last season I've ever seen. Scoring at least one touchdown in 11 games, his fantasy production was surprisingly consistent. However, outside of the touchdowns, his numbers were shaky at best. In nearly half of his games played, he failed to have 15 rushing attempts.

Pair this with his lack of pass-catching, and it's quite concerning. Now, Stevenson has managed to creep up draft boards and could potentially take over the backfield. Despite all of these concerns, Harris often falls in drafts, making him a very solid value. After all, would you really be surprised if he replicates last season? I know I wouldn't be. He's a risky selection, but one of the better late-round backs for any RB-needy team in my opinion.

30. Cam Akers (RB, LAR):

A miracle of modern medicine. Against all odds. Truly remarkable. These were all phrases to describe Akers’ return from a torn Achilles last season. The injury happened before the season and Akers managed to return to an NFL field in time for the playoff run. Many were surprised to see him on the field before the return of J.K. Dobbins, and rightfully so. It’s no secret that torn Achilles can be devastating, especially for running backs.

It was clear that when Akers returned, he seemed to be less dynamic than he used to be, but was still the leader of this backfield. As I see it, just having him on the field was a treat, but I don't think we can truly ignore his poor performance in the playoffs. After all, what we have seen from him on the NFL field is that he has only cracked 10 fantasy points in three games and struggles with efficiency.

Plus, if you want to say "but he received all of the touches in the playoffs", it is important to remember that Darrel Henderson Jr. was injured during that time. I have him projected for 15 games and I do recognize that on this offense the sky is the limit, but it's looking like a locked-in committee backfield in 2022.

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