RADIO
Oftentimes, the beginning of your draft is where you consolidate your starting lineup with top tier talent and pick who you believe will finish as one of the best players at their position. The top of the draft is where your team usually separates itself from the rest as a true powerhouse for your season.
However, arguably an even more important part of the draft is the late rounds. Finding a late round gem with your lottery ticket pick is one way to take your team over the top and make sure you are set for the reason with both the strength of your lineup and the depth of your entire roster.
The position that experiences the most breakouts each year is running back. Due to an increased likelihood of injury and ability for multiple backs from the same team to provide significant fantasy contributions, running backs have a higher chance of breaking out than any other position. Here are some late round running backs who are poised to break out in the 2018 season, making them must-own options for your fantasy rosters.
Late-Round Running Backs
D'Onta Foreman, Houston Texans
D'Onta Foreman should not be drafted with anything other than your last pick as a flier. After being drafted 86th overall by the Houston Texans in 2017, Foreman was largely expected to play a complimentary role to running back Lamar Miller in his rookie year. Through 10 games, Foreman did exactly that, at times outplaying Miller and showing some potential to become the team's running back of the future. Foreman racked up 327 yards on 78 carries and two touchdowns as well as six receptions for 83 yards before tearing his Achilles and missing the remainder of the season.
Currently on the preseason PUP list, Foreman will not be able to play for the first six weeks of the season if he remains on the list past next week. Additionally, Achilles injuries are extremely hard to come back from. However, if Foreman is able to make a successful recovery, he could enter an offense in desperate need of a good running back. With Lamar Miller underperforming in his two seasons at the Texans and Alfred Blue unable to operate as an NFL-caliber running back, the backfield is Foreman's for the taking. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to fuel a high-powered offense that should have plenty of opportunities for scoring points, making the running back in that offense a valuable commodity. At his current late-round ADP, Foreman is definitely not the worst option to own at the position.
James White, New England Patriots
James White is obviously a much better option in PPR formats, having failed to reach the 200 yard rushing barrier in his four seasons with the Patriots. The hero of the team's victory against the Falcons in the 2017 Super Bowl, White has carved out a significant chunk of the Patriots receiving game and is expected to continue to play a big role in 2018. With fellow running backs Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel nursing injuries and slot receiver Julian Edelman suspended for the first four games of the season, White will be one of the team's main receiving options to start the year and could end up taking a significant portion of the team's carries on the ground as well.
Therefore, owning White to start the season is a good option for fantasy owners who want a high reception floor from their running backs and the potential for rushing upside early in the season. Although he is not an ideal selection and he is unlikely to break out in a major way in 2018, White could end up as a solid RB2 in PPR formats due to his receiving ability and his propensity to show up in big games as well as the Patriots favorable schedule in 2018.
Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Bucs
Despite the selection of Ronald Jones II in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers have continued to state that running back Peyton Barber is their starter after some impressive performances in training camp and preseason. Barber came in hot as a rookie, with 223 rushing yards on 55 attempts as the backup for the team. In 2017, Barber ended the season as the team's starter and showed promise with his hard-hitting rushing ability. Barber was able to rush for 423 yards on 108 attempts and record 16 receptions for 114 yards; additionally, Barber found the end zone three times.
While Barber is expected to share the team's carries with Ronald Jones II, it is clear that the Bucs favor him and will continue to favor him early in the season, giving Barber the opportunity that he needs to become entrenched as the team's starter at running back. If you need a starter early in the season at running back, Barber is the guy to go with with one of your last picks in the draft due to his confirmed workload and the praise coming from his coaching staff. He may not be a good option for the entire season, but Barber should be a solid option to start the year.
