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

Must-Have Running Backs for 2021 Fantasy Football

David Montgomery - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

If you're like me, that is, a bona fide fantasy football junkie who is consumed by this hobby, then you participate in more than one league. It's to the point where I've lost count but I know I'll check in each and every week to set lineups, make waiver claims, and do whatever it takes to win.

It all starts with selecting the players I feel have the best chance to carry my team at the front of the draft or become that breakout player toward the mid-to-late portion. Diversifying and differentiating is a good idea, but there are always a few players that wind up on more than half of my rosters. These are the ones I identify as "must-haves."

I've already gone through the top of my must-have list with players at every position including Najee Harris and Trey Sermon at running back. But there's no way I'm only targeting the same two running backs whenever I draft. Here are the rest of my must-have running backs for 2021.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

First, let's get the hyperbole and impossible expectations out of the way because you've likely seen it on social media already.


That's not happening. There is only one Christian McCaffrey and he plays in Carolina. Gibson caught all of 36 passes last year, which is fewer than Devin Singletary. He could see a bump this year if the team chooses to keep him in on third-downs rather than putting in J.D. McKissic every single time. Then again, McKissic caught 80 passes last year which was the most of any running back other than Alvin Kamara and was pretty good at what he did.

This doesn't sound like the glowing endorsement of Gibson you might have expected but I want to keep everyone grounded in reality. The quote comparing him to CMC came from a teammate during training camp, so take it with a huge grain of salt.

Now, the reason you should target Gibson everywhere is the fact that he will see an uptick in receptions and more carries as well. Gibson graded out at 62.3 as a pass receiver and McKissic was a little higher at 68.5 according to PFF. That's not a massive gap. The issue is pass-blocking, which coaches care a lot more about than we'd like to admit. Gibson was third-lowest among all RBs with a 21.5 PBLK rating. This will improve with time and he will have more designed routes so a bump of one more catch per game generates a realistic expectation of between 55-60 receptions if he plays a full 17-game season.

Gibson was brought along somewhat slowly as you might expect for a rookie. He didn't see 20 touches in a game until Week 7 when he trampled the Cowboys for 128 yards on the ground. He was sometimes scripted out of the game because Washington was behind but their stout defense should be even better this year and Ryan Fitzpatrick will at least provide leadership and consistency at QB, which wasn't present in 2020.

Gibson has all the tools to be a breakout player, averaging 4.7 yards per carry as a rookie and possessing the receiving chops to be a dual-threat back. There isn't really competition for early-down touches or goal-line work either. When you can get a top-10 fantasy RB in the second round, you don't pass that up.

 

David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

If you wait on the RB2 position but don't want to play Zero RB, or better yet, Hero RB, then there are precious few choices that make you feel secure past the top couple tiers. Monty is one of the "safest" of that bunch and is still being undervalued as the 15th running back off the board according to industry consensus ADP.

His epic performance during the fantasy playoffs last season legitimately won a lot of leagues for lucky and/or smart managers. Montgomery was a different player after the team's Week 11 bye, averaging 105.8 rushing yards and 32.6 receiving yards per game from Week 12-16 along with seven touchdowns.

Point to his weak late-season schedule all you want but one look at his new-and-improved player page tells a similar story about this year's SOS.

Week 12-15 are filled with green and look just as pillow-soft as 2020 with matchups against division cellar-dwellers Detroit along with Minnesota in a key Week 15 showdown.

The lack of competition, particularly Tarik Cohen missing on third downs, isn't much different either. Cohen is still on PUP and not likely to be on the field for Week 1. Veteran free agent Damien Williams and rookie Khalil Herbert are simply depth and pose no threat to Montgomery's touches. Grab the undervalued workhorse and don't sweat your RB2 position all year long.

 

Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos

Speaking of fantasy playoffs, when choosing between backs in a timeshare, opt for the one more likely to end the season strong. In the case of the Broncos' two-man RBBC between Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, it's the rookie. Williams may start slow but will likely win the job at some point. Gordon is headed toward free agency, which partly explains the Williams pick in the first place.

We know all about Williams by this point, so I'll simply explain what makes him a must-have: ADP. He is currently going off the board at 65 overall after running backs like Chase Edmonds, Mike Davis, and, Raheem Mostert. I dare anyone to proclaim that any of those backs have league-winning potential like Williams. Don't be scared of Gordon's presence - youth will ultimately prevail.

 

A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers

I've done a complete 180° turn on Dillon over the past calendar year. Last preseason, I declared him as overhyped based on his combine speed score because there was zero opportunity for him in Green Bay's offense barring major injury and he would not be involved at all as a pass-catcher. Both concerns proved completely valid and he was basically a waste of a roster spot for anyone who drafted him.

This year, I'm all over him as more than a high-end insurance policy for Aaron Jones. I'm not usually in the business of prioritizing running backs who need an injury to be relevant so that means I'm confident Dillon will have a role alongside Jones.

The last two seasons under Matt LaFleur, the RB2 behind Jones was Jamaal Williams. He had a 30% and 31% team share of carries those two seasons which netted him over 100 carries each time as well as 13 and 25 red-zone carries. Running hard between the tackles is definitely a strength of the 247-pound back.

But what about the lack of receiving work? Williams is gone and Dillon is starting to (wait for it...) catch passes. He didn't do much of it in college but not because he isn't capable. He may surprise a lot of people this season. Don't be one of them and snatch him up before the competition.

 

Giovani Bernard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Speaking of pass-catching RBs, Gio Bernard. Going from the Bengals to the Bucs is sort of a rags to riches story. After toiling for eight seasons in Cincy, he started 10 games for the first time in 2020 because Joe Mixon was out. That didn't result in huge fantasy numbers as he struggled running the ball with a 3.4 yards per carry average. It's nothing new either; Bernard is averaging 3.4 Y/A over the past three seasons.

The bright side is that he caught nearly three balls per game and now becomes the new James White for Tom Brady. The chemistry is already developing and Gio seems to be established already as the third-down option based on preseason usage. Ronald Jones hasn't secured that role and Leonard Fournette is seemingly always on shaky ground. The ceiling isn't super-high but among late-round options, Bernard is criminally undervalued because he will wind up outscoring almost all the backs going around his range at RB55/184 overall.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




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

Joey Gallo27 mins ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke34 mins ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee40 mins ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler48 mins ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano57 mins ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland1 hour ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis1 hour ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías1 hour ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera2 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
Ronny Mauricio2 hours ago

Won't Play In Spring Training Games
Nathan Eovaldi2 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Framber Valdez2 hours ago

Will Start For Astros On Opening Day
Spencer Strider2 hours ago

To Make Spring Debut On Monday
Gleyber Torres2 hours ago

Scratched With Quad Contusion
Caleb Martin2 hours ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
De'Andre Hunter2 hours ago

Starting On Sunday Afternoon
Daulton Varsho2 hours ago

Could Begin Season On Injured List
Evan Mobley2 hours ago

Won't Face Orlando On Sunday
New York Jets2 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Donovan Mitchell3 hours ago

Returning Versus Orlando
Cole Anthony3 hours ago

Back On Sunday
Max Scherzer3 hours ago

Set To Throw In Minor-League Game
Washington Commanders3 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Christian Walker3 hours ago

Should Be "Fine" For Opening Day
Cooper Rush3 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Sonny Gray3 hours ago

Starting On Opening Day
Yainer Diaz3 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Connor Wong3 hours ago

Returns To Lineup On Sunday
Baltimore Ravens5 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks5 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.6 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Colby Thomas6 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Colby Thomas
Christopher Bell7 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson7 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney7 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain7 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher7 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield7 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott8 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin8 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov8 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron8 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick8 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli8 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin8 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin8 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar8 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR8 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski8 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones8 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez8 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar9 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece9 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano10 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell10 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric10 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe10 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs10 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen10 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason16 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett18 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley18 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant18 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart18 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons18 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun18 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon18 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray18 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić19 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Dee Eskridge19 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey19 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant19 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster20 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans20 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Damian Lillard20 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell20 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Giannis Antetokounmpo20 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray20 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich20 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers20 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov20 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov20 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony21 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia21 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk21 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell21 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox21 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles24 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Kirk Cousins1 day ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Aaron Rodgers1 day ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets1 day ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Los Angeles Chargers1 day ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson1 day ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk1 day ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen1 day ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG1 day ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien1 day ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson1 day ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons2 days ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Karel Vejmelka2 days ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Florio's Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners and Losers!

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


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

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]