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

Coby White6 mins ago

Cleared For Action Monday
Josh Giddey11 mins ago

Remains Out On Monday
Grayson Allen15 mins ago

Sits Out Fourth Straight Game
NFL17 mins ago

Azeez Ojulari Heading To Philadelphia
Bradley Beal23 mins ago

Sidelined On Monday
Jesse Winker26 mins ago

Exits Early On Monday
NFL32 mins ago

Juan Thornhill Heading To Steel City
Yves Missi34 mins ago

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Orelvis Martinez36 mins ago

Removed Early On Monday
Kelly Olynyk39 mins ago

Cleared To Play Monday
Zion Williamson42 mins ago

Available Against Pistons
Andrew Benintendi44 mins ago

Takes Live Batting Practice
NFL45 mins ago

Garrett Bradbury Released By Vikings
Svi Mykhailiuk52 mins ago

Unavailable Against Chicago
Alek Manoah53 mins ago

Placed On 60-Day Injured List
Guerschon Yabusele55 mins ago

Downgraded To Out
Andrew Wiggins1 hour ago

Inactive On Monday
Philadelphia Eagles1 hour ago

Eagles Rework Lane Johnson's Contract
Kristian Campbell1 hour ago

Still Competing For Second Base Gig
Myles Turner1 hour ago

Misses Monday's Matchup
Aaron Nesmith1 hour ago

Unavailable Against Minnesota On Monday
Tyrese Haliburton1 hour ago

Will Not Play On Monday
Adem Bona1 hour ago

Misses Monday's Game
Andre Drummond1 hour ago

Continues To Sit With Toe Injury
Jabari Walker2 hours ago

Unavailable Again On Monday
Kyle Lowry2 hours ago

Still Out On Monday
Brett Baty2 hours ago

Luisangel Acuna Could Platoon At Second Base
Lonnie Walker IV2 hours ago

Remains Out On Monday
Spencer Steer2 hours ago

To Resume Throwing On Tuesday, Could Be Ready For Opening Day
Kelly Oubre Jr.2 hours ago

Sits Out Monday's Game
Jerami Grant2 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday's Matchup With Washington
Alexis Díaz2 hours ago

Alexis Diaz To Pitch In Minor-League Game On Tuesday
Tyrese Maxey2 hours ago

Unavailable Against Rockets
Tobias Myers2 hours ago

To Start The Year On Injured List
Max Kepler2 hours ago

Dealing With Back Injury
Andrei Svechnikov2 hours ago

Could Return To Action Thursday
Alec Bohm2 hours ago

Could Play On Wednesday
Dustin Wolf2 hours ago

Faces Maple Leafs Monday
Jake Allen3 hours ago

Searches For Third Consecutive Victory Monday
Brandon Marsh3 hours ago

To Return To Action On Tuesday
Zack Wheeler3 hours ago

Phillies Announce Zack Wheeler As Their Opening Day Starter
Jet Greaves3 hours ago

Receives Starting Nod Monday
Jake Cousins3 hours ago

Throwing At 90 Feet
DJ LeMahieu3 hours ago

Has Been Hitting
Ivan Fedotov3 hours ago

Starts Against Lightning
Paul Goldschmidt3 hours ago

Pulled On Monday With Back Soreness
Grayson Rodriguez3 hours ago

To Play Catch On Tuesday
Joonas Korpisalo3 hours ago

Starts For Bruins Monday
Coby Mayo3 hours ago

OK After Being Hit By Pitch
Roman Dolidze3 hours ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori4 hours ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris4 hours ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young4 hours ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Xander Schauffele4 hours ago

Struggles At The PLAYERS Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard4 hours ago

Misses First Cut In 2025
Lucas Glover4 hours ago

Produces Another Strong Showing At The PLAYERS Championship
Joel Dahmen4 hours ago

Finding Stride Heading To Valspar Championship
Corey Conners4 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Sixth At The PLAYERS Championship
Luke Clanton4 hours ago

Secures PGA Tour Card At Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown4 hours ago

Set To Make Fourth PGA Tour Start In 2025
Cameron Young4 hours ago

A Loose Cannon On Florida Swing
Akshay Bhatia4 hours ago

Secures Third Top-10 Finish
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos4 hours ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Sahith Theegala4 hours ago

Seeking Elusive Consistency In Florida
Kyler Murray4 hours ago

Excited For 2025
Joe Highsmith4 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At The Valspar
Chidi Njokuani4 hours ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
New York Jets4 hours ago

Byron Cowart Inks Deal With Jets
Kurt Holobaugh4 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez5 hours ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
PGA5 hours ago

Nico Echavarria Just Attempting To Get To The Weekend
Bud Cauley5 hours ago

Trying To Keep Good Times Rolling
5 hours ago

Tetairoa McMillan Increasing His Draft Stock
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 hours ago

Needs His Putter At The Valspar
Edward Cabrera5 hours ago

Playing Catch On Monday
PGA5 hours ago

Byeong Hun An Attempts To Get Off To Faster Start
Joseph Woll5 hours ago

Starting On Monday
Nick Jensen5 hours ago

Not Expected To Play On Tuesday
Royce Lewis6 hours ago

To Miss Opening Day
Dylan Strome6 hours ago

Battling Illness
Jonas Brodin6 hours ago

Not Playing On Monday, Viewed As Day-To-Day
Cody Gibson6 hours ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Luis Severino6 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod For Oakland
Josh Norris6 hours ago

Not Playing On Monday
Da'Mon Blackshear6 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
JJ Peterka6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday's Contest
Brendson Ribeiro6 hours ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Diyar Nurgozhay6 hours ago

Suffers His First Loss
MMA7 hours ago

Seung Woo Choi Suffers First-Round TKO Loss At UFC Vegas 104
Kevin Vallejos7 hours ago

Finishes Seung Woo Choi In Debut
Jameis Winston7 hours ago

To Visit With Giants On Tuesday
Cincinnati Bengals7 hours ago

Bengals Still Hoping To Sign Trey Hendrickson To An Extension
Houston Texans7 hours ago

Texans Make Derek Stingley Jr. The Highest-Paid Defensive Back
Tyler Reddick9 hours ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney9 hours ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry9 hours ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger9 hours ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson9 hours ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain10 hours ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez10 hours ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
Cole Perfetti13 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Karel Vejmelka13 hours ago

Earns Victory On Sunday
Jordan Kyrou13 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins13 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar13 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov13 hours ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR16 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman16 hours ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric16 hours ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron16 hours ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece16 hours ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Tee Higgins21 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase21 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Miami Dolphins1 day ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold1 day ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson1 day ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad1 day ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers1 day ago

Re-Ups With Rams
New York Jets1 day ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush1 day ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott2 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron2 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson4 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: Best, Worst Picks In Rounds 1-4

You don't want to draft the below players, trust me. There are busts in every year's rookie class, and while some of them are tough to predict, others show clear signs that they aren't worth their capital. Many players have great fortune in college, playing on great teams that elevate their production and thus the […]


Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


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 […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


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

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

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 […]