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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

How Every Rookie RB Impacts Their Backfield in 2022 Fantasy Football (Round 5-7 Picks & UDFAs)

Each year, we see a handful of incoming rookie RBs finish as an RB2 or better in fantasy football. While the best rookies are typically those who are drafted on Day 2 or earlier (Najee Harris, Jonathan Taylor), there are also some recent examples of Day 3 picks and UDFA RBs who had great rookie seasons (Elijah Mitchell, James Robinson).

In this article, I’ll be covering the most important RBs that were drafted in Rounds 5-7 of the 2022 NFL Draft, as well as any notable UDFAs. 

To read my article about each of the RBs drafted in Rounds 2 & 3 (Breece Hall, James Cook, and more), you can check it out hereTo read my article about the RBs drafted in Round 4 (Dameon Pierce, Isaiah Spiller, and more), you can check it out here.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Atlanta Falcons: Tyler Allgeier (Pick #151)

Tyler Allgeier was a workhorse RB prospect coming out of BYU, scoring a ridiculous 23 TDs, second-most in 2021. He was also able to reach 100 rushing yards in seven of 13 games. Now, the former linebacker enters a backfield with Cordarrelle Patterson, Damien Williams, and Jeremy McNichols. Considering that Patterson and Williams are each 30+ years old, and McNichols' career-high in rushing yards is just 204, there is a clear path towards immediate relevance in the Falcons offense for Allgeier.

Following his three-touchdown game last season, Cordarrelle Patterson outcarried Mike Davis 10.5/gm to 7.2/gm. Heading into next season, I don’t expect the 31-year-old career kickoff specialist to improve as a runner, and I think he will likely return to normalcy with fewer than 10 carries per game. This being said, Allgeier could easily become the team’s go-to option on early-down and goalline running plays.

Come the end of the season, I believe that this backfield will have been split evenly between Patterson and Allgeier, with each receiving ~8-12 carries/game based on the game script. Jeremy McNichols will play sparingly in the run game, primarily being used as a pass-catcher when Patterson is unavailable to do so. This means Tyler Allgeier is likely just competing for early-down work with Damien Williams, who’s had fewer rushing yards in his entire seven-year NFL career than Allgeier did in just his final season at BYU.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars: Snoop Conner (Pick #154)

Snoop Conner (5-10, 215 lb) is a very interesting bruiser prospect out of Ole Miss who is now entering a Jacksonville Jaguars backfield with some wiggle room on their depth chart. Travis Etienne will definitely receive the bulk of the carries in this offense, but there is an opportunity for someone who can run between the tackles and wear down the defense.

The team had drafted Etienne 25th overall in last season’s NFL Draft before he suffered a serious Lisfranc injury during the preseason that sidelined him for his entire rookie year. Due to Etienne’s injury, the Jaguars were forced to turn back to their standout UDFA RB James Robinson, who was great, until he tore his Achilles in Week 16. The typical recovery time needed to return to play as a professional football player after an Achilles tear is 11 months. Considering this timetable and the fact that the injury occurred on December 26, I’m pretty confident that we won’t see James Robinson for most of the 2022 season. More importantly, when he does return towards the back-end of the season, I don’t expect Robinson to be nearly as efficient as we saw pre-injury.

Throughout all three of his collegiate seasons, Snoop Conner was outcarried by fellow Ole Miss RB Jerrion Ealy. However, come draft time, Conner was the one who earned the fifth-round draft capital, while Ealy signed as a UDFA with the Kansas City Chiefs as a WR. Clearly, despite the team relying on Ealy over Conner throughout their entire time together, the NFL saw Snoop Conner as the much preferred running back prospect out of Ole Miss. It is also worth noting that in the only game Jerrion Ealy missed during the 2021 season, Snoop Conner put up an impressive 12-110-3 statline. Conner has an immediate opportunity to beat out career backup Ryquell Armstead for the second option in this Jaguars offense.

 

New England Patriots: Kevin Harris (Pick #183)

In the sixth round, the Patriots drafted another “bruiser” RB to add to their current combination of Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, selecting Kevin Harris out of South Carolina. The Patriots have historically rotated through a combination of different RBs in order to keep them fresh and healthy, and their recent draft picks seem to support this statement.

As a sophomore in 2020, Kevin Harris broke out for 1300 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns, all in just 10 games. Harris surpassed 100 rushing yards in 50% of his games that year due to his huge workload of 18.5 carries per game. However, after having back surgery during that offseason, Harris’ workload plummeted to just 11 carries/game prior to his last game of 2021. In that final showing, after disappointing all year, Harris put up a 31-182-1 stat line before declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

While he does have a chance to beat out Rhamondre Stevenson for some backup work, Kevin Harris will not have any immediate fantasy value in this crowded backfield. The team will continue to rotate between multiple different backs, while mostly leaning on Damien Harris near the goal line.

 

Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Badie (Pick #196)

Tyler Badie was a very interesting pick, joining an extremely crowded backfield including J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and new veteran signing Mike Davis. At Missouri, Badie performed as an outstanding pass-catcher out of the backfield, receiving 300+ receiving yards in each of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, including an impressive 54 receptions in his final year. Despite the lack of draft capital and the mountain of running back competition to climb in Baltimore, Badie clearly possesses the talent to be a surprising standout in 2022: 

The Ravens' projected starting RBs, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, are each just one year removed from season-ending ACL injuries, and both could struggle to return to pre-injury form in their first season back. According to head coach John Harbaugh, there is a chance both running backs start training camp on the PUP list, and he also added that the team will remain cautious with both players leading up to the regular season. If this is the case, Badie has a clear path toward meaningful touches in this high-volume offense, as long as he can beat out 29-year-old Mike Davis.

In a run-heavy scheme that loves to rotate between their running backs, Tyler Badie has the opportunity to quickly rise up the depth chart and become an important piece of the Ravens' offense this season and beyond. Hopefully, we’ll hear his name throughout the offseason out of camp to help instill more confidence in his role.

 

Philadelphia Eagles: Kennedy Brooks (UDFA)

Kennedy Brooks enters a backfield that has recently moved on from veteran RB Jordan Howard, now consisting of just Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott. While Gainwell (5-9, 200 lb) and Scott (5-6, 203 lb) are great in space and in the receiving game, they do not contain the size to become the team’s two-down grinder on the ground. This is where Howard (6-0, 224 lb) and Sanders (5-11, 211 lb) saw the bulk of their work. Now, following the team’s recent departure from Jordan Howard, the Eagles signed Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks (5-11, 215 lb) to the highest guaranteed contract ($240,000) of any UDFA RBs in the class. It is important to note that this contract is equivalent to a late fifth-round pick, as he’s seeing more guaranteed money than any prospects drafted after pick #180.

In Miles Sanders’ and Jordan Howard’s two games together in 2021, their rush attempt splits were 16/10 and 18/15, respectively. Both Gainwell and Scott saw little to no ground work in these matchups featuring both bruiser backs. While I don’t expect him to beat out Sanders for the majority workload, Kennedy Brooks should fit right into this role that was previously held by Howard last season. With this in mind, it is not unreasonable to project ~12 carries per game for Sanders and ~8 carries/game for Brooks. Gainwell and Scott will continue to see the majority of their work through the passing game, with Gainwell having the much higher upside if anything were to happen to either Sanders or Brooks.

 

New Orleans Saints: Abram Smith (UDFA)

Abram Smith is entering a New Orleans Saints backfield including Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram II, and Tony Jones. Of course, Kamara is the clear lead back for this team, but there is still some fantasy value for the second option on the depth chart. In their four games together last season, Alvin Kamara averaged 14 carries per game while Mark Ingram saw 7 carries/game. In the matchups that Kamara missed due to injury, Ingram saw a bump up to 13.3 carries/game. We’ve already seen Mark Ingram’s efficiency drop significantly over the past two seasons, as he had the worst YPA of all qualified RBs in 2021 with 3.5. Now, he’s entering his age 33 season, leaving the path towards significant touches wide open in this high-upside offense.

The Saints signed Baylor running back Abram Smith (5-11, 221 lb) to the second-highest guaranteed contract ($222,000) of any UDFA RBs in the class. Last season, Smith had the third-most rushing yards of all Division I RBs, behind only Kenneth Walker and Tyler Badie. Just like I mentioned above with Kennedy Brooks, Abram Smith’s contract is equivalent to a late fifth-round pick, as he’s seeing more guaranteed money than any prospects drafted at pick #180 or later. For comparison, fellow Saints UDFA RB Tony Jones’ contract only includes $50,000 guaranteed, significantly less than any prospects that were actually drafted.

Still, I expect Abram Smith’s main competition for the short-yardage duties to be Tony Jones (5-11, 224 lb), who is a near-identical build to Smith. Nonetheless, considering he is being paid 78% more than Jones, I fully expect Smith to earn that role outright. For further context, in each of their respective senior seasons, Smith (1601) nearly doubled Jones’ (857) rushing yardage totals despite playing against significantly tougher competition. Abram Smith has a clear path towards becoming the main short-yardage rusher in this Saints backfield, and he could hold significant upside if Kamara were to ever go down with an injury during the season.



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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cody Bellinger30 mins ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks32 mins ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb36 mins ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
44 mins ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Aaron Rodgers1 hour ago

Jets Owner Suggested Benching Aaron Rodgers
Mike Evans3 hours ago

Practicing Again On Thursday
Chandler Stephenson4 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson4 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist4 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies4 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund4 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine5 hours ago

Returns To Practice
Ausar Thompson5 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Thursday
Walker Kessler5 hours ago

Still Missing For Jazz
Jordan Clarkson5 hours ago

Questionable To Face Spurs
Devin Vassell5 hours ago

To Miss Third Consecutive Game
Chris Paul5 hours ago

Considered Probable For Thursday's Game
Khris Middleton5 hours ago

Medically Cleared To Play
Chris Sale16 hours ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal16 hours ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Paul George16 hours ago

Exits Game On Wednesday, Hyperextends Left Knee Again
Scoot Henderson17 hours ago

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson17 hours ago

Active On Wednesday Night
Zach Collins18 hours ago

Uncertain To Play On Thursday
Austin Eckroat18 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English18 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin18 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy18 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Patrick Williams18 hours ago

Likely To Miss At Least One Week
Kyle Anderson18 hours ago

Available For Matchup With Hawks
Victor Wembanyama18 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Jusuf Nurkic18 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Stephen Curry18 hours ago

Will Play Against Atlanta
De'Anthony Melton18 hours ago

To Undergo Season-Ending ACL Surgery
Tre Mann18 hours ago

Probable For Thursday Night Matchup Against Detroit
Mike Conley18 hours ago

Appears On Injury Report For Thursday With Toe Injury
Donte DiVincenzo19 hours ago

Questionable Heading Into Thursday
Josh Jacobs19 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith19 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein19 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Wednesday
Tyrese Maxey19 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
Seth Jones21 hours ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold21 hours ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi21 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts21 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram21 hours ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson21 hours ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen21 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb21 hours ago

Listed As Limited, Dealing With Two Injuries
Alex Tuch21 hours ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson21 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta22 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Jordan Eberle22 hours ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
George Kittle22 hours ago

Will Play In Week 12
Ludvig Aberg22 hours ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Ladd McConkey22 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Si Woo Kim22 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy22 hours ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole22 hours ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
San Francisco 49ers22 hours ago

Nick Bosa Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey22 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
George Kittle23 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Brock Purdy23 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Alexander Mattison23 hours ago

Zamir White Not Practicing On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta24 hours ago

Trending Towards Playing In Week 12
Calvin Ridley1 day ago

Out Wednesday With Illness
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

To Practice On Wednesday
Connor Bedard1 day ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart1 day ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
Mark Scheifele1 day ago

Celebrates Ninth Career Hat Trick
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Rocks Senators With Three-Point Period
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Nets Two Goals During Three-Point Night
TB1 day ago

Nicholas Paul Exits Early With Injury Tuesday
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Sits Out Third Period Versus Senators
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers2 days ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
Jonas Brodin2 days ago

Returns To Action
2 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Jose Siri2 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
2 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
2 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
2 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
2 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil3 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes3 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer3 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
3 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
3 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez4 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
4 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Deebo Samuel, D.J. Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jonathon Brooks, Jauan Jennings, Tank Dell

Many fantasy managers are in must-win situations down the stretch, so it's never been more important to ace your start-or-sit calls. Our Week 12 TNF fantasy football overall rankings for 2024 are here to help. Ahead of the critical Week 12 slate of action, let's find out where players on the start-sit bubble such as […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) - Week 12 Thursday Updates for Chuba Hubbard, Calvin Ridley, Cedric Tillman, Jonnu Smith, Austin Ekeler

It's always tough to compare two flex options at different positions, but bye weeks and key injuries have made those start-sit decisions even tougher. We're here to help guide you with your lineup calls with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Navigate the rankings below to find out where top flex […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Superflex 2QB Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, Russell Wilson, Austin Ekeler, Jayden Reed

Time is running out to collect "Ws" before the fantasy football playoffs begin, and if you need assistance, our Week 12 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for fantasy football can assist your start-or-sit efforts. Let's get to it! To begin Week 12 preparation, let's dig into the rankings to find out where key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday RB Updates for Jonathon Brooks, J.K. Dobbins, Bucky Irving, Najee Harris, Kareem Hunt

We're onto Week 12 of the NFL campaign, which can only mean the fantasy football playoffs are just ahead. Whether you're at the top of your league standings, fighting for a playoff spot, or are just trying to play spoiler, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football running back rankings for 2024 are here to help you […]


TNF Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday WR Updates for Cedric Tillman, Jauan Jennings, Josh Downs, Jerry Jeudy, DJ Moore

At the wide receiver spot especially, bye weeks and injuries are major factors in Week 12. If you don't have an excess of must-start WRs and need help identifying the top available options, we're here to help with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive in below to see […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Tight End Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday TE Updates for George Kittle, David Njoku, Will Dissly, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry

In most leagues, only three weeks of the fantasy football regular season remain. If you desperately need a win to clinch a first-round bye or quality for the playoffs, use our Week 12 TNF fantasy football tight end rankings to help you with tough start-or-sit calls at the challenging TE spot. Ahead of the critical Week […]


Tommy DeVito- Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Not All Heroes...Play On Good Teams - Giants, Patriots, and Cowboys Fantasy Football Outlooks

It's well-known at this point that good offenses can help their players light up the scoreboards in fantasy football leagues. The mantra "trust in good players on good offenses" rings true, and some of the best seasons in fantasy football history have been aided by things like good playcalling and a good supporting cast. The […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

TNF Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday QB Updates for Anthony Richardson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud

It's a critical week for fantasy football, as the playoffs are just around the corner. If you need help to nail your optimal lineups this week, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024 are here to assist. Ahead of the all-important Week 12 slate, let's navigate the rankings below and find out […]


Jaylen Waddle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Jaylen Waddle Fantasy Football Outlook - What's Wrong With Waddle?

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was widely pushed as a potential league-winner in fantasy football in 2024 due to a variety of factors. The explosiveness and big-play ability of the Dolphins offense, the good play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and his talent were a few of them. It's not worked out that way. It's […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 12 Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts, George Kittle, Calvin Ridley, more

Week 12 of the NFL's 2024 slate is coming up, and as the fantasy football playoffs draw closer, it's becoming more important than ever to stay ahead of injury news for key players. Leaving a hurt player in your lineup can result in disaster. The author of this article missed out on the fantasy playoffs […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Breakouts for Fantasy Football - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends for Week 12 (2024)

Wide Receiver Sleepers, Risers, Fantasy Football Breakouts - Targets, Air Yards, Snaps Trends Analysis For Week 12 by Kevin Tompkins Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent […]


Video: Week 12 Must-Start Wide Receivers - 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Analysis

As we head into Week 12 we're dealing with multiple teams on byes. Be prepared to navigate those challenges by checking out our favorite 2024 fantasy football must-start wide receivers for Week 12! RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly discusses his top "Must Start" WRs that will have a fantasy football impact in Week 12, as well as […]


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

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 TNF game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I […]