Dynasty Risers at Running Back (2022)

February 6, 2022 Jonathan Klonowski

Today, we continue our Risers and Fallers series looking at the dynasty risers at running back heading into the 2022 fantasy football season!

The running back position continues to be the most volatile position for dynasty managers. It was a turbulent year for running backs in 2021 after a plethora of injuries to key dynasty assets. There were, however, plenty of up-and-coming players who saw their stock rise. Below are two running backs who have climbed the rankings over the last 12 months, and two who could rise in the coming year.

Those who have risen…

Javonte Williams

Is there a player more universally loved by the fantasy community than Javonte Williams? In his rookie season, the former UNC running back rushed 203 times, accumulating 903 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He added a further 316 yards and three touchdowns through the air from 43 receptions (53 targets). The rookie finished as a mid-range RB2 over the course of the year and scored at least 10 half-PPR points in four of his six fantasy games after the bye.

His opportunities were limited by the presence, and surprisingly strong performance, of Melvin Gordon who also reached the 1,000 scrimmage yard-mark in 2021. Williams’ impressive rookie campaign and the prospect of an increased share of the work next year have caused him to rocket up dynasty rankings. 

The question now is how much of the workload Williams will be given next season and, more importantly, can he live up to his hype. The underlying stats certainly point to sustained fantasy success. Despite splitting the workload Williams forced 63 missed tackles last season, the second-most in the league only behind Jonathan Taylor, according to PFF. He also ranked third in PFF’s elusive rating amongst running backs with at least 120 rushing attempts last year. To the moon, as they say…

Elijah Mitchell

Another rookie who impressed last season was San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell. The running back room looked fairly crowded at the beginning of the season. However, after Mostert’s season-ending injury and Trey Sermon’s fall from grace, Mitchell made the most of his opportunity. During the fantasy season, the rookie saw at least 15 touches in eight of his ten games, becoming the workhorse and taking the lion’s share of the running back workload when healthy. As the season progressed he also became increasingly involved in the passing game after very little work in the opening few games.

There are, however, a couple of concerns going into the 2022 season. The emergence of Deebo Samuel as a weapon out of the backfield clearly caps Mitchell’s ceiling somewhat. Additionally, with Trey Lance the likely starter next season his upside could be even more limited given Lance’s rushing abilities. Overall I believe he is still worth the risk as a mid-range dynasty RB2 given his impressive performances as a rookie and the assumption he will be the starter in one of the most efficient rushing schemes.

Those who could rise…

AJ Dillon

Dillon enjoyed a significant uptick in production in 2021 after a fairly quiet opening campaign. The bruising running back became an increasingly integral part of the Packers’ offense as the season progressed, splitting work with the incumbent starter Aaron Jones. From week 4 onwards, Dillon saw at least ten touches in all but two games – including two with more than 20 touches.

One of the most surprising aspects of his season was the increase in receiving work. In total Dillon saw 37 targets, reeling in 34 receptions for 313 yards and two touchdowns. On top of this, given his size, Dillon has regularly been used around the goal line, as seen with his touchdown against the 49ers in the playoffs. Including the playoffs, in total, he saw ten rushes from inside the five, versus six for Aaron Jones.

The question now is how his role may develop. The running back usage over the final few weeks of the season indicates the Packers want to pursue a split backfield, and Jones will remain an important piece next season. It is worth remembering, however, that Jones will be 28 by the time next season finishes. Green Bay can also easily move on from him after this coming season. It would therefore not be a surprise to see AJ Dillon as the Packers’ starter by the beginning of the 2023 season.

Devin Singletary

It has been largely impossible to trust any Buffalo running backs in recent years, especially given Josh Allen’s prowess around the goal line. Devin Singletary, however, emerged as the clear lead back over the final few games of the regular season and into the postseason. Including the playoffs, from week 12 onwards Singletary saw at least ten touches in all but one game. He received 20 touches in three of those. He made the most of his opportunities, averaging 79 yards from scrimmage over that time frame, which included two 100-yard performances against the Falcons and Jets.

His inclusion as a potential riser comes with an obvious caveat – that the Bills do not add significant competition. If the Bills decide not to spend significant draft capital, Singletary has demonstrated he can handle a larger workload, and be successful doing so. This would see him steadily rise up from his RB29 ranking on KeepTradeCut. He may well be worth the risk at that cost, given what we’ve recently seen.

Thanks for reading the first part of our Dynasty Risers and Fallers at Running Back article!

Come back tomorrow for part 2 of this series as we discuss Dynasty Fallers at Running Back!

Make sure to check out our staff’s dynasty rankings by clicking here!

2021 Fantasy Football Rankings powered by FantasyPros
About Jonathan Klonowski 72 Articles
UK-based fantasy football contributor covering redraft and dynasty. Feel free to contact me @JKlonowskiNFL on Twitter
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