Running Backs with Hands II
Continuing my Running Back with Hands series, I’ll now be taking a look into running backs with 50 or more catches in 2019 and giving some insight into how they might perform in 2020! Click here to read my previous article!
A total of 13 running backs had 50 or more catches last season. Of those 13 players, only Tarik Cohen finished outside the top 25 running backs in half PPR formats. As you recall I mentioned him last week in how he Cohen finished just as RB37, but had back to back 70 reception, 90 target seasons. No way Cohen finishes that low again! I will continue to pound the Tarik Cohen drum in PPR formats! David Montgomery may be the “lead” back, but don’t forget that Cohen was still on the field for 49.8% of snaps in 2019.
In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a huge fan of Tarik Cohen. Make sure you draft him this season!
Now let’s take a look at what other running backs had 50 or more catches!
- Christian McCaffrey 116 receptions
- Austin Ekeler 92
- Alvin Kamara 81
- Tarik Cohen 79
- Leonard Fournette 76
- James White 72
- Le’veon Bell 66
- Devonta Freeman 59
- Ezekiel Elliot 54
- Dalvin Cook 53
- Saquon Barkley 52
- Miles Sanders 50
- Kenyan Drake 50
James Conner, Kareem Hunt, Chris Thompson, and Melvin Gordon all deserve honorable mentions. Each had the potential to hit the 50 catch mark had they played a 16 game season. Kareem Hunt was on pace for 72 catches over 16 games last year. But I’ll get to these guys next week. This week I’m focusing on running backs with 50 or more catches during the 2019 season.
Last week, I discussed the cream of the crop: Christian McCaffrey, Austin Ekeler, Alvin Kamara, Tarik Cohen, and Leonard Fournette all caught over 75 balls in 2019. Fournette may be lucky to hit the 50 catch mark in 2020 with a new OC and the addition of Chris Thompson to the backfield. From James White to Kenyan Drake, I see the potential for all eight running backs to produce over 50 receptions again in 2020. That’s as long as Ken’s favorite, Devonta Freeman, finds a team! For more on how Fantasy In Frames’ own Ken Sonnenberg feels about Devonta Freeman’s value watch our first mock draft to see where he selects him by clicking here.
James White
James White has over 55 receptions in four straight seasons! Since 2016, he has finished as RB28, RB41, RB8, and RB22 in half-point PPR formats. In 2017 he played in 14 games and failed to hit the 60 reception mark, resulting in his RB41 finish. Averaging 79.5 receptions over the last two seasons, James White is in a good position to once again finish inside the top 30 running backs in PPR formats. Sony Michel underwent off-season surgery on his foot. Though it was just maintenance, this news certainly boosts James White 2020 outlook. Plus the Pats just added Cam Newton! Newton’s dink and dunk ways certainly make me like White much more than I did with Stidham under center. I want all the James White I can eat in PPR leagues!
Le’veon Bell
Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, and Le’veon Bell were the only three running backs with 70 plus targets and more than 240 rushing attempts in 2019. Of the 20 running backs with at least 200 rushing attempts last season, only Le’veon Bell failed to rush for 800 yards. To top it off, Le’veon Bell and Leonard Fournette were the only two backs with over 200 rushing attempts to not score more than five total touchdowns in 2019. Le’veon Bell has five seasons under his belt with 200 plus rushing attempts. Toss out last year and he averaged 9.75 total touchdowns in seasons with 200 plus carries. Bell has averaged 77.25 receptions a year since 2014. This is not counting his 2015 in which he played six games. In those four seasons, he averaged 646.50 receiving yards per season. In 2019, he had only 461 receiving yards on 66 catches. Frank Gore and Adam Gase are obvious knocks to Le’veons draft stock. We all remember Adam Gase wanting nothing to do with the Le’veon signing. Bell is in a prime position for a bounce-back campaign. 200 rushing attempts and 50 receptions from Le’veon in 2020 is easy money. I see no way for Le’veon to finish outside the top 15 running backs again in 2020. Even a finish outside the top 12 is hard to imagine.
Devonta Freeman
Devonta Freeman broke onto the scene in 2015 finishing as the number one running back in fantasy football. Injuries since have hampered his ability to reach his full potential. Since 2015 in half-point PPR formats:
2015: RB1
2016: RB6
2017: RB13
2018: played two games
2019: RB21
The upside is certainly there, but Freeman must find a home and stay healthy. The days of Freeman rushing 220 times a season and finishing as a top 10 back are over, but that doesn’t mean Freeman can’t make serious contributions. Other than the injury-riddled 2018, Freeman has racked up over 180 rushing attempts and at least 36 receptions in each season since 2015. He had 50 plus catches in three of those seasons, and topped out at 73 catches in 2015! Depending on how far he falls in drafts and his future landing spot, Freeman could be a sneaky play.
Ezekiel Elliot
Does much really need to be said about Ezekiel Elliot? Zeke played 10 games in 2017 and finished as RB10 in half-point PPR formats. He outperformed almost every back the league had to offer in just 10 games. Since entering the league, he has never finished outside the top 10 running backs. Toss out 2017, and he’s never finished outside the top five! In his three “full” seasons, Zeke averaged 309 rushing attempts, 1,474 rushing yards, 54 receptions, and 13 total touchdowns. Zeke is a freak. That is all.
Dalvin Cook
Dalvin Cook has played 11 and 14 games over the last two years yet is averaging 56 receptions a season. Other than the health concerns, Dalvin Cook is an elite playmaker. He may not play every game in 2020, but when he does expect a show! No running back had more yards after contact per reception than Cooks 11.3 in 2019. Dalvin Cook averaged 9.8 yards per reception last season. As long as he is on the field, he is a top 10 running back in fantasy.
Saquon Barkley
No one needs to be told to draft Saquon Barkley, but can Saquon repeat his 2018? The answer is highly unlikely! For starters those touchdown numbers from 2018 were beyond elite, so regression in that department was imminent. The receiving department is where Saquon is taking the biggest hit. Saquon averaged 5.6 targets per game in 2019. In 2018 he averaged 7.6 targets per game. In that 2018 season, Saquon had 91 receptions on 121 targets! That’s CMC status. Those numbers may be hard to get to again, especially with Daniel Jones under center. Jones likes to spread the ball around and take shots down the field with his arm. Saquon was on pace for 64 receptions last season across a full 16 games. With Jones at quarterback, I can’t imagine a scenario where Saquon goes for 75 plus catches. Golden Tata, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard are all great pass catchers. Add Darius Slayton to the mix and there are a ton of mouths to feed in New York. Zeke and CMC are the only two players I’d consider taking over Saquon though.
Miles Sanders
It has taken me a while, but I am starting to hop on the Miles Sanders train. The opportunity for 1,000 rushing yards and 50 receptions in 2020 is certainly there. Boston Scott and the way he popped onto the scene to end 2019 kind of scared me away at first. Over the final four weeks of the 2019 season, Scott averaged 9.5 carries and 6.25 receptions a game. The Eagles had no healthy wide receivers though, opening the door for Scott. Actually, in the final four weeks of 2019 other than the two running backs, Ertz, and Goedert, only Greg Ward saw over 20 targets. Do we all remember Greg Ward being a thing to end the 2019 season? Absolutely laughable. With a healthy wide receiver room, Boston Scott will once again take a back seat to the youngster, but could certainly keep Sanders from the RB1 discussion. Miles Sanders was fourth among running backs with a minimum of 25 targets with 10.2 yards per reception. He also averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2019. Imagine what he can do with over 200 carries and 75 targets. Sky’s the limit for this kid though Doug Pederson and his RBBC approach in past years may hold Sanders back.
Kenyan Drake
During the off-season, the Cardinals went out and traded David Johnson to bring in DeAndre Hopkins. After joining the Cardinals in week nine, Kenyan Drake averaged 18.18 FPPG in half-point PPR formats. In his eight weeks with Arizona, he had three games where he went over 25 fantasy points. Drake averaged 15.38 carries per game and 3.75 receptions per game with the Cardinals. That’s a 16 game pace of 246 carries and 60 receptions. Kenyan Drake laid a goose egg in the touchdown department in 2019 while with Miami. In the eight weeks with Arizona, he scored eight touchdowns. Week 15 highlighted a four-touchdown game from Kenyan Drake against Cleveland. Aaron Pags wrote an awesome piece on Kenyan Drake you can check out here!
Aaron Jones
Free Aaron Jones! Why do we have to keep preaching that? With Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams already in the backfield, Green Bay really went out and drafted a running back in AJ Dillon. Aaron Jones receiving ability is next level but it hasn’t been fully unleashed yet. In the one game last season where Jones ran more than six snaps from the slot, he went off for seven receptions, 159 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Since week 10 of 2018, Aaron Jones averaged 17.94 FPPG in half-point PPR formats. He has 67 catches over that span. The dude is averaging almost 18 FPPG over his last 22 contests and we are worried about AJ Dillon?