Welcome to fantasy football land: Where running backs matter
By James Doino
The NY Giants’ decision to draft Saquon Barkley No. 2 overall has been panned for the past three seasons, but that decision is cast in a different light in fantasy football land
NY Giants fans have been at odds for three years over this one question. Fantasy Football coaches might answer it differently than invested Giants fans …
Do running backs matter?
The question amongst Giants fans is unsettled to say the least. Just check NY Giants twitter if you need confirmation that the battle rages on.
One thing all NY Giants fans can agree upon though, is that in fantasy football, running backs certainly do matter.
It is always a smart play to prioritize them early and often in your fantasy drafts, unless you get offered a hot dog and pretzel in a trade proposal, but I digress.
Here’s a breakdown of four running backs that should be chosen in your fantasy football draft this summer, does NY Giants’ star Saquon Barkley make the cut?
Of course he does. More on Saquon Barkley a bit later …
Round 1 Target: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
I can sit here and give you no-brainers like Alvin Kamara, Barkley, and Derrick Henry, but what is the fun in that?
Taking the approach that we are sitting at the back end of the first-round in 10-12 teams drafts, there may be no safer pick than the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb.
Cleveland trots out one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, and the team is not shy about being a run first offense.
And no, I am not worried at all about Kareem Hunt hurting the value of Chubb. This back field has supported both in the past and should continue to pay dividends for invested owners of this formidable backfield duo.
2021 Outlook via ESPN
"“Chubb enters his fourth NFL season as the lead dog in a Cleveland backfield that also includes standout Kareem Hunt. Chubb missed four games in 2020, but was very productive in 11 full regular season games with Hunt. He racked up 184 carries and 19 targets and only three RBs scored more fantasy points during the span. Aside of a rough Week 1, Chubb finished the other 10 games he played in full as a top-22 fantasy back. We know Chubb is a terrific rusher (his career 5.23 YPC and 2.28 YAC both rank second among qualified RBs), but we also saw an all-important boost in targets down the stretch last season (16 in his final four games). The 25-year-old will operate behind arguably the league’s best offensive line and is a top-10 fantasy RB in all formats.”"
Word To The Wise:
Since Kareem Hunt has showed up in Cleveland, Chubb has 27 receptions in 20 games.