Fantasy Football 2017: 3 Backfields to avoid on draft day

There are some situations and players fantasy football owners want exposure to on draft day. However, what are some situations they want to avoid?

In fantasy football we want to select players who offer upside in the long-term, short-term and/or both. Obviously the players who are drafted early should be players who offer a high ceiling every week they take the field. There are other players who might be great short-term additions later in drafts due to their early season roles (Darren McFadden, Jacquizz Rodgers). “Upside” is the name of the game here folks.

Right now, there are some running backs who don’t offer a lot of upside in their backfields. Yes, they might be popular names who have had success in the past. Yet, that doesn’t mean they are players we want in 2017. Instead, they are players we want to avoid. When I say, “avoid” I don’t mean totally disregard them during your drafts. Obviously if a player falls far enough during the draft, they too will present value. Instead, I would avoid them at their current average draft positions (ADP).

Here are three backfields to avoid on draft day:

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Last year the Eagles finished 11th in the NFL in rushing yards per game and back in June Pro Football Focus ranked their offensive line No. 1 in the NFL. So this is a running game fantasy football owners want to be a part of, right? Wrong.

The Eagles backfield is awfully crowded with LeGarrette Blount, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey and preseason All-Pro Corey Clement. Obviously the Eagles won’t carry five running backs into the regular season so which one of the five won’t make the final 53?

Will the Eagles stash Pumphrey on injured reserved? Will they cut Clement and hope he goes unsigned so they can sign him to the practice squad? Will they cut the 30-year old Blount, who has looked awful this preseason? I’m not sure, you’re not sure and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles front office wasn’t 100 percent sure at this point in time. Either way, the Eagles backfield will be a full-blown committee going into Week 1 and it’ll be a guessing game who will do what each week.

If I had to draft one player for immediate success it would be…
Darren Sproles

He might not have much week-to-week upside but he has caught 52+ passes in each of the last two seasons. This makes him a decent RB3 option in PPR leagues. Just don’t expect him to carry the ball as much in 2017 after setting a career-high in carries in 2016 with 94. Also, he’s all but retired after the season and if/when the Eagles fall out of the playoff race, the coaching staff will more than likely get the younger backs more touches.

If I had to draft one player for long-term success it would be…
Wendell Smallwood

He might not but be a better inside runner than Blount but he’s a better pass-catcher. He might not be a better pass-catcher than Sproles but he’s a better inside runner. If either Blount or Sproles get injured or underachieve, the 23-year old Smallwood will get an opportunity for major playing time. The Eagles will presumably be without both Blount and Sproles in 2018 so the coaching staff will want to see what they have in the second-year back.