Fantasy Football Rankings: 5 Big-name running backs to avoid at all costs

2. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders

Current ADP: 53.9

2017 Average Points Per Game: 10.3

I’m sorry Oakland Raiders fans, but Marshawn Lynch isn’t the superstar he used to be. While not necessarily an ineffective runner at 32 years old, he’s certainly past his prime. It showed last season, and I don’t expect to see significant improvement during Year 2 back in the Bay Area.

Sure, his numbers weren’t awful. He racked up 891 yards and seven touchdowns for an inconsistent Oakland offense. However, he didn’t offer a ton of value as a receiver, averaged a pedestrian 4.3 yards per carry and just seemed to have lost a step.

We must also consider that Doug Martin’s presence could eat into his workload. Although the Muscle Hamster is coming off a horrendous season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he figures to play a significant role for the Raiders — especially with Jon Gruden’s vehement backing. Tie in the fact that Jalen Richard and/or DeAndre Washington could also have a role, and the touches start to dry up.

Lynch will be the top dog in the Oakland backfield, there’s no doubting that. Even then, his age and physical play style could force him to take another step backward in the volume department. That will obviously lead to less production, and less points for fantasy owners.

It’s time to accept the fact that Lynch is nearing the end of his NFL career. You could probably do worse, but you could also do much better in the early rounds.