Fantasy Football: Top 6 rookie running backs for 2020 season
By Drew DeLuca
There’s no such thing as a fantasy football ‘offseason’ in dynasty leagues, so meet the top rookie running backs available in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.
The 2020 NFL Draft has been widely classified as one of the deepest in recent memory by many NFL scouts and fantasy football experts. However, the running back position has taken a hit, as two of the top players at the position recently decided to stay in school instead of declaring for the NFL Draft.
Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard led all college football running backs with 328 rushing attempts and 2,094 rushing yards. He decided to leave a paycheck on the table and return to Stillwater for his junior season.
Shortly afterward, Clemson’s Travis Etienne opted to return for his senior season. This came as a bigger shock, as Etienne already won a National Championship, and was projected by some analysts as a first-round selection in the upcoming draft. So where does that leave dynasty owners who stockpiled draft picks in hopes of landing a stud running back or two?
We delve into the remaining options and highlight the top prospects at the position while offering our preferred draft day destinations for each. Our way-too-early landing spot projections take into consideration injuries and ineffectiveness of incumbents, as well as the potential loss of impending free agents such as Carlos Hyde, Kenyan Drake, Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler, Matt Breida and Derrick Henry (though it’s hard to imagine the latter leaving after a postseason like this one.
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Grab a fireside beverage and kick back with our rundown of the top-shelf rookie running backs. There’s no better way to fill the long, cold, grey fantasy football void that won’t start fading away until this spring’s NFL Draft.
6. Zack Moss, Utah
The only true senior on this list, Zack Moss is a tough runner who can bang between the tackles, and he also carries a reputation as an excellent receiver. He’s not the flashiest prospect in this class, yet he offers true three-down workhorse potential for fantasy football fanatics in search of an under-the-radar RB1 candidate.
Height 5-10
Weight 222 pounds
Projected 40 time (per WalterFootball.com): 4.55 seconds
Moss ran for 1,416 yards on 235 carries, averaging a very respectable 6.0 yards per attempt. He scored 17 touchdowns, 15 of which came on the ground. He caught 28 of the 30 passes thrown his way, for an exceptional 93.33 percent catch rate.
Moss proved to be more elusive in space than meets the eye with an average of 13.9 yards per catch, quite stellar for a running back. He was one of only eleven players in all of FBS to log over 1,800 yards from scrimmage. He could be a stud in fantasy football leagues if drafted into the right situation.
Preferred Draft Day Destinations: San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers