Fantasy Football Rankings 2021: Top rookie running backs
By Drew DeLuca
2021 Fantasy Football Rookie Running Back No. 4: Kenneth Gainwell
Gainwell, who sat out the 2020 season, stayed at number four in our rankings after his impressive Pro Day, but he moved himself up into the next tier, and likely cemented his status as a Day 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Gainwell ran a blistering (4.42 seconds) 40-yard dash, and made fantasy football managers salivate by topping 200 pounds, proof that the bulk he’s added hasn’t affected his burst.
The Memphis product logged 231 carries and 2,060 total yards in his sophomore season, showing he can potentially handle the workload of a three-down back at the NFL level, or at least the lead back of a productive tandem.
Despite the claims of some analysts who see him as merely a third-down back, Gainwell’s 51 receptions and 16 touchdowns in 14 games are proof of his ability to perform in the red zone, as well as open space between the twenties.
Gainwell’s ceiling is even higher than his number four ranking thanks to elite receiving skills, shiftiness, and jet-like speed. These traits might make him an even more valuable commodity in 2021 than his former teammate Antonio Gibson was in 2020 fantasy football drafts. We won’t be surprised if Gainwell eventually becomes the better fantasy football option of the two.