Don’t Eat The Cheese! Sometimes it’s more important to know who to avoid rather than who to pick sometimes. Picking the wrong running back in fantasy can ruin your entire season. The people that listened to me last year benefited as 7 of the 8 guys on my list last year underachieved. Mission accomplished. Which running backs should you avoid in 2020?
Joe Mixon (Bengals)
I don’t get the Joe Mixon hype. Bad offensive line, bad team, and has never once proven he’s an elite back. What are we doing here? There isn’t much more to say. 4.1 yards per carry and 5 touchdowns last year. SNOOZEFEST. Don’t get it. Not even a little. But hey, feel free to laugh at the guy who overdrafts the Bengals running back.
Miles Sanders (Eagles)
This goes back to the episode where we discussed the 100 facts column. Doug Pederson doesn’t like having workhorse running backs. I’m not sure Sanders sees the amount of touches everyone is expecting. I don’t care what anybody says, Boston Scott will be involved in this offense. He was too good last year to not be.
Boston Scott had 4 rushing touchdowns during the final 4 weeks of the year when he was involved in the offense. That’s one more than Miles Sanders had the entire season in 16 games. Sanders is very much part of a committee anyway you slice it. I do not trust him to produce like a number one back should in terms of fantasy.
Melvin Gordon (Broncos)
Look, I could be wrong here but I’m not willing to pick Gordon and risk being wrong. I would avoid it. I think Phillip Lindsay is the most talented running back on the Broncos roster. Then I ask myself this question.
Who’s the better pass catcher? Melvin Gordon or Phillip Lindsay? I think the answer is Gordon.
Okay… how about this one. Who’s getting the touchdowns? Well, that’s Gordon too.
However, are we sure Royce Freeman goes away? Nothing would be worse than if he steals 3 scores on the year and takes short yardage work.
Just get me out of all of it. No thanks.
David Johnson (Texans)
Fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times; if you pick David Johnson any of the last 3 years, you’re a fool. You know who’s really dumb? The guy who becomes fool me four times. Johnson has not eclipsed the 4 yard per carry mark since 2016. What are we doing here? You go ahead and be the dope that gets tricked a 4th year in a row while I stayed away each time. Being on my side usually works better for you.
Le’Veon Bell (Jets)
Last year I told you Lev Bell was a horrendous signing by the Jets. Then he went out there and pretty much become the worst running back in the league. This is full blown Maurice Clarett. If you draft Bell after last year then you clearly just didn’t watch football. It’s over.
David Montgomery (Bears)
This one has two layers.
A: I don’t trust the Bears offense. Does it matter who starts at quarterback?
B: Montgomery isn’t talented. I didn’t like him coming out of the draft and he did absolutely nothing to prove otherwise. 3.7 yards per carry last year and lacked any sort of shiftiness in the hole. It doesn’t take long to find out if a running back can play. We already know the answer here. For some reason, people just won’t acknowledge it. That’s their problem.
