Don’t Eat The Cheese: 2021 Fantasy Football Running Back Busts
Don’t Eat The Cheese! Choosing the wrong running back will ruin your fantasy season. Were you the idiot that drafted Le’Veon Bell? Maybe listen to Trey next time. Who makes the 2021 Fantasy Football running back busts list? Let’s take a look.
Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints)
Drew Brees, for all intents and purposes, is dead. Well, dead in a fantasy commodity anyway. Did anybody watch Brees last year? The guy couldn’t throw the ball more than five yards down the field. Kamara got 107 targets a year ago. I’ll bet anything that number comes down with Jameis Winston under center.
We know what the crab leg man does at this point. Somebody is catching the ball. It might not be someone on the Saints, but it’s happening 20 yards down the field. Maybe Taysom Hill gets in there and salvages some of Kamara’s targets. I just can’t see how that 2020 total is replicated with Brees out of the lineup.
We’re also talking about a running back that’s NEVER hit the 200 carry mark in four seasons. The same running back that’s NEVER rushed for 1,000 yards. We’re banking on Kamara being a top five pick based on the premise that receiving work will be there. It won’t be. We’re banking on Kamara rushing for 16 touchdowns again (six came in one game, and he had five all year in 2019).
I’m out. You can eat the cheese. I won’t.
Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers)
I flip-flopped on Aaron Jones a bunch last year. I was initially out. Then so many people bailed that I bought back in. I thank Jones for helping me win a fantasy championship a year ago. I’m bailing for real this time. This just feels like such a sucker buy.
“Hey, Jamaal Williams is gone!”
Yeah… but A.J. Dillon is a stud and way better than Williams. When I saw Dillon at Boston College, I saw major Brandon Jacobs vibes. After a really good rookie year, I’m almost at the point where I would rather want Dillon for cheap than buying Jones at a premium.
Similar to Kamara, we know the Packers aren’t going to run Jones into the ground. The only difference is, knowing that Dillon is in the mix, we have a potential touchdown hog on our hands. Jones could easily be snaked out of 4-10 touchdowns this year.
I’m out. You can eat the cheese. I won’t.
Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts)
I don’t care what anybody says, Jonathan Taylor is not good. In terms of talent, he’s way behind D’Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, and Cam Akers from his own draft class. My eyeballs rarely ever lie.
Second, are we sure the circumstances are as good as we think here?
Carson Wentz is now hurt.
Soooooo is Quenton Nelson.
Also, now Marlon Mack isn’t hurt.
That’s a trifecta of not great in terms of fantasy value for Taylor. Not to mention Nyheim Hines is never going away. You know, because Taylor adds virtually nothing in the passing game.
I’m out. You can eat the cheese. I won’t.
Joe Mixon (Cincinnati Bengals)
Everybody is into something different. Some people eat glue. Some people pick their nose. Some people choose to be hurt by continuing to draft Joe Mixon. We try not to judge them. They can’t help it. It’s part of the fetish.
The truth of the matter is, Joe Mixon sucks. His underlying stats stink. His yard per carry numbers stink. His fantasy finishes on a year to year basis… also stink.
2017: RB 32
2018: RB 9
2019: RB 11
2020: RB 49
Year after year, Mixon is drafted like he’s a world-beater but has failed to perform like one outside of maybe 2018. That year, Mixon averaged 4.9 yards per carry and rushed for eight touchdowns. For his career, he’s averaging 4.1 yards per carry and scoring five rushing touchdowns per year. Sorry, not sorry, that’s not elite.
The workload might or should be there (barring injury), but he still plays for a 4th place team. The game script won’t be there, and I think the Bengals might secretly like Trayveon Williams. Who realistically is a stud… just never healthy.
Plus, what do you get out of riding with Mixon? Do you get a thrill out of defending scumbags?
I’m out. You can eat the cheese. I won’t.
Antonio Gibson (Washington No Namers)
Call it a gut feeling. I just don’t trust Gibson. Maybe I’m way wrong here (and he’s the name on the list I feel least confident about fading). Are we sure Gibson isn’t just Tony Pollard with more opportunity? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m just not ready to put this guy in the elite class others have seemed so eager to do so.
Do we trust this Washington offense? Will Washington actually make Gibson a 250 touch guy? Isn’t it about time that Fitzpatrick has one of those years where he forgets how to play again? Call it an odd feeling, but I’m out.
Miles Sanders (Philadelphia Eagles)
164 carries. 179 the year before. The Eagles don’t want to give Miles Sanders the keys. I’m not trying to argue about it. I’m just using the information the Eagles are providing me. Even with a new head coach, that doesn’t appear to be changing. In fact, it might be getting worse. Reports have surfaced that Boston Scott might get a 50-50 split.
Philadelphia also drafted Kenneth Gainwell (who I think is talented enough to factor in somehow, someway). Jalen Hurts feels like a touchdown monster here in rushing situations. It’s also a horrendous team that will be trailing early, often, and all the time.
I’m out. You can eat the cheese. I won’t.
Travis Etienne (Jacksonville Jaguars)
I’ve already done a pretty lengthy post on Etienne you can read here. Well, I’ve actually done several but the point still stands. I think Etienne is hot garbage and probably wouldn’t have picked him until the 5th round.
James Robinson has already been declared the starter. Don’t care what anybody says, Carlos Hyde is getting carries because Urban Meyer likes him. You go ahead and invest in a guy that Urban already admitted was the backup option to Kadarius Toney.
I’m out. You can eat the cheese. I won’t.
Raheem Mostert (San Francisco 49ers)
I just don’t see how you can trust Mostert after last year. The 49ers’ running back situation is a revolving door anyway. Outside of taking a flier on Trey Sermon, I just can’t buy into anything else. That’s coming from someone who loves Kyle Shanahan. Too many options. Impossible to know who to start and or trust.
Melvin Gordon (Denver Broncos)
I wasn’t going to include Melvin Gordon, but Javonte Williams just feels ready to take this job and run with it. See what I did there?
Gordon actually had a nice year with Denver a year ago. Still could have another. We’re also entering Matt Forte territory. That steak is probably a medium well at this point and borderline burnt. Hard to trust a running back in his late 20’s. If Gordon sticks as the goal line guy, there’s probably some value here, but it’s a big if.
Houston Texans
Don’t trust running backs on bad teams. Especially when it includes a three headed monster of black holes. Can I interest Texan fans in Spencer Rattler?
