With the NFL Draft in the rear view mirror and the focus shifting to NFL training camps just around the corner, the discussion looking forward to next year’s fantasy football season is starting to heat up. The running back position in particular is an area that has received plenty of attention. With the years of the dominant bell cow backs getting plenty of attention now in the rearview mirror, the majority of teams work on tandems or trios to get the job done on the ground. We took the time to identify a handful of backfields that could surprise this coming season. Here is a look at six sleeper backfields to watch out for in 2018.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers should once again field a top-10 offense with Aaron Rodgers back under center in 2018. However, Green Bay hasn’t produced a top-20 running back since Eddie Lacy in 2014. Can the Packers deliver on the ground this coming season? All indications are that Green Bay will run a committee approach with Aaron Jones likely leading the way while Jamaal Williams provides depth and Ty Montgomery gets most of his work as a receiver out of the backfield. The talent is certainly there. If offensive coordinator Joe Philbin puts a greater emphasis on the running game, then the Packers backfield could surprise in 2018.
Detroit Lions
Sticking with the NFC North, the Lions are looking to put together an above average attack with 2018 second round pick Kerryon Johnson as the feature back. Johnson has all of the tools to excel in Detroit but he won’t be able to do it alone in his first NFL season. That is where Theo Riddick and LaGarrette Blount factor in as two veteran backs that should be even better with decreased workloads this coming season. Johnson will be the feature back but Riddick and Blount could still contribute at a high level in specialized roles.
Baltimore Ravens
With Terrance West and Danny Woodhead moving on, Javorius Allen will be joined by Alex Collins and Kenneth Dixon in the Baltimore backfield. The starting job appears to be Collins’ to lose and it’s likely he will feature early as the No. 1 back. However, Allen should remain in the mix primarily as a pass-catching option out of the backfield with Dixon in a reserve role. The Ravens will look to lean a little more on their rushing attack in 2018. That could open things up for an underrated cast of running backs to produce this coming fantasy season.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns could have one of the most improved backfields in the NFL with the additions of quarterback Tyrod Taylor, veteran running back Carlos Hyde and rookie running back Nick Chubb. Taylor is very capable of making plays with his legs and that could open up even more room for Hyde, Chubb and Duke Johnson Jr. to produce on the ground. Chubb should play a significant role early on with Hyde working in to the mix as a bruising No. 2 back while Johnson gets the bulk of his touches on third down. The Browns have plenty of talent and versatility in their backfield. Make sure you don’t sleep on their projected improvements looking forward to 2018.
New York Jets
The Jets turned a number of heads with some relatively strong fantasy numbers for most of the 2017 season. Can they build on those numbers with improved efficiency in 2018? New York will rely heavily on its backfield with Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire joined by free agent additions Isaiah Crowell and Thomas Rawls. The competition should help push all four running backs and it will be interesting to see how the touches are divided up. The Jets backfield has the potential to put up some big numbers this coming season. Just make sure you do your due diligence in the preseason in order to get a better handle on how the workloads project to play out in 2018.
New England Patriots
The final spot on this list belongs to a team that has driven fantasy owners crazy with their approach to running backs over the years. While they have never been short on talent, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has maximized the weapons at his disposal by using each running back as much as he can depending on situational football. That should be the case once again in 2018 with rookie first round pick Sony Michel joining Rex Burkhead, James White, Mike Gillislee and free agent addition Jeremy Hill. Dissecting how the Patriots touches will play out won’t be easy but Michel should feature as an immense talent after going in the first round while Burkhead, White, Gillislee and Hill could each get significant touches on a game-by-game basis depending on the game plan. New England’s running back situation should drive fantasy owners crazy once again this coming season. That said, the Patriots backfield has the potential to be very dangerous once again as a sleeper group to watch out for in 2018.
