Setting The Bar - Running Back Edition
What marks does an RB need to hit to be elite in fantasy? How about an RB1? Doug analyzes the running back position as part of his four-part series.
"You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been. " - Maya Angelou As it relates to fantasy football, Angelou's famous quote reminds us that it is hard to understand what we need to strive for from each position if we don't know where the bar has been set in previous years or how it was achieved. The second installment of this four-part series will highlight several observations made from analyzing the results of top-12 running backs over the last five seasons - the span during which the NFL has played 17-game seasons.
The first part of this piece will highlight at least one notable observation from reviewing each of the relatively basic counting statistics that are responsible for the overwhelming percentage of fantasy production from running backs. A few of the nuggets at the end of the first section are statements based on what percent of a running back's fantasy production came via touchdown, the passing game or the running game. The purpose: to inform readers what they need from the running back they draft to be competitive at the position.
Not all running backs are created equal, however, so the kind of running back (run-dominant, all-purpose and workhorse) matters. We will go into more detail on that in the second section. For now, let's focus on some of the more notable findings from my research.
****************************** All observations are from the last five seasons (2021-25). Please click this link to see the numbers that support the statements. For the purposes of this article, we are observing the following PPR scoring rules: One point per 10 yards rushing or receiving Six points per rushing or receiving touchdown The lowest fantasy point total for a top-five running back over the last five seasons is 257.
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