The excitement of the draft weekend has come and gone. Now is the time to put in the hard work as your rookie fantasy drafts are upon us. My running back dynasty fantasy rankings get based on a two to three-year window, not their immediate impact. Talent and situation get considered here. This position more than any other is the most fluid and volatile on your fantasy teams. There are only a few good situations this season for teams that needed starters and/or had carries available.
8. Terrance West, Browns- This hard-nosed, powerful runner from small Towson could be higher on the list if you think he will be a better back than Isaiah Crowell. Ben Tate has not proven that he can handle the workload for more than
a month or two. One of these two rookies should immerge as the Browns starter before Halloween. It would not be surprising to see Cleveland use a more running based offense featuring Johnny Manziel and West could be a major beneficiary.
9. Charles Sims, Bucs- Lovie Smith drove Matt Forte owners crazy in Chicago with his usage of multiple backs and this selection by Tampa hurts both Sims and Doug Martin. The rookie back has great hands, pass blocks well, and is very effective in space. Sims should get 40% of the offensive snaps this season and fits the more high-flying Bucs offense that got built by their latest draft.
10. Lache Seastrunk, Redskins- Perhaps Seastrunk’s saving grace is that he got drafted by the Redskins with Jay Gruden as their head coach. When the former offensive coordinator was with the Bengals, he used multiple backs to keep the other fresh. Seastrunk is definitely the lightning to Alfred Morris’ thunder. Seastrunk is great in space and has the wiggle that neither Morris nor Roy Helu, Jr have.
11. Ka’Deem Carey, Bears- Carey is a good change of pace back, but might not see a lot of the field due to pass blocking issues. He looks good in space with his combination of spin moves, stutter steps, and jukes that confuse defenders. I don’t see him taking a lot of touches from Forte initially, but he is a more talented backup than Michael Bush ever was.
12. James White, Patriots- The Patriots added another solid committee runner in White. The back gets skinny at the line of scrimmage, using his agility and quick feet to create space. When the back runs north and south, he can grind out tough yardage. He is a better replacement for Stevan Ridley as they have similar styles and are better off being parts of a committee.
13. Marion Grice, Chargers- You need to look beyond 2014 for this next back as both Woodhead and Matthews will be free agents in 2015. Grice is very similar to Woodhead with his solid pass blocking, soft hands, and is a slasher in space. A lower leg injury forced him to miss the last month or so of his final college season. If Grice can fully recover, he could be a nice value with a small investment.
14. Andre Williams, Giants- I have the back ranked here because of situation more than skill level. Williams is an upright, powerful running who lets passes bounce off his chest. I do not envision him becoming more than a two down running back which limits him to a part-time role at best. Williams needs to improve on his pass blocking too.
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