Running backs have the shortest lifespan in the NFL. New guys are always stepping and filling that RB1 role. Which guys do that this season?
Being a part of the fantasy football community has shown me one thing. Running backs do not last a very long time in the NFL and there is always great value in the later rounds.
Nowadays, most teams have a running back duo to ease the load off of the primary running back. With so much young talent at the position, here are three of my hot takes for running backs to finish as an RB1 in 2022.
1. Chase Edmonds
To begin with, Chase Edmonds was never going to be a part of this piece, but the recent signing to the Miami Dolphins, Edmonds has RB1 potential. He does not have the size and strength of a Derrick Henry nor the speed of Jonathan Taylor, but he has new head coach Mike McDaniel now.
By no means is Edmonds a workhorse running back who will see 20 plus carries every week, but he Is very lethal in the passing game. Edmonds finished just outside the top 12 with 43 receptions.
The most interesting part is Edmonds having the eighth highest target share amongst all running backs. Edmonds also made the most of his touches as he ranked number 11 in yards per touch in 2021.
Chase Edmonds under the Mike McDaniel system pic.twitter.com/vWYo09ictF
— Alejandro 🇨🇴 (@MiamiAlejandro) March 14, 2022
Now, Miami has work to do on the offensive side, but Mike McDaniel is an offensive guru. The 49ers ranked in the top 15 the past three seasons. Finishing number two in 2019, 15th in 2020, and seventh in 2021.
Chase Edmonds has the tools and now the scheme and offense to make a serious impact in fantasy football. Expect a career year and an RB1 finish for Mr. Edmonds.
2. Elijah Mitchell
Mitchell came in and made everyone forget about Trey Sermon last season. Mitchell had the tenth best YPC ahead of guys like Javonte Williams and tied with a guy like Dalvin Cook.
Although Mike McDaniel is gone, the Niners still have Kyle Shanahan. Mitchell finished as RB26 only because of injury which caused him to only appear in 12 games.
Top 10 Rookie OverPerformers - The players that outperformed their expected fantasy production based on their Draft Capital.
1. Elijah Mitchell
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown
3. Chase
4. Najee
5. Davis Mills
6. Michael Carter
7. Rhamondre
8. Freiermuth
9. Waddle
10. Elijah Moore pic.twitter.com/gO3WE7QREz— JetPack Galileo (@JetPackGalileo) March 13, 2022
The 49ers have one of the best offensive lines in football and in just 12 games, Mitchell posted 963 yards which ranked him eighth overall in 2021. It gets better as Mitchell had the fifth-most yards per game too.
Expecting to be fully healthy next season and with a better quarterback in Trey Lance, Mitchell looks to improve in the passing game and continue to rack up rushing yards. Elijah Mitchell, an RB1 in 2022.
3. A.J. Dillion
As stated before, fantasy football is all about scoring those touchdowns. Those six points truly make a difference. Dillion can have the same impact a LeGarrette Blount made numerous years ago being an RB1 in the 2016 season.
Blount had the second-most carries that year, the second-most touchdowns, and the most red-zone carries. Dillion can produce similar to that as well.
Last season, Dillion out rushed and had more attempts than Aaron Jones. It is clear to see Aaron Jones is more lethal in the passing game as opposed to Dillion who is a bulldozer in the running game.
AJ Dillion (124 yards, 2 TDs) is the youngest player in Packers history with 100 yards rushing and 2 TDs in a game. pic.twitter.com/3luG2QtTFO
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 28, 2020
AJ Dillion saw the 12th most Red Zone carries all while splitting the Packers' carries. Dillion also was 11th in yards per reception and had a 91.9% catch rate which ranked him second amongst running backs.
This upcoming season the shift will happen even more as Dillion takes control of that backfield. At 27 years old which is about 35 years old actually for a running back, Dillion will look to ease the work on Aaron Jones and be the tank that he was drafted to be.
Thank you for checking out my hot takes series for the 2022 season! You can read all of my articles on my IDP Guys' author page. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @NBF_Clo and @IDPGuys (we have offense too) and please check out our website at idpguys.org.
