2021 Top Running Backs
4 min read
The 2022 NFL Draft is complete, the 2022 NFL Schedule (thoughts on the 2022 NFL Schedule) has been released! The fantasy football community is eager to start the upcoming 2022 Fantasy Football Season! Before that happens, I want to give a look at the Running Backs and some key stats for the position from the 2021 Fantasy Football Season. I think it may be helpful as we look forward towards our Running Backs of preference in 2022. Especially if we can compare previous years to see any trends.
Keep in mind a players Ability, Availability, Opportunity, Consistency, Advantage/Upside and Matchup. Feel free to review our position leaders in Targets and Touchdowns for the 2021 Fantasy Football Season as they are players that most likely were a top player at their position last year. I believe both statistics are helpful in finding opportunity for Fantasy Football production!
2021 Top Running Back – Targets
| Player | Team | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs | Targets | Games Played | Targets/Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Ekeler | LAC | 70 | 647 | 8 | 94 | 16 | 5.88 |
| Najee Harris | PIT | 74 | 467 | 3 | 94 | 17 | 5.53 |
| Leonard Fournette | TB | 69 | 454 | 2 | 84 | 14 | 6.00 |
| D'Andre Swift | DET | 62 | 452 | 2 | 78 | 13 | 6.00 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL | 52 | 548 | 5 | 69 | 16 | 4.31 |
| Alvin Kamara | NO | 47 | 439 | 5 | 67 | 13 | 5.15 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | 47 | 287 | 2 | 65 | 17 | 3.82 |
| Aaron Jones | GB | 52 | 391 | 6 | 65 | 15 | 4.33 |
| Josh Jacobs | LV | 54 | 348 | 0 | 64 | 15 | 4.27 |
| Myles Gaskin | MIA | 49 | 234 | 4 | 63 | 17 | 3.71 |
Above are your Top 10 Running Backs in Targets for the 2021 NFL Season. I lean towards still wanting a Running Back that has more rushing yards than receiving yards. Although, I will take all the receiving yards that the Running Back can handle! It’s like added Wide Receiver value for a position that isn’t as big on Receptions. Referencing some history with Targets, Targets RB – 2019 Regular Season and 2021 Running Backs give an idea of what we anticipated going into previous seasons.
2021 Top Running Back – Touchdowns
Using the above yearly Touchdowns rankings, I am looking from one year to the next to see how many of the previous years Running Backs made the following years list. As you follow the colors (Grey – 2015, Green – 2016, Red – 2017, Blue – 2018, Grey 2019 and Electric Blue 2020) it helps to pick out who stayed on the list from the previous year.
In 2016, 10 running backs from 2015 made it. In 2017, 9 running backs from 2016 made the Top 20 list. While in 2018, 8 running backs from 2017 made it. For 2019, 13 running backs from 2018 made the Top 20. In 2020, 7 running backs from 2019 made the list and they were joined by 5 rookie Running Backs (noted with the yellow block beside their name)! Then in 2021, 9 running backs from 2020 made the list! Referencing some history with Touchdowns, Targets RB – 2019 Regular Season and 2021 Running Backs give an idea of what we anticipated going into previous seasons.
2021 Top Running Back – Rushing
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Receiving | Rushing | Total Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | 51 | 40 | 360 | 1,811 | 2,171 |
| Nick Chubb | 25 | 20 | 174 | 1,259 | 1,433 |
| Joe Mixon | 48 | 42 | 314 | 1,205 | 1,519 |
| Najee Harris | 94 | 74 | 467 | 1,200 | 1,667 |
| Dalvin Cook | 49 | 34 | 224 | 1,159 | 1,383 |
| Antonio Gibson | 52 | 42 | 294 | 1,037 | 1,331 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 65 | 47 | 287 | 1,002 | 1,289 |
| Elijah Mitchell | 20 | 19 | 137 | 963 | 1,100 |
| Derrick Henry | 20 | 18 | 154 | 937 | 1,091 |
| Damien Harris | 21 | 18 | 132 | 929 | 1,061 |
| Melvin Gordon | 38 | 28 | 213 | 918 | 1,131 |
| Austin Ekeler | 94 | 70 | 647 | 911 | 1,558 |
| Javonte Williams | 53 | 43 | 316 | 903 | 1,219 |
| Alvin Kamara | 67 | 47 | 439 | 898 | 1,337 |
| Josh Jacobs | 64 | 54 | 348 | 872 | 1,220 |
| Devin Singletary | 50 | 40 | 228 | 870 | 1,098 |
| David Montgomery | 51 | 42 | 301 | 849 | 1,150 |
| Sony Michel | 33 | 21 | 128 | 845 | 973 |
| Leonard Fournette | 84 | 69 | 454 | 812 | 1,266 |
| AJ Dillon | 37 | 34 | 313 | 803 | 1,116 |
The chart above is nice because so often we hear about the Rushing Leaders at the Running Back position. Basically, because over the years, the Running Backs just rushed the football. That is certainly something to keep in mind but not the only thing. Depending on the type of league you have, those receptions and receiving yards could be very beneficial. Najee Harris had a pretty good year last year because he got plenty of Targets (which led to Receptions) and Touchdowns. Although, just comparing Rushing Yards he was 611 yards away from the leader Jonathan Taylor. Seems like a very substantial gap when just taking into account Rushing Yards.
The chart can be re-sorted by category to help you see of the Top 20 Rushing Leaders in 2021, who had other opportunities in the passing game as well. Those Running Backs may turn out to be a little more helpful for you depending on your league and settings. I am certainly a fan of players at positions that do a little bit more (ie. Running Backs that get a few more Receptions, Wide Receivers who get a few more Rushing Yards and Quarterbacks who can get a few more Rushing Yards) throughout the year as they may be valued more in your league. They are not as obvious, but areas to be aware of when going into your 2022 Drafts. Referencing some history with Rushing Yards, Targets RB – 2019 Regular Season and 2021 Running Backs give an idea of what we anticipated going into previous seasons.
2021 Top Running Backs Final Thoughts
The 2022 Fantasy Football Season is getting closer as the summer goes along. Much will happen from now until the start of the season. Be flexible and look for the value when drafting your Running Backs this year. Most value will come from Targets, Touchdowns and Yards that a Running Back can accumulate through the course of the season. If you have the opportunity to draft a Running Back that has a rushing floor with some receiving upside, I think you would be smart to make that selection.
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If your players are on an offensive team that can get many Targets and Touchdowns, you know I would be interested in them! Statistics courtesy of The Football Database, a great resource for your NFL players statistics. If you enjoyed the article, please share it with others (via the social media links).
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I hope everyone continues to stay safe and healthy! Enjoy the journey throughout the 2022 Fantasy Football Season!
