Seton Hall
The best fantasy running back in the NFL
Date: June 12, 2019By: Jorie Mickens
Recently, David Johnson, running back for the Arizona Cardinals said, “There are a lot of good running backs, but I’m the best.”
The past two years have not been kind to Johnson, he has dealt with injuries that sidelined him for the majority of the 2017 season and suffered a knee injury in his last game of the 2016 season.
A season where he led the league in yards from scrimmage, led the league in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns and became the fourth running back in the previous 10 seasons to eclipse 800 receiving yards in a single season.
Another name was added to that list last season, his name is Christian McCaffrey, the best fantasy running back in the league. McCaffrey rushed for 1,098 yards and gained 867 yards through the air last season, a mere 35 yards from netting 2,000 yards from scrimmage on the season. McCaffrey was also just 133 receiving yards shy of becoming the third running back in NFL history with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.
Also, in 2018, McCaffrey became the all-time leader for receptions by a running back in a single season with 107. He became just the fourth running back ever to have at least 100 receptions in a single season. McCaffrey even THREW a 50-yard touchdown pass against the New Orleans Saints last season on a trick play call.
Johnson had his historic 2016 season with an aging Carson Palmer as his quarterback and on a 7-8-1 Arizona Cardinals team. McCaffrey will have Cam Newton at the helm this upcoming season, who is in a good place with his rehab process as he began to throw at the Panthers minicamp this past Tuesday.
McCaffrey has been said to “Lack the desired size of an every-down back” or “Takes foot off gas into contact.” In 2018, though, McCaffrey was second behind Saquon Barkley, who is listed 30 lbs heavier than McCaffrey, in broken tackles. McCaffrey was also fifth in yards after contact among all running backs.
If that is not enough evidence that McCaffrey is more than a receiving and speed running back, just look at this picture the Carolina Panthers Twitter account posted during their on-field workouts in April.
The only hurdle McCaffrey could face this season would be a decrease in workload. McCaffrey was in for 91% of the Panthers’ snaps last season, most by any running back in 2018.
While a reduced workload could ultimately mean less production than last year, it also means he will be more likely to remain healthy throughout the season, a player who already has yet to miss a game due to injury during his career so far.
I fully expect Johnson to have a phenomenal year in 2019. The number one overall draft pick Kyler Murray and new head coach Kliff Kingsbury will know how to utilize Johnson’s skillset, but this is the year of Run-C.M.C.
Expect the 5 feet 11 inch, 205 lb McCaffrey, who has been throwing down windmill dunks this offseason, to be the best running back in fantasy for 2019.
Jorie Mickens can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.
