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Fantasy Football 2017: Top 10 rookie running back fits

By James Simpson

Oct 29, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns running back D'Onta Foreman (33) runs in a touchdown against the Baylor Bears at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns running back D'Onta Foreman (33) runs in a touchdown against the Baylor Bears at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 15, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) carries the ball in the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins in a NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) carries the ball in the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins in a NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

I love McCaffrey’s talent, and there’s certainly a tier jump from Hunt to here, but he falls just out of the top three because of the uncertainty of his role. The Panthers offense will need a significant change in philosophy to incorporate McCaffrey’s receiving skills, and it might not kick in straight away.

Last year, Carolina’s most-targeted running back (Fozzy Whittaker) caught 25 balls. The year before, Mike Tolbert managed 18 grabs. Of course this team hasn’t had a strong receiving back during Cam Newton’s reign, so it’s not a huge surprise, but how will he adapt? When under pressure, will he tuck and run as he does so well, or dump the ball off to his new toy? The change in mindset will benefit him, but how quickly will it happen?

On the ground, McCaffrey will make an impact but is likely to give up carries to power back Jonathan Stewart. The veteran has showed signs of slowing down and should be ousted eventually, but the team will likely attempt a balance early on. However there’s no denying the rookie’s talent. It would be crazy for the team to hold keep him off the field in favor of a plodder, and the Panthers will surely think of creative ways to get involved. Even though he’s fourth on this list, he’s in line for a huge season.

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