Fantasy football: 5 running back busts in 2017

The “Don’t eat the cheese” series is here to help you win your fantasy league. Don’t fall for that running back who will break your heart. Which five running backs should you avoid in your upcoming draft?

Are you tired of drafting a running back in the first round of your fantasy draft and watching him ruin your season? The running back position is a dying art but a necessary one. The running backs are the staple of you fantasy football diet. Without one, your season is ruined. Picking the right ones are the difficult task at hand. To start off your draft, it’s important not to take a bust in round one.

Were you that guy who took Todd Gurley way too early after a dominant rookie year? My golden rule for drafting running backs is to avoid drafting backs on bad teams. Gurley’s quarterback situation with Jared Goff is anemic which allows teams to stack the box. Don’t listen to what the ‘experts’ have to say, their normally wrong. Don’t let that running back ruin your fantasy year, or simply just don’t eat the cheese.

It’s no secret that the NFL is a pass-heavy league but running backs still play a vital part in fantasy football. Picking backs on good teams usually turn out pretty well. Burning the clock in the fourth quarter picking up extra fantasy points usually works out well. Just ask LeGarrette Blount who was a beneficiary of New England’s offense a year ago.

Also be mindful of your team’s scheme and coaching hires. Sean McDermott is reunited with LeSean McCoy who he coached in Philadelphia. McCoy will likely pound the rock again with fluidity. Anthony Lynn is on his way to coach the Chargers where he spent his career as a running back coach prior to his new gig. Melvin Gordon will likely benefit from this. These are the important things to keep in mind heading into your fantasy draft. What five running backs should you avoid in your 2017 fantasy football league?

5. Frank Gore

At some point, Frank Gore has to slow down, right? Gore has been playing in the NFL since the dinosaurs went extinct. Gore, 34, couldn’t have put together a better career for himself. Finally, it does appear that Gore is declining averaging less than four yards per carry the past two years. With Gore being at the end of the road, Indy made a sneaky draft pick to help out.

Enter Marlon Mack who is in the perfect spot to succeed. Mack’s main competition for a backup job is Christine Michael and Robert Turbin, neither playing having the receiving prowess Mack does. Mack is a guy that can do it all for the Colts and he’s exactly what Andrew Luck needs in the backfield.

Mack really stood out at the draft process showing great short area quickness. He also thrived in the pass game at South Florida. The Indy offense has been missing that receiving element out of the backfield for years since Edgerrin James was with the Colts. Mack, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher in college, will likely step in right away and get meaningful carries.

As long as Luck is healthy, the Colts should be improved now that they have a real general manager. I would probably bet the under on a 1,000-yard season from Frank Gore, right. Those days are probably over as Marlon Mack may be the main cog in eight weeks. Then again, Gore might be playing at 40 if he continues this absurd pace.