Ezekiel Elliott was suspended by the NFL for six games for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. The second year Dallas Cowboy running back is eligible to return in Week 8, following his team’s Week 7 bye.
Elliott has appealed the decision and the hearing will be held on August 29. For those drafting before the hearing concludes, you have to assume Elliott will be forced to serve the full length of his suspension.
Elliott concluded his rookie campaign as the league leader in rushing attempts, 332, and rushing yards, 1,631. His offensive line ranks in the top five in the NFL and the threat of Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Cole Beasley makes it difficult for defenses to stack the box. Of course, if he were to play all 16 games, then he’d be a sure fire top five pick. But it looks like he’ll be on the field for ten games at the most (9 useable games if your league ends in Week 16).
Where To Draft Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott’s current overall ADP is 16.02, which means he’s going off the board in the middle of the second round in ten team leagues and early in the second round of 12-team leagues. This is still to soon for my liking, especially in a 12-team league. I feel most comfortable drafting Elliott at the beginning of the third round. The only way to do so is if you are picking early in the draft. An early pick in the first means an early pick in the third.
Let’s say you’re picking third. Odds are you’ll be taking Antonio Brown in the first round. In the second round, you’re likely to see pass catchers such as Dez Bryant, Doug Baldwin, Rob Gronkowski and Amari Cooper. Available running backs could look like Tod Gurley, Leonard Fournette and Lamar Miller. If you take Baldwin in the second, you could have the opportunity of getting Elliott in the third. If Elliott is taken before then, there’s a chance of getting one of the aforementioned running backs, which isn’t a bad trade off.
Assuming all things work out and you get Elliott with your third pick, here’s what the rest of your draft should focus on.
Best Running Back Ezekiel Elliott ‘Fill-In’ Options
The obvious choice his fantasy handcuff, Darren McFadden. McFadden had a productive 2015 season, finishing with 239 carries and 1,089 rushing yards while only starting ten games. He’ll be running behind one the league’s best offensive lines for the first six weeks of the season.
Duke Johnson Jr.
Duke Johnson Jr. makes for an ideal late round pick in PPR leagues. Johnson finished last season with 53 receptions, which tied him for sixth among running backs. The Browns are committed to using the explosive playmaker more this season and he could be the ideal candidate for an eight-week fill in.
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Yes, he plays for the Jets. But if there’s one guy on the team I’d be willing to use a draft pick on, it would be Powell. He finished fourth in receptions among running backs with 58 as the back up to Matt Forte. It appears this is the year for Powell to take the lead in that backfield, which means an uptick in rushing and receiving numbers. It’s hard to believe Forte will stay healthy enough to challenge for the spot.
The case for Paul Perkins is built entirely around volume. The Ney York Giants didn’t make an effort in the draft to fix their running back problems and instead released Rashad Jennings. Perkins will the start the year as the number one pick with a chance of getting 250-plus carries on the season in a high scoring offense. Perkins has high upside and worth a mid-round pick.
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