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Fantasy Football Strategy: 4 crowded backfields to avoid

By Dominic Cintorino

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 16: New England Patriots running backs Rex Burkhead (34), Sony Michel (26), and James White (28) participate in New England Patriots practice at the Gillette Stadium practice facility in Foxborough, MA on Jan. 16, 2019. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 16: New England Patriots running backs Rex Burkhead (34), Sony Michel (26), and James White (28) participate in New England Patriots practice at the Gillette Stadium practice facility in Foxborough, MA on Jan. 16, 2019. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 9: Jerick McKinnon #28 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cowboys 24-21. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – AUGUST 9: Jerick McKinnon #28 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cowboys 24-21. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

Fantasy Football Strategy: 4 Crowded Backfields to Avoid

San Francisco 49ers

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Let’s just say that the 49ers running backs room does not want to relive the 2018 season. After losing the newly acquired Jerrick McKinnon in the preseason, they moved on with Matt Breida, and Alfred Morris to begin the season. Eventually, guys like Raheem Mostert, and Jeff Wilson got some action, but they struggled to keep their running backs healthy.

In hindsight, the 49ers have two brand new faces this season in Tevin Coleman, and Jerrick McKinnon. Heading into the 2019 season, this backfield is going to be a whole lot different. Matt Maiocco from NBC Sports has expressed his belief that Coleman will garner the most touches of all 49ers running backs. He is currently being selected at the top of the 6th round of Fantasy Football drafts as the RB29. Coleman has always been restricted in Atlanta splitting touches with Devonta Freeman. Even when Freeman went down last year, Coleman still did not see a high volume of touches. He has yet to surpass 200 touches in a season during his four year tenure with the Falcons. Coleman is a safe bet to lead the 49ers in carries, but he will not be alone.

Last year, the 49ers brought McKinnon in on a four year contract which made him one of the higher paid running backs in the league. He tore his ACL in the preseason, prior to beginning what many thought was going to be a special year. McKinnon was being drafted inside the Top 15 running backs in drafts before the injury. Here we are a year later, with Tevin Coleman in the picture, and McKinnon’s ADP has fallen to RB47, which puts him at the top of the 10th round. This is a nice value a full four rounds later than Coleman, but expect this ADP to rise in the next month. If he returns back to his old self, McKinnon should play a role in the passing game, with Matt Breida contributing some as well.

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