Fantasy Football: Can Bell and Gurley be RB1’s this year?

Free agency didn’t shake up the ranking of running backs, but it did raise the question of whether Todd Gurley II and Le’Veon Bell will be tier 1 running backs this season.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey remains the No. 1 DFS running back in the NFL.  New starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is probably anxious to start a game with McCaffrey as his “go-to” guy. The Panthers’ starting running back ran 287 times for 1,387 yards and caught 115 passes for 1,005 yards in 2019.

Running back Todd Gurley II was released by the Rams in a cost-saving move.  If Los Angeles had kept him, Gurley would receive a guaranteed salary of %5.5 million this year and a guarantied roster bonus of another $5 million next year.  There were also concerns that Gurley had “lost a step” and was not as maneuverable as he was in the past.

Apparently, the Atlanta Falcons do not share those concerns, because they signed Gurley to a one-year contract  and released Devonta Freeman, their starting running back in 2019, to reduce payroll by $3.5 million.

Running back Le’Veon Bell of the New York Jets failed to rush for 1,000 yards or more in a season in 2019  for the first time since 2015.when he missed 10 games due to injury.  As a Steeler, Bell averaged 4.3 yards per carry.  Last year, in his first year as a New York Jet, he averaged 3.2 per carry.  Bell averaged over 8 touchdowns a season in Pittsburgh, but in 2019 scored just four touchdowns.

Since many fantasy football leagues are set up like NFL divisions as  4, 8 or 12-team formats. this article focuses on the top two tiers of 12 fantasy draft running backs.  The 2019 ranking of NFL running backs is based on the metrics provided by the ESPN standard scoring system.

The assessments of where the running banks rank entering the 2020 season is based on the recent free agent activity and off-season moves by teams and players.

Looking to dominate your fantasy leagues this year? Try The Ultimate Draft Kit from the Fantasy Footballers. Hundreds of videos, articles and player write-ups, plus the Reception Perception, in-depth analysis and draft cheat sheets!