Fantasy POV: Running backs – 1st quarter report card and week 5 picks

Since the first quarter of the 2020 NFL season has been completed, it is time to pass out awards to fantasy football running backs.  The winners include the brightest and best like Alvin Kamara of New Orleans and Green Bay RB  Aaron Jones.  The “biggest loser” is Arizona’s Kenyan Drake.

The following information lists the running back by category and week of the season.  A “1st Quarter” winner and week 5 selection are included for each category.

Surefire Starters

• Week 1 –Saquon Barkley, New York Giants and Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
• Week 2 – Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders; (tie) Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers and Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys, and (tie) Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts and Raheem Mostert, San Francisco
• Week 3 – Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints; Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys and Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
• Week 4 – Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints; Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers and Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
• 1st Quarter – Since the Fantasy POV articles recommend three “Surefire Starters” at running back every week, the best three RBs in this category are Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones and Ezekiel Elliott.

Summary: New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara and his 127.7 fantasy football points (FFP) are ahead of Seattle QB Russell Wilson as the leading candidate for MVP.  Wilson has 122.9 FFP.  Kamara is also 25+ points ahead of his nearest rival at running back, Aaron Jones (101.9 FFP) of the Packers.  Elliott has appeared as a “Surefire Starter” three out of four weeks this season and has 88.2 FFP.  Start Kamara, Elliott and Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, because Jones and the Packers have a “Bye” in Week 5.

Riding the Bench

• Week 1 – This category for running backs did not start until week 2 of the season
• Week 2 – (Tie) Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals and Myles Gaskins, Miami Dolphins, and (tie) Sony Michel, New England Patriots and Boston Scott, Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 3 – Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers and Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
• Week 4 – Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans and James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 1st Quarter – Since our articles recommend two running backs ride the bench every week, the co-winners in this category are Sony Michel and Saquan Barkley.  Both players are on the injured reserve list (IRL).

Summary: While Michel may come off the IRL and play for the Patriots, Barkley’s 2020 season is over with a torn ACL in his right knee.  Week 5 players riding the bench include Boston Scott of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dion Lewis of the New York Giants.

Underrated

• Week 1 – Duke Johnson, Houston Texans
• Week 2 – (Tie) Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
• Week 3 – Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
• Week 4 – James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
• 1st Quarter – James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Summary: Robinson has been climbing through the running back ranks since week 1.  He is currently No. 6 among running backs with 285 yards rushing, 3 touchdowns and a 4.8 yards per carry average.  He belongs in the “Flex” position for week 5, but has a worthy replacement in the “Underrated” category in Jerick McKinnon of the 49ers who has been a productive replacement for the injured Raheem Mostert.

Overrated

• Week 1 – David Johnson, Houston Texans
• Week 2 – Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 3 – Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills
• Week 4 – Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals
• 1st Quarter – Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

Summary: Drake is ranked No. 35 among running backs with a 9.6 FFP per game average.  He has 67 carries for 264 yards and one rushing touchdown, which makes him the “Overrated” RB going into week 5’s football games.

Sleeper RB of the Week

• Week 1 – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 2 – Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
• Week 3 – Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
• Week 4 – Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
• 1st Quarter – Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

Summary: Green Bay’s Jones is the standout in this category and belongs in the “Surefire Starter”” category at either running back or the Flex position in future weeks. Latavius Murray of the Saints ran for 64 yards, 2 touchdowns and has 38.9 FFP.  He appears to have a growing role in New Orleans’ efforts to compensate for injured wide receiver Michael Thomas.  Murray is the Week 5 “Sleeper” at running back.