Marshawn Lloyd is emphatically a running back to keep an eye on in this 2024 dynasty class. The USC alumnus has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft and is expected to make a splash in the fantasy streets.
Marshawn Lloyd Dynasty Outlook – Fantasy Football
The History
Lloyd was originally a four-star prospect coming into college. He was the number eight running back in his class and played his entire college career at USC. His scouting report highlights some of the excitement in his draft profile, but the fumble concerns and counting stats are red flags. Eight fumbles on 360 career carries is one of the highest fumble rates in the class. Once that is paired with never having more than 150 touches in a season, there are not a lot of backs that have those stats and have hit in the NFL. Maybe he’s an outlier. At least he has the prototypical height and weight for the position. Equally concerning, Lloyd is outside the top 20 in the class in PFF grade. So he wasn’t used much at USC, didn’t receive good scores for his performance, and has fumble issues. Alarm bells should be going off.
The Situation
Lloyd, similar to Shipley, is projected to go early on day three. Some teams that make sense are the Chargers, Panthers, Cowboys, and Browns. He profiles as an early down back with some burst. For Marshawn Lloyd to maximize his dynasty value, he’s going to need to expand his usage on third downs. Caleb Williams played a lot of hero ball at USC, so Lloyd wasn’t relied on as a check-down option. With his elusiveness in space, a team would be well served to use him in that role, but it will depend on landing spot and coaches. Dave Canales has talked about building around Bryce Young, and adding a back like Lloyd would go a long way. If Lloyd goes somewhere like Baltimore or Philadelphia, he’ll be stuck as a handcuff at best.
What to do With Marshawn Lloyd in Dynasty Fantasy Football
Lloyd is currently gaining steam in the dynasty streets, but he’s going to keep climbing. He’s priced as the RB61 on public rankings as of this article, behind names like Miles Sanders, Rico Dowdle and Tank Bigsby. Those names feel like his worst case scenario. All in all, he has the skillset to be a 1b in a system, and none of those players are at that point in their careers. It’s better to take a swing on the rookie than on the underperforming veterans that we have seen be bad.
Now, some analysts have Lloyd in their top three backs in the class, which feels rich. For those folks, they need to pump the brakes a bit. Lloyd will be a favorite target in the early third round of rookie drafts, but if he gets gassed up to the second round it will be too rich. He’s comfortably outside the top five running backs in the class, and there’s an argument to have players like Estime and Guerendo higher.
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