{"id":120595,"date":"2021-09-03T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=120595"},"modified":"2021-09-03T03:41:16","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T07:41:16","slug":"fantasy-football-running-back-draft-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/09\/03\/fantasy-football-running-back-draft-values\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 Fantasy Football Running Back Draft Values"},"content":{"rendered":"

Labor Day Weekend may signify the end of summer for most, but it has also cemented itself as the beginning of the glorious fantasy football season for fantasy managers everywhere. Through various off-season ADP variance and some unfortunate preseason injuries, value really tends to be narrowed down at the start of September. However, there are still some wildly underrated players each year that fantasy participants hope to snag up at an amazing discount during their drafts. Here are running back values for the 2021 fantasy football season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Best 2021 Fantasy Football Running Back Draft Values<\/span><\/h2>\n

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, <\/span>Kansas City Chiefs<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n

Rewind to this time last year. Clyde Edwards-Helaire<\/a>, the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft (32nd overall), was being hyped as an instant first-round fantasy running back inserting himself into the defending Super Bowl champions\u2019 phenomenal offense. Managers who drafted him with their coveted first-round draft slot were impressed after his Week 1 statline of 25\/138\/1. Unfortunately, after his promising rookie debut, his usage and production were both lacking – for a first-round fantasy draft pick. This was followed by an injury that sidelined him the last few games of the season and into the playoffs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The biggest concern surrounding CEH going into 2021 has been his lack of goal-line usage. As often as the Chiefs were in the red zone last year (59 times), they continued to spread the ball around to their array of weapons, providing slim pickings for the first-year back. Outside of that, he scored a mere five total touchdowns to close out his rookie campaign. So going as a high-to-mid-range RB2 in most current fantasy landscapes, what makes Edwards-Helaire a value draft slot after the season he had last year?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two words: lowered expectations. Sure he did not match the late-season explosions fellow rookies Jonathan Taylor<\/a>, Cam Akers<\/a>, and J.K. Dobbins<\/a> had last year; but he was plenty productive in the 13 games he played in, totalling 803 rushing yards on 181 touches, and bringing in 36 catches for 297 additional yards to finish as the RB22 in half-PPR formats. So was he a first-round worthy running back in 2020? Definitely not. But with a healthy start to his sophomore campaign with a complete season and \u2018regular\u2019 off-season under his belt, he is set to be a true three-down back in Andy Reid<\/a>\u2019s explosive top-ranked offense with <\/span>no real threat in competition<\/span><\/a> behind him. With mid-season addition Le\u2019Veon Bell<\/a> out the door, expect any and all backfield touches of significance to go through the Chiefs second year tailback. He can easily jump into back-end RB1 conversation; from previously overhyped, to potentially overlooked in just a calendar year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Clyde Edwards-Helaire tallied 1,100 scrimmage yards in his rookie year, in 13 games, behind the 29th ranked run blocking o-line<\/p>\n

If I had to bet on anyone having an insane breakout year, it would be Clyde without question.
pic.twitter.com\/hwr3Zbc2SW<\/a><\/p>\n

— Dirk (@ChiefsDirk) July 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n