Fantasy Football Running Back Draft Busts and Surprises: Austin Ekeler, Najee Harris, Raheem Mostert, D'Andre Swift, Brian Robinson Spotlighted at Halfway Point
We are entering week 10 of the 18-week NFL season, so the regular season is officially at its halfway point. That makes it the ideal time to start looking back on some of the top draft busts and surprises from your fantasy drafts.
We already looked at the quarterback position, then tight ends and lastly talked wide receivers, so it’s time to wrap up this series with the running back position.
I feel like running back is the position that really dictates which fantasy teams are the best, meaning if you can hit on some top-end backs with later picks, you probably are having a great fantasy season. An injury to a high draft pick can also take you out of the championship discussion.
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Draft Busts
Like every year, there’s a ton of names that could go here. Let’s just name a few.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler is arguably the biggest draft bust. He had an Average Draft Position (ADP) of four, which made him the second back picked behind San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey. Ekeler is currently RB26.
Ekeler was injured early in the season and has only played in five games so far. His first game, Ekeler rushed for 117 yards and finished with 164 scrimmage yards. Since returning from the injury, Ekeler has over 100 scrimmage yards just once. He’s scored three touchdowns over the past two games to boost his fantasy numbers, but the owners that drafted him have to be pretty underwhelmed so far.
New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley is another guy that’s underperformed and missed time with an injury. He was the fourth back selected and had an ADP of nine. He’s played six games and scored 99 fantasy points, making him RB23 currently.
Unfortunately, I have to mention Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb here, although unlike Barkley and Ekeler, Chubb’s on field play was never an issue. He was injured in week 2 and only scored 23 fantasy points for teams after being the fifth back selected. He’s currently RB45, and that will continue to drop as time passes.
Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Pollard hasn’t missed any time, he’s simply underwhelmed. He had an ADP of 15 and was the sixth back drafted overall, but has only scored 107 fantasy points to currently sit as RB18.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Najee Harris is one of the bigger busts in my opinion. His draft stock plummeted from past seasons and he still hasn’t performed anywhere near those levels. Harris had an ADP of 27 and has only scored 75 points to sit as RB30.
Houston Texans’ Dameon Pierce (18th back drafted, RB44 currently), Carolina Panthers’ Miles Sanders (19th back drafted, RB46 currently) and New York Jets’ Dalvin Cook (24th back drafted, RB69 currently) are some more guys that fall into this category, although they aren’t nearly as big of busts as some of the others.
You could make the argument for several others too, but I don’t want to keep you reading all day.
Draft Surprises
You can make an argument for several guys here, but the biggest surprise to me among players that were drafted in standard leagues is Miami Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert.
Mostert had an ADP of 134 and has scored 171 points to currently sit as RB2. He’s been over 45 scrimmage yards in every game, and has three contests over 125 scrimmage yards. He’s slowed down a touch of late, and his numbers could drop significantly with De’Von Achane nearing a return, but owners that drafted him have to be thrilled with the production they got.
Philadelphia Eagles’ D’Andre Swift has become one of the top fantasy backs despite a rocky start in week 1. Swift had an ADP of 74, but now is RB5. He’s been over 50 scrimmage yards in every contest since week 1, and has three games over 100 scrimmage yards. Swift has only scored four touchdowns, so if he could improve that a touch in the second half, he’s got a shot at being a top-three fantasy back for the season.
New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara has rewarded the owners that took a chance on him despite having to serve a three-game suspension at the start of the season. Kamara had an ADP of 69 but is already RB7 despite missing three weeks.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Isiah Pacheco (ADP of 77, RB9 currently), Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Rachaad White (ADP of 63, RB10 currently) and Baltimore Ravens’ Gus Edwards (ADP of 196, RB16 currently) are also guys that have exceeded expectations so far. Pacheco and White were the unquestioned No. 1 backs for their teams, while Edwards has capitalized on injuries around him.
Washington Commanders’ Brian Robinson is another back that’s been a surprise. He had an ADP of 94 but is now RB12 with 114 fantasy points.
Some guys that weren’t drafted in most standard leagues that are excelling include Indianapolis Colts’ Zack Moss, Los Angeles Rams’ Kyren Williams and Cleveland Browns’ Jerome Ford.
Again, there’s a bunch of other guys I could mention here, but this list would seemingly never end.
