The ONLY Time I Would Pay a Running Back......
....is if Clem brought it to my attention and basically challenged my manhood. Game on, Clemenza.
Build your fantasy RB for $15
Two things.
1. $15 is way too much money for a four-category #pickem. I'm only entertaining this due to my crippling #pickem addiction because Clem begged me to do so. Anything for a pal.
2. Even paying hypothetical money to running backs makes my skin crawl. Let's get this over with.
Rushing- Nick Chubb $4 (Remaining: $11)
Pretty easy call here. Saquon is tremendous but over the course of their two years, Chubb has more rushing attempts, yards, and yards per carry than Barkley. Some of that is due to Saquon battling injuries last season. Some of that is due to Nick Chubb being awesome.
Receiving- David Johnson $1 (Remaining: $10)
As tough as it was for me to go against Austin Ekeler as a founding member of #EkelGang, but if I'm only drafting receiving ability and not durability then I'm happy to fork over a buck for David Johnson. He caught 80 passes his breakout season in 2016 and had 50 catches the last time he played 16 games in a season. For reference, Kareem Hunt costs twice as much as Johnson but has caught 53, 26, and 37 passes in about 2.5 seasons. Better, but not twice as good as Johnson for cheap.
Goal line- Derrick Henry $5 (Remaining: $5)
There was only one option here.
They didn't say which goal line rushing they were looking for but it doesn't matter for Henry. He can go from his own goal line or yours, he doesn't really have a preference. How many times have you tried that on Madden and been one or two broken tackle away from a 99-yard run? Billions. It rarely works out, except for Derrick Henry.
Usage: Christian McCaffrey $5 (Remaining: $0)
Another easy decision. McCaffrey had 403 touches last year (287 carries, 116 catches) which led the NFL. For reference, Zeke Elliot was second in the league with 355 total touches (301 carries, 54 catches). Despite nearly 50 more touches, McCaffrey averaged more yards per rush, more yards per reception and yards per target on receptions that Elliot. He also had fewer fumbles (3 for Zeke, 1 for CMac) and averaged nearly a yard more per touch (5.9 for CMac, 5.0 for Zeke).
So now I've created a running back that can run like Chubb (5.1 yards per carry for his career), catch like David Johnson (just traded for a First-Team All-Pro receiver and thus he must be a better receiver, is how Bill O'Brien explained it to me) with the goal-line efficiency of Derrick Henry (28 rushing TDs the last two seasons) and I can use him as much as Christian McCaffrey (926 total touches over his first three seasons, has not missed a game in his career). I look forward to paying him in store credit for four years before bidding him adieu.
Who you got?