Should you draft Melvin Gordon? Should you draft any rookie running back? It’s a position where a lot needs to be learned and guys can start slowly. There have been a lot of first-round busts.
But for fantasy purposes, most years there are a couple of rookie runners in the top 20 when all is said and done.
By my count, over the last 20 years there’s been an average of two rookie running backs in the top 20 – 42 in the 21 seasons from 1994 to 2014.
In the 2012 and 2013 seasons, there were four each. Just one last year, and it wasn’t the one people were expecting – Jeremy Hill.
Here be the rundown. Fantasy scoring system of 1 point for every 10 yards and 6 points for touchdowns.
ROOKIE RUNNING BACKS IN TOP 20 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rec | Run | Total | TD | Rk |
1994 | Marshall Faulk | 522 | 1282 | 1804 | 12 | (4) |
1994 | Errict Rhett | 119 | 1011 | 1130 | 7 | (14) |
1995 | Curtis Martin | 261 | 1487 | 1748 | 15 | (2) |
1995 | Terrell Davis | 367 | 1117 | 1484 | 8 | (12) |
1995 | Rashaan Salaam | 56 | 1074 | 1130 | 10 | (16) |
1995 | Rodney Thomas | 204 | 947 | 1151 | 7 | (18) |
1996 | Eddie George | 182 | 1368 | 1550 | 8 | (8) |
1996 | Karim Abdul-Jabbar | 139 | 1116 | 1255 | 11 | (9) |
1997 | Corey Dillon | 259 | 1129 | 1388 | 10 | (8) |
1997 | Warrick Dunn | 462 | 978 | 1440 | 7 | (13) |
1997 | Antowain Smith | 177 | 840 | 1017 | 8 | (19) |
1998 | Fred Taylor | 421 | 1223 | 1644 | 17 | (5) |
1998 | Robert Edwards | 331 | 1115 | 1446 | 12 | (9) |
1999 | Edgerrin James | 586 | 1553 | 2139 | 17 | (2) |
1999 | Olandis Gary | 159 | 1159 | 1318 | 7 | (14) |
2000 | Mike Anderson | 169 | 1500 | 1669 | 15 | (4) |
2000 | Jamal Lewis | 296 | 1364 | 1660 | 6 | (16) |
2001 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 367 | 1236 | 1603 | 10 | (7) |
2001 | Dominic Rhodes | 224 | 1104 | 1328 | 10 | (11) |
2001 | Anthony Thomas | 178 | 1183 | 1361 | 7 | (13) |
2002 | Clinton Portis | 364 | 1508 | 1872 | 17 | (4) |
2003 | Domanick Davis | 351 | 1031 | 1382 | 8 | (15) |
2005 | Cadillac Williams | 81 | 1178 | 1259 | 6 | (19) |
2006 | Maurice Jones-Drew | 436 | 941 | 1377 | 16 | (8) |
2006 | Joseph Addai | 325 | 1081 | 1406 | 8 | (12) |
2006 | Reggie Bush | 742 | 565 | 1307 | 9 | (14) |
2007 | Adrian Peterson | 268 | 1341 | 1609 | 13 | (3) |
2007 | Marshawn Lynch | 184 | 1115 | 1299 | 7 | (12) |
2008 | Matt Forte | 477 | 1238 | 1715 | 12 | (4) |
2008 | Steve Slaton | 377 | 1282 | 1659 | 10 | (6) |
2008 | Chris Johnson | 260 | 1228 | 1488 | 10 | (11) |
2008 | Kevin Smith | 286 | 976 | 1262 | 8 | (18) |
2009 | Knowshon Moreno | 213 | 947 | 1160 | 9 | (17) |
2012 | Doug Martin | 472 | 1454 | 1926 | 12 | (3) |
2012 | Alfred Morris | 77 | 1613 | 1690 | 13 | (5) |
2012 | Trent Richardson | 367 | 950 | 1317 | 12 | (10) |
2012 | Mikel Leshoure | 214 | 798 | 1012 | 9 | (20) |
2013 | Eddie Lacy | 257 | 1178 | 1435 | 11 | (7) |
2013 | LeVeon Bell | 399 | 860 | 1259 | 8 | (15) |
2013 | Giovani Bernard | 514 | 695 | 1209 | 8 | (17) |
2013 | Zac Stacy | 141 | 973 | 1114 | 8 | (18) |
2014 | Jeremy Hill | 215 | 1124 | 1339 | 9 | (10) |
—Ian Allan