Year of the Sophomore Running Back

This year I expect a great deal of fantasy success if you have a sophomore running back on your roster. Looking back at the 2013 NFL draft, there was a lot of talented running backs that got drafted. Here is how it went down:

Giovani Bernard (2nd Round, 37th overall)
Le'Veon Bell (2nd Round, 48th overall)
Montee Ball (2nd Round, 58th overall)
Eddie Lacy (2nd Round, 61st overall)
Knile Davis (3rd Round, 96th overall)
Zac Stacy (5th Round, 160th overall)
Andre Ellington (6th Round, 187th overall)

All of these guys made an impact during their rookie season and have the potential to be a RB1 or RB2 on your fantasy squad this year (with the exception of Knile Davis as a handcuff). Let's take a look at each individual player:

Giovani Bernard- He lost a lot of touches to Green-Ellis his rookie year, but his role expanded as the season continued. Every time he touches the ball, there is excitement so I think he will get the ball a lot more this season. If you're in a PPR league, I think he will be a solid RB1, getting you a lot of points by catching balls out of the backfield.

Le'Veon Bell- If Le'Veon didn't miss the first three games of the season, he probably would have gotten close to or gone over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Pittsburgh loves to pound the ball and they will continue to feed him in 2014. Le'Veon had double digit carries in all of his games and scored a touchdown in four out of his last five games. Even with the signing of Blount, I think Bell will get the bulk of carries and goal line touches. He also had 45 catches on the season so he has the ability to get you some more points, especially in PPR leagues. I would draft him after Lacy and Ball, but ahead of Bernard and Stacy.

Monte Ball- With Knowshon Moreno in Miami, the position is Montee Ball's for the taking. Ball had some fumbling issues in the beginning of the season, but only lost one fumble after the 3rd game of the season. I think Ball is a more talented back than Moreno, so I wouldn't be surprised if he surpassed Moreno's stats from last season. There will be plenty of scoring opportunities with this offense and he has the ability to catch some passes out of the backfield. I would draft him right after Eddie Lacy goes off the board.

Eddie Lacy- He was a workhorse last year for the Packers getting double digit carries in all games he played in except for one. Lacy won't catch many passes, but he is on an offense that will have plenty of scoring opportunities. Look for lacy to get 20 carries/game and a minimum of 10 touchdowns. I would draft Lacy ahead of all sophomore running backs and an aging Marshawn Lynch, but behind Charles, McCoy, Peterson, and Forte.

Knile Davis- Davis spent majority of the season riding in the back seat of Jamaal's car. He finally got to drive it in the final week of the regular season, showing off his skills, gaining 81 yards and scoring 2 TD's. He also had a decent game against the Colts in the first round of the playoffs, but ended up fracturing his fibula. Davis should be ready to go for next season and although he is talented, he is merely a handcuff to Jamaal Charles.

Zac Stacy- He also became his team's workhorse once he was discovered in Week 3. Although his yards per carry were 3.9 on the season, there is no doubt that he will get plenty of work in 2014. The offense should improve with Sam Bradford back, which will help open up some space for Stacy. I think he will be a solid RB2 with the potential to be a RB1. I would draft him behind all of the sophomore running backs in this blog except Ellington and Davis.

Andre Ellington- Due to Ellington's size and durability issues, the Cardinals have been holding back the reins on this talented back. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, but only got 118 carries on the season. I see value in Ellington in 2014 because he makes the best of his limited touches, but his value diminishes because the Cardinals don't plan on using him as an every-down featured back. He will probably lose short-yardage and goal-line touches as well, which really puts a damper on his fantasy potential. I would take Ellington after all of the sophomore running backs listed in this blog except for Knile Davis.