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2022-2023 Fantasy Football Undervalued Running Backs – Who Should I Draft?

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As we are winding our way through the NFL pre-season, everyone only has one thing on their mind– Fantasy Football.

One of the biggest keys to winning your fantasy football leagues every year is to draft stud running backs. They consistently can get a solid workload on a game-to-game basis, helping your team win the week. No matter what round you are in, the best fantasy advice is to look at the board for a good running back that can help you win. Get a leg up on the competition this year with our list of running back studs that you should draft onto your team. Getting more value out of your selection helps teams win and that is what our list is about.

TOP 10 UNDERVALUED FANTASY FOOTBALL RUNNING BACKS

1. The top spot on our list goes the top rookie running back from last year, Alabama‘s Najee Harris. The Pittsburgh Steelers top fantasy option looks to inherit another full season as the 3-down back in the Steel City this year. Along with the tremendous upside he provides with his rushing ability, he also catches passes at an above-average rate, which will push him past other backs in a PPR format. With either Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett throwing him the ball this year he should see plenty of opportunities.

2. The next running back is former Seminole, current Viking, Dalvin Cook who, even coming off a slight injury last year, is looking to regain top spot as a fantasy running back. Like Najee, Dalvin also catches passes at a high rate and in a Minnesota Vikings offense led by Kirk Cousins with two downfield weapons in Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen there will be a lot of space to operate in the underneath routes where Dalvin Cook presents a matchup nightmare 1-on-1 with linebackers. He even has more upside as a runner with high-end breakaway speed. However, with lingering injury risk he is only number 2 in our rankings.

3. In our number three spot we have Cleveland Browns running back, former Georgia Bulldog, Nick Chubb, who is looking to have a very increased workload following the suspension of Deshaun Watson. Having Jacoby Brissett is a nice backup, but the Browns will look to lean much heavier on their amazing offensive line with Chubb running the ball. While Chubb is a Top 5 running back, he doesn’t offer Top 5 receiving skills like some other RB1s do and they will look to take Chubb off of the field in those long 3rd down situations.

4. Our 4th RB is Tennessee Titans monster running back Derrick Henry. Henry is easily one of the biggest and fastest players in the entire league- two qualities that keep him at the top of the game in his 7th season. Always a favorite to rush for over 2,000 yards, he surpassed that mark in only 16 games in 2020. The Titans did trade their best receiver, A.J. Brown, to the Philadelphia Eagles, so that will reduce their passing game but will also cause them to lean upon Henry to help carry the load.

5. The 5th spot belongs to Kansas City Chiefs back Clyde Edwards-Helaire who enters the 2022 season with a lot to prove. After sustaining an injury last season, he looks to rebound with a bounce-back season. The LSU Tigers superstar had a great rookie season but did not impress fantasy managers last year. We are looking for Clyde to have a big third season after losing Tyreek Hill from this dynamic offense. There will be plenty of work to go around and that should help Edwards-Helaire get back on track.

6. The number six spot on our list is Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, who also is looking to have a rebound season in 2022. He injured his knee last pre-season and missed the entire year. This offense is based heavily on the running backs handing the load to open up the rest of the playbook. Dobbins has been a standout since his college days with the Ohio State Buckeyes, running similar read-option concepts where he had a great deal of success. Dobbins looks healthy coming into camp and has massive upside for fantasy managers.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars second-year RB Travis Etienne Jr. is number seven on our list of undervalued running backs. Etienne, like Dobbins before him, missed out on the entire 2021 season. Unlike Dobbins, Etienne doesn’t have the same track record for fantasy managers to rely upon. Even with the unknown, we love where Etienne fits into this Jaguars offense. James Robinson tore his Achilles last December which has opened the door wide for Etienne to get all of the touches until Robinson can get back to 100%. No one knows any timelines on this injury, so until further news arrives, this bodes extremely well for the value of Travis Etienne on fantasy teams. If Etienne handles the workload well, Robinson could be the odd man out.

8. The eighth spot goes to Najee Harris’ older brother, New England Patriots running back Damien Harris. Harris was the 2021 fantasy breakout, scoring 15 touchdowns for the Mac Jones-led Patriots. The Patriots have had a committee approach at the running back position for quite some time and this type of approach usually gives fantasy managers huge headaches. However, Damien Harris looks to have an edge over fellow committee members Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery and Pierre Strong Jr. Harris might not get back to 15 touchdowns, but he will be scoring plenty with Bill Belichick consistently trying to pound the ball into the end zone while in the red zone.

9. Super Bowl LVI Champion Cam Akers will be our number nine running back who is undervalued. Akers, in his third year out of FSU, will be the Los Angeles Rams starting running back Week One, even with the injury last season. Darrell Henderson is a solid backup but shouldn’t eat too much into the workload for Akers, who showed that he could be a running back that this high-powered offense can lean on. Akers is the complete package and can be a threat in the pass game as well. He is being drafted in fantasy leagues far too low and could help win some leagues this season.

10. Our final spot belongs to Georgia Bulldogs National Champion, Buffalo Bills rookie James Cook. Cook, who is Dalvin’s younger brother, is finding himself in a very favorable situation, similar to his sibling. Devin Singletary may be the starting running back for the Bills, but James Cook looks to be the favored third down back for Josh Allen to check down to, getting the easy first downs after Allen’s playmaking ability creates additional time in the pocket. James Cook is getting drafted fairly low in most drafts this year and can provide Top 20 running back value in PPR formats.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed this list of Undervalued Fantasy Running Backs for the 2022-2023 season. Stay tuned next week for our next installment of The Fantasy Football Draft Diaries – brought to you by SportsCollectibles.com! Start every morning with a healthy dose of SportsCollectibles.com! But seriously, find all of your fantasy faves autographed jerseys, autographed helmets, autographed footballs and more when you SHOP NOW. Save an EXTRA 10%* on your order with today’s exclusive blog discount code RBFFBLOG22. Plus, Free US Shipping on all orders over $100.* Start your collection or add to it today!

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College Football Top 10 QBs – Do You Agree?

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Recently there was a list created by the wonderful people at PFF featured on Twitter that created some major controversy leading up to the next college football season. The list has since gone viral with everyone creating their own lists and/or just decimating other lists created. Here are our initial thoughts because at Sports Collectibles we have many of these debates daily within our own office.

The Tweet in Question:

Our Take on The Ten:

Obviously everyone needs to start with Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young at Number 1. This is probably the only part that people unanimously agree upon. Bryce is the current Heisman Trophy winner and is currently favored by many to be the first pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He has all the tools that NFL and college coaches dream about. Nick Saban can’t speak high enough about his starting quarterback. He is athletic, smart and has an amazing arm to help his team win on Saturdays.

Apart from Young, the rest of the list is highly debated by all- with the next two spots on the list bringing up an inter-team rivalry and what could be a plotline of a reality TV show. PFF put Caleb Williams, the Oklahoma Sooners transfer at number 2, with the other Oklahoma transfer at number 3. The drama between Williams and Spencer Rattler was REAL, y’all. Both saw many snaps last season at Oklahoma before Lincoln Riley bolted for a lavish USC Trojans head coaching job, taking Williams with him. His former teammate, ranked at #3 on THE LIST, headed to the opposite coast and the other USC, the South Carolina Gamecocks. Now, Williams does look to have an edge over Rattler, since former Pittsburgh receiver and Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison just joined USC and Riley. Most expect Riley, Williams and Addison to be lighting up scoreboards in the PAC-12 all season long.

Most people took issue with Spencer Rattler being as high as number 3 on the list. He lost the staring job last season to Caleb Williams while at Oklahoma. Then he entered the transfer portal and ended up at South Carolina. While Rattler has always had all the talent in the world since he was one of the top quarterbacks in his class, that talent hasn’t always been on display while on the field. Some have even questioned his ability to be a great teammate at times as well. All of this drama is where the real debate begins. (Cue Judge Judy or a good “DRRR-AH-MAH” GIF!)

Next up, Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud was the 4th-ranked player on the list and is probably a spot or two lower than most expected. Stroud had a phenomenal season last year with the Buckeyes and is returning to Columbus with Heisman Trophy expectations. He will return with the top receiver in the NCAA, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who he helped to set a Rose Bowl record for touchdown catches. Stroud is also thought to be one of the top prospects headed into the 2023 NFL Draft with Bryce Young and other players from the PFF list.

Sam Hartman from Wake Forest is also a little higher than most expected. He had a terrific season last year putting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons back on the ACC map with Head Coach Dave Clawson running the slow mesh offense that gave ACC defenses fits last year. While Hartman is a great quarterback, ranking him as high as #5 was pretty shocking to the college football world considering some of the other quarterbacks who could have been considered.

Following Hartman was Coastal Carolina signal caller Grayson McCall. McCall has always been a model of consistency since he took the reins for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. He has racked up some serious stats as well as some hype going into the season. McCall has helped turn the Chanticleers from an easy week for opponents into a game viewers’ circle on their calendar so they can tune in to watch his team take the field.

The most surprising spot was at number 10 with Tyler Van Dyke from the Miami Hurricanes. He has been a big riser among draftniks all over the country. He is a big, strong armed quarterback who has all of the skills that scouts dream of. With a new coaching staff headed by Mario Cristobal, the Canes are looking to turn the football program back into the national powerhouse it once was when Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor and so many other amazing players wore the orange and green.

Who Was Missing:

As far as the snubs go, everyone has their own opinion but we will go over a couple that we thought were a little shocking to not have made the cut. The first name left off of the list erroneously, in our opinion, is Will Levis from the Kentucky Wildcats. Levis was a Penn State transfer who didn’t take long to make a major impact on the gridiron with Mark Stoops‘ Wildcats. Once thought of as a basketball school, Mark Stoops and Will Levis are building the Wildcats’ reputation as a football school, winning 10 games last season and concluding with a victory in the Citrus Bowl against a tough Iowa Hawkeyes team.

Another passer we have our eye on is Georgia Bulldogs quarterback and 2021 National Champion Stetson Bennett IV. He took over for an injured JT Daniels and never looked back, taking the talented Bulldogs roster to the promised land in Indy. While Bennett might not get the same kind of NFL Draft love of some other quarterbacks we have talked about on this list, that doesn’t mean he won’t have a terrific 2022 season. With All-American-caliber tight end Brock Bowers coming back this season, everyone should be watching out for the Kirby Smart-led Bulldogs.

Speaking of former 5-Star QB JT Daniels, he is the next quarterback we were surprised didn’t make the cut. He has transferred north across the Appalachian Mountains to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Head Coach Neal Brown is looking to get the Mountaineers back on track and Bulldogs transfer Daniels is the guy who he will be leaning on to get the job done in the Big 12 this season.

Another QB everyone should have on their radar is Texas Tech Red Raiders gunslinger Tyler Shough. A former Oregon Ducks transfer, Shough had a rough season with the Red Raiders last year, but entering his final year of eligibility, you will see him leave it all on the line in the Big 12 this season. A tall and powerful QB, Shough was poised to break out last year before the injury bug got to him. With a full offseason under his belt, don’t be surprised to hear his name a lot this fall.

Lastly, we want to mention Boston College Eagles standout Phil Jurkovec. He is a lesser-known quarterback but possesses an arsenal of talent. Jurkovec got injured last season and only played in 6 games. This year, he will be playing for the NFL Draft scouts that will surely be in attendance at his games. A former Notre Dame Fighting Irish transfer, Jurkovec was a prolific high school quarterback in Pittsburgh before not seeing much action in South Bend, therefore taking his talents to the East Coast. This will be a big season for the future of Phil Jurkovec.

The ranking of this year’s NCAA quarterbacks has become the biggest debate in our office right now. What does your Top 10 list look like? Follow our social media accounts (@SpCollectibles) and tag us in your own College football Top 10 Quarterback lists!

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