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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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Double Play – Sports Superstar Siblings

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Seeing a set of siblings in the sports world is nothing new. No matter what sport it is, you’ll find family. We have seen families such as the DiMaggios with Joe, Vince and Dom tearing up professional baseball dating back to the 1950s, all the way to the Klitschko brothers collecting heavyweight title belts in the boxing world. Countless families have made their mark in the sports realm and with Serena Williams announcing her retirement, let’s take a look at some of our favorite Superstar Siblings.

1) Serena and Venus Williams
When one thinks of siblings dominating their sport, it’s impossible not to immediately think of Serena and Venus. The Williams sisters are widely referred to as the greatest female tennis players of all time, being referred to as the “Picasso and Monet” of women’s tennis for their skill. Both sisters have a plethora of accomplishments including both holding the title of number one in the world in singles at different points. Venus held this accomplishment for 11 weeks in 2002 while Serena held the accomplishment for a staggering 316 weeks. That is 72.7 months or 6.05 years. The sisters have dominated the doubles circuit together throughout their careers as well. Together, they have won 22 titles and even have 3 Olympic gold medals to their resume. The Williams sisters are without a doubt the greatest sister duo to grace the tennis court but are also viewed as one of the greatest sibling duos of all time, any sport.

2) John and Jim Harbaugh
This nod may seem off to people as the brothers are currently coaches, but coaches are just as pivotal in sports as the players so these two deserve the spot. John, currently the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, bounced around coaching jobs after his playing days. He had stints with programs such as the Pitt Panthers, Morehead State, University of Cincinnati Bearcats, and Indiana University Hoosiers. John made the leap to coaching in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998 as a special teams coach where he stayed for ten seasons before landing the head gig in Baltimore where he would capture a Super Bowl victory. Jim took a little more direct route to coaching in the League. Jim spent 15 seasons in the NFL playing for countless teams. While playing in the league, he assisted his father in scouting and recruiting. After retirement, Jim was brought to the Oakland Raiders where he coached Rich Gannon in 2002, the year Gannon won NFL MVP. Jim went on to coach the San Francisco 49ers, giving us that highly anticipated brother-vs-brother Super Bowl XLVII matchup. Jim Harbaugh is now the well-known head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team with a record of 61-24. The brothers have solidified their place on this list by becoming the first two brothers in NFL history to coach against each other for a championship.

3) J.J., T.J. and Derek Watt
Any modern-day NFL fan knows the Watt name. J.J. Watt was the first brother in the League and immediately made a name for the family by racking up five tackles and a fumble recovery in his very first game with the Houston Texans. J.J. has built a Hall of Fame worthy career for himself, the man is a 3x NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner, led the league is sacks twice, tackles for a loss three times and even led the league in forced fumbles AND defensive touchdowns in separate seasons. Youngest brother T.J. is proving to be just as much of a monster. T.J. was an NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist in 2019 and 2020 before capturing the award in 2021 as he tied the NFL record for sacks in a year with 22.5 in a season. T.J. also led the league in tackles for a loss, quarterback hits, and sacks (obviously) the past two seasons, a clear powerhouse that is only getting started. Middle brother Derek also is signed onto an NFL roster. Derek was drafted in 2016 by the then San Diego Chargers and now plays alongside T.J. with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The odds of a college athlete making it to the professional level are listed at 1.6% while the odds of a child in youth football making it to the Big Time is as little as 0.2%. The Watt family has defied those odds immensely.

4) Joey and Nick Bosa
Oddly enough, our next set of Superior Siblings in Sports are also defensive monsters in the NFL. Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa both hail from THE Ohio State University and were both highly touted coming out of college after playing for the Buckeyes. Joey was selected third overall by the then-San Diego Chargers. Joey has been a problem for opposing offenses since entering the league, having double-digit sack seasons in four out of his first six. Joey also found himself having a career year last season once again, tallying 7 forced fumbles on the year- good for the number two spot in the league. A contract with the Los Angeles Chargers that will add up to $135,000,000 through 2025 isn’t a bad career achievement either. Nick, Joey’s younger brother by three years, has quickly made a household name for himself as well. Chosen as the number 2 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Nick has already led the league in a statistical category when he racked up 21 Tackles for Loss in 2021. Nick is still on his rookie contract, with the San Francisco 49ers picking up the fifth-year option, but expect a contract similar to his brother’s very soon.

5) Dalvin Cook and James Cook III
Rushing their way into the Running Back Realm of our Superstar Siblings List, this will be the first season that brothers Dalvin Cook and James Cook will be playing on the professional level together. Dalvin, a Florida State Seminoles standout who attended the same high school as Devonta Freeman, another former Seminoles star, played at FSU from 2014 through 2016 under Coach Jimbo Fisher. Dalvin dazzled on the field for the Noles becoming 2014 ACC Championship MVP and bookending his time in Tallahassee with a win over Michigan in the 2016 Orange Bowl. That year he also broke Warrick Dunn‘s Single Season Career Rushing Record of 3,959 yards. After the Orange Bowl win, Cook announced that he was going to forgo his senior season with the Seminoles to join the 2017 NFL Draft. He was selected in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings and has remained with the team for the past 5 seasons. Dalvin’s younger brother James Cook III was initially committed, after his FRESHMAN year of high school, to follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a Florida State Seminole. He later decommitted the summer before his senior year and decided to land in Athens, Georgia with the University of Georgia Bulldogs, charting a course into the history books. As a senior for the Dawgs in 2021, he rushed for 728 yards and 7 TDs plus caught 27 passes for 284 yds and 4 touchdowns- culminating with a National Championship win in Indianapolis over the Alabama Crimson Tide. Declaring for the NFL Draft in 2022, James was drafted also in the 2nd round but by the Buffalo Bills. During Week 10 of the 2022 NFL Season, the Cook brothers will be running against each other in Buffalo and we can’t wait to see how the National Champion Cook will fare this season against his Fantasy Football Favorite brother.

6) Peyton and Eli Manning
These two may be retired from playing but with a heavy New York Giants bias and the two hosting their own Monday Night Football analysis, they’re still getting the final nod on my list. Peyton Manning, hailing from the University of Tennessee Volunteers played with the Indianapolis Colts for the majority of his illustrious career, ending his time on the field with the Denver Broncos, leading them to victory in Super Bowl 50 making him the first starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl with more than one NFL team. He will go down as one of the best to ever do it, there is no NFL fan who is not aware of him. A host to multiple NFL records, two-time Super Bowl champion, five-time NFL MVP, two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, fourteen-time Pro Bowler, seven-time First-Team All-Pro, and of course 2007 Super Bowl XLI MVP. Peyton Manning has a better career accolade list than your created Madden NFL player does- he was THAT good. Eli, the New York Giants legend, may not have had the blockbuster career of his older brother, but he wasn’t a slouch. Eli holds the Giants franchise record book slots for passing yards, touchdown passes and completions. Eli also proved to be an ironman player, currently holding the third-longest consecutive starts streak by an NFL quarterback. Ranked 8th in NFL history for passing yards and 9th in touchdowns, a two-time champion over Tom Brady and the NFL record for passing yards in a singular postseason, Eli was still that dude.

Who are your top picks for Dynamic Duos or Trios of Super Siblings? Let us know in the comments below.

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Fantasy Football Tight End Targets 2022-2023

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Football season is right around the corner and fans all over the country are salivating to watch meaningful gridiron play again. Even more than that, co-workers and friend groups are trying to nail down their fantasy football leagues (including our own office). One of the most important positions always perplexes most players and that is: the Tight End.

When should you draft a tight end? What is the ‘sweet spot’ in each round to get the most production for the draft slot? Who will be Tight End Number 1 when the year is over? Will the reign of Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce being TE1 finally end?

All valid questions, none of them with clear-cut answers. However, there is hope out there for the many loyal readers of the SportsCollectibles.com blog. Within the Kansas City Chiefs offense, Kelce looks like he should take a step forward even further from the pack losing a weapon like Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. However, there is something being overlooked about him and that is the fact he will be double and triple-teamed even more in the upcoming season.

While Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes has had the luxury of both Kelce and Hill giving nightmares to opposing defenses about how to match up with them, he won’t have that same abundance of firepower at his disposal this season. Tyreek Hill always made defenses match his deep speed, and with Mahomes’ cannon-like arm strength 70-yard throws could happen at any time. This would usually give Travis Kelce a lot more room to operate with the rest of the field. With Tyreek getting traded to the Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs looked to free-agency and the 2022 NFL Draft to improve the weaponry surrounding Patrick Mahomes with Western Michigan Broncos rookie receiver Skyy Moore and former Green Bay Packers speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling. These guys are solid, but won’t help Travis Kelce get as open as Tyreek Hill did while he was playing in Kansas City.

Enter Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews into the Tight End 1 chat. With Lamar Jackson losing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the Arizona Cardinals, the offensive skill players might look light to some fans. True NFL fans know about #89 Mark Andrews’ true dominance in the Greg Roman-led Ravens offense. A great blocker in the run game, Andrews can parlay this into getting wide-open in the play action game because defenders don’t want to get blocked by him and get sucked into the run action. This automatically gives Andrews a leg-up on his competition with how many targets he will have this season with no defenders around, giving him ample room to get plenty of yard after the catch (YAC).

Jackson is also fighting for a generational-wealth type of contract and will come out this season firing on all cylinders to prove the doubters wrong and show that he is more than a “running back playing quarterback”. Lamar also has the accolades to back up his performance come contract negotiating time led by his amazing agent- his mom. This all plays into Mark Andrews having a record-breaking 2022 season being Lamar Jackson’s safety blanket and number 1 target. It will also help if former first-round pick Rashod Bateman can demand some coverage and be another target for Lamar to throw to and another player that defenses must respect.

Most fantasy players can get Andrews a round or two after Kelce and could very well accumulate a considerable number of points this season. Make Andrews a top priority when drafting this year and you can also win your league and have bragging rights over your friends, family and co-workers. Good Luck Fantasy Players!

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NFL Post-Minicamp Fantasy Football Sleepers

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If you are a die-hard Fantasy Football fan like each of us at Sportscollectibles.com, you have already started to do your research on the upcoming fantasy football season. But if you haven’t started yet, we will help you out with our favorite fantasy sleepers for this Fall’s NFL Season.

Almost everyone knows about the flowing blonde mane out in Duval County, Florida, sporting the #16 jersey, but not enough people are drafting him high enough and that is why he kicks off our sleeper list. Trevor Lawrence is a golden-haired and golden-armed quarterback who can make all of the throws a coach asks of him and more. With a new coaching staff after the Urban Meyer project didn’t quite work out, former Super Bowl Champion Coach Doug Pederson is looking to take the Jacksonville Jaguars to the next level. They spent heavy on the offense adding weapons for Lawrence to target like Christian Kirk and Evan Engram and even beefed up the offensive line with guard Brandon Scherff. Everyone should be on the lookout for Lawrence to be drafted in the later parts of their fantasy draft and can get some real value.

The next sleeper on our list is Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. The former Michigan Wolverines standout is looking to capitalize on the departure of Austin Hooper, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. There are plenty of targets that are left on the table and Peoples-Jones looks to be in line to take a good share of them. If you are playing in a PPR (Points-per-Reception) League look no further than #11 by the Lake.

Another receiver that is looking at a breakout year is Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman. The Ravens traded away Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason and Lamar Jackson will need a new number 1 receiver to hit when Mark Andrews is double-covered by defenses on third downs. Baltimore is a run-heavy offense, but they run a considerable amount of play action which could play into Bateman racking up big plays when the defenses get worn down by the J.K Dobbins-led rushing attack. Watch out for Bateman to have a big year in fantasy this year and is still being taken later in drafts.

The last fantasy sleeper we have is the Florida State Seminoles 2013 Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion Jameis Winston. The New Orleans Saints starting quarterback was hurt last season and is coming into this year with a chip on his shoulder. The Saints are a dark horse to make the playoffs this season and it is because of Winston. He has gotten better every season since entering the league and the Saints have some serious weapons on offense. They boast three major wide receivers with All-Pro Michael Thomas, newly acquired Jarvis Landry and 1st round draft pick, Ohio State Buckeyes TD record holder, Chris Olave. To make things even more unfair they have Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill getting plenty of touches as well. Jameis Winston looks to be the beneficiary of having a plethora of weapons at his disposal and could very well win plenty of fantasy leagues this year.

Just be sure to remember us when earn your big Fantasy Super Bowl winnings! 😊

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-Barkley is the best boy ever! He’s been with the SportsCollectibles.com team for 3 years and couldn’t imagine doing anything else! He enjoys LONG walks around the neighborhood and playing fetch. His hero is Air Bud. His favorite foods are pizza and tortilla chips. His favorite teams are the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs.