Latest / Let's Talk Football - Married Edition / Top 20 RB Rankings + Injury News - Fantasy Football 2026 Ep.03

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Top 20 RB Rankings + Injury News - Fantasy Football 2026 Ep.03 · Let's Talk Football - Married Edition

• Amanda: What is up, guys? Welcome back to another episode of Let's Talk Football Married Edition, your new favorite place for all things fantasy football, NFL hot takes, questionable opinions, and just enough marital disagreements to keep things interesting. Because whether he wants to admit it or not, I am indeed always fucking right. All right, cool. We're your hosts, Amanda and Drew, and we're recording this episode on August 17th, football season. We can smell it. It is in the air, baby, and it is almost Drew: So close. Amanda: Fully back. Fantasy drafts are right around the corner. In fact, I just talked to some people on social media because we just announced that obviously we're doing this together as opposed to last year with me and Ange. And some girls already had drafts, which is dark and dismal, dark and dismal and wild fucking times, Drew: Wild. So wild. Amanda: right? Because as we'll we'll jump into right now, and I like to highlight the date because I want you guys to know when we're when we're recording this based on what information we're gonna go over. There's already Some interesting injuries taking place. So I'm gonna let my handsome co-host take over and go over some of the injuries already starting to pile up before the season even starts. Drew: Yeah, the having your draft already is it's wild. So Labor Day weekend, that's when we always have our draft for my home league. That's the best weekend to do it 'cause it's as close as you can get to the regular season. So you're not drafting somebody and then they get hurt in the preseason and out for the year or half a year or whatever. And then all of a sudden, you know, you're you're screwed right out of the gate. So try to push that back as far as you can. If you've already had your draft, sorry, you know, we didn't get these out a little bit earlier for you, but for the ones that are upcoming we already have some injuries piling up. So Puka, groin injury. So anytime you're talking groins, hammies, soft tissue, anything like that, they tend to linger a little bit. So he was supposed to be back this week's starting today. He is not back yet, so keep an eye on that. Makai Lemon, rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles. Hammy, he hasn't practiced since August 4th, so keep an eye on that as well. Umeka Akbuka has got a toe injury. Todd Bowles is head coach. He described the injury as day to day or week to week because yeah, just very good coach speak. You know, he'll be back when Amanda: vague. Really are early vague nature. I love it. Drew: he's back. So it helps us as fantasy players a lot. that one I'm a little worried about. Not worried about Puka. Makai wasn't a big target of mine anyway. and then here's a couple more Brees Hall, groin strain, non contact injury just happened. Aaron Glenn, his head coach, says he doesn't think it's a big deal. We'll see. Hopefully he's back to practice in a couple days. I'm not gonna make any ranking adjustments for him just yet until I get further information. Alec Pierce, wide receiver for the Colts, coming off a huge contract this offseason. Should be stepping into a much bigger role. Has not been practicing for a while. Had ankle surgery in the offseason. he's not expected back during training camp, but they're hopeful for week one. So keep an eye on that report. And then the biggest one. Hits home a little bit because he was my first selection in one of my super super flex dynasty league. Jeremiah Love, rookie standout for the Cardinals. high ankle sprain sustained in the first preseason game. And they're hopeful that he'll be ready for week one. So that does impact a little bit. as we get a little bit closer, if you are drafting in a week, two weeks time, you're gonna wanna t to pay attention to that report because if he's back healthy, ready to go. I'm all in. If it's still lingering, he'll get off to a slow start. So just be aware of that. Amanda: Yeah, absolutely. Just you this is the time of the year where, specifically with preseason going on now, you just want to keep your eye on any type of injury reports that are coming out. Again, you don't want to overreact. It's easy to like, I'm gonna take him off my draft board altogether. Let's not be dramatic about anything. You wanna wait till you get official news, but it definitely is the time of the year where injuries start to to rack up and we see a lot of groins go down this time of the year. Girl, I Drew: Yeah, groins and hammies. Yeah, don't don't overreact by one report that comes out. You just gotta pay attention to it, right? And then also a really big thing, you're gonna listen to this episode. We're recording it on August 17th. Your draft might be September first. Just be aware that you wanna make sure you check the reports on the players before your draft day, because that could obviously change some of the rankings from what we tell you today versus draft day. So just pay attention to it. Amanda: Absolutely. And that's gonna lead us right into the episode today. We have the top 20 running back rankings. There's a ton to get into, so we are gonna cut the fluff and jump right in. But like Drew just said, these are our rankings as of eight seventeen. There is still a lot of time for shit to change. But let's dive in right to our number one and number two. And these guys are really synonymous. They are one in the same when it comes to draft capital at the top of your board. We are talking about B. John Robinson. Jameer Gibbs as our 1A and 1B situation. I think at first, you know, I favored the mustard man simply because I fucking love mustard, okay? favorite condiment on the planet, and Bijan was my guy last year. In fact, purchased his mustard line because it was good, okay? but I am gonna look at, you know, the the difference between these two is really just belief in the offensive unit, in my opinion. And if we look at What offense is going to score a lot of fucking points this season as a guaranteed and is going to thrive? It's the Lions. I am gonna hang my hat on Gibbs being that that first select. Like if I had the first pick, that's who I'm taking in the draft. simply because I b just believe in that offense. I know, right? As I have changed my mind. I've waited on it for so long. Bijan. Drew: Three days ago it was B. John Robinson and I was Gibbs and then now you just don't wanna be wrong. That's the issue. You just you don't wanna be wrong, so now you've got to Amanda: I know, I know. No, I just think like Drew: switch. Amanda: are they gonna struggle the entire year as an offensive unit? Maybe. What if they can't convert and can't score and can't get downfield? Drew: It's touchdown opportunities. That's the biggest thing Amanda: Yes. Drew: there. It Gibbs Gibbs and Bijan are both amazing players. They're both gonna run well. They're both gonna receive you catch the ball in the backfield well. It's just how many touchdowns do you think the tight or lions are gonna score and how many do you think that the Falcons are gonna score and that's the tiebreaker. So I I'm Gibbs all the way there. I wouldn't fault you for picking Bijon either. You just kinda have to go with go with your gut on that one. but but yeah, I'm I'm definitely Gibbs, so after after those top two, Bijan and Gibbs, we have CMC as our number three. We are higher than a lot of consensus rankings out there. he's still three for me. little bit of injury news is he is dealing with a little bit of injury right now, unfortunately. he's got let me see here. Yeah. Amanda: I was gonna say, what injury is he dealing with? I didn't even see if it come out yet. Drew: I don't have it written down here. I he's just been banged up at practice, so they've been taking it easy on him. but i that's always the worry with him. you're a thirty year old running back, but he's he's a god out there on the field. He's Amanda: Yeah. Drew: so good. so I definitely have him up at the the three spot. I know you have him real high as well. what do you love about C C? Amanda: Yeah, I I think if we just look at what he did last year b doing being one of the primary targets for that team with so many injuries, it's really kind of a a mirror, right? We we don't have Pearsall, he's out for the year, Jennings isn't with the team anymore. Mike Evans is incredibly injury prone. Kittle's just coming back from injury, so you know, he's hopeful to start week one, but who really knows? He had the targets as a running back. He had more targets than some wide receiver ones on some teams. He had a hundred and twenty nine targets last year. from a as a running back. Like in my opinion, the value of that in a running back is just so high for PPR leagues. And it it's just obviously sheer volume and just the the way he's used in that offense. Just as long as he can stay healthy, I think this is and i he he's gonna win you he'd win late. He wins fantasy football leagues every year. Drew: Yeah, absolutely. He's won me four straight in my dynasty league. He's been the rock behind all of them. Like I said, he's a god on the field, and I will ride Christian McCaffrey until the wheels completely fall off. And just fing fingers crossed that those wheels have, you know, a year or two left to tread on before before that starts to to taper off there. So real excited about him. I'm even more excited about Well, I guess no. We have a little bit different rankings. next on yours is gonna be Jonathan Taylor and then mine's gonna be Kenneth Walker. why Jonathan Taylor over Kenneth Walker? Amanda: Ooh, yeah, I couldn't believe I know. I can't I I I get why you're so hot on Kenneth Walker, in my opinion. I just think Jonathan Taylor is number one, I'm gonna say slightly safer bet. I don't even know if that's truly the case or not. Obviously, we saw Jonathan Taylor at the beginning of the year when Daniel Jones was there. He was on fire. He was a monster. He was breaking runs, he scored a ton of touchdowns, he was just Amazing for fantasy football. Obviously, that changed when Daniel Jones went down and he was no longer a part of that offense. He didn't have a reliable quarterback. I think the tone changes this year and continues like it was when Daniel Jones left last year. I think they can get Jonathan Taylor involved again and have him have a spectacular year. So I'm just gonna take the predictability of Jonathan Taylor in that offense over Kenneth Walker, who I haven't seen with that offensive unit yet. Obviously, everyone in the running back room is injury fucking prone. But I think also I like the energy of the Colts and they're gonna come back and want to reclaim the trajectory they were on at the beginning of the year before they fell off, fell off a cliff there. Drew: Does Daniel Jones coming back from the inju injury that he had last year worry you at all? He's gonna be less mobile. I mean, like you said, Jonathan Taylor was incredible in the beginning of the year, and then by the end of the year, I mean, you're talking the last one, two, three, six weeks of the year, fifteen, nine, thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, and five points per game. I th Amanda: Yeah. Drew: it's good. It it's not running back three territory. It's not the thirty seven, thirty-six twenty three, thirty four that he was getting earlier in the year. Amanda: Fair. I mean, yes, less mobile, Daniel Jones coming back specifically right after entry, but it's not Philip Rivers. It's not completely can't move at all status. They still have to treat Daniel Jones with res they gotta put some respect. Old man Rivers, baby. We didn't have to worry about old man Rivers in the backfield. I Drew: Yeah. Get off of Philip Rivers back. He's had nineteen children. He was coaching high school football. Yeah. Amanda: don't care. I just say even a less mobile Daniel Jones is far more of a threat than Philip Rivers ever was, and Drew: Sure. Amanda: it just gives that offense way more of a beat up, which makes Jonathan Taylor more relevant in my opinion. Drew: All right. I like Kenneth Walker. he's our next consensus guy. I have him at three. better offense, better head coach, better quarterback. I I just and and an incredible athlete. I Jonathan Taylor, I think he's a better pure running back than Kenneth Walker. but Kenneth Walker is incredible in his own right. I I absolutely love Kenneth Walker. He is now officially free of the Seahawks fucking stupidity. He's free of Zach Charbonnet. He doesn't have to deal with getting taken off the field every two downs because the team wants, you know, two and a half yards a carry that it they're gonna get from Charbonnet. they don't really have anybody else in Kansas City. They shouldn't be taking Walker off the field. I'm I'm just incredibly high on him this year. I I I I believe it depends on ADP, but I I I think I'm taking Kenneth Walker over everyone but Gibbs and Bijan. So I I'm very high on him this year. Amanda: You're gonna jump you would jump up on on the draft board to take him earlier than necessary over CMC and them. Interesting. Drew: Over C C. Yeah, it's not that I have to jump. I'm not gonna take Kenneth Walker with a one five, right? But if I've got a Amanda: No. Drew: late first round pick, I mean Kenneth Walker right now is ADP's two nine. I it's not gonna stay there. I think it's gonna move up higher Amanda: No. Mm-hmm. Drew: than that. But at the turn, yeah, I I think I take him at the the back end of the first, early second, and I'm comfortable with him being my my R B one on my team. and the injury risk, yes, he's dealt with injuries, but it's nothing like what C C's dealt with and he doesn't have a substation next to him, so I think I take him as my third running back. Amanda: Fair, fair, fair. all right, moving on to number six. And I do believe we were consensus at number six with James Cook. Am I am I correct? We were in agreement with this being both at our number six ranking. And and I think he he belongs here. We I think we all thought last year he'd have a regression year. It was talked a lot about in fantasy football drafts in 2025 that James Cook is gonna regress and he's not gonna be able to keep up the threshold that he did the season previous, and he surely did not regress. He had another great season. Obviously, this is now his several seasons now with Buffalo. So he's had a lot of experience in that offense. He's a great running back. I think that he's just an overall safe running back bet. I don't have as much excitement of like maybe the potential that he could be. I think he's a little bit of a safer option, in my opinion, but st steady, steady type of horse you could ride on, in my opinion. Drew: Yeah, I think he's an incredible running back. If you look at, you know, twenty twenty-three, he had eleven hundred yards. Amanda: Mm-hmm. Drew: Two years ago and and twenty-four he had a thousand yards. Last year he jumped it to sixteen hundred yards. so he's consistently been on the field and very good. The biggest thing was in that twenty-four season, what had held him back in years prior was touchdowns. Well, he skyrocketed from two touchdowns a year to sixteen in twenty twenty-four. And everybody kind of expected that to come back down to earth a little bit more. And while it did regress, it didn't Amanda: Mm-hmm. Drew: regress that far. He had twelve last year. And then as I said earlier, he made up for it in the yardage totals that he had. So a an R B eight and an R B six finish last two years. I think he's right in that range again, somewhere in the six to eight range. New head coach was already his offensive coordinator. Joe Brady loves to run the football. I I think he's a great pick, and he's a great Great value for where you get at the at the back end of the first round. Amanda: Yeah, yeah. No, I agree. moving into our seven and eight, we have two different names here. Ashton Genty, Devon A Chan. I'm gonna I I think we might slightly diff agree disagree. I think you had Genty a little bit above than where I had A Chan. I think I had A Chan valued above Genty. Drew: Yeah, you had A Chan rather high, in my opinion. You had him at five. Amanda: I did. Mm-hmm. Drew: I have Devon A Chan at eleven. So I I've got a few guys ahead of him that are still left Amanda: Interesting, Drew: to come. He he's very good. He's just on a fucking terrible team. The Dolphins are not good. He lost Mike McDaniel, so he he's not gonna have the same offense that they've had in years past where the head coach or the offensive coordinator is designing a lot of pass plays to HN, they're gonna be able to still pass the ball to him. It's just not gonna be as well as it was before because Mike McDaniel's unique in the way that he uses the running back position. So they don't have that. On then on top of that, they have a quarterback who can run the football in Malik Willis. So that is going to take opportunities away where Malik is not going to check the ball down. And also you're going from Tua Who basically played like a forty five year old quarterback that couldn't move anymore because he was he couldn't get hit. If he gets hit, he could die. Like it's just you Amanda: Well, correct. Can cost. Drew: Yeah, and and look, I I get it, but like that that was a perfect storm of why Achan got so many receptions. And I just don't see that happening this year. So I have him falling back to earth a little bit. And I'm gonna I'm gonna appropriately, in my opinion, put him down towards the R B ten position, where Good running backs on bad teams belong, in my opinion. Amanda: Interesting. Yeah, I mean I view him a little bit differently. I think that you might be end up being able to get him out of steal. He's ADP at 112 right now. So I mean I think I I I wouldn't take him that that early in the draft, let's say. however I think if I could get him mid or end of the second round, then it would be a no-brainer for me. Yeah. You don't know. Well, hey, I think a lot of people are sketch. Drew: Mid or end of the second round? He'll never drop that far. He right now he's at the end of the first round. Look, if Devon Achan if Devon A Chan drops to the end back of the second round, I'll be glad to take him. But w where's your cutoff point where you'll take him? If I'm at ADP, Amanda: Taking it. The only thing yeah, so I would take him Drew: let me look at ADP real quick. If I look at ADP for at least what's going on right now. Amanda: I think for me, Devon Echin, it he's proved to us that he can be that guy. Like if you're looking for a guy that could absolutely bust out and perform at high fucking levels, it's him. He has so much opportunity as a player to completely put poop on his name and drop him that low. Yeah, I know he's in a shitty offense, but they gotta get the ball moving somehow. And you don't think he's elite enough to get the ball moving and to get the you don't think they're the scheme around him because they've seen the success of him in previous offensive units? Drew: Okay, a as of right now, Devon A Chan, I'll read who's going around him. you've got Trey McBride, you taking Trey McBride or Devon A Chan? Amanda: I don't like to take my tight ends early, so I would take Devon Echan. Drew: Okay. James Cook, Devon H N. Amanda: Yeah, I would take J Ch N as well. I would take H N over Cook, yes. Drew: You take HN over James Cook. Okay. Drake London. Amanda: I don't like Drake London, I would take A Chan. Drew: AJ Brown. Amanda: I would take AJ Brown. Drew: Okay. So it seems to me Amanda: I have my line in the sand. I value the produ I value the possibility of A Chan over like a Drake London, in my opinion, who has just as many issues from a a team standpoint that I'm worried about as Devon Achan. Drew: No, I get that, but th y at the one twelve I've read the names around the one twelve and you're taking H N over all of so Amanda: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Drew: you'll take him where his ADP is and you're happy with it. I personally wouldn't be, but again, that's that's why there's two of us on this show, you differing opinions and and you gotta just kinda go with what the what side you agree with more. Amanda: Yeah. I mean that's how I feel about the next name is Genty. I personally would pass on on Genty, specifically where I think you might have to take him from a value standpoint. I don't I don't trust the value or I don't trust having to give up the value for what I think I'm going to get out of Genty this year in fantasy football. Drew: Yeah, I mean, he's again going a couple picks later than A Chan. I like Genty more than A Chan for the simple fact of he's got a better coach. Clint Kubiak with the Las Vegas Raiders now, he was the bell of the ball this offseason for coaches. He's the Ben Johnson of this year. Amanda: Mm-hmm. Drew: he you're expecting great things. He won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the Seahawks last year. Look what that offense did. Look what they produced at the running back position. The only thing that gives me a little bit of worry is that offensive line. are they gonna be better than last year? I hope so, because they were abysmal last year. But he he's also gonna get a ton of work, right? The only thing that's, you know, real worrisome is was it Kubiak who took Kenneth Walker off the field and put Sharps on the field that much? Or was it McDonald? That's what gives me the pause. Yeah. Amanda: I was just gonna say, you freaking r raged over the Sharbs. That I that goal line is he even gonna be a goal line back? Is he gonna be on the goal line or they're gonna put somebody else Drew: Gentil yeah. Amanda: in? Drew: No, no, no. Genti will be the goal line back. So but Gentil is also he he's a drafted higher, he's a better prospect, he's sh he's a better all around football player than Walker. So I I don't see it being an issue. it's just really load management throughout the year. But I I would take Genty over HN myself and I'm fine at the the one two turn taking him. Amanda: Fair. That's fair. All right. Up to our number nine running back on in our list, anyways, Chase Brown is Drew: Mm-hmm. Amanda: up next. We've talked, well, we talked about this in our quarterback episode. Essentially, there's a few offenses that we really, really like. specifically when a good offense has a really shitty defense, right? And the Cincinnati Bengals check all of those boxes, and Chase Brown falls into that category of I love him for that simple fact of number one, we saw his usage become more and more valuable as the year progressed last year. and I just think in that offense with a defense that's going to let up so many points, the offense has to score. Chase Brown's a valuable running back. He's still got a lot of life left in him. And I think that this is just a really solid, consistent running back option here at number nine. Drew: Yep, I agree. Joe Burroughs health. That's the biggest thing for me is does Joe Burroughs stay healthy or not? And if he does, I I think Chase Brown has a great year. And if he doesn't, well, you're probably gonna end up getting a lot of what you got in the beginning of last year, which is, you know, ten points a game, you're gonna be a little disappointed. Amanda: Until that like what week was it when he busted out? Because I remember vividly there was a trade in our Drew: Week eight. Amanda: girls league and it was right at that moment and then it became Chase Brown's that guy. Like he was like really disappointing and then it was like boom he lit on fire. Drew: Yep. He he was about ten points a game for the first seven weeks of the year and then week eight hit, played the Jets twenty five and a half points. Amanda: What is how about their how about their strength of schedule? Is it difficult for the lead in of the year? Do you know that? 'Cause like that's also something that like not that, you know, I would ever, you know, choose to sit in. Drew: yeah, Tampa, yeah. Tampa, Houston, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Miami are the t first five games. Amanda: Mm, mm. Mm-hmm. Drew: Tampa, assuming that Vitavea gets his contract situated, should still be good. Houston, obviously, great defense. Pittsburgh, good defense, should be better this year. Last year, they were supposed to be an elite defense and then just weren't for nobody Amanda: Good. Pittsburgh. Yes, yes. Mm mm. Mm-hmm. Drew: really knows what reason. but they should be better. so it's not a great start. But I don't care a whole lot about that if Joe Burrow's healthy. Because the team with Joe Burrow and the receiving options. Amanda: Yeah. Yes. It's a different team, yeah. Drew: Pick your poison as a defense. You have you're gonna have to take something away. I would imagine you're gonna try to take away the passing game before you take the running game away. So I I I'm not worried about the schedule for him. I quite frankly, it's just Joe Burrow. Amanda: And there's nobody else there as a running back. It's the volume that Chase Brown will get is just out outstanding. There's nobody else there that's going to rival his production. So like it's a no-brainer that he's keeping, yes, Drew: Yeah, Samaj P Rine. Yeah. Amanda: an old somad, he's keeping the volume there, which again, you're looking at, you're like, I don't even have to worry about a fifty fifty split at any point because he's keeping Drew: No. Amanda: the load. Yeah. all right, moving on to Amara and Hampton. This is someone that I am I'm super intrigued by by this year. specifically for we talked about this earlier with Devon Achan, and who was masterminding a lot of those short check down passes was Mike McDaniels. He's now the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, which in my opinion makes Amarian Hampton a little extra sexy this year. Now that he does like to favor the hot hand with running backs, but I if we can take what happened in week 17 against Houston for Amarian Hampton, he had 14 carries, eight receptions, and 22 touchdowns. If he can build upon an eight reception as a running back, that makes my makes my heart get a little bit bigger and it makes me very excited. Cause I love when my running back is involved in that pass game. And I think again, offensive coordinator transition, that elevates Omar and Hampton in my eyes. And I think it's gonna be an exciting year for him as long as, again, health obviously is a factor always. Drew: Yep, love Amar and Hampton this year. the Chargers' offensive line was a nightmare last year. it's n it shouldn't be this year. The biggest reason Amanda: Not this year. Mm-hmm. Drew: was they have two Pro Bowl linemen, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, that got hurt last year. And that was a big reason why their their line was terrible. they're both back this year. I think they're they're gonna be a very high flying good offense. Mike McDaniel's a very good offensive coordinator. Jim Harbaugh is a good head coach, as much as, you know, you may not like him. He's you know. Amanda: He has, yeah. Drew: being a Michigan guy and, you know, us not being Michigan guys, but he's a very good head coach. So I love O'Murray and Hampton. I I think he's gonna have a big year. He's gonna catch the ball the backfield. I'm not worried about other running backs coming in and getting work. Yes, it's gonna happen, but I'm not worried about it. Look what HN did last year and the year before with Miami. so I I think he's a great pick. I also love where he's going in the, you know, right now ADP two five. I don't have to take him with my first first round pick. So if I'm sitting, you know, right there at if I'm you know, at the back end of the first round, pick an eight nine spot and then I can get a an elite receiver, a really good receiver, and then on the turn come back around and get a Marian Hampton, I think it's a really good way to start a draft. Amanda: Yeah, no, I agree. moving on to a couple oldies here. We're gonna talk Saquon Barkley first. Well, we always say old, now we're too old to think these guys are old because we're thirty-four now. And Saquon Barkley's what, in his thirties? He's thirty. Did he just turn thirty? okay. So it's it's embarrassing calling this man old, but nonetheless, old for the beating that football does put on your body. However, Saquon Barkley is an interesting name. This is a different, it's a different offense this year. There's a lot of different changes that have happened, and I'm excited to see how this impacts Saquon Barkley. I also think, well, his schedule, beginning of the year schedule, is fairly easy. So that also puts him in an upper, upper echelon of strength of schedule early on. My only question would be if you're looking at him's his ADP in conjunction with like Saquon Barkley, Amarian Hampton, Chase Brown, if you had to pick between those running backs, who are you preferencing out of that tier running backs in that option? Drew: Omar in Hampton. Yep. Yep. Yep. I'm taking Omar in Hampton. Amanda: Amar and Hampton out of those three. How about I know, you don't think Genty or HN would get down into that realm. So it would really be Brown, Hampton, and Barkley are the three. Well, I mean, I guess you can throw Henry in there, but I wouldn't I would compare Drew: I I mean I think they're all they're all in a close enough range to where you just you know you pick the ones that you like better between Amanda: Yeah. Drew: you know Brown, Genty, Hampton, Barkley, you know, all those guys. ADP wise, you know, James Cook should be gone. So you're looking at, you know, Barkley at the two one, maybe Achan at the one hundred twelve is still there. Genty Hampton, it's wherever is I'm taking Hampton over Barkley. I'm also taking Barkley over Achan myself. I think Barkley's gonna have a good year. a little bit of a bounce back. I don't think he's got the, you know, R B one, R B two, maybe even R B three upside. Yeah, I don't think Amanda: Mm-hmm. Drew: he I don't think that's there anymore. So I don't think you're you're gonna wanna draft him to with the expectation that he's gonna finish, you know, in the top three. I I think he can get to R B five or six still. I think he can have a higher touchdown year. you're just you're gonna lose touchdowns to Jalen Hurts and how good's the Eagles offense with a new O. C. So I think he's a little bit limited, but I also barring injury I don't see him dropping much more than, you know, running back thirteen, fourteen. So I think he's a bit I think he's a safe pick. Amanda: Yeah, yeah. No, I agree. I I would also preference a Hampton over a Barkley in my opinion as well, simply for the touchdown possibility and how many touchdowns you when you have Sacan Barkley in your team and you watch the Tush push lineup for Jalen Hurts, you just want to throw eggs at your T V screen because it's sad. so I like the touchdown possibility of O'Mrian Hampton. I think he could potentially get in the end zone a little bit more than Brown or Barkley. So I agree. How about your takes on good old Derrick Henry? Drew: It's just steady. He's the king. He's always Amanda: Yeah. Drew: there. He always does what he does the year prior and he's great. I obviously he's another year older. He's still in great shape. However, you're not gonna see, you know, three hundred touches from Derrick Henry. they're new head coach, new regime, so we'll see Amanda: Mm-hmm. Drew: how they split carries up. new offensive coordinator and Declan Doyle will see what that looks like. but again His days of being a top four, top five running back, they're they're they're over in my opinion. But could he still break into the top ten? Yeah. but I'm I'm more excited about, you know, a Hampton or a Genty or some of these younger guys. I'm a little bit more excited about them than I am for King Henry. but but i he's he's still a good player. So it's not a throwaway pick. I don't hate him and where he's going. you know, at the end of the second, early third, I I think he's appropriately priced in that in that range as well. so I don't think it's a reach to take him where he's going. Amanda: Yeah. I think if this was my first running back off the board, I would preference some other names surrounding him outside of Henry. If I went elite wide receiver first and I'm falling down and now I have to take my first running back or I'm choosing to take my first running back, I should say. I'm probably gonna leave Derrick Henry off of my fantasy team and take other values around him. Even if I did have to go a little bit, you know, lower on the board and choose beneath him. we do have a couple interesting names of obviously Josh Jacobs, he had some was was it him who had some? off season snafus. What what did he do? Drew: Off s off the field. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Amanda: I love to know the drama. Give me the T. What happened? Drew: I have to remember. i it it involves a domestic dispute, I believe. Amanda: motherfuckers got it. Why are they hitting women? Can we just nod? Can we not? Hold it back, brothers. Drew: I I don't I I look I don't know I I don't I don't remember the story exactly. I just remember that I believe it was a domestic violence or domestic Amanda: domestic Demestic. Drew: something. I also do know that he was cleared or charges were never fi basically it just went away. like really, really quickly. So, you Amanda: Mm. Drew: know, I I don't like jumping to conclusions until I know for sure but Amanda: Money, money, money, money. Drew: as of right now the NFL's not even doing anything about it and the NFL typically does stuff quicker or Amanda: Okay, okay. They take it pretty seriously, Drew: They they Amanda: yeah. Drew: yeah, so as of right now, nothing. he does have a little bit of an injury concern right now. so again, l take a look at that. I I think it's groin. Yeah, groin. Amanda: gosh. I also just think like Josh Jacobs is like just kind of I'm trying to think of like the appropriate analogy here. I just feel like he's kind of just like Drew: There. Amanda: like a vegetable. Like he's always on the plate. Like it's not always very exciting though. He's just like a veggie. You're like he's good, but like meh Drew: That's pretty good. Yeah. I mean, he it's I the biggest thing I mean, he's there, right? He doesn't make super explosive plays all the time, but he puts the ball in the end zone and they really like to run the ball around the goal line. So if he's there and not suspended and the groin injury holds up, you know, maybe I look at him. I I typically you know, at that three seven, that's where he's going right now. Again, it depends on the mix of guys that I have on my team. If I have really good receivers and I need him to be my RB1, I I I'm fine with that. if I happen to have a need for somebody who can explode or really outpace his ADP, I think I'm gonna go with a couple of the guys just a little bit lower because I think the upside for the receiving work is a little bit higher. Amanda: Yep, yep, I agree. All right, moving on from Josh Jacobs into a young buck, Fresh Blood in the NFL, Jeremiah Love. our only issue is he did suffer an ankle injury. So, like, that is new. Drew: Mm-hmm. Amanda: it happened. They said he was like, could have returned to the game, but gonna rest it, make sure he's okay, but Drew: It's a it's a high ankle, not a low ankle. So you're looking at a three week timetable more than Amanda: Those are never good. Drew: yeah, it's about three weeks. Latest report was that they're hopeful week one. Amanda: And we know they have plenty of fucking running backs to cover him while he's out. They have like a plethora of RBs now. James Connor. Drew: Tyler Algier gonna come and snipe his touchdowns just like though James Con I don't James Conner, I'm not worried about him at all, but Tyler Algier, they paid him money Amanda: They're still gonna put in there. Drew: and then they screwed him by drafting Jeremiah Love. So I I would imagine they're gonna utilize both of them. so Amanda: Agreed. Drew: I I Jeremiah Love's upside is capped in my opinion, because one, he's a rookie, two, they do have a relatively deep running back room. I believe that he will not be the goal line back. I Algier will be the goal line back. and if they're supposed to be terrible. So if you get deeper into the season Amanda: They guess. Drew: and they're really bad and Jeremiah Love starts to get worn down or get a few nicks and get banged up, I they'll probably shut him down for the year. We've seen that happen with a lot of teams in recent years shutting down their rookies so they don't get hurt at the end of the the the season. I I assuming he's their week one, I I think he's a great guy to draft. And then maybe midway through the year you start looking at maybe I could offload him just in case he gets shut down at the end of the year. Amanda: Yeah, I'm gonna be honest, my I'm a little I play a little safer. He's he's someone makes me really nervous for everything you just mentioned. He's probably someone that I don't love on my team. It was like a I know they don't. Even like Ash what Ash Drew: Nerves don't win titles. Risk it for the biscuit, babe. Amanda: and Genty rookie went in the first round last year, and that was kind of like, my gosh, like you don't typically see that happening. Jeremiah Love with there's so many stacks against him that makes me very, very nervous for his production. But again, if you can Steal gutted up and make the decision. Like he said, you might be able to offload him later in the year if you want to get rid of him. He has a big name that people might want to take. all right, moving over to Kyron Williams of the Los Angeles Rams. yeah, how do we feel? Drew: How scared how scared are you of Blake Coram? Amanda: absolutely terrified. Last year it was the first of all, they look the fucking same from behind, okay? Their numbers are very similar in a full uniform. yes, I'm not not. Drew: W in a full in a full in a full uniform, in a full uniform and helmet, obviously. They're Amanda: Raw out in the world. Drew: very similar builds, very similar complexions, very similar everything, and their numbers are one apart. And then all of a sudden, Amanda: And so you get geeked. Yes, you're like, my God, he's in. Drew: touchdown Kyron. Nope, it was Blake Coram. Amanda: I'm like, you Blake Corm. I said fuck you, Blake Horam, so many times last year. It it Drew: So much. Amanda: was i it was rough. No, I'm terrified of Blake Corm. I'm terrified of what the usage is gonna be, what the split's gonna look like. I think it's stupid. I think Kyron should be on the field more often. I think he is the more athletic of the two, but I don't trust it and it makes me very nervous and I don't really want to risk it for the biscuit. I would prefer to take a running back that I know is going to get more of the split, but like Javante Drew: Yeah. Amanda: Williams. Drew: Like Javante Williams. Amanda: Ha ha ha ha. Drew: speaking of Javante, okay, so would you take obviously we have got Kyron at fifteen, we've got Cam Scataboo at sixteen, and then Brees Hall and Javante at seventeen and eighteen. Out of those, if we're looking at ADPs, so you've got Cam Scataboo at the four, basically at the four, Brees Hall, late third. I'm gonna guess he slips a little bit with the grain injury. Javante at the four two and then Kyron is three seven. So they're all right in that range. So y you're not getting more than one. You're you're Amanda: No. Drew: getting one of them. So let's say you're at the three nine. Who are you taking? On the clock. Amanda: Can I can I like semantic it up a real quick? Because here's what I'm thinking when I'm thinking about this decision. I'm thinking, based on my first and second pick, how volatile did I already choose from a selection standpoint? And do I want to be safe or do I want to be a little bit risky? If I'm playing it safe, I'm gonna go Javante Williams. He's my safer bet of the three in my we said Kyron, Cam, and Javante, yes? Because I don't want Brees Hall, so I left him off the list. I don't I don't care about him. Brees Hall's just Drew: And Brees Hall. Okay, so Brees Hall's just out. You're not taking him. Okay. Amanda: irrelevant to my brain. Drew: Yep. Got it. Amanda: Kyron Cam Javante. I'm probably gonna say Javante feels like my safest bet. Crazy enough, I think he's gonna get most of the work and he feels safer. I like that offense as well. Now, again, if I were to get another Dallas Cowboy earlier, I'm not gonna take him at at that point. Then I would lean back to my sec second safe bet. I don't know. Cam would be my most risky decision because I think that he is he he's a little bit scary in in my opinion, because he can just number one hurt himself. he's coming off of an injury. I think that there's safer options outside of Cam Scataboo, but Cam Scataboo's fun and I would rather bet on a fun horse. So if I was thinking the safest bet I'm going Javante, my secondary option would be Cam Scataboo and I would leave Kyron so I don't have to worry about Blake Corum. Drew: Hm. Okay. I I think I go I go Kyron Cam Javante. I think Kyron's number one there. I it it's the offense. Amanda: Kyron Cam Javante. All right. Yeah. Drew: If you're looking at who's gonna score more points, the Rams score the most points in the NFL last year. I think they'll be top three again this year. They like running the football. Yes, he'll lose touchdowns to Blake Corum, but if he still scores thirteen touchdowns and has eleven hundred yards, I'm still happy with where I'm drafting him. So, Yeah, I Kyron Cam 'cause he's exciting and Javante is just not exciting, but he he'll get ya. Amanda: Safe. No, he's just safe. Absolutely. All right. Well, that leads us to Brees Hall. We mentioned him just a little bit, but we did talk about there is an injury. We're gonna assume that ADP drops a little bit. again, nothing too exciting to talk about. That offense is also not the most exciting offense in the entire universe either. So it's just a little bit more of an unknown there too. Drew: Yeah, Geno Smith at quarterback and Frank Wright Collin plays as the OC and future interim head coach when Aaron Glenn inevitably gets fired. it's not exciting at all. Amanda: No. Drew: So I'm just out. I'm out. I'm not Amanda: Yeah. Yeah. Drew: drafting Brees Hall. I I don't think I've ever had Brees Hall in one of my teams. not that I don't think he's a good back, but I I I've always liked people in that area Amanda: More than him. Mm-hmm. Drew: more than I like him. so I I I'm just out. I'm I'm out. Amanda: Yeah. And that leads us to is that our last one? Bucky. Yeah. Drew: also out on nope, we got Bucky Irving at nineteen. I'm also out on him because Amanda: Yeah. Drew: I'm scared to death of the injury. He's a little Amanda: Terrified. Drew: guy. I just I nope. I I just can't do it. I don't want to get burnt. But again, this could be a league winning pick because you Amanda: yeah. Drew: you're you also could get a guy that's got top five, top six potential and I mean in the fourth round, that's incredible. You also could get a guy that plays three or four games, gets hurt. Out for three weeks, plays a game or two, gets hurt, and then it's just bouncing around. So I typically don't like using you know, one of my top four or five round picks on guys that I am worried about injury Amanda: Yes. Drew: unless I believe that they can be the number one or two in their position, like a CMC. I'm willing to take that risk because CMC can score thirty, forty more points than the next guy at running back. Bucky can't do that, so for me I'm out on on him. Amanda: Yeah, no, I I agree with you there. Injuries are something that you just you again, you want to consider putting them into the equation. Not always, but if it's going to if there's similar guys around them where it's not going to cause that, then I'm gonna pass on the guy who's potentially hurt and go for the guy who's fully healthy. That way I don't have the heartbreak of week two watching somebody go down and you slowly watching your entire season become less interesting. Drew: Yep. Now now I am interested in this next guy. So I may I wanna know what you think. Are our the last guy that we're ranking today, DeAndre Swift, he comes in at number twenty, Chicago Bears running back. What are your thoughts? Amanda: Yeah, I I I am interested in DeAndre Swift this year as well. I think that I would be far more likely to pass, let's say we've get down into that Bucky conversation. I'm passing on Bucky, maybe I'm taking a wide receiver there instead, and then waiting for DeAndre Swift to drop into that fifth round, late fifth round too. I think you can get a lot of value. Specifically some of these running backs later in the draft. I think Like I think was it last year was there more wide receiver depth later in the draft that you could wait a little bit for wide receiver, take your running backs early? Drew: It typically you'll get a little bit more depth at receiver later in the draft. You also have to and we'll go over this. We have an episode coming up that's, Amanda: Yes. Drew: you know, ten things to know to win your draft. and one of them being knowing your league. So we'll get into that a little bit. Amanda: Yes. Drew: Tune into that episode because that's gonna be very important to listen to before Amanda: Yeah. Drew: your draft. but, you know, to your point, I I I think Swift at the five six turn is yeah, I think it's I think it's great value. I'm I'm Amanda: A steal. A steal. I think there's a lot of guys down here that have good value for where they're where they're being drafted at. but yeah, I I think if you fall into Swift deep in that fifth round, geez Pete's. Yeah, absolutely. I think he's a playable like i immediately playable too. This isn't even like, I'm gonna sit on him and wait. No, I think he's a valid start option immediately. Drew: Yeah, I think he's a really good pick if you go with the strategy of taking a onesie, a quarterback, or a tight end early, because Amanda: Agreed. Drew: that means you're you're gonna have I mean it typically when you take a onesie, you know, if you take a running back or receiver in the first and and maybe the second, but when you have the onesie in the second, third round, you're gonna be short on either running back or receiver. So if you end up with a top-tier running back in the first round, a onesie in the second or third, and then get a couple receivers in there, I'm okay with waiting and trying to pick up somebody like DeAndre Swift as my R B two because you're gonna get the positional advantage in the onesie position. I I think he's a really good RB two. he'll be steady, he'll have some pretty decent weeks, but you know, f running back fifteen last year, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, fifteen, eighteen, that's his career. I'm okay with that for my R B two if I also have a Brock Bowers or a Trey McBride or Josh Allen on my team. And I've got an elite running back, right? I've got a Gibbs, a Bijan, a C C a guy that can take me over the top. I'm okay taking Swift as my RB two. Amanda: I agree. I think in that category too or in close, DeAndre Swift, I would be okay with taking a Byshell Tutin. I would be okay with taking a Travis Etienne, as long as I'm we know we're a little bit worried about the running back situation there. Whatever. I would be comfortable Drew: Travis Etchian. Amanda: with taking him. even a David Montgomery, I would be comfortable with with taking as a a second RB two option that you're going to get deeper in that draft if you go onesie early. I think there's good value there. So if you want to risk it on that onesie position, or even if you just want to go wide receiver heavy early and take some of those big fucking names and lock the I mean, I know for me when I'm playing, most of your positions, you know, you're playing wide receivers and flex typically, unless you get like an outstanding running back, you're usually leaning a little bit more wide receiver, filling that out early. You got some you got some running back depth this year that isn't isn't shitty. Drew: Yep, absolutely. any other names that you want to mention that that you like that are deeper in the draft? Amanda: I think the only other name that like I'm not gonna say I like, but I would love your decorum on is Quinshawn Judkins. How do you feel about him this year? Drew: Not great. Coming from a coming from a Browns fan. Yeah, I Amanda: Not great. Zero per cent? I know, that's why I asked. Drew: it's I I think he's a great player. I just don't think the team's very good. I the line is still work in progress, so they're gonna be a bottom third offensive line. Their quarterback situation is one of the worst in the NFL by far. so I I'm just not excited about watching this football team and coming again as from a Browns fan. I typically don't ever have Browns on my team because I don't want to be disappointed twice. I don't want to be disappointed on Sundays by both my team losing and my fantasy team losing. Amanda: Sad. Drew: So I typically try to steer clear of all of of all Browns players. but a couple guys I am excited about, Trevion Henderson, former buckeye, second year with the Patriots, just came out. He's gonna have a fifty fifty split. Amanda: they did finally announce that. Okay. Drew: it was a report, so a report came out. 5050 split is reported. He'll get second third down work, assuming that his pass protection holds up. so I am excited Amanda: That is intriguing. Drew: for that. I think it's a boom bust player. David Montgomery already mentioned steady Xy Steady Eddie. He is not a sexy play at all. But again, like a DeAndre, he's a vegetable. You gotta take your Amanda: Nope. He's a vegetable. Drew: you gotta eat your vegetables. I know I know you don't eat many of them, but I love my vegetables. Amanda: yeah, guys, I pass on the fucking veggies all the time. Drew: So and then the last one here is Jordan Mason, running back for the Vikings. He's all the way down in the tenth round in ADP right Amanda: Short have another name. Okay, cool. Tenth round. Drew: now. Yep. He's a great depth piece with higher upside. So he's still splitting work with Jones. However, Jones is now over thirty, he's getting older. I I think Jordan Mason can have a good year. It was a bad year last year, it was his first year. Amanda: I was gonna say that's what we rumored after Jones went down too. We thought Mason would come up. He didn't. They were bad. Yep. Drew: But the team was so bad last year, and now that Pooh Pooh, JJ McCarthy, isn't gonna be the the starter and they don't have the shell of Carson Wentz and they just ran him in the ground and I don't even know the names of the other two guys they started, but they were terrible. Yeah, broads yeah, just awful, awful players. Amanda: Bosmer Brosmer? Drew: So I he's very fast. I it's a good scheme. KOC's a very head very good head coach. So I I really like Jordan Mason in the tenth. Again, as a depth piece, I don't want him to be a starter. But he's got high upside. Amanda: Okay. Okay. So I i similar around in in the tenth round, I like Kenneth Gainwell. we we know he went over to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and obviously with the issues of Bucky Irving, also Rashad White gone. He used to fill that Rashad White used to fill kind of like check down pass role as well. I think Kenneth Gainwell obviously we saw him be the second leading, you know, wide receiver for the Steelers last year, even though he was the running back. So I think that would be an interesting selection specifically to if for some reason Bucky goes down that elevates his role tremendously. And I think that could be a sneaky snag later in the draft to either cover your ass if you have Bucky or to be a really good leverage or a potential starting running back if something were to happen to Bucky as well. Drew: Sure, yeah. I think Kenneth Gainwell is again, he's a he's a guy you're gonna throw on your bench towards the end of drafts and it's a good depth piece who could end up filling in for a few weeks. If Bucky gets hurt, I think he could be a guy that you could start in your lineup. He's definitely not a guy that you're expecting to be in your lineup. If he's consistently in your lineup, then your team's probably pretty bad. Amanda: Your team sucks. Drew: then your team probably sucks. But but no, I think he's a good player for the NFL. he just You his upside is limited, but he did good last year, so Amanda: Mm-hmm, for sure. Did he looked great? He came out. Yeah, I I agree. All right. Well, that's all we got for you guys on the running back side of the football. Like we always say, make sure you stay tuned, subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. We will continue to be putting out more episodes preseason. So a few episodes coming up here. We have more positional breakdowns and rankings. So we still have wide receivers and tight ends left to go. We're gonna do a values and bus episode. Draft strategies and we already aired on this, but 10 things to know before draft day and more. Make sure you follow us on socials, both TikTok and Instagram. Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you'll never miss an episode so you can ensure you actually win the championship this year, guys. We are so excited to be back and we'll talk to you soon. Bye. Drew: Peace.