POSITIVES
- Elliott was an instant success, finishing as the #2 fantasy running back as a rookie
- The Cowboys offensive line is among the league's best
- In a league where workhorse backs are a dying breed, Elliott is guaranteed 320+ touches over a full season
NEGATIVES
- Off-the-field concerns raise the specter of a potential suspension
- Two-fifths of the offensive line is being replaced from last year's dominant unit
- Dak Prescott is a capable short yardage and goal-line threat
Believe the Hype
Fantasy owners tend to get overly excited about rookies. It's human nature. We love the "new." Back when many of us started playing fantasy football, running backs dominated the early rounds and rookies frequently made an impact. In recent years, thanks to a continuing transition to pass-heavy offenses and the tendency to use running back committees, rookie running backs have fallen short of lofty expectations. Ezekiel Elliott broke the trend:
- 322 carries (1st among running backs)
- 1,631 yards rushing (1st)
- 5.1 yards per rush (5th)
- 15 rushing touchdowns (3rd)
- 1,994 yards from scrimmage (2nd)
- 16 total touchdowns (3rd)
- 1st Team All Pro (Associated Press)
- 1st Team All Pro (Pro Football Writers)
- 1st Team All Pro (Sporting News)
- #2 fantasy running back (behind David Johnson)
Table 1: Top Fantasy Rookie Running Backs (2007-2016)
Rank | First | Last | Year | Rush | RuYds | YPR | RuTDs | Recs | RecYds | YPRec | RecTDs | FPTs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edgerrin | James | 1999 | 369 | 1,553 | 4.2 | 13 | 62 | 586 | 9.5 | 4 | 315.9 |
2 | Ezekiel | Elliott | 2016 | 322 | 1,631 | 5.1 | 15 | 32 | 363 | 11.3 | 1 | 295.4 |
3 | Clinton | Portis | 2002 | 273 | 1,508 | 5.5 | 15 | 33 | 364 | 11.0 | 2 | 289.2 |
4 | Fred | Taylor | 1998 | 264 | 1,223 | 4.6 | 14 | 44 | 421 | 9.6 | 3 | 266.4 |
5 | Doug | Martin | 2012 | 319 | 1,454 | 4.6 | 11 | 49 | 472 | 9.6 | 1 | 264.6 |
6 | Mike | Anderson | 2000 | 297 | 1,487 | 5.0 | 15 | 23 | 169 | 7.4 | 0 | 255.6 |
7 | Alfred | Morris | 2012 | 335 | 1,606 | 4.8 | 13 | 11 | 77 | 7.0 | 0 | 246.3 |
8 | Matt | Forte | 2008 | 316 | 1,238 | 3.9 | 8 | 63 | 477 | 7.6 | 4 | 243.5 |
9 | Adrian | Peterson | 2007 | 238 | 1,341 | 5.6 | 12 | 19 | 268 | 14.1 | 1 | 238.9 |
10 | Maurice | Jones-Drew | 2006 | 166 | 941 | 5.7 | 13 | 46 | 436 | 9.5 | 2 | 227.7 |
11 | Steve | Slaton | 2008 | 268 | 1,282 | 4.8 | 9 | 50 | 377 | 7.5 | 1 | 225.9 |
12 | LaDainian | Tomlinson | 2001 | 339 | 1,236 | 3.7 | 10 | 59 | 367 | 6.2 | 0 | 220.3 |
13 | Robert | Edwards | 1998 | 291 | 1,115 | 3.8 | 9 | 35 | 331 | 9.5 | 3 | 216.6 |
14 | Eddie | Lacy | 2013 | 284 | 1,178 | 4.2 | 11 | 35 | 257 | 7.3 | 0 | 209.5 |
15 | Chris | Johnson | 2008 | 251 | 1,228 | 4.9 | 9 | 43 | 260 | 6.1 | 1 | 208.8 |
16 | Willis | McGahee | 2004 | 284 | 1,128 | 4.0 | 13 | 22 | 169 | 7.7 | 0 | 207.7 |
17 | Trent | Richardson | 2012 | 267 | 950 | 3.6 | 11 | 51 | 367 | 7.2 | 1 | 203.7 |
18 | Jordan | Howard | 2016 | 252 | 1,313 | 5.2 | 6 | 29 | 298 | 10.3 | 1 | 203.1 |
19 | Jamal | Lewis | 2000 | 309 | 1,364 | 4.4 | 6 | 27 | 296 | 11.0 | 0 | 202.0 |
20 | Corey | Dillon | 1997 | 233 | 1,129 | 4.9 | 10 | 27 | 259 | 9.6 | 0 | 198.8 |
Any Reason to Worry About the Offensive Line?
- Left Tackle -- Tyron Smith is a six-year veteran with 95 career starts. He's been named to multiple first-team All Pro rosters and remains one of the league's best. Although he missed three games with a bad back last year, he's been durable and is 100% healthy entering training camp.
- Left Guard -- Jonathan Cooper will get the first crack at replacing Leary after Chaz Green -- the presumed starter -- suffered a shoulder injury at the start of camp. Cooper was a total bust in Arizona and New England, so his ability to play up to Leary's level is a major question mark.
- Center -- Travis Frederick is a perennial Pro Bowler and one of the league's best.
- Right Guard -- Zach Martin is one of the league's best guards, by any measure.
- Right Tackle -- La'el Collins, who started at times at left guard in his first two seasons, was given a multi-year extension in the offseason and will shift to right tackle. His injury history and focus on the interior are reasons to be mildly concerned.
Suspend Your Concern Over the Rumored Suspension
- Zero to Two-Game Suspension (0-2) -- Elliott should be no worse than the 3rd overall pick in every league
- Three- or Four-Game Suspension (3-4) -- That's a significant enough portion of the season to factor in a discount. Elliott remains a 1st round choice, but you'll need to prioritize a fill-in for the first month
- Five or More Game Suspension (5+) -- Elliott won't be suspended this long without tangible evidence of significant wrongdoing. Under this scenario, Elliott should be avoided as your RB1 and is worth passing on unless he falls into the 3rd round or later
PROJECTIONS
YEAR | G | RSH | YD | TD | TARG | REC | YD | TD | FumL | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | DAL | 15 | 322 | 1631 | 15 | 40 | 32 | 363 | 1 | 1 |
2017 | PROJ-Dodds | 15 | 275 | 1326 | 12 | 33 | 327 | 1 | 2 | |
2017 | PROJ-Henry | 14 | 275 | 1330 | 13 | 32 | 320 | 1 | 1 | |
2017 | PROJ-Wood | 15 | 295 | 1430 | 11 | 33 | 305 | 1 | 2 | |
2017 | PROJ-Tremblay | 16 | 365 | 1768 | 13 | 35 | 344 | 1 | 4 |
FINAL THOUGHTS
Elliott is probably going to miss a game or two for off-the-field issues during his college days. As long as the suspension (and accusations) don't go beyond the scope of what we already know, Elliott remains no worse than the third best option on draft day. If you would rather draft David Johnson or LeVeon Bell, it's understandable. No other player should be considered above Elliott. He's immensely talented, made the first team All Pro as a rookie, and remains the centerpiece of a Top 5 offense. The offensive line is integrating two new starters, but the other three spots are manned by elite, All Pro caliber talent. Considering both Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were rookies last year, and few NFL players peak as rookies, the upside for Elliott (and the Cowboys offense) is wildly exciting.
OTHER PERSPECTIVES
Matt Waldman is willing to go down with the Ezekiel Elliott ship:
Elliott told the media that his goal is to become as knowledgeable and indispensable to a passing offense as Marshall Faulk was with the Rams. Elliott may lack the preternatural pass-catching talents of Johnson, but just because Johnson could make a spectacular acrobatic grab in a heavily trafficked zone doesn't mean it's a smart idea for the Cardinals to target him this way. What makes a running back a great receiver is the baseline level of skill to catch the ball and an advanced understanding of reading coverage so he can adjust with his quarterback pre- and post-snap and exploit the opponent for big plays.
I have a lot of confidence in Elliott developing along those lines and doing so with a young quarterback on the rise. Despite losing its right tackle and left guard, the Cowboys line should still be good enough for an elite decision maker like Elliott to generate productive plays.
Numberfire's Joe Redemann thinks Ezekiel could be the #1 running back, but he advises against betting on it:
Is it impossible to imagine Elliott as 2017’s top fantasy football running back when all is said and done? Absolutely not. He has an extremely stable floor for production thanks to the Cowboys feeding him rushing attempt after rushing attempt behind one of the NFL's best offensives lines.
However, expecting him to outdo his rookie season may be setting him – and our fantasy teams – up for failure.