They say you cannot win your league in your fantasy draft. However, I firmly believe you can lose it. Spending high draft capital on a player that turns out to be a complete bust can be detrimental to your team. This is especially true at the running back position, since they are taken so early and there appears to be a sharp drop in value after the first few. So, it is important to do your research and scout these players. Lucky for you, I have done some of this scouting already. These are three running backs that I believe could be fantasy football busts in 2020.
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Fantasy Football Busts at Running Back for 2020 (RBs)
Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals
ADP: RB11 | 15th Overall
There’s so much to dislike about Drake this season, especially at such a high ADP. First, he’s already hurt. He is currently in a walking boot. Yes, he should be ready for the start of the season, but starting the year off with injuries typically never bodes well for the running back position.
Second, the offensive line for the Cardinals is terrible. They were No. 22 overall for run blocking and much worse for pass protection, per Football Outsiders. They decided not to really address this. Arizona let their starting center go, then drafted a tackle in the third round, who will start but isn’t going to be great. Combining a small running back with injuries and a poor offensive line isn’t a fun time.
Lastly, Kliff Kingsbury came out and called Chase Edmonds a RB1, which I disagree with, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that Kingsbury really likes him, and Drake is not practicing. When both are active, this is going to be a healthy backfield split. I don’t think the situation is good enough for there to be a split and still have Drake be the 15th player off the board. This is why he is a high-potential fantasy football bust this season.
Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons
ADP: RB16 | 30th Overall
On the first day of practice with contact, Gurley was held out for load management. This sentence accurately says everything I think about him this season. His knee issues are a real thing, and Atlanta likes his backup, Brian Hill, quite a bit. The days of Gurley being a bell cow are over. His days of being a goal line back could also be over. If his knees are that bad, why would they put him in these situations? This could drastically lower his chances for touchdowns.
There are also a couple stats from last season that I feel sums up who he is as a player now, which is someone who is not explosive and is nothing more than a flex, on average. Last year, his longest rush was just 25 yards. His average yards after contact were just 1.7, which is essentially just falling forward.
I don’t think Gurley will be effective enough or even active enough to be a RB2 for the full season.
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
ADP: RB5 | 6th Overall
Cook was a stud last season. If not for the insanity and legendary year from Christian McCaffrey, we would have heard much more about Cook. However, Cook continues to be injury prone, and I think this offense is not set up as well for him this season.
First, let’s discuss injuries. He has had some shoulder issues, which is not a great thing for a player asked to lower his shoulder on defenders. Cook has torn his shoulder labrum twice, and he missed two games last season with an A/C join sprain. The season prior saw him miss games with a hamstring issue, then he tore his ACL in the year before that. At this point, we’re just asking when Cook will get hurt, and how long will he miss? Those aren’t the questions I want to ask about the fifth running back off the board.
Now, let’s talk about the Vikings offense as a whole. Last season, the offense certainly leaned on Cook and his abilities, but there was still a complementary passing game to keep the defense honest. There were plenty of times where Kirk Cousins found Stefon Diggs deep, forcing the defense to back up and respect the deep ball. I don’t think that’s there this season. They are expecting Adam Thielen to keep playing outside, where he is not as effective. The rookie Justin Jefferson will play in the slot, but he’s not going to be blowing past the defense in that role. Instead, Cook may see more stacked boxes, which is not something I want from the sixth overall pick.
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