With the NFL preseason coming to an end, fantasy football drafts are ramping up. Here are three running backs you should think twice about selecting in 12-team ESPN PPR redraft leagues when you're on the clock.
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (ADP: 11.6)
Despite the Titans' offensive woes last season, Henry was still a dominant player for fantasy purposes, finishing as the RB4 both overall and in points per game.
However, ESPN is overpricing the 29-year-old (who isn’t much of a receiving back) in PPR leagues this season, ranking him as the platform's RB5 and the 10th-best player overall. For comparison, Henry's ADP on Sleeper is 16.1.
Although he averaged a hefty 21.8 carries on a weekly basis last season, Henry finally saw his workload begin to diminish after averaging 27.4 rushing attempts per game in 2021. Additionally, his 96.1 rushing yards per game marked his lowest average since 2018.
A reduction in Henry's workload might become the norm as he enters his twilight years and since Tennessee added WR DeAndre Hopkins, it makes sense for the offense to throw more. Not to mention, the Titans spent a third-round pick on Tulane running back Tyjae Spears and it appears he'll have some role in the offense, as he impressed in the preseason.
If you're picking 10th overall, it might be best to select a wide receiver such as Stefon Diggs and address the running back position in the second round with Nick Chubb or Tony Pollard.
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals (ADP: 27.6)
Despite posting career highs in receptions (60) and receiving yards (441) last season, Mixon was unable to improve upon his RB4 finish from 2021. The veteran tailback showed signs of declining in 2022, averaging the fewest yards per game since his rookie year (58.1) and failing to top the 900-yard mark.
Mixon is being ranked as ESPN's RB9, much higher than last season's finish, which seems absurd at this stage of his career. Although Mixon is the lead runner in a high-powered offense and won't have to deal with Samaje Perine stealing pass-catching work this fall, 2021 sixth-rounder Chris Evans is expected to fill the void as Cincinnati's third-down back.
Since Mixon regressed last season, even after receiving an increased pass-catching workload, it's hard to imagine he'll be more efficient with fewer opportunities.
Perhaps the most alarming red flag about Mixon's 2022 season was how much his Week 9 performance inflated his end-of-season ranking. Mixon enjoyed a five-touchdown performance against the Carolina Panthers – his lone 100-yard rushing game of the season – resulting in a 55.1-point outing in PPR formats. The only other time Mixon recorded at least 20 PPR points last season came during Week 1.
At his current price, Mixon probably won’t be worth the investment you make.
Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks (ADP: 58.6)
Like Henry, Walker offers little receiving upside, which makes him a less-than-ideal selection in PPR formats, especially considering he won't see nearly the same volume that the Titans star does. After finishing as the RB17 in points per game as a rookie, Walker is being drafted as the RB18.
While he should improve as a player in the real world, last season might have been Walker's fantasy ceiling after Seattle selected Michigan RB Zach Charbonnet in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Walker only averaged 1.8 receptions per game last season and will record even fewer in 2023, with Charbonnet expected to handle the receiving work.
The addition of another decently high draft pick to the backfield of a team that was 22nd in rushing attempts last season (425) is a legitimate reason to worry about Walker's production. Plus, Seattle didn't pay quarterback Geno Smith $105 million or draft Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba this offseason just to be a run-first offense.
Unless Charbonnet or either wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett suffer long-term injuries, it's unlikely Walker lives up to his fifth-round price tag.
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San Francisco 49ers fans will probably remember the name Trey Lance as long as they live due to how big a bust he was for the franchise. They drafted him third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and sent a trade package that included three first-round picks to do it. And their return on investment crashed and burned right before their eyes. He now has another chance to prove he belongs at the NFL level and try to separate himself from the "bust" label that might as well be written on the back of his jersey in the minds of fans. The Los Angeles Chargers have elected to name him the starter for the Hall of Fame game this Thursday, July 31, against the Detroit Lions. Former 49ers QB Trey Lance set to start for the Chargers in the Hall of Fame game During his time with the 49ers, Lance made four starts and only dressed for eight regular-season games. He recorded 797 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions as a 49er. Injuries derailed him from ever creating any momentum on the field, but the on field product was also simply not good enough. It became apparent to the 49ers that their seventh-round pick a year after drafting Lance was a better starter option for the time being. That QB, of course, is Brock Purdy, who still to this day holds the title as the 49ers starter and has led the team to two NFC Championship appearances and even punched their ticket to appear in one Super Bowl. While the Lance situation may never feel great for 49ers fans, many likely feel that things worked out significantly better than they could have, thanks to Purdy. Now Purdy is one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL, and Lance is battling to be a QB two in Los Angeles and will likely need to show out in the preseason to win the job.
The Chicago Cubs are down another bat with two days to go before the trade deadline on Thursday. The Cubs had more frustrating injury news to reveal after a second-straight loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The Brewers defeated Chicago 9-3 in front of 40,136 fans at American Family Field to take a two-game lead over the Cubs for first place in the NL Central. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubs thought they received good news on Ian Happ after x-rays came back negative on the outfielder’s shin. “Happ got x-rays that were negative after fouling a ball off his left shin,” Rogers posted on X. “Was limping some just now in the Cubs room. Jackson Chourio (hammy spasm) says he’s feeling better. Doesn’t think it’s serious.” Chicago Cubs to put Ian Happ on IL About an hour later, Rogers reported that Chicago is expected to put Happ on the injured list. The Cubs are set to call up Moises Ballesteros from Iowa. “Looks like the Happ injury might require an IL stint,” Rogers posted. “The team is calling up Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A, per a source. He’s hitting .331 down there. He had a cup of coffee with the big league team earlier this year.” Happ’s injury comes at a time when the Cubs are looking to trade for an extra bat. Chicago needs help on offense with inconsistency coming from rookie third baseman Matt Shaw. Happ was batting .227 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI. Bottom line, the Cubs need to make some moves by Thursday if this team wants to compete for the NL Central, much less a World Series.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the two best players currently on the ATP Tour, with either man having won every Grand Slam this season. With their fan base divided, Polish WTA star Iga Swiatek has chimed in on the debate. Both men have established a professional rivalry that will likely go down in tennis history, with Alcaraz currently leading 8-5 in career meetings. The Spaniard defeated Sinner in the final to win the Roland Garros title earlier this year. However, Sinner avenged his loss a few weeks later, dethroning Alcaraz after defeating the defending champion in the final to win his first Wimbledon title. Swiatek joined Sinner in the winner's circle at SW19, as the former World No.1 powered through the field to win her maiden Wimbledon title. Swiatek dropped only one set en route to the final, where she soundly defeated American Amanda Anisimova in the final. Although Sinner sits on top of the ATP rankings after having won two Grand Slam titles this season, Swiatek admitted to employing the same approach as Alcaraz. The WTA star stated she preferred his more laid-back approach, in addition to his commitment to taking some personal time away from tennis. Alcaraz's approach suits her better, says Swiatek "I wish I was more like Carlos because I have got to say he is a big inspiration in terms of that,” said Swiatek in an interview with TVA Sports. “He always says that the most important thing for him on a tennis court is to enjoy it and have fun and I sometimes forget about that. “And sometimes with all the pressure around and things we need to do off the court, you need to remind yourself about this kid that started playing tennis, instead of winning for somebody and having this baggage on your shoulders. “For sure, when Carlos shows that and when he speaks about that, it is always a good reminder for me, and I try to do that as well, but without me working on it, I think my mind would automatically go to just working, working, working." The Warsaw native is competing at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she is the second seed. Swiatek will kick off her campaign with a second round clash against China's Guo Hanyu on Wednesday.
Would the New York Yankees still be a heavyweight contender without Aaron Judge? Most fans would doubt it. What comes as a shock is that Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, appears to agree. According to MLB insider Andy Martino of SNY, Cashman had explored the option of selling ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline (6 p.m. EST) if Judge’s flexor strain had turned out to be something worse. Martino wrote this: “[On Saturday], we relayed that the Yankees were floating some of their free-agent-to-be relievers in preliminary trade talks. We have since learned through league sources that last week the Yanks brought up Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one other club.” It would be strange to see a team with a record well above .500 shop core hitters at the deadline. Both Bellinger and Goldschmidt — hitting .281/.333/.507 with 19 home runs and .283/.341/.419 with eight home runs respectively entering Tuesday — have been valuable producers for the Yankees this year. Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal with the Bronx Bombers over the offseason while Bellinger was acquired via trade with the Cubs. He is signed through 2026 but has a player option at the end of the year. Either player would bring a nice haul back to the Yankees. Of course, the reigning AL MVP’s injury doesn’t seem to be a season-altering, ‘abandon ship’ type of event. Optimistically, Judge should be back soon. But this does serve to illustrate how the team’s success is dependent on one player. Beyond Judge, the Yankees’ batting order doesn’t feature a star-caliber player, or at least a player the lineup can be built around. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, New York lacks enough solid hitters to be considered a worthy contender without Judge. The Yankees’ three bottom-of-the-order hitters — Austin Wells (.214), Anthony Volpe (.213) and newest acquisition Ryan McMahon (.223) — all own batting averages below .230 entering Tuesday. And this doesn’t include J.C. Escarra (.205), Oswald Peraza (.152) or even Ben Rice (.229). If Judge was lost for the season, selling wouldn’t have been a bad idea. He is insoluble glue holding the battered Yankees’ roster together, especially with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt gone for the year. No one on the trade market could replace him, but with Judge coming back, the Yankees might have enough firepower to at least limp to the finish line.