Running Backs win fantasy football championships, especially in dynasty formats. Strong receivers and quarterbacks will help keep your team competitive for longer periods of time, but elite running backs are what turn fantasy contenders into champions. They are much harder to find comparable replacements for and their price tags are often significantly higher due to the limited number of high-scoring backs available.
The easiest way to build a stable of elite running backs is through the rookie draft, and we’re going to take a look at two guys who were high picks in drafts last summer, Giovani Bernard and Eddie Lacy. Both were placed into ideal situations for their skill sets. Lacy, a power back, fit well into Green Bay as a complement to Aaron Rodgers and an elite group of receivers. Meanwhile, Bernard, a back who can do everything: run, catch passes, and pass block, went to Cincinnati where they would use all of his talents.
Both had very good rookie seasons and are highly valued dynasty assets.
According to DynastyLeagueFootball.com data from their March set of dynasty mock drafts, the Average Draft Postion (ADP) for Lacy and Bernard is 12.2 and 13.8 respectively, making them borderline first-round picks in start-up drafts, depending on the size of the league.
The Case for Lacy
In his rookie season, Lacy has already shown he can be an RB1 on fantasy rosters. In 2013, finished as the sixth-best running back in fantasy footbal, rushing for 1,259 yards and 11 touchdowns, and also had 259 yards receiving, in only 14 games of action. Lacy offers the perfect complement to the Packers’ passing attack.
With 305 carries on the season, he is a proven workhorse, and although not thought of as a receiving threat, Lacy caught 37 passes, adding a little extra in PPR formats. Although Rodgers will likely play a full season in 2014, which will cut into Lacy’s carry count based on the Packers’ scheme, this will give Lacy a longer shelf-life, as he won’t be relied on as heavily, which is good since he has a history of injuries, missing two games last season, as well as a handful in college.
The Case for Bernard
Gio was not relied on as heavily in year one as Lacy was, but the rookie still put up some impressive numbers in limited snaps. On the season, Bernard rushed for 695 yards and five touchdowns, as well as caught three touchdown passes and had 514 receiving yards, finishing as the 16th-best running back in standard formats. Bernard offers more in PPR formats, catching 63 passes on the season on 79 targets.
And with BenJarvus Green-Ellis likely to see less playing time moving forward, Bernard’s will see more carries and targets, especially during the fantasy season. Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Marvin Lewis expects Bernard to undergo a "second-year growth" similar to that of Ray Rice, which Rotoworld expanded on, citing Rice finished his sophomore campaign as the fourth-ranked fantasy back.
So Who Do You Take?
Right now, Lacy looks to be the more valuable running back. As mentioned earlier, Lacy has already produced at the level of an RB1, and is only expected to get better and put up bigger numbers. He is already a feature back, and will eventually battle to be listed as the top fantasy running back. Although the Packers’ offense revolves around Rodgers, Green Bay likes a good balance of run and pass, which gives more opportunities to Lacy than many would expect.
Bernard, meanwhile, will put up very good numbers, and may have a longer career, but won’t necessarily ever be the focal point of a team’s offense. He can do everything well, and will pass as a low-end RB1, but his role in fantasy will be best as your RB2. The gap between the two is smaller in PPR formats, as Bernard will always be the better receiving threat, but Lacy flashes right now to be the better overall between the two for fantasy purposes.