A Tale of Two Cities – the NFC RBs: Same Player, New Destination. Who stands to improve?

There were plenty of off season moves this year, but not all of them put players in better situations. Here, I take a look at the either  improved or still stagnant chances of  veteran running backs in their new homes.

 

Jerrick Mckinnon, Minnesota -> San Francisco: McKinnon’s lot in football life has improved dramatically compared to the backseat he was doomed to take in Minnesota had he stuck around. He’ll be the primary back in San Fran, and he’s been touted as QB Jimmy Garoppolo‘s most active receiver thus far in OTA’s. McKinnon’s arrow is aimed skyward, and he can still be had at value in drafts.

 

Tavon Austin, Los Angeles -> Dallas: (We still need to see if the sites will list him as a RB or a WR) Austin could very well become the most active offensive weapon for the Cowboys this season, behind Ezekiel Elliott. They say they’re intent on getting him the ball any and every way they know how, but that’s a story we’ve heard time and time again regarding Austin. Maye the Cowboys can finally make an every Sunday fantasy asset out of him, but that’s yet to be seen. Helping Austin’s chances is the seemingly lackluster receiving corps the Cowboys will be running onto the field on the weekly. Austin is worth a gamble if you can get him on the cheap.

 

Jonathan Stewart, Carolina -> New York: J Stew would have a fighter’s chance to get significant snaps virtually anywhere else but New York, but that’s where he is now, and Saquon Barkley is about to take the whole apple for himself. Stewart has topped 200 touches his last 4 years in the league, but his days as a fantasy option appear to be numbered. He does have the Dave Gettleman connection going in his favor, but it’s unlikely there’s much left to go around with Barkley, the best rookie we’ve seen since we began evaluation them, in the fold.

 

LaGarrette Blount, New England -> Detroit: Blount always seems to land on his fantasy feet, and things are no different in his new home of Detroit, where he’ll lead a gang of ragtag backs in a hopefully now unfettered, since the conservative coach Caldwell is gone, Jim Bob Cooter run offense. First year back Kerryon Johnson will push Blount for carries, but Blount is said to have been just as productive in OTAs as the rookie so far. Like Frank Gore, I’m never willing to count out Blount until I see stark evidence of his demise.

 

CJ Anderson, Denver -> Carolina: Anderson is slated to take Jonathan Stewart‘s former role as the muscle to Christian McAffrey’s frenzy. Anderson topped 1,000 yards for the first time in his career in Denver last season, but he only scored 4 TDs all season. He’s likely to best that yardage this year and improve on the TDs, even with McCaffrey in the mix. He’s another good value pick to be had this season.

 

Carlos Hyde, San Francisco -> Cleveland: Carlos Hyde isn’t all that dissimilar from former Brown Isaiah Crowell, and his usage by Hue Jackson is likely to follow suit, which means we can expect Hyde to be used a lot more sparingly than what we’re accustomed to seeing. He’s also just one of what is now a fairly intimidating group of skill players on Cleveland’s offense, whereas in San Fran he WAS basically the entire offense. I avoided Hyde his last year as a 49er and I’m abstaining from drafting him in 2018. I just don’t see the upside.