Early Top 10 Rookie Running Backs (2021 Fantasy Football ...

If the 2020 fantasy football season taught us anything, it was to temper expectations for rookie running backs early on.Here’s a list of where the most highly-touted rookie backs went in drafts last year, per FantasyPros ADP:All of those tailbacks except Akers wound up finishing as top-25 backs in standard leagues, but it wasn’t a pretty ride for any of them. The lack of tailback options in dynasty leagues could ultimately push him into the early second round of drafts.Chuba Hubbard (Oklahoma State) After rushing for 2,094 yards in 2019, Hubbard’s stock declined in 2020 as he battled a nagging ankle injury. As for dynasty, I expect Carter to go as a late second-round or an early third-round pick.Check out all of our 2021 NFL Draft coverage >>Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)Gainwell is the first prospect on this list to opt-out of the 2020 season after he lost four family members to COVID-19 before the season began.Gainwell follows a recent lineage of Memphis running backs who made it to the NFL, joining Antonio Gibson, Darrell Henderson, and Tony Pollard. He likely won’t be on the radar in redraft leagues but could be a third-round pick in dynasty formats if he lands on a team with an unimpressive depth chart.Trey Sermon (Ohio State)Nobody has ascended draft boards faster than Sermon has. Like many of the backs at the tail end of this draft class, Mitchell likely profiles merely as a depth tailback and won’t offer much fantasy value.Try to nail the perfect draft for the 2020 season with our Perfect Draft Game >>