The NFL draft is over!! But the excitement for this coming fantasy football season is just beginning and what better time than now to start getting yourself familiarized with a few running backs you’ll be hearing about for years to come.

Before we jump in, like most rookies, you have to temper your initial hyped expectations. Accept that there’s going to be a learning curve going from college to the NFL and not all rookies adapt at the same time. It’s everyone’s hope that you can plug them into your starting lineup Week 1, but in most cases, you’ll have to keep them on your bench and stay patient until they break out.

But as fantasy football managers we are itching to know which rookies will have a year one fantasy impact and I’ve included three rookie running backs who based on draft capital, landing spot, and situation can offer this.

An honorable mention I want to include, who isn’t on this list is Javonte Williams. Although I think a lot has to go right for him to have a fantasy impact in 2021 and there’s still a chance it can happen. 2022 though, has Javonte Williams written all over it.

Now on that note let’s dive in and go over a few rookie running backs that can have an impact during their first season.

1. Najee Harris

• Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers: round 1 / pick 24

We truly couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot than what we got for Najee Harris. We know that the Steelers are in desperate need of a running back, and we know that in the past whoever was given an opportunity to fill this role was also given the full workload that goes with it.

So who is Najee Harris and why do the Steelers believe he’ll be their new guy? Check out what he accomplished with his time in Alabama.

Year	Age	G	Rush/Att	Rush/Yds	TD	Rec	Receiving/Yds	Target Share
2017	19	10	61	370	3	6	45	3.0%
2018	20	15	117	783	4	4	7	0.9%
2019	21	13	209	1,224	20	27	304	8.9%
2020	22	13	251	1,466	30	43	425	13.4%

Over the last year, we’ve heard his name being brought up and linked to the Steelers more and more, and now he’ll be joining a group of running backs that have not had the coaches confidence and collectively had 322 rushing attempts, 81 targets, 1,230 yards, and 10 touchdowns throughout the 2020 season.

James Conner who put the majority of those stats up last year is now gone and Najee Harris instantly is the most talented running back in the room, and he’s expected to take on that workload if not more, while Anthony McFarland and Benny Snell back him up.

So is there anything to be concerned about?

One thing that has fantasy managers nervous is the Steelers offensive line going into 2021 and beyond. In 2020 the line struggled with run protection all season, so much so they were ranked at bottom of the league. But, they were above average in pass protection and one of Harris’ strengths is his pass-catching abilities, and he’s expecting to do a lot of that year one.

Is anyone reading this playing in PPR leagues? Then this is exactly what you want in your running backs. Besides the excellent landing spot, Najee Harris also has the draft capital to support a successful rookie campaign and it only helps that he has the character needed to have a long and successful NFL career. Seriously check out some of his interviews, he truly is a humble and remarkably kind human being.

Fantasy Pros currently has Najee Harris as the 18th ranked running back in 1/2 PPR. The hype is real, and when August comes around his ADP will most likely continue to rise and you definitely will end up having to reach for him in your drafts if you want him on your rosters.

2. Travis Etienne

• Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars: round 1 / pick 25

The Clemsonville Jaguars.

Travis Etienne will be joining his college quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the Jaguars. I love this pairing and outside of a few James Robinson dynasty owners, so should you.

For those of you who want to know why he was the second running back off the board this year, here are his impressive college stats over the last four years.

Year	Age	Games	Rush/Att	Rush/Yds	TD	Rec	Rec/Yds	Target Share
2017	19	13	107	766	13	5	57	1.5%
2018	20	15	204	1,658	26	12	78	2.9%
2019	21	15	207	1,614	23	37	432	7.5%
2020	22	12	168	914	16	48	588	12.2%

What stood out the most? He’s an efficient runner and he excels at it, if he had played out the final season he easily would have three seasons over a thousand rushing yards, and all four years he did have double-digit touchdowns. But, what you can’t ignore is his receiving work, and many believe that’s the driving force for why the Jaguars targeted him.

This past week the rookie mini-camp began and the biggest takeaway already was reports of Travis Etienne lining up and working with the wide receivers. This is great news for everyone in that backfield and gives those James Robinson managers a little sigh of relief!

Jaguars HC Urban Meyer said first round pick Travis Etienne got most of his work in at receiver today.

While the team knows he can excel at running back, the “best case scenario” is he can be a player that excels at both spots.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 15, 2021

But what does this mean?

James Robinson managers will assure you Etienne will be used solely as a pass-catcher, while they have Robinson take it away between the tackles.

That’s not necessarily going to be the clear-cut, cookie-cutter answer, because mentioned earlier Etienne is also an excellent runner and the coach sees that. He also has the draft capital attached to him and you can’t ignore that either, which is why it’s understandable so many see him taking touches away from Robinson even though Robinson earned a spot on this team with his performance last year.

Travis Etienne will have year one fantasy impact, he’ll have more value in PPR leagues, but as the season progresses I expect he’ll take on a larger share of the backfield. Fantasy Pros currently has him ranked as the 25th running back off the board in 1/2 PPR.

3. Michael Carter

• Drafted by the New York Jets: round 4 / pick 107

For a running back with the skill set of Michael Carter, we couldn’t have asked for a juicier landing spot. He’s not the biggest running back, he’s been logged in at 5’8″, 201 lbs, but his workout metrics are terrific, especially his agility and he’s joining a team without a lead back.

Because of his size, he was projected to be a satellite back right from the get-go, but this landing spot with the newly revamped Jets has him entering an entirely different conversation. The Jets are assumed to be operating a system similar to the west coast Shannahan style, from which their new offensive coordinator and head coach descend from.

Carter had a respectable college career in North Carolina, and he’ll make a good fit in this backfield.

Year	Age	Games	Rush/Att	Rush/Yds	TD	Rec	Rec/Yds	Target Share
2017	18	11	97	559	9	11	100	4.2%
2018	19	9	84	597	3	25	135	6.8%
2019	20	13	177	1,003	5	21	154	5.8%
2020	21	11	156	1,245	11	25	267	8.4%

So where and how does Carter fit in? The Jets last year were an absolute dumpster fire, and with an entirely new regime in charge, and what took place in 2020 can only be used as a grain of salt with comparisons to the possibilities 2021 offers.

But regardless it’s still a nice visual to see what the running backs accomplished so we have an idea of what the bare minimum floor could be.

This is what happens when Adam Gase is the head coach of your football team.

2020 – NY JETS	RUSH/ATT	TARGETS	YDS	TD
Frank Gore	187	19	653	2
Ty Johnson	54	21	254	2
La’Mical Perine	64	15	232	2

Frank Gore is no longer with the Jets and they also signed Tevin Coleman for depth this off-season.

So if we assume a similar offensive scheme to what San Fransisco operates, added with flashes of LaFleur’s vision. This will be a dynamic backfield with multiple running backs being used, but in situations like these, there’s always the potential for a league winner to emerge out of the group.

I wasn’t sold with what I saw from Tevin Coleman last season for him to be a viable threat in this backfield, and neither Perine nor Ty Johnson was able to showcase much with the little work they were given either. Coleman has the trust of the coaches and he’ll bring the veteran presence to this backfield, so seeing him be used more at the start of the season won’t be a surprise. But I expect Michael Carter, to carve out a role in this offense sooner than later.

I love muddied backfields, they always offer the greatest odds of a later round running back emerging into a league winner, and if Michael Carter progresses quickly enough at the NFL level he has the clearest path to being that guy.

Fantasy Pros currently has Michael Carter ranked as the 49th running back off the board in 1/2 PPR.

Thanks for reading! So which rookies do you think you’ll have the most shares of this year?

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