Rank the rookie RBs from 2019-2021

[ajf235]

How would you rank the rookie RBs from 2019-2021 (excluding this year). I rank them as follows:

1. Saquon - No explanation needed
2. Chubb - Already was crushing it on first on second down, now is showing he has the receiving chops to be a three-down stud in an ascending offense tied to a young star QB.
3. Guice - All-pro talent with three down ability in a good system. Should assume the Adrian Peterson role once he returns and I’m not too concerned with his ACL tear given how long he’ll have to recover. Should be a 3-down workhorse early on if he stays healthy.
4. Sony - Workhorse in a good system. Ranked low due to QB situation being on the decline and Bill Bellichick’s RB usage when he has options.
5. Penny - Three-down skillset in run heavy system. Has been good just not handed the keys to the backfield yet, but that should happen next year. Ranked ahead of Kerryon as his size is better suited for a 20+ touch workhorse role.
6. Kerryon - Looks like a star. Worried about size as I don’t know yet if he can take the beating necessary to be a workhorse.
7. Lindsay - Playing too well to ignore, though I wonder how the situation with him and Freeman will shake out in coming years.
8. Royce - Playing well but taking a backseat to Lindsay. Really not sure what this backfield looks like long term.
9. RoJo - Who? I’d proly take Hines and Gus Edwards over him, but I exclude them as they weren’t top prospects and I question their staying power in this league. RoJo is just here because he’s an early pick but I think he’s a bust.

What are other people’s thoughts?

[Jigga94]

I agree with your ranks but I have a hard time ranking Guice against them all, personally. I'd rather have Sony as he is performing well this year. I agree with Penny over Kerryon on talent too. If those situations were reversed I do believe Penny would be much better than Kerryon is in DET.

[Forza_Azzurri]

I would put Josh Adams at 7 or 8. I think he locks down the Eagles starting RB gig for 2019.

[GOTGDynasty]

I've got Saquon and Guice, love what Chubb and Michel have been doing, and after those four I'm all in on the Gus Bus in any game in which Lamar Jackson is starting. Watching those two confuse the hell out of defenses together has been pure joy the past two weeks. It's a dynamic duo that's got wheels.

1. Barkley
2. Chubb
3. Michel
4. Guice
5. Edwards

After that I see a lot of potential from players with coaches that don't seem to know how to get the best out of them or that stick them in committees. I am a Josh Adams owner and my hope is that he keeps rising but who knows what Pederson is going to do with that backfield once Ajayi comes back next season? (And even when Ajayi was healthy he wasn't deployed well; the same fate may await Adams.) But I have to hang on to both of them while that sorts itself out. Lindsey is intriguing to me as well. I don't see anyone on your list who I would toss back onto waivers quite yet. Some may be sophomore (or later) bloomers. Meanwhile if Lamar Jackson starts this week, watch him and Edwards do their thing. It's a thing of pure beauty.

[Titans95]

I've got Saquon and Guice, love what Chubb and Michel have been doing, and after those four I'm all in on the Gus Bus in any game in which Lamar Jackson is starting. Watching those two confuse the hell out of defenses together has been pure joy the past two weeks. It's a dynamic duo that's got wheels.

1. Barkley
2. Chubb
3. Michel
4. Guice
5. Edwards

After that I see a lot of potential from players with coaches that don't seem to know how to get the best out of them or that stick them in committees. I am a Josh Adams owner and my hope is that he keeps rising but who knows what Pederson is going to do with that backfield once Ajayi comes back next season? (And even when Ajayi was healthy he wasn't deployed well; the same fate may await Adams.) But I have to hang on to both of them while that sorts itself out. Lindsey is intriguing to me as well. I don't see anyone on your list who I would toss back onto waivers quite yet. Some may be sophomore (or later) bloomers. Meanwhile if Lamar Jackson starts this week, watch him and Edwards do their thing. It's a thing of pure beauty.

If you rank Gus Edwards ahead of Kerryon Johnson you have no idea what you're talking about sorry.

[GOTGDynasty]

If you rank Gus Edwards ahead of Kerryon Johnson you have no idea what you're talking about sorry.

Wow, you really want to make a difference of opinion with a stranger something personal? I'm sorry you're having a crappy day. Hope it gets better! Kisses!

[Jigga94]

If you rank Gus Edwards ahead of Kerryon Johnson you have no idea what you're talking about sorry.

Wow, you really want to make a difference of opinion with a stranger something personal? I'm sorry you're having a crappy day. Hope it gets better! Kisses!

Dont think he was making anything personal haha

Gus is JAG. He runs straight pretty well and that's about it. Would take Kerryon and Penny over him 100 times over. Even Lindsay

[FantasyFreak]

I agree with your ranks but I have a hard time ranking Guice against them all, personally. I'd rather have Sony as he is performing well this year. I agree with Penny over Kerryon on talent too. If those situations were reversed I do believe Penny would be much better than Kerryon is in DET.

As do I. Pity the Lions didn't get Penny like they wanted, it was apparently the Lions who called Seattle about Penny after he was drafted, as the Lions were hoping to draft him in the 2nd.

[FantasyFreak]

If you rank Gus Edwards ahead of Kerryon Johnson you have no idea what you're talking about sorry.

Wow, you really want to make a difference of opinion with a stranger something personal? I'm sorry you're having a crappy day. Hope it gets better! Kisses!

Can I ask for your justification in ranking a UDFA who isn't a receiving threat , who has had 2 good games against two of the worst run defenses in the league trying to account for Lamar Jackson, above a guy like Kerryon with a bigger sample size of success, including in college, and pass catching ability, as well as 2nd round pedigree? Not trying to get into an argument but this ranking seems off, so I'd like some clarification on how Edwards, literally a non factor in FF a few weeks ago, jumps into the top 5 rookie RB's from 2019-2021.

[Jigga94]

I agree with your ranks but I have a hard time ranking Guice against them all, personally. I'd rather have Sony as he is performing well this year. I agree with Penny over Kerryon on talent too. If those situations were reversed I do believe Penny would be much better than Kerryon is in DET.

As do I. Pity the Lions didn't get Penny like they wanted, it was apparently the Lions who called Seattle about Penny after he was drafted, as the Lions were hoping to draft him in the 2nd.

It's an interesting discussion to think if it had gone the other way, how the preseason talk wouldve went. I think both backs were the 2 most polarizing in this RB class. Meaning that I saw some with KJ at 1.02 and some with him at 1.08. Same with Penny.

If i recall correctly the general talk was...
Penny: workhorse back, easily beat out the other RB and take over on a run 1st offense in SEA

Kerryon: limited work due to Blount and Riddick. Doubtful he takes over but is the better overall talent to Penny and should win out eventually in DET.

It seems the opposite is true in each situation. So what if Penny were in DET? Would he have been the lesser talked about back and people wouldve been scared of Blount and Riddick eating into his touches? What about Kerryon in SEA? He may be non existent right now also (although I think he would at least take the Mike Davis looks as a receiver)

Truth is we will never know and are left wondering if Penny will get his workload next year or will have to wait even longer...

[GOTGDynasty]

Can I ask for your justification in ranking a UDFA who isn't a receiving threat , who has had 2 good games against two of the worst run defenses in the league trying to account for Lamar Jackson, above a guy like Kerryon with a bigger sample size of success, including in college, and pass catching ability, as well as 2nd round pedigree? Not trying to get into an argument but this ranking seems off, so I'd like some clarification on how Edwards, literally a non factor in FF a few weeks ago, jumps into the top 5 rookie RB's from 2019-2021.

The suggestion that opinions have to be somehow "justified" is not something I share. We were asked for our opinions on rankings. If you can't accept that people will have differing opinions why participate in spaces where they do? The question here was how we would *rank* a class of RBs going forward. The question was not "who is the better talent." It was not "who was drafted higher." It was not "who was better in college." I don't know about you, but I rank based on a combination of factors: skill, opportunity, offensive scheme, play calling and coaching, among them. Matt Stafford's backfield is where many a good RB has gone to die in terms of fantasy value. Is that not the case? Kerryon (averaging 5.4 yards a carry, admittedly good) can be good but also be in a bad situation for fantasy value. I think Edwards, paired with Lamar Jackson, is in a great situation. I've watched both those games because I was already invested in Jackson and - as I mentioned in my commentary - its the combo of the two that makes the Gus Bus so interesting going forward. Kerryon (or Penny, or anyone else) can have all the talent in the world but if they are in an offensive scheme that doesn't aid their fantasy value they will be ranked lower than a lesser talent in a better situation. That's, in my opinion, the nature of the game.

I'm not going to ask you to "justify" your differing opinion because I really don't feel offended that somebody views something differently than me. We play this game for enjoyment. Or we should. If someone wants to be mad at people for having differing opinions, maybe he should try politics instead? There at least there are real life consequences to get worked up about there. But this is a game. Don't suck all the fun out of it.

[Titans95]

Can I ask for your justification in ranking a UDFA who isn't a receiving threat , who has had 2 good games against two of the worst run defenses in the league trying to account for Lamar Jackson, above a guy like Kerryon with a bigger sample size of success, including in college, and pass catching ability, as well as 2nd round pedigree? Not trying to get into an argument but this ranking seems off, so I'd like some clarification on how Edwards, literally a non factor in FF a few weeks ago, jumps into the top 5 rookie RB's from 2019-2021.

The suggestion that opinions have to be somehow "justified" is not something I share. We were asked for our opinions on rankings. If you can't accept that people will have differing opinions why participate in spaces where they do? The question here was how we would *rank* a class of RBs going forward. The question was not "who is the better talent." It was not "who was drafted higher." It was not "who was better in college." I don't know about you, but I rank based on a combination of factors: skill, opportunity, offensive scheme, play calling and coaching, among them. Matt Stafford's backfield is where many a good RB has gone to die in terms of fantasy value. Is that not the case? Kerryon (averaging 5.4 yards a carry, admittedly good) can be good but also be in a bad situation for fantasy value. I think Edwards, paired with Lamar Jackson, is in a great situation. I've watched both those games because I was already invested in Jackson and - as I mentioned in my commentary - its the combo of the two that makes the Gus Bus so interesting going forward. Kerryon (or Penny, or anyone else) can have all the talent in the world but if they are in an offensive scheme that doesn't aid their fantasy value they will be ranked lower than a lesser talent in a better situation. That's, in my opinion, the nature of the game.

I'm not going to ask you to "justify" your differing opinion because I really don't feel offended that somebody views something differently than me. We play this game for enjoyment. Or we should. If someone wants to be mad at people for having differing opinions, maybe he should try politics instead? There at least there are real life consequences to get worked up about there. But this is a game. Don't suck all the fun out of it.

What's the point of offering your opinion without any justification if your opinion happens to be such a hot take. No this isn't politics but its the same in the sense that if someone says "we should raise taxes to 90%" and then offering no explanation or justification for that opinion. It adds nothing to the conversation and your opinion will get immediately dismissed by anyone educated on the topic however could be toxic to someone who has zero idea on the subject. Your post defending your hot take at least gives substance to your stance and someone can evaluate whether they agree or disagree with your logic. I personally completely disagree with your reasoning and here is why.

The lions have had irrelevant fantasy RB's because they have had irrelevant RB's. Kerryon has been outstanding this year and there is zero indication that they will overhaul their running scheme next year and most will argue that his role as a receiver and goal line work has increased throughout the season and will increase even more in 2019 leading to even more fantasy relevance. His efficiency may take a dip in 2019 due to an increased role but so far just about every statistical measure will point to Kerryon being a very good RB and his O-line (young) has steadily improved throughout the season. On top of all of that those who have played FF for a while will tell you that draft pedigree does mean something. Yes there are busts and yes there are UDFA's that become studs but those are typically outliers and the higher you are drafted the higher statistical chance you have of becoming an RB2 or better. Kerryon was drafted at the top of the 2nd round, Gus was an UDFA. Lastly Gus is a 1 dimensional bruiser that is not ideal for ppr formats, Kerryon has shown he can be a real factor in the receiving game. Lastly, the style of play the Ravens are playing right now will not work long term, they are playing some of the worst defenses in the league for the rest of season but in the future unless Lamar can run a typical pro style offense then pro defenses will completely sell out to shut down their zone read and run option scheme and force him to pass ball.

Now....see a member of the forum reading this thread can take in differing opinions and their reasoning and logic and determine what their own personal stance is or do more investigation.

[Titans95]

I agree with your ranks but I have a hard time ranking Guice against them all, personally. I'd rather have Sony as he is performing well this year. I agree with Penny over Kerryon on talent too. If those situations were reversed I do believe Penny would be much better than Kerryon is in DET.

As do I. Pity the Lions didn't get Penny like they wanted, it was apparently the Lions who called Seattle about Penny after he was drafted, as the Lions were hoping to draft him in the 2nd.

It's an interesting discussion to think if it had gone the other way, how the preseason talk wouldve went. I think both backs were the 2 most polarizing in this RB class. Meaning that I saw some with KJ at 1.02 and some with him at 1.08. Same with Penny.

If i recall correctly the general talk was...
Penny: workhorse back, easily beat out the other RB and take over on a run 1st offense in SEA

Kerryon: limited work due to Blount and Riddick. Doubtful he takes over but is the better overall talent to Penny and should win out eventually in DET.

It seems the opposite is true in each situation. So what if Penny were in DET? Would he have been the lesser talked about back and people wouldve been scared of Blount and Riddick eating into his touches? What about Kerryon in SEA? He may be non existent right now also (although I think he would at least take the Mike Davis looks as a receiver)

Truth is we will never know and are left wondering if Penny will get his workload next year or will have to wait even longer...

To me it seemed like Penny DID NOT look like the same player he was in college at the beginning of the year, he looked slow, not agile and a plodder, over the last 3 weeks it looks like his speed/burst is back. Hopefully it was just a case of a being a small college thrown into the big leagues and took some attitude/work ethic adjustments to catch up to speed and moving forward he becomes what we all thought he could be watching his college tape.

What I'm concerned about is the fact that Carson IS NOT a JAG. No he isn't dynamic and won't be busting of 20+ yard runs consistently but from what I've seen he is doing a fantastic job and getting 4-5 yards on 1st and 2nd downs consistently. That ability is so valuable to set up manageable 3rd and short situations so I'm not 100% convinced that even if Penny steps up to the plate that Carson will jsut go away.

[Jigga94]

Carson is definitely a concern for Penny's value long term and I'm not sure it ever changes much. Even if Penny got half the workload, that still isnt enough to trust starting him every week. SEA is a mess for fantasy but I'm sure they love it for the team.

Kerryon
Penny
Carson




Gus

[Titans95]

Carson is definitely a concern for Penny's value long term and I'm not sure it ever changes much. Even if Penny got half the workload, that still isnt enough to trust starting him every week. SEA is a mess for fantasy but I'm sure they love it for the team.

Kerryon
Penny
Carson




Gus

Yeah its just a shame, I had my rankings like this heading into the draft
1. Barkley
2. Sony
3. Guice
4/5. Penny/Chubb

Truthfully I really liked all of their landing spots even Sony's but the Seahawks really intrigued me for Penny as I thought he was a surefire 275 carries workhorse his rookie year and their was no real recieving back either unlike Guice is Washington and he vaulted into my 1.02 spot. Now all of a sudden Chubb is getting used more in the passing game than a top 3 receiving back last year in Duke and getting 20+ carries a game lol that's what I thought Penny was going to get. That workload guarantees a top 10 fantasy year regardless of talent.