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Kyle Smith | Archive | Email
Staff Writer


RBBC Review and Outlook
Running Back by Committee
6/25/14

As fantasy owners are well aware, the true workhorse running back has become a rare breed. They still exist, of course, but many teams have transitioned to the most frightening acronym in fantasy football: RBBC, or running back by committee. To help fantasy owners navigate the murky waters of teams that utilize a RBBC system, here are the breakdowns of what those teams did last season, and how things might play out in 2014.

  Buffalo - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
C.J. Spiller 202 37 933 40.4 4.6 33 185
Fred Jackson 206 37.7 890 38.6 4.3 47 387
All Others 138 25.3 484 21 3.5
Totals 546 100.0 2307 100.0 4.1    

2014 Outlook: Going into last season, most fantasy owners thought the majority of the carries would go to Spiller, but at age 32 Jackson continued to perform well and earned his touches. Things got more complicated this offseason as Buffalo acquired Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon. At this point, it’s hard to count Jackson out, but fantasy owners should still put more faith in Spiller, albeit not at the level they had last year. He’s no longer a first-round fantasy pick, and with so many backfield mates, it’s hard to envision him breaking out like his natural ability suggests he could.

  Carolina - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
DeAngelo Williams 201 41.6 843 41.6 4.2 26 333
Mike Tolbert 101 20.9 361 17.9 3.6 27 184
Jonathan Stewart 48 9.9 180 8.8 3.8 7 44
All Others 133 27.6 642 31.7 4.8
Totals 483 100.0 2026 100.0 4.2

2014 Outlook: The Panthers have been the ultimate RBBC team for a few years now, entrenching their stable of running backs into fantasy mediocrity. Jonathan Stewart took an extensive seat on the sidelines last year allowing DeAngelo Williams to have bye-week filler value for much of the season. Stewart is reportedly in great shape coming into 2014 and injury free for the first time in a long time. He's four years to the younger than Williams and if he can somehow stay out of the trainers room, he could easily lead the team in rushing this season. That being said, the RBBC approach isn't going anywhere, making Stewart or Williams nothing more than a RB4 with potentially RB3 upside if the stars align.

Cincinnati Bengals
  Cincinnati - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
BenJarvus Green-Ellis 220 45.7 756 43.1 3.4 4 22
Giovani Bernard 170 35.3 695 39.6 4.1 56 514
All Others 91 19 304 17.3 3.3
Totals 481 100.0 1755 100.0 3.6    

2014 Outlook: Green-Ellis was not exactly what one might describe as dynamic last season, leading the Bengals to draft Jeremy Hill in the second round to complement the uber-dynamic Bernard. In fact, during Cincinnati OTA’s, BGE was reportedly behind both Bernard and Hill on the depth chart and may not be on the team’s roster come Week 1. Bernard most definitely will be though, and should go in the second round of fantasy drafts, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some fantasy owners snag him at the end of the round 1.

Detroit Lions
  Detroit - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Reggie Bush 223 50.1 1006 56.1 4.5 54 506
Joique Bell 166 37.3 650 36.3 3.9 53 547
All Others 56 12.6 136 7.6 2.4
Totals 445 100.0 1792 100.0 3.6    

2014 Outlook: Outside of Bush and Bell, no Lions back amassed even 10 carries for the team in 2013. More of the same should be expected this year, with the team essentially staying put at the position. Bell’s eight touchdown runs last year were twice the number Bush had, though it’s difficult to predict that exact scenario playing out again this season. With Bush getting more touches, he remains the higher-rated fantasy back and will likely come off the board in the second or third round, with Bell a couple rounds after that.

  Miami - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Lamar Miller 177 50.7 709 49.2 4 26 170
Daniel Thomas 109 31.2 406 28.2 3.7 15 63
All Others 63 18.1 325 22.6 5.2
Totals 349 100.0 1440 100.0 4.3    

2014 Outlook: The Dolphins were among the NFL’s worst running teams last year, ranking 26th in the league in rushing yards and scoring only eight times on the ground. They attempted to remedy that with the acquisition of Knowshon Moreno, but a knee injury has sidelined him and questions about his viability this season abound. Fantasy owners should really only put their relative faith in one Fins runner, Lamar Miller. He was inconsistent last season – eight games with 60 or more rushing yards and seven games with 20 or fewer rushing yards – but Miami’s rebuilt offensive line and the growth of Ryan Tannehill make Miller a potential gem who shouldn’t cost fantasy owners a high draft pick.

  New Orleans - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Pierre Thomas 147 37.6 549 37.3 3.7 77 513
Mark Ingram 78 20.0 386 26.2 4.9 7 68
Darren Sproles 53 13.5 220 14.9 4.2 71 604
All Others 113 28.9 318 21.6 2.8
Totals 391 100.0 1473 100.0 3.8

2014 Outlook: The Saints ranked just ahead of the aforementioned Dolphins in team rushing yards last season, but that is to be expected considering their prolific passing attack. Darren Sproles may be gone, but that doesn’t mean some other back will step in and automatically fill his role. Thomas should continue to put up PPR-worthy numbers, but standard-league owners will want to look past him (and Mark Ingram) towards the direction of Khiry Robinson. He’s produced when given the opportunity and has the best chance of any New Orleans runner to put up fantasy-worthy numbers.

New York Jets
  New York Jets - 2013
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Chris Ivory 182 36.9 833 38.6 4.6 2 10
Bilal Powell 176 35.7 697 32.3 4 36 272
All Others 135 27.4 628 29.1 4.7
Totals 493 100.0 2158 100.0 4.4    

2014 Outlook: The Jets had a solid rushing attack last season, ranking sixth in the league despite not having an individual among the league’s top-15 rushers. Ivory ranked 19th in rushing yards, but he’s unlikely to reach that mark again due to the team’s acquisition of Chris Johnson. The former Titan should slice into the carries of Ivory and all but erase Powell from fantasy consideration. Yet fantasy owners should cease from getting too excited about Johnson – he’s shown signs of slowing and isn’t going to get nearly as many touches in New York as he did in Tennessee.