The NFL season starts officially on Thursday when the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens open up against the Denver Broncos on the road and that also means fantasy football leagues are starting up and with the running back position becoming more important than ever, here is a look at some names that could be available in mid to late rounds after the top starters are off the board, including Ronnie Hillman, Doug Martin, DeAngelo Williams and Daryl Richardson.
Doug Martin is an obvious fantasy stud after having an amazing rookie season, but in some leagues he is slipping past the top five to 10 picks and he could be snagged by someone looking for top level production. Last season fantasy owners vastly underrated Martin and how well he would play in drafts and this season he is a clear first and second round pick. Last season he rushed for 1,294 yards and had nine touchdowns with 470 receiving yards and he could be even better this season. Josh Freeman is still developing and the offense is expected to use the running game heavily once again.
Martin did his work in bunches last season and another fantasy option later in drafts is Daryl Richardson, as he appears to be the starting option for the Rams after coach Jeff Fisher showed confidence in him all preseason and during camp. Richardson put up solid numbers at the end of the last season and after Steven Jackson left for the Atlanta Falcons, he will take over the starting carries. Jackson was a workhorse during his time with the Rams and Richardson will get the starting carries over Isaiah Pead along with Zac Stacy on the depth chart.
Richardson can catch the ball out of the backfield and with the Rams opening things up in the passing game with Tavon Austin after drafting him in the first round, Richardson will have plenty of chances to produce. Richardson rushed for nearly 500 yards last season and after not scoring any touchdowns he should be the goal line option as well due to his size. The Denver Broncos running back situation got a bit more clear after the team let go of Jacob Hester and with Willis McGahee already gone from earlier in the offseason, both Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball should be able to produce.
The team also let go of Lance Ball and that means Hillman could end up as the early starter over Ball due to his experience and both players should be productive this season. Knowshon Moreno is still an unknown quality and while he has shown some skills, the team feels more comfortable with Hillman ahead of him on the depth chart. All those options could be good for fantasy teams looking for production later in the draft and if Ball doesn't catch on as a rookie, Hillman will be a very good starting back. Williams will get the bulk of the carries in Carolina after Jonathan Stewart was injured again.