The fantasy football 2014 season is getting ready to start and some sleepers and free agents at the RB position to watch and draft include names like Andre Ellington, Ben Tate, Bishop Sankey, Bernard Pierce, Le'Veon Bell, Jeremy Hill and Rashad Jennings, as those players could put up RB1 production for their respective teams depending on how things break this season in the NFL.
The running back position in the NFL can be one of the most valuable in fantasy football and names like Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles are the top players this season, but for owners who miss out on those top names, here is a look at some guys that may perform like number one backs depending on how things go in 2014. The Cardinals want to be a strong passing team, but they also want to rush the ball consistently and this year Andre Ellington is a player that should be a sleeper.
As a rookie last season, Ellington rushed for 652 yards and three touchdowns while also making an impact catching the ball with 39 catches for 371 yards and another touchdown. Ellington should be looked at as a number one back for some teams, as he is expected to be first on the depth chart and that was buoyed by the fact that he played in all but three of the first team snaps with Arizona against the Bills in their last preseason game. Ellington could be a very good sleeper option for players looking for RBs in later rounds.
Le'Veon Bell has some legal issues to deal with, but he is still expected to be the top running back for the Steelers. Bell played in the last preseason game and had nine rushes for 23 yards and he comes in after rushing for 860 yards in 13 games last season. Bell also added 45 catches for 399 yards receiving and that makes him a solid draft pick in PPR leagues as well.
Sankey was the first back taken in the draft and now he has the chance to be the top back for the Titans. Sankey was one of the best running backs in the nation last season and while he has been dealing with some growing pains, the coaching staff is confident that he can be first string this season. Lamar Miller is coming off of a down season and he has the chance to bounce back even with Knowshon Moreno coming in. Miller could be a sleeper this season and it comes after he had 709 rushing yards last year.
Rashad Jennings is another name to keep an eye on at the RB position, as he is joining a new offense with the Giants and he could be a great option in PPR leagues. The team is using a west coast offense and will be focusing on getting the run game more consistent and that means Jennings could have a big year. David Wilson had to retire for injuries and that could make him even more of a feature back along with rookie Andre Williams and Peyton Hillis.