Running Backs With Falling ADP: Miles Sanders, Antonio Gibson Dropping Fast
One of the most common, yet important, tools for fantasy football drafts is Average Draft Position. It signals how an NFL player is being valued in fantasy drafts. Think of it as a collection of data from all public drafts and then consolidated into an overall or by position list.
Related: Running Back ADP Risers
We touched on running backs with a rising ADP here, but in this article we’ll highlight a handful of rushers that have seen a sharp decline in fantasy drafts.
Ronald Jones, Chiefs: Original ADP: 167.8, New ADP 204.3
The Chiefs brought in Jones this offseason in hopes of him competing with Clyde Edwards-Helaire for carries but the former Buccaneers rusher hasn’t performed well in camp. In fact, rookie Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers, is projected to make the 53-man roster while Jones is not. With C.E.H., Pacheco and Jerrick McKinnon on the depth chart, Jones is a “do not draft” player in fantasy.
Antonio Gibson, Commanders: Original ADP 81.7, New ADP 95.8
At what point does Gibson become a value based on his draft position? That’s the question fantasy managers must figure out as the Commanders' veteran has seen a major drop-off in his ADP. Gibson was originally coming off boards in the middle of the sixth round in early August but has since fallen to the early eighth. While teammate Brian Robinson Jr. has a rising ADP, Gibson may now be in a territory that’s “too cheap to pass up.” J.D. McKissic has a well carved-out role as the team’s passing-down back and Robinson is expected to be featured near the goal line, which leaves Gibson as the move the chains running back in between the 20s. It’s not the most ideal situation but considering he had a 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns last year, Gibson may end up being a quality steal if his ADP continues to drop.
Miles Sanders, Eagles: Original ADP 83.5, New ADP 90.7
The Eagles rusher suffered a hamstring injury in mid-August that has kept him out of practice. Not only has Sanders’ ADP taken a dip but teammate Kenneth Gainwell’s has been on a steady rise. Though head coach Nick Sirianni expects Sanders to be back in time for the team’s opener in Week 1, fantasy football managers aren’t banking on Sanders to be anything more than a flex option. His positional rank is 29th, putting him more into RB3 territory instead of the RB2 status he’s had the last few seasons. Draft Sanders with caution.
Ken Walker III, Seahawks: Original ADP 102.4, New ADP 111.8
The Seahawks rookie had hernia surgery on Aug. 17 and head coach Pete Carroll told reporters there’s no timetable for his return. That’s concerning, especially when considering the Seahawks' second-round pick will miss most of the preseason in his first year in the NFL. Teammate Rashaad Penny has a lengthy injury history as well, so some fantasy football players were banking on Walker to contribute from the get-go. Walker is currently ranked in Tier 6 on Athlon’s cheat sheet.
Other running backs with falling ADPs: Cam Akers, Rams (ADP 50.3); David Montgomery, Bears (ADP 63.2); Elijah Mitchell, 49ers (ADP 66.8); Isaiah Spiller, Chargers (ADP 204.3); Marlon Mack, Texans (ADP 190.7); D’Ernest Johnson, Browns (ADP 208.6)
