The process leading into the 2019 season for fantasy football managers is well underway as they try to find the best way to construct a roster through sleepers and potential breakouts.
Finding that potential break out player is no easy task. Just ask those who put stock in drafting Royce Freeman or Rashad Penny before their rookie seasons. Still, the work needs to be done to find those breakout stars.
Here are six running backs poised to break out in fantasy football for the 2019 season:
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Since entering the league as a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, it hasn’t been a smooth transition for Cook. The talent has certainly flashed in the Florida State product, who has averaged 4.7 yards per carry in 15 career games. However, the injuries have been all too common.
Cook suffered a torn ACL in 2017 and then dealt with a nagging hamstring injury for the majority of the first half of the 2018 season. Returning to full health in an offense that is set to feature the rushing attack more, Cook is poised to break out.
Cook fully returned in November but was extremely inconsistent to start. When the Vikings began leaning more toward the run game, though, he put together some strong performances.
From Week 13 on, Cook was the RB6 in half-PPR scoring averaging 16.1 fantasy points per game. With full health and an offense catering to his needs, he’s set to break out in Year 3.
Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions
There was a lot of love for Johnson coming out of the draft and his potential to be a workhorse back with the Lions. That didn’t happen right away, though, as Matt Patricia loved using LeGarrette Blount over the rookie from Auburn.
That proved to not be such a great idea, and Johnson continued to see more snaps and touches as the season progressed. He became the starter by Week 4 while showing off some extremely consistent and efficient numbers. Johnson averaged 5.4 yards per carry on the season, but eventually suffered a knee injury that claimed the rest of his season in Week 11.
In his time as the starter (seven games), Johnson was the RB14 in half-PPR scoring. He averaged 13.9 fantasy points per game during that span while mostly splitting time in the backfield. In those seven games he started, he saw more than 15 carries just once.
The Lions, being the smart team they are, should give Johnson the bulk of the work in the backfield. If he’s taking on 20 touches per game, a break out is waiting to happen.
Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
A lot of fantasy football managers will be hands-off with Drake given the volatility of his usage in 2018. However, he is working under a new head coach with a clear path to a starting role now that Frank Gore is in Buffalo.
Drake has always been an efficient fantasy asset when given the opportunities, but former head coach Adam Gase simply never gave him consistent touches. That can change with Brian Flores taking over as Drake will need to beat out Kalen Ballage for the role.
There is a chance they split some time in the backfield due to both players being talented, but Drake has the upper-hand in the passing game, which is always a bonus for a potential break out.
Drake averaged 4.5 yards per carry and 9.0 yards per reception in 2018 on just 173 total touches. If that number increases with a bigger role in the Dolphins offense, the consistency would rise with it.
Damien Williams, Kansas City Chiefs
The biggest question of the offseason when it came to Williams and his prospects for the 2019 season was whether the Chiefs were going to invest heavily in the future of the backfield.
They didn’t do that, outside of signing Carlos Hyde, which means Williams has a clear path to be a dominant fantasy asset for the upcoming season. The Chiefs like the way Williams works both as a runner and a pass catcher and given the strength of the offense, there is a high chance he breaks out on volume alone.
Over the final three games of the season when Williams took over as the starter, he was the RB2 in half-PPR scoring. He scored four touchdowns over that span and eventually became a huge part of the offense during the playoffs.
As the spring workouts progress, the backfield is Williams’ to lose and should he keep the lead role, there is a high chance it comes with both volume and efficiency.
Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
One could consider Mack a breakout from the 2018 season, but we are going to include him anyway. He took over the backfield during the second half of the season and is poised to lead an efficient unit again in 2019.
The Colts offense should provide Mack with plenty of volume during his third season as long as he stays healthy. Indy ran the third-most plays from scrimmage during the 2018 season, and Mack averaged 17.6 touches per game despite being in what was expected to be a committee. From Week 6 on, he was the RB8 in half-PPR scoring.
There are some concerns for Mack in fantasy terms. He’s limited as a pass catcher with Nyheim Hines there, and he’s dealt with some serious injuries during each of his first two seasons. There is also the prospect of Spencer Ware taking away some goal-line opportunities as well.
Still, Mack is in a great position to break out in his third season. He’s the unquestioned leader in the backfield running behind a stout offensive line and in an offense that should provide plenty of volume regardless of whoever else sees touches.
Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Suffice it to say it was a year of learning for Jones. The second-round pick struggled mightily during his rookie season averaging a measly 1.9 yards per carry and being a healthy scratch for the majority of his inaugural campaign.
There are plenty of fantasy managers that will want to see it proven before deciding to invest in Jones for the 2019 season, but he does have the chance to make some type of impact in Year 2. The backfield in Tampa isn’t as crowded and working under Bruce Arians should allow for more productivity in the offense.
Jones is limited as a pass catcher while competing with Peyton Barber for the starting role after he was re-signed this offseason. Of all the players on this list, Jones has the toughest road to a breakout simply because of his struggles as a rookie.
However, if he can grab that starting role, which is likely to come with bellcow work, a chance to break out could be in the cards for the USC product.
