Sportsnaut
One of the best parts of fantasy football, no matter what format you play, is evaluating rookie talent and hoping that the rookie you want the most becomes a league winner. This season’s rookies bear loads of talent at the running back position. Many of these rookie backs have been drafted to teams where they fit perfectly. We will look at two rookies who have a chance to make an impact on the field and on your roster.
Hampton played three years at North Carolina, where he rushed for over 3500 yards and 36 touchdowns, and he was drafted in the first round by Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers. We all know Harbaugh loves to run the football, and so does Harbaugh’s OC Greg Roman. The Chargers signed Najee Harris this offseason, but an unfortunate accident has caused Harris to miss significant time with no timetable to return, leaving Hampton as the lead back.
Roman has told the media that they will rotate backs, but that still does not deter me from drafting Hampton. He will make plays when he does touch the ball, and if Harris misses the first few weeks, it is hard to imagine Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins will threaten Hampton for more than half of the carries.
Henderson was a four-year player at Ohio State. He battled injuries in his sophomore and junior seasons and shared the backfield for most of his career. However, Henderson made several plays for the Buckeyes in the run and pass game. The New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as head coach and re-hired Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator. Both coaches love to run the football, and McDaniels is known for using his backs in the pass game. Rhamondre Stevenson is the veteran still on the roster, but he has missed time in camp with an injury, paving the way for Henderson to make a splash.
Henderson’s first touch in the NFL was a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. If you are an Ohio State fan, as I am, you were probably not surprised, but he raised eyebrows in that game, and the headlines buzzed for Henderson in camp. He will get plenty of opportunities to make plays this season. Doc has Henderson as his RB16, but he could continue to rise up that list.
Both rookies are going to do great things this season. At this point, I would lean towards drafting Henderson over Hampton. Henderson’s pass blocking is tenacious, and that will earn him more plays and touches over Rhamondre Stevenson, whose pass blocking can be spotty. The former Buckeye can make a house call at any point in time, but he can also grind out yards like he is a 6-foot-3-inch, 250-pound running back. These attributes will serve him well this season, as well as rack up fantasy points for you.
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