Week 10 signals the end of the regular season for most leagues and the final bell for many teams. Let’s look at the updated movement among freshmen running backs as they try to finish the year strong on the Year 1 Zero metric. The more goals they accomplish across the five metrics, the higher their odds of relevance in future college seasons and NFL draft odds.
As a reminder, the thresholds the backs need to clear are:
- 20 Rushes
- 100 Rushing Yards
- 5 Catches
- 30 Receiving Yards
- 2 TDs Rushing or Receiving
5/5 TIER
The top of the board is now littered with many strong names in the C2C landscape. We have top guys from drafts and season risers alike, now household names for teams building their futures. Hiter, Rule, Mack, Walton, and Latimer are among the top names. Ferguson, Mallory, and Lawrence have all risen up. The rest offer interesting upside cases to monitor for future setups.
4/5 TIER
The second tier is a really nice spot to be in as well, with circumstances or luck really dictating whether the player can finish it out. Touchdowns, we know, are flukey, so those are tough to assume, and receiving work isn’t always given to a true freshman when you have more veteran options. While I will stress efficiency still matters even for these top names, it is better to be here and hope for improvement than not even trusted with touches at all.
3/5 TIER
This is the final tier I normally feel okay banking on to build most of my rosters. Crowell has been frustrating for managers but offers upside; I am curious if a lingering injury has minimized his ability. The others have all cooled for me, but I would monitor them in case the backfields get resorted in the offseason for a bigger pathaway.
2/5 TIER
This tier starts to worry me, depending on the player’s context. Rhodes is a late riser who is about to jump up one more tier with a path to the top, too. Alston and Martin could also climb. Dowdy and Thompson offer some intriguing G6 names. If they get a few extra touches, they may rise as long-term hidden gems to watch.
1/5 TIER
I am scared for anyone in this tier at this point of the season. Bey has a touch or two a week, so hopefully he can climb some tiers before the season ends. Bell not getting any work, even with Wayshawn hobbled, suggests the rest of his season’s outlook as a playoff contender. The other three have no interest to me unless something drastic changes.
0/5 TIER
Yikes…. this is a very scary spot to be so late in the season.
