Fantasy Football: Who Were the Most Consistent Players in 2016?
Running Backs
Let's move on to a slightly more volatile position for fantasy production: running back. In 2016, David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott were the epitome of a high floor and high ceiling running back that we look for.
Again, this shows the players' coefficient of variations and average fantasy output as well as their top-20 weekly finishes. Being in the top 20 makes them a starter in standard, 10-team leagues.
| Player | CV | Average | Top 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeMarco Murray | 0.33 | 15.9 | 14 |
| David Johnson | 0.34 | 21.5 | 14 |
| Frank Gore | 0.35 | 11.2 | 10 |
| Ezekiel Elliot | 0.39 | 19.5 | 13 |
| Melvin Gordon | 0.41 | 17.4 | 11 |
In 2016, DeMarco Murray did his best impression of his 2014 performance with the Dallas Cowboys by finishing fourth in the NFL in fantasy points. Failing to reach starting value just one time all season is a feat in and of itself.
Frank Gore just keeps chugging along and churning out consistent production year after year, even at 33 years old. Gore ran for 1,026 yards in 2016, making him one of the 12 running backs to break the 1,000-yard barrier this season. Remarkably, Gore has ran for more than 1,000 yards in 9 of his 12 seasons in the NFL.
Some people pass over Gore in drafts, saying he is too old and he will eventually break down, yet the guy keeps proving Father Time wrong. Gore is currently being taken as the RB24 in 2017 drafts, per Fantasy Football Calculator.
Perhaps one of the most interesting players at the running back position in 2016 was LeGarrette Blount, who narrowly missed the cutoff here. The touchdown machine punched in 18 scores in the regular season. He was the sixth-most consistent running back this year, as his coefficient of variation was 0.43 and his average points per game was 14.3.
His league-leading 18 touchdowns comprised 47% of his fantasy production. Omitting fantasy points from touchdowns for all running backs, Blount would have finished 18th in the league in scoring, compared to 7th with touchdowns. He is being drafted as the RB19, per Fantasy Football Calculator.
