10 PPR Running Backs to Target in Your 2017 Fantasy Football Draft

Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles

Standard Running Back Rank: 42
PPR Running Back Rank: 33
Average Draft Position (PPR): 12.11 (RB53)

There's nothing sexy about drafting Darren Sproles. He's 34 years old, he's never been an every-down back, and LeGarrette Blount was brought in to do the heavy-lifting in the Philadelphia Eagles' backfield. Not only that, but Sproles' Reception NEP per target has shown a steady decline since 2014, when he was above league average (0.40 versus 0.33) to last season, when he finished below league average (0.24 versus 0.34).

Of the 11 running backs with at least 60 targets in 2016, Sproles finished dead last in Reception Success Rate (55.77%) after finishing third and sixth in that category in his first two seasons as an Eagle.

Blame it on the learning curve of rookie quarterback Carson Wentz last season or the growing pains of brand new head coach Doug Pederson implementing his offense in 2016. Pederson said this week, "I guess that’s the fun thing about Year 2 with our guys is being able to move them around in different spots and seeing what they can do." Which... doesn't tell us much of anything about how all the backs in Philly will shake out.

Still, Sproles still managed to finish top-10 in receptions among running backs in 2016 (with 52 catches). And he was the 24th-best PPR running back in fantasy last season, despite finding the end zone only four times. You may not celebrate by popping champagne when you draft Sproles, but you know what you're getting.

We'd never suggest that Sproles can be a PPR superstar, but his floor is high (we project him for 48.40 receptions and 143.72 fantasy points this season) -- which means that as the RB53 in drafts right now, he's a tremendous value.