NFL

3 Must-Own Rookie Running Backs With Massive Upside in Fantasy Football

Sam Hauss  —  @Real_Hauss Sep 2nd, 2014
Le'Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy and Giovani Bernard were all fantasy relevant as rookies last year. Will these three runners breakout like them?

Rookie runnings backs are an incredibly volatile bunch. If you reach for the wrong one, you can easily get burnt. But if you pick the right one, they could make a massive difference in your run to a championship.

Take last year for example. According to FantasyFootballCalculator.com, the first three rookie running backs off the board were Eddie Lacy (RB20 in standard scoring and RB23 in PPR), Giovani Bernard (RB24 in standard and RB26 in PPR), and Montee Ball (RB27 in standard and RB24 in PPR).

Lacy was a huge difference-maker for his owners, finishing as the sixth-best fantasy running back in standard scoring and the seventh-best in PPR. Bernard had a strong season compared to where he was drafted, but didn't win a title for anyone, finishing 18th in standard and 12th in PPR. Meanwhile, drafting Ball severely hurt owners chances of winning a championship, finishing outside of the top 40 at the position in both standard scoring and PPR.

This year, a new crop of rookie running backs has entered the league, and trying to figure out which ones to draft and avoid can be a difficult task. Here are three first-year backs that could be fantasy difference makers for your team this season.

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