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Football is in the air...almost. The diehards are beginning to get amped and excited for the 2015 NFL season. The slackers are waiting until draft night in late August to do their research. That's not you though...you're here to read about fantasy football dynasty rankings and get a leg up on everyone else.
We've already looked at Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the 2015 Running Back Dynasty Rankings. We're back now with a look at Tiers 3 and 4. Fantasy Football expert Bill Dubiel will hold your hand while taking a look at every player in these tiers.
More rankings: Quarterbacks, Running Backs (Tier 1), Wide Receivers (Tier 1), Wide Receivers (Tier 2), Wide Receivers (Tiers 3, 4), Wide Receivers (Tiers 5, 6), Tight Ends (Tiers 1, 2), Tight Ends (Tiers 3, 4), Top 200 (Standard), Top 200 (PPR), Rookie Rankings
Tier 3 – Dynasty/Keeper Running Back Rankings
11) Alfred Morris, 26, WAS
Alfred Morris could probably be a top five fantasy running back if he was on a better team. As it is, he’s on the Washington Redsk…whatever the P.C. term is for the team that plays in the nations capital. Morris is a strong, decisive runner (career 4.1 YPC) who is only limited by his lack of pass-catching abilities. Unfortunately, the recent haplessness of the Redskins (whatever, it’s too much effort to try and be P.C.) means he’s often on the sidelines as they try to play catch-up. The Redskins should improve over the next couple of years, and hopefully he’ll be able to return to prominence as they do.
12) Lamar Miller, 24, MIA
After Knowshon Moreno went down with an injury, Lamar Miller was finally given a true crack at a starting job, and he did not disappoint. He totalled over 1,300 total yards from scrimmage along with nine total TDs and left fantasy owners plenty happy, particularly in weeks 16 and 17, where he was finally able to showcase his 4.4 speed. The Dolphins did draft Jay Ajayi, but I expect it’s Miller’s job to lose in 2015. The Dolphins are an offense on the rise, and as Ryan Tannehill gets more weapons to work with, Miller should find plenty of room to run going forward.
13) Melvin Gordon, 22, SD
Melvin Gordon probably has the most potential for an immediate impact out of any rookie running back in 2015. His monstrous build (6’1” and 215 lbs) and situation should make for a top 15 back right out of the gate. Danny Woodhead will of course return as the 3rd-down back in San Diego, but the between-the-tackles work should go to Gordon. Don’t be shocked if Donald Brown or Branden Oliver get some carries in the early goings, but by Week 8 this team should focus on Gordon as the bell cow.
14) Todd Gurley, 20, STL
Were it not for the ACL surgery that Gurley is recuperating from, he’d probably be in my top 10. That can (and most likely will) change by next year, but for right now the fact that he’ll miss a quarter of this season and be recovering from such a significant injury leaves him here. Don’t let the number mislead you—he’s the best running back from the 2015 draft class, and I don’t think it’s even close. There are rumors that “Gurley” is ancient Mayan for “explosive”—watch even a minute of game film and you’ll believe them. I strongly believe that this guy is a future number one fantasy back, but in 2015 I’m keeping him out of the top ten.
15) Mark Ingram, 25, NO
Swapping Jimmy Graham for Seattle center Max Unger was the official decree that the Saints will be a run-heavy team in 2015, and Ingram will be the primary beneficiary. He’s the definition of a punishing back, yet he has surprisingly soft hands—he added 145 receiving yards on 29 catches to his rushing totals in 2014. He and C.J. Spiller will operate as the 1-2 punch in Sean Payton’s offense, and I expect Ingram to improve upon his touchdown total from a year ago (nine). Don’t be surprised if Ingram establishes himself as a top 10 back in 2015 and beyond.
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Tier 4 - Dynasty/Keeper Running Back Rankings
16) Arian Foster, 28 HOU
If you were able to guarantee me that Arian Foster was going to play 16 games in 2015, he'd be my top seven without a second thought. However, we all know that isn’t going to be the case. When at his best, Foster has put up 2,220 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns (2010). The skills are still there, but you have to almost plan on only getting 13 games from him. The Texans don’t seem to have any intentions of limiting his use (nor should they), so he’ll probably still have top 10 numbers at the end of the season, but Foster’s injury history and age keep him out of the top 15 in my dynasty rankings.
17) Carlos Hyde, 23 SF
I would love to put Hyde higher on this list, but like Alfred Morris he falls victim to the team he plays for. The 49ers have had one of the most disastrous off-seasons in written memory, and I don’t see this team winning even six games in 2015. With Frank Gore gone to Indianapolis, I expect Hyde to be the muscle in San Fran, with Reggie Bush occasionally spelling him and acting as a 3rd down option. Gore got at least 250 carries almost like clockwork, and I don’t see that changing at all now that Hyde is playing feature back. He’s quicker and more explosive than Gore, so there is some potential for a top-15 fantasy running back finish, but ultimately his upside is limited by the team around him.
18) Jonathan Stewart, 28, CAR
Free at last! Deangelo Williams has left for Pittsburgh, leaving the more-talented Stewart as the lead back in Carolina. From Week 14-on in 2014, Stewart looked absolutely incredible. I think his ceiling in 2015 is that of a top-10 back, but unfortunately he is quite unlikely to play all 16 games—the injury history is just too significant. I think Carolina will be even better this year, and Stewart should be a big part of making that happen, but, much like Arian Foster, he is limited by injury history and age.
19) Justin Forsett, 29, BAL
Forsett might have been the biggest surprise in fantasy football last year, as he rewarded his owners with top eight running back numbers. I don’t see his numbers dropping off a cliff, but he won’t match the 1,529 yards from scrimmage he tallied in 2014. He’ll be given the unquestioned lead role in Week 1, but I would not be surprised if the bigger Lorenzo Taliaferro and rookie Javorius Allen begin to eat into his carries. New OC Marc Trestman does love to use his running backs in the passing game though (see: Forte, Matt), so there's a good chance that Forsett maintains or surpasses the 263 receiving yards he gathered last season. He’ll probably be a top 15 RB in 2015, but the age knocks him down from a dynasty perspective.
20) Tevin Coleman, 22, ATL
I’m slightly concerned about Tevin Coleman going into 2015. He was drafted by Atlanta, which should have been a great thing considering he really only has one other contender for carries—Devonta Freeman. Unfortunately, the Falcons o-line is one of the worst in the NFL, and Freeman poses a very legitimate threat. Coleman is scary fast but isn’t patient or strong enough to break tackles, a combination that could result in a couple big plays per game to go along with a lot of unsuccessful rushes. He may be an asset in the long haul, but I don’t see him making an impact in 2015.
21) T. J. Yeldon, 21, JAC
Yeldon steps into a decent situation in Jacksonville, which is a team that is slowly but surely moving in the right direction. He should be given every opportunity to take the starting job from Denard Robinson and/or Toby Gerhart, but I’m not sold on him. He fumbled 10 times in college, which is a problem that won’t be looked over in the pros, and there were concerns that he wasn’t running with the power that someone of his size (6’1”, 226 lbs.) should have. I have him ranked outside the top 20 for a reason, and until he proves that he can be effective either in training camp or the preseason, I won’t be moving him higher.
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