RADIO
Oftentimes, the beginning of your draft is where you consolidate your starting lineup with top-tier talent and pick who you believe will finish as one of the best players at their position. The top of the draft is where your team usually separates itself from the rest as a true powerhouse for your season.
However, arguably an even more important part of the draft is the mid-rounds. Finding an under-appreciated player at any position is one way to take your team over the top and make sure you are set for the reason with both the strength of your lineup and the depth of your entire roster.
The position that experiences the most breakouts each year is running back. Due to an increased likelihood of injury and ability for multiple backs from the same team to provide significant fantasy contributions, running backs have a higher chance of breaking out than any other position. Here are some mid-round running backs who are poised to break out in the 2018 season, making them must-own options for your fantasy rosters.
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Mid-Round Running Backs to Target
Sony Michel, New England Patriots
A standout in college football for Georgia, Sony Michel became one of the most dangerous weapons in the NCAA while sharing a backfield with teammate Nick Chubb. After leaving Georgia following four years of quality production and on the back of a 1,300+ yard, 17 touchdown season, Michel was a hot option leading up to the NFL Draft. The rookie running back did not disappoint, being selected in the first round by the New England Patriots and becoming the first running back selected in the first round by the team since Lawrence Maroney in 2006. Michel has a lot of expectations on his shoulders as he will have to live up to the draft hype in order to earn back the value that the team spent to acquire him.
Although he is currently nursing an injury that may push his entry into the league back a few weeks, Michel still figures to be an excellent option as the head of the New England running back committee. The team does have other options like Rex Burkhead and James White, but you don't just spend a first round pick on a running back unless you are planning on using him. Even if he ends up splitting touches, Michel is such a versatile weapon that he should be able to make a big splash in the league throughout the season. If the young running back from Georgia is able to put it together and earn a significant chunk of the team's snaps as the season progresses, we could be looking at the next NFL star running back when all is said and done. For his current 6th round ADP, fantasy owners are getting an absolute bargain if they decide to draft Sony Michel this year.
Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
After being hyped considerably as a rookie, Marlon Mack acted as a complementary option to veteran Frank Gore for the majority of the 2017 season. With Gore moving on to the Miami Dolphins, the backfield is Mack's to lose as he competes against Nyheim Hines and Robert Turbin for the starting running back job. Mack is an explosive weapon who accumulated almost 600 yards from scrimmage in 2017 and scored four times in the process. Mack showcased some of his trademark explosiveness from USF and will look to improve in 2018 while playing alongside quarterback Andrew Luck for the first time.
Mack has a three-down skill set and should be the leader of the backfield to enter the season. If he is given a chance to be a workhorse back, fantasy owners will consider his current 7th round ADP an absolute steal due to the nature of the offense that he will play in as well as his receiving upside and high weekly floor. Although he carries some injury and committee risks, Mack has enough talent to put all concerns to bed and is virtually a must-draft option in the mid-rounds of fantasy drafts, especially for owners who shied away from early round running backs.
Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
A seventh-round pick for the Seahawks in the 2017 NFL Draft, Carson was a long-shot to make the roster at the start of the preseason. However, come Week 1, the fearsome back was able to become the team's top option and enjoyed four weeks of solid production, over 250 yards from scrimmage and a receiving touchdown. However, an injury to his ankle forced Carson to miss the remainder of the season and sent the Seahawks running game to the bottom of the league.
Now, after a healthy offseason, Chris Carson is back and expected to be the starting running back despite the drafting of Rashaad Penny in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Although there is a decent chance that Penny unseats Carson from the starting spot early in the season, Carson is one of coach Pete Carroll's favorite players and will make it difficult for Penny to do so. Consider Carson a solid running back for the first few weeks of the season who, if he is able to play well, could become a solid running back for the rest of the year, regardless of the league format.
