Final Rookie Report Cards: The Running Backs (Part Two)

Throughout the season, the Rookie Report Card has covered some of the biggest rookies and not only looked at their performance to date – but also their long term upside. Now that the regular season has wrapped up and fantasy owners are looking towards the future, we have an opportunity to take one last look at the 2014 season and assess the rookies. A final report card if you will.

We covered 33 rookies throughout the season, including 11 running backs. Like last week with quarterbacks, we’ll take one last look at those runners’ first shot handling the rock on Sundays – as well as a quick glimpse into their futures.

If you missed part one, check it out here.

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Tre Mason, RB STL
Season Stats: 179 carries, 765 yards (4.3 YPC), four touchdowns, 16 receptions, 148 yards, one touchdown

After getting an opportunity in the middle of the season due to the ineffectiveness of Zac Stacy, Mason looked pretty good as a rookie, particularly in week 13. He ran low to the ground, showed excellent explosiveness at the snap and displayed good vision to find holes. With a good combination of inside power and outside wheels, he kept defenses off balance despite playing behind a questionable offensive line for much of the year and in an offense that lacked a passing attack.

Going into next year, Mason has earned the chance to be the lead runner once again. With an improved passing game, he’s sure to face lighter boxes and should have the chance to get in space more often. Dynasty owners should look at him as an RB2 that has a relatively firm grasp on his job. He has the potential to take another step forward next year.

Jerick McKinnon, RB MIN
Season Stats: 113 carries, 538 yards (4.8 YPC), no touchdowns, 27 receptions, 135 yards

When the Vikings drafted McKinnon near the end of the third round, they didn’t anticipate playing him much. That all changed with the Adrian Peterson mess however and McKinnon filled in admirably.

Overall though, McKinnon proved as a rookie that he may be best suited for a change of pace role. Quick but without the wiggle to make defenders miss and tough although undersized (5’9”, 210 pounds), he has the skills to add some playmaking ability to an offense but lacks the build and power to take on a full workload – especially in the middle of the defensive line.

Most likely, McKinnon will have to share a backfield with a between the tackles runner and won’t get enough touches to warrant consideration for a spot in a starting lineup for dynasty owners. He may have had his best fantasy season in 2014.

Bishop Sankey, RB TEN
Season Stats: 152 carries, 562 yards (3.7 YPC), two touchdowns, 18 receptions, 133 yards

When the Titans made Sankey the first runner taken in the 2014 draft, they thought they had selected a hard running, three-down tailback that could bang it between the tackles but also get the edge when needed. That wasn’t what they got in his rookie season however.

Sankey lacked a burst at the point of attack and failed to break tackles as a rookie. On top of not getting it done between the tackles, he didn’t show the acceleration to get outside on a consistent basis or make defenders miss on the perimeter and wasn’t a reliable contributor in the passing game as either a pass catcher or blocker.

Because Tennessee invested a second round draft pick into Sankey, he’ll get another chance to show what he has in training camp. His sluggish rookie season doesn’t suggest he’ll turn it around any time soon however so I wouldn’t want to be counting on him for any fantasy production in 2015. He’s one bad preseason away from being a bust.

Charles Sims, RB TB
Season Stats: 66 carries, 185 yards (2.8 YPC), one touchdown, 19 receptions, 190 yards

Sims was just featured in the week 17 edition of the Rookie Report Card just a couple weeks ago. Nothings changed since then.

Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB BAL
Season Stats: 68 carries, 292 yards (4.3 YPC), four touchdowns, eight receptions, 114 yards

Call me crazy but I like Taliaferro as a future NFL starter with the potential to become a RB2 for dynasty owners. He’s a powerful downhill runner with excellent vision to find openings, great feet to change direction and impressive drive to gain extra yardage after contact.

When I wrote about him in the week three edition of the Rookie Report Card I mentioned that Taliaferro is a great fit for the Ravens’ zone blocking system. Although Justin Forsett also proved to be an excellent fit, Taliaferro offers a more powerful between the tackles option that could be just as effective in the event that Forsett isn’t re-signed in free agency.

At this point Taliaferro has no guarantees of playing time in 2015 so it’s a risk to count on him for anything. But dynasty owners looking for a developmental runner with upside should look into acquiring the former star from Coastal Carolina. He has RB2 upside in standard leagues and could be just as good in PPR leagues if given the opportunity to contribute as a pass catcher.

Terrence West, RB CLE
Season Stats: 171 carries, 673 yards (3.9 YPC), four touchdowns, 11 receptions, 64 yards, one touchdown

Much like the Browns’ season, West’s was a bit of a roller coaster. Routinely going from 15 carries one week to just six or seven the next, it was difficult to rely on him as anything more than a flex play. And if you watched him with any regularity, it was difficult to put him in your lineup at all.

West ran with power as a rookie but didn’t show the burst through the line of scrimmage you like to see in such runners. Much like he did in college, he lacked the ability to change direction behind the line of scrimmage and relied on an open hole directly in front of him to be productive.

West looks like a goal line/short yardage back that can be depended on to carry between six and ten times per game. In a good offense, that could translate into a RB3/flex play for fantasy owners. But at this point, “good offense” and “Cleveland Browns” are far from being uttered in the same sentence.

Andre Williams, RB NYG
Season Stats: 217 carries, 721 yards (3.3 YPC), seven touchdowns, 18 receptions, 130 yards

When I graded Williams in the Rookie Report Card back in week five, I completed my assessment of the Giants’ rookie tailback by stating, “I have a hard time seeing Williams as anything more than a rotational tailback that could contribute as a goal line option and possibly fill in for an injured starter if needed. His lack of skills as a receiver combined with his inability to make defenders miss in the open field will likely keep him from being a reliable fantasy producer for dynasty owners both in the short and long term.”

Williams had a couple 100-yard games down the stretch of the season but overall, did nothing to change my opinion over the course of his rookie year.

Although he showed good explosion at the point of attack, his momentum was slowed far too easily as evidenced by his 3.3 yard per carry average and his inability to break tackles sticks out immediately when you watch Williams.

Because of his burst at the snap and his nose for the goal line Williams will likely have a role as a part time runner for the Giants over the next couple seasons, but his upside is severely limited for dynasty owners – especially those in PPR league. His fantasy value will depend far too much on finding the end zone for my liking. I wouldn’t want to be depending on him for any kind of regular production and see Williams as nothing more than a part time flex play.

There were also a handful of rookie runners including Kadeem Carey, James White, Dri Archer, Storm Johnson and Silas Redd who receive an “incomplete” grade due to a lack of opportunities. Each of them have some upside to someday contribute to your dynasty team however and all of them should stay on your radar throughout the offseason and beyond.

Check back next week as I’ll give final grades to most of the rookie wide outs with tight ends coming a week later.

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Dan Meylor

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Dan is a jack of all trades but master of none and specializes in salary cap and contract leagues.He has far too many hobbies (including writing the article you just read), is a die-hard Packers fan and can't wait to introduce his young sons to fantasy football.

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