Counting Down the 3 Best Third Down RBs

There is a general dislike within the fantasy football world of committee RBs. I get it, I hate them too. Unfortunately, there are just not too many teams that have one workhorse back that they keep in for all three downs. When employing a committee RB, it is important to choose the right one. Due to the lack of a high ceiling, most people will stay away from third down RBs and go for the bigger names. Although that strategy will increase your chances of finding a gem, it also increases your risk. Here are three RBs that will carry you despite playing on only third downs:

Duke Johnson:

Johnson signed a significant extension this offseason with Cleveland making him the 9th highest paid running back in the league this season. He will even be making more money than his competitor, Carlos Hyde. Despite all the news about Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb, Johnson is the safest pick in that backfield and he is a good bet to have the best fantasy numbers. He will continue to have the same passing down role that he thrived in last season when he finished 21st best in standard leagues and 12th best in PPR. His current ADP is RB 47 in standard leagues and RB 40 in PPR leagues. That is an absolute steal and people will continue to overlook him since he will not be playing every down.

Chris Thompson:

Thompson’s season was cut short last year when he broke his leg. Before the injury, Thompson was electric putting up 15.1 PPG in PPR leagues and 11.2 PPG in standard leagues. Those numbers were both top 15 at the RB position for PPG. Derrius Guice can play all three downs and he will be more productive than any of the rushers the Redskins had in 2017, but expect Thompson to still be involved in passing downs, and his floor should still be around 7 to 8 PPG in standard formats. His current ADP is RB 42 in standard leagues and RB 35 in PPR leagues. Call me crazy but I am just not buying the belief that Guice will make Thompson disappear this season.

Tarik Cohen:

Cohen is the youngest of the group and he is also the most unproven. He did show some signs of serious skill last season and people are aware of “The Human Joystick”, but this season he will be even better. He was unable to finish top 25 in either format last season; however news coming out of Bears’ camp has signaled that the Bears have been moving Cohen around the field and he could have a bigger role in 2018. His ADP is slightly higher than Duke or Thompson with him going as RB 35 in standard formats and RB 29 in PPR leagues. Expect Cohen to add on to his stats from last year and then some with his increased role in the offense.