Fantasy Football Preseason Heroes: Running Backs

Here are some running backs putting up serious preseason numbers. Let’s take a look and see if they have a chance to translate some of that preseason production into fantasy worth in regular season play.

Glen Coffee, San Francisco 49ers

Coffee leads all RBs with 196 preseason rushing yards. He is averaging 6.5 yards per carry (YPC). He also has two receptions for eight yards, but has failed to score a TD.

The rookie out of Alabama is doing all the right things to serve as Frank Gore’s primary backup. 

If Gore goes down, Coffee’s value skyrockets. He is a great late round value as a Gore handcuff or trade bait.

Tyrell Sutton, Green Bay Packers

Sutton has 140 yards on 27 carries (5.2 YPC) with a TD. This could earn him a gig on a practice squad somewhere or a spot in the UFL.

Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons

The preseason means little, but it’s nice to know "the Burner" is picking up where he left off, with 128 yards on 13 carries (9.8 YPC) and a pair of TDs.

He is clearly a top four pick, with a bump in non-PPR leagues.

James Davis, Cleveland Browns

Davis has been shooting up fantasy draft boards with an amazing preseason.

He has looked great in practices and showed a glimpse of his big play potential with a 81-yard TD run against the lowly Detroit Lions en route to a 12 carry, 116 yard game. 

Through two preseason games, the rookie from Clemson has 121 yards on 14 carries (8.6 YPC) and three receptions.

He has plenty of competition in Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison, but let’s face it: The Browns are bad now and will be bad for a while.

It’s only a matter of time before they start planning for the future, and Jamal Lewis isn’t the future. Harrison is better suited for the change of pace role, meaning Davis could get the bulk of the carries.

Kory Sheets, San Francisco 49ers

Sheets has 102 yards on 22 carries (4.6 YPC), but only has a shot at making the team because of Thomas Clayton’s knee injury. He has no fantasy value.

Mike Bell, New Orleans Saints

Bell is an interesting option. I obviously wouldn’t carry him on my roster as long as Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas were healthy, but he could be productive if one of them went down with an injury.

He has 100 yards on 10 carries (10.0 YPC) this preseason with a 46-yard TD.

Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers

Again, I know it’s only the preseason, but it’s nice to see Grant find the end zone.

He has scored twice while running for 71 yards on 16 carries (4.4 YPC). He has also added a couple of receptions.  If he can score more than the four TDs he had last year, he’ll be one of the best RB2s in fantasy leagues this year.

Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants

Bradshaw appears poised to pick up Derrick Ward’s slack with 89 preseason yards on 11 carries (8.1 YPC) and four catches for 16 yards. He has the burst to break a big play and the soft hands to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.