10 PPR Running Backs to Target in Your 2017 Fantasy Football Draft
Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns
Standard Running Back Rank: 41
PPR Running Back Rank: 34
Average Draft Position (PPR): 9.12 (RB44)
Duke Johnson has hauled in more than 50 passes each of his two seasons in Cleveland on 74 targets each year. We've already discussed why the Browns' offense is one you should be investing in for 2017, and Johnson enjoyed a 13.05% market share in the team's passing game last year.
His counterpart in the Cleveland backfield, Isaiah Crowell, is the one getting all the hype this summer -- rightfully so: our projections put Crowell 20 spots ahead of Johnson in preseason PPR rankings -- but if Johnson sees a similar workload from last season to this one, he'll be a PPR steal. Of the 11 running backs who saw at least 60 targets in 2016, Johnson finished fourth in Reception NEP per target.
We project Duke to finish with 47.65 receptions and 143.40 fantasy points in 2017. That doesn't make him a superstar by any means, but for a guy going at RB44, he's a much better value two rounds later than, say, Derrick Henry in PPR leagues.
