Fantasy Football: One Running Back to Target in Each Round of Your Draft
Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots
ADP: 6.01 (RB27)
Two of the better values at the running back position, per our models, are being taken in the sixth round.
Rex Burkhead's ADP is RB27, but we have him as the RB20. And Chris Thompson is being selected as the RB28 (6.06), and he's our RB22.
Let's focus on Burkhead.
Yes, owning a Patriots running back can be frustrating, at times, but there's a lot to like about Burkhead. Once Mike Gillislee fell into the abyss last season, Burkhead became the Pats' goal-line back, and that's an extremely valuable role as New England is tied for the most rushes inside the five-yard line (84) across the last three seasons (hat tip to our JJ Zachariason).
Here's Burkhead's game logs from Week 10 -- when Gillislee drew his first healthy scratch -- through Week 14, which is up until Burkhead's Week 15 injury against the Steelers.
| Game | Carries | Yards | Receptions | Yards | Total Touchdowns | Weekly PPR Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 10 | 10 | 36 | 3 | 27 | 1 | RB11 |
| Week 11 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 21 | 0 | RB37 |
| Week 12 | 13 | 50 | 2 | 3 | 2 | RB7 |
| Week 13 | 12 | 78 | 3 | 25 | 2 | RB3 |
| Week 14 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 45 | 1 | RB16 |
While the weekly volume wasn't huge, the touchdowns helped him post three RB1 (top-12) weeks plus a high-end RB2 (top-24) week over this five-game span. And that was with Dion Lewis seeing 59 combined carries over this stretch, so even if Sony Michel has a significant role this season, Burkhead has proven he can be a fantasy producer in a timeshare.
The Patriots are going to be great on offense -- the second-best unit, per our models -- and Burkhead's role and price make him a great way to get exposure to New England's attack.
