Best ball leagues have kicked off for 2020, meaning it’s a perfect time to cover some late-round RB targets. If you haven’t played best ball before, then have a look at our other articles that can give you more of a footing, and has more of this series.
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Best ball is perfect for late round flyers, as there are no lineup issues- your best lineup is selected for you automatically. Because of that, if these guys only put up numbers for a week or two you get the full benefit of those boom weeks.
For the purposes of this article, we are only considering players outside of the top 100 players that are being selected. Rookies are also excluded, as their ADPs are still catching up.
2020 Best Ball Late Round Targets: RB High-Upside Handcuffs
Injuries happen in the league, which gives the opportunity for players to step up and shine. Some of these players are already going to be involved in some goal-line plays, meaning some value straight out of the gate.
Latavius Murray (ADP 114)
Murray stepped in for New Orleans when Alvin Kamara missed time through injury (albeit only two games). In those two games the team faced the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals. More importantly, he managed to record 307 scrimmage yards, 14 receptions and score four times. If Kamara misses time, he could win your league.
Tony Pollard (ADP 137)
Pollard was able to show what he is capable of in bursts last season. There were two games in particular where he was highly effective. Pollard could be more involved in the offense week to week as the team could reduce Elliott’s workload to protect him. If Elliott were to suffer an injury? Pollard becomes a great add.
Alexander Mattison (ADP 127)
I don’t normally project injuries onto players, but it is extremely difficult to not do that to Dalvin Cook. Cook is yet to play a full season in his NFL career, meaning that the backup will likely see some action. Mattison has shown he can run effectively, given the chance. If Cook misses time Mattison will be an immediate value.
2020 Best Ball Late Round Targets: RB Goal Line Threats & Pass Catchers
This late in drafts, there are also some goal linte threats and pass catching players that can have value. They are just inconsistent, but you can afford that volatility in best ball formats.
Tarik Cohen (ADP 105)
Cohen was one of the first names I thought of when I saw his ADP. It was likely that Cohen was going to regress from his 2018 season, but the fall was massive. However, despite the struggles of the entire Chicago offense, Cohen still had a decent floor as a pass-catcher. New QB Nick Foles should provide stability to the offense, and plenty of receptions (and big games) for Cohen.
Matt Breida (ADP 125)
A lot of people are expecting the team to use Jordan Howard as the starting running back (myself included) but I think it’s safe to say he isn’t a pass catcher. The team acquired Breida to do exactly that in this offense. Breida has had health concerns, but when he has been on the field he has been effective.
Chris Thompson (ADP 227)
It could be that Thompson’s ADP hasn’t caught up to him signing in Jacksonville. But truly, it’s unlikely to rise too much. The team have their lead-back (at least for early downs) in Leonard Fournette, but Thompson knows this offense. As a pass-catcher in Washington we saw plenty of big games, something that could easily translate into this season.
Any RB late-round best-ball targets we missed? Let us know what you think by reaching out to us on our social channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Image Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
