5 Running Backs Who Drastically Outperformed Their Teammates in 2016

Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens

The alternative title to this piece was, "Reasons to foam at the mouth for Kenneth Dixon," but that's not quite as catchy. Still, this dude's rookie campaign should get your loins all tingly for what's to come.

Dixon finished the regular season ranked third in Rushing NEP per carry and fifth in Success Rate (the percentage of plays that result in positive NEP) out of 54 running backs with at least 80 carries. From an efficiency standpoint, he was one of the best backs in the entire league when he got opportunities. Terrance West was not.

In those two aforementioned categories, West was 38th and 40th, respectively, among this same sample. The team gave him 11 carries on 3rd or 4th down with two or fewer yards to pick up the first, and six of those were successful for West. All nine of Dixon's carries were successful in those situations. This was an all-out domination by the rookie.

The added bonus of Dixon is he's involved in the passing game, making him less risky on a team like the Baltimore Ravens, who don't exactly have an elite quarterback. Dixon had seven targets in two separate games this year, and he had at least four in five of the final eight games. This boosts his floor and helps Dixon remain viable even if West is still involved.

Dixon's upside is a bit limited if the team keeps West for goal-line duty as it will cap his touchdown ceiling. However, even with that, Dixon's superiority in the overall rushing game should net him more carries in 2017, and when you toss in his role through the air, this is a guy we'll likely want to snag next year.