Fantasy Football: One Running Back to Target in Each Round of Your Draft
Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ADP: 9.06 (RB41)
Similar to the situation in Seattle, the Buccaneers took Ronald Jones early in the draft, and the prevailing thought most of the summer was that the rookie would grab the reins in the backfield. But Peyton Barber, the incumbent veteran, seems to have held off the Jones for the lead gig, at least for now.
Tampa Bay coach Dirk Koetter recently said Barber "is our starter," and it sure seems like Barber is going to get a shot to carve out a meaningful role. Even if Barber ends up playing second fiddle down the line, we can roll the dice here and hope for some decent early-season production, because in this price range, anything resembling significant volume is a precious commodity.
But didn't I just recommend Penny in a very similar situation? Yes. But there are some key differences. Seattle invested a lot in Penny -- remember: he was their only pick in the top 75 -- and Penny's college production checks out a lot better than Jones'. Specifically, Jones failed to do much as a receiver, notching a meager 4.21% reception share last year. He caught 14 passes in his final college season and 32 for his entire college career. That's troublesome.
Plus, Barber was pretty freakin' good last season. Among backs with at least 100 carries in 2017, Barber's 44.44% Success Rate checked in fifth. His Success Rate was miles better than Jacquizz Rodgers' (32.81%) or Doug Martin's (28.26%), both of whom shared the Tampa backfield with him a year ago, so maybe Barber is actually good.
Jones was a second-round pick (38th overall), so the Bucs were clearly pretty into him this spring. He could end up leading this backfield in touches in 2018 when it's all said and done, but Jones' pass-game woes have been an issue in camp, and it appears Barber is going to open the year as the starter.
That alone makes Barber worth a dart throw in the ninth round, and if he holds onto the job deep into the campaign, he will provide massive value.
