Fantasy Football: 5 Undervalued Running Backs to Target

Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

ADP: 9.01 (RB41)

This really isn't meant to be an overreaction to the news that rookie running back Ronald Jones has been struggling to adapt to the NFL, but rather to point out that Peyton Barber is probably a more capable NFL rusher than public perception (i.e. his average draft cost) indicates.

In 2017, Barber ran 108 times for 423 yards and 3 touchdowns, a 3.92 yards per carry clip (for what that's worth). While that's not great, teammate Doug Martin ran 138 times for 406 yards (2.94 yards per carry).

In terms of our Rushing Success Rate, Barber increased expected scoring on 44.44% of his carries. His teammates in Tampa Bay did so on just 30.63% of their carries. That's a massive gap.

Excluding fumbles, Barber added 0.10 Rushing Net Expected Points per carry in 2017, while his teammates lost 0.06. Both his per-carry expected points and Success Rate differentials were top-five marks among backs with at least 50 carries. Barber straight up got it done on the ground compared to his teammates last season.

His 14 targets from Weeks 13 through 17 accounted for just 8% of the Bucs' targets in that span, but with Jones' pass-catching woes and a knee injury to Charles Sims already, Barber should spend the first portion of the season as a workhorse back. That's a good deal for a ninth-round pick.