3 Must-Own Rookie Running Backs With Massive Upside in Fantasy Football

Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers

Whereas Sankey saw a lot of early hype and has cooled off, Carlos Hyde was an 11th round fantasy football pick after the NFL draft in May, with his ADP now rising all the way into the 8th round. Hyde's ADP has climbed as he's made his way up the Niners' depth chart. Kendall Hunter and Marcus Lattimore, both players who were initially thought to be ahead of Hyde, have had issues with injuries. Hunter was placed on injured reserve and subsequently waived due to an ACL tear, and Lattimore still has no timetable to return from his gruesome leg injury from two years ago, opening the door for a much larger role for Hyde.

The former Buckeye hasn't only shot up San Francisco's depth chart, but he's impressed while doing so. Hyde was highly touted throughout 49ers training camp, and then backed up the hype by rushing for an outstanding 5.6 yards per carry this preseason. Now, the only man Hyde is fighting for carries with is Frank Gore, a 31-year-old running back with more than 2,000 career carries.

It's not just that Gore has been through a lot of wear and tear, but he wasn't particularly impressive runner last season, much of the reason why the Niners spent a second-round pick on Hyde. Gore posted a -17.29 Rushing NEP last season which ranked 37th out of 47 players with at least 100 carries, and he did so while running behind one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league. In fact, other than a resurgent 2012 where he amassed a 12.00 Rushing NEP, Gore hasn't had a positive Rushing NEP since his rookie season in 2005.

For years, fantasy owners have worried that this might be the year that Gore breaks down. Considering how impressive Hyde has been and how frequently the 49ers run the ball - they had the third-most rushing attempts of any team in the NFL last season at 505 - the Niners rookie should have value whether or not this is the year that Gore hits the preverbal wall. But if this is the year, Hyde has championship-caliber upside.