The 5 Best Rookie Running Back Seasons Over the Last Decade
2. David Johnson, 2015
Among the general public who played fantasy football in 2015, David Johnson was a relative unknown going at the average draft position of 47th among running backs. If you were lucky enough to heed our advice at this time last season, you would have picked up DJ at the end of your drafts and prospered greatly.
Johnson started off slowly because he was inexplicably given a lack of playing time even though he exhibited some moments of excellence. He caught a 55-yard touchdown in Week 1 and returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown in Week 2.
He rushed for only 139 yards over the team's first 11 games because of the lack of touches while being stuck behind Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson. Most of his fantasy football owners (including me) dropped him mid-season to pick up a replacement.
Chris Johnson and Ellington were both injured in Week 11, and it was quickly showtime for David Johnson, who rattled off four straight games of 100 total yards or more. Although his touches were limited for the first half of the season, his elite efficiency is what landed him at number two on our list.
| Player | Rushing NEP | Rank | Rushing NEP/P | Reception NEP | Rank | Reception NEP/Target | Total NEP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Johnson | 18.41 | 2nd | 0.15 | 42.46 | 3rd | 0.74 | 60.87 | 1st |
His Total NEP topped all running backs in 2015, which made his lack of playing time even more absurd. The top pick among running backs is a bit of a toss-up between players like Johnson, Peterson, Todd Gurley, and Jamaal Charles. Johnson is worthy of the top pick at running back, and we actually covered this idea back in February.
