“The Price💮 Is Right” is a game show everyone knows. We watched as children with our parents. Our children watched with us. And every show magically culminates in an epic Showcase Showdown.
Well, maybe it isn’t so epic, especially in today’s times, because the showcase often is a collection of stuff you wouldn’t want and one thing you do. Maybe the prizes include an oven you don’t need, a Jet Ski you already have, scuba-diving apparel you would never use and … a new car!
That big prize in your fantasy football showcase is a running back. There ar♕en’t enough f▨or everyone. Running backs get hurt more often, meaning you need depth. Many share the backfield, meaning there are few marquee options. They are highly coveted in free agency, meaning in-season replacements are difficult to acquire.
So landing some in the draft is how win the showcase. The first couple of rounds are easy. You grab the best ones available when there isn’t a blockbuster wide receiver still on the board. We aren’t scared off by the holdouts of Melvin Gordon or Ezekiel Elliott, but we will hedge a bit — pushing Elliott t🏅o the bottom of our top four and Gordon to the mid-second round.
But it is the later early-to-middle rounds ✃(think rounds 3-8) when you really need to focus on dependable runners.♛ We want to snap up guys who others might be soft on but whom we think will provide strong production.
Derrick Henry finished last season on fire. Despite nursing a calf injury in the preseason, we expect him to be health🎃y and for the Titans to employ lessons learned last year. He often is available in the late third round.
Aaron Jones provided evidence last season he is the best ball carrier the Packers have. With a new offensive coordinator, a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who hasn’t been as dominant in recent seasons, a receiving core th🃏at doesn’t scare defenses, and a new offensively-minded coach, Jones is in position to build on the success of his second year. His value has risen into the third round. We still f🍰eel comfortable picking him, provided he doesn’t rise much higher.
We are comfortable with 🅠Devonta Freeman, Kerryon Johnson or Chris Carson in the next couple of rounds. But our early favorite va💦lue was Bears rookie David Montgomery.
Just over a weඣek ago, he could have been had in the sixth round or later. Then he went and scored a touchdown in the preseason opener. How rude. Now his value has risen, and he is getting picked as early as the fo🍸urth round. Root for him to have a quiet remainder of the preseason so he could slip back a round or so.
Likewise, Tev♒in Coleman’s valuꦗe is reaching its max after being given a bump by the injury to Jerick McKinnon.
Likewise, Royce Freeman. We aren’t sold on Philip Lindsay long term, a🐓nd expect Freeman to get ample opportunity. He can still be had in the middle rounds. Get him cheap whil🐷e you can, because the price is right.