Fantasy football roundtable: Running back edition

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the running back position going into the 2016 NFL fantasy draft season, courtesy theScore's team of fantasy experts (▲: player is trending upward; ▼: player is trending downward):

How will Ezekiel Elliott fare as a rookie?

Potter: In the past decade, six running backs, Elliott included, have been top-10 picks in the NFL draft: Adrian Peterson (an eventual Hall-of-Famer), Darren McFadden and C.J. Spiller (neither fantasy-relevant until their third seasons), Trent Richardson (surprisingly good first season, then awful), and Todd Gurley. Elite pedigree and post-draft hype alone don't ensure results.

Wilson: It's dangerous to put too much faith in the hands of a rookie, and some detractors may suggest the hype is connected to a fear of missing out. But RB is a young man's position. Neither Todd Gurley nor Le'Veon Bell stumbled in their rookie seasons and both are still relatively early in their careers. With what seems to be an elite O-Line, he will be a top-5 rusher.

Wegman: Running back is the easiest position on offense for a rookie. While defenses are better and blocking assignments can be more complex, the premise is still simple: be patient, follow your blockers, hit your holes and do you what do in the open field. With the NFL's best O-Line in front of him and Tony Romo under center, Gurley's 2015 numbers should be Elliott's floor.

Ghatak: Elliot should fare well considering the offensive line in front of him and the heavy workload he's expected to get. However, Dallas will also be careful to juggle his workload while maintaining his health and long term career. Expect a Gurley-like 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season with the upside of 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Does Adrian Peterson have one more good season left?

Potter: If Purple Jesus is on the board at the end of first round, I'm taking him over Elliott in redraft leagues. Can we really expect him to perform up to his first-round status? It's not a lock, but I don't see signs of an impending drop-off quite yet. Give him another go. Barring injury, his baseline is 1,200 total yards and close to 10 TDs; his upside is obviously much higher.

Wilson: Maybe, but it's only a matter of time before things get really dicey. He defied the odds in 2015 since, on average, even the best running backs start serious declines after 30. But, if he's healthy, and he appears to be, he could pull a Walter Payton and still be an impact player through his age-32 season. Anything beyond that is almost uncharted territory.

Wegman: Another year under center for Teddy Bridgewater and the addition of wideout Laquon Treadwell will hopefully lead to fewer eight-man boxes for AP. If anything, the offense will certainly be more diverse, but Peterson is still the focal point. The guy is still a beast and showed no signs of slowing down last year. Is he still a top-5 back? Am I still taking him in round 1? All Day.

Ghatak: Peterson has more than just one. Last season, he led the league in attempts (327), yards (1,485), and touchdowns (11). After being forced to take a year off, he is likely healthier than some expect at age 31. For whatever reason, people continue to undervalue him as they did last year. He is a slam dunk first-round pick this year as he has been nearly every year of his career.

What is the best plan of attack for addressing the position in standard 10- or 12-team leagues?

Potter: If your RB cannot catch passes, he's not going to see the field when his team is down in the second half; ask Alfred Morris. Prioritize players with proven catching ability out of the backfield - especially in PPR leagues. You can still draft an all-around stud in the early rounds but dynamic pass-catching ability can turn a late pick like Dion Lewis into fantasy gold.

Wilson: If you're drafting in the top two positions, you're taking Antonio Brown and Julio Jones, so you're waiting on a running back by default. Past that, go contrarian and snag the best running backs you can get. There will be plenty of value at WR later on, but if you can hold down the RB fort, there will be some wiggle room when there's a league-wide rush later in the draft.

Wegman: While the NFL is clearly a pass-first league, it is crucial to not undervalue RBs. If you can't snag a couple of the top 10 backs early on, draft them in quantity. Handcuffing multiple backups on your bench can lead to outstanding trade leverage later in the season if you're willing to be patient.

Ghatak: If you're drafting in the top two positions, don't think you have to take Brown or Jones. Securing a top option like Gurley, Bell, or the ever-consistent Peterson is worth considering. As well, going RB-RB in Rounds 1 and 2 remains a sound strategy if you can snag a combo like Peterson and Martin or Miller and Elliott.

What is your bold RB prediction for 2016?

Potter: There won't be a single running back with 1,000 yards rushing that doesn't augment that production with at least 20 receptions. Offenses have to keep the defense guessing, and that doesn't work if one of the playmakers is either taking a handoff or out of the play entirely. I can't stress enough how important catching ability is in a modern running back.

Wilson: The top fantasy running back will be drafted outside the top 10. Freeman didn't have the starting gig in Week 1 last season, and immediately broke out once Tevin Coleman was injured, finishing as the top fantasy scorer at his position despite being drafted as the 39th running back off the board. The same could easily happen in 2016.

Wegman: C.J. Anderson will be the top scoring RB. Hype like this was similar a year ago, but he disappointed. He was terrible in the first-half, but excelled once HC Gary Kubiak was able to run his offense when Peyton Manning went down. With a full year under his belt learning the most RB-friendly scheme in the NFL, Anderson, a bowling-ball three-down back, will excel.

Ghatak: Peterson will be the top RB/WR in overall fantasy points come season's end. With Brown likely to lose touches to Bell and Freeman having just one productive season to his name, Peterson's competition from last year isn't that far ahead of the veteran, who, excluding 2014, has finished as a top 10 non-QB fantasy player every season of his career.