The rookie RB class of 2018 could be summed up in two words: Saquon Barkley. Everyone was waiting to see how he would fare in the NFL, and he did not disappoint. Along the way, you had other RBs that did well in fantasy leagues, most notably Nick Chubb, Philip Lindsey and Sony Michel. There were others that did not fare as well and fell short of rookie expectations. We will take a look at some of these second-year players, and try to determine which will be able to bounce back in 2019.
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Royce Freeman, BroncosÂ
Royce Freeman exploded in the preseason last year and everyone pretty much pronounced him a league-winner in August, but he disappointed pretty big time throughout the regular season. This led to the quality fantasy season by fellow rookie RB Phillip Lindsey. The problem with Lindsey’s rookie season is that he dropped off toward the end of the year. In Weeks 14-16, Lindsay carried the ball 38 times for 100 yards, which really isn’t that good for a starting back during the fantasy playoffs. As a bigger back, Freeman has the chance to carve out a role going into this year, to take some of the load off Lindsey. Another positive for the potential of Freeman is that Lindsey is coming off a bad injury, and he should be able to take snaps as the starter going into minicamps. A good showing in those camps and the preseason will determine how much the coaches trust him to be able to make an impact this year. At his current ADP, he is a bargain and worth a bench stash.
 Jaylen Samuels, SteelersÂ
If you hadn’t heard by now, the Steelers lost their #1 offensive weapon this offseason after Antonio Brown was shipped to Oakland. That is a lot of targets left behind, and JuJu Smith-Schuster won’t be able to take them all. Enter RB Jaylen Samuels. Jaylen Samuels is a passing-down weapon, and he could be counted on to pick up the slack in the Steelers passing game. At the end of last season, starter James Conner was dealing with injuries and Samuels stepped up in a big way. He finished the year with 26 receptions on 29 targets, an almost 90% catch rate. This was despite playing only 20% of the snaps. If he can see a bump in usage, he can be an asset in PPR leagues going into 2019.
Ito Smith, Falcons
Smith wasn’t supposed to get on the field in 2018, as he was sitting behind established backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. That all changed with Freeman suffering a major injury. Smith was thrust into the #2 RB role in the Falcons offense. He did not look like a game-breaking back when he found the field last year. He averaged a paltry 3.5 yards per carry and a meager 5.6 yards per reception. This year, with Coleman gone to San Francisco, Smith has another chance to establish himself as fantasy relevant. His combination of power and shiftiness should serve him well, and a full offseason with a clear role with starter potential should make him a target for you in the bottom half of your drafts.
Ronald Jones II, Buccaneers
Oh, RoJo. After being a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, he got all of 23 carries last year and totaled 77 yards from scrimmage. He burned quite a few fantasy players with visions of being the RB in a high powered fantasy offense in Tampa. Despite his failures, the Buccaneers made no meaningful changes at the running back position this offseason, meaning Jones and Peyton Barber are the top-two options on the team. Jones is still the same talented second-round pick from USC. The change in offense with the hiring of new Head Coach Bruce Arians may be the key to unlock his tremendous potential. At his current ADP, I’m buying up as many shares as I can find, and hoping for a trend upwards in fantasy production.
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