Who should be the No. 1 pick in fantasy football next year? Though the days of going RB-RB with your first two draft picks are generally over, there are still some deserving candidates at the position for the top overall spot.
Adrian Peterson led the league in rushing this year, but will be 31 next season and coming off his sixth year of 300-plus carries. Is that too much of a risk for you at No. 1? It is for me. Devonta Freeman broke out in a big way for the Atlanta Falcons, but wore down over the second half of the season. Will he be able to repeat his 14 total touchdown performance? It's unlikely.
The other two worthy candidates are Le'Veon Bell and Todd Gurley, both of whom come with their own set of question marks. But, for what it's worth, ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Mike Clay has Bell ranked as the top option with Gurley coming in as a close second.
"Although a hitch in his recovery from a torn MCL could eventually change my mind, I didn't hesitate for a second before placing Le'Veon Bell at the top of this list," Clay wrote. "Bell is only 23 years old, one of the league's best talents at the position, a three-down workhorse and operates in a high-scoring offense. Assuming St. Louis can improve at least slightly at the quarterback position, Todd Gurley should have no trouble generating more scoring opportunities. That's all he'll need to live up to what should be an average draft position in the Top 5."
Bell ran for 556 yards and three touchdowns while catching 24 passes for 136 yards in six games this year. One of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL, he should be right around 2,000 total yards from scrimmage next season if healthy.
Gurley, despite the poor play from under center that Clay mentioned, carried the ball 229 times for 1,106 yards (4.8 YPC) and 10 touchdowns in only 13 games. He also caught 21 passes for 188 yards. If The Rams passing attack can take some pressure off him, he could easily exceed those totals in 2016.
