Fantasy football 'Do Not Draft' list - Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley are being drafted too high

Even though half of the starting running backs from the NFC East still finished among the top 10 volume scorers in fantasy football last season, fantasy managers near and far had plenty to complain about it when it came to this group of players. So much more was expected from Saquon Barkley (New York Giants), Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys), Antonio Gibson (Washington Commanders) and Miles Sanders (Philadelphia Eagles), and expectations were clearly not met, pretty much across the board.

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Every summer when I write the annual fantasy football «Do Not Draft» list, sure to be misinterpreted by most and based mainly on comparing results from ESPN average live drafts to my own rankings and statistical expectations, I do take a look at the myriad teams I've already drafted to see trends. What I haven't been seeing on 2022 teams are shares of the NFC East running backs, and there's good reason for this. Their individual and collective value feels, well, misinterpreted. Warning signs are everywhere!

Barkley was arguably a bigger fantasy bust last season than Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey because his disheartening underachieving was spaced out over four months and 13 games. Sure, Barkley was awesome as a rookie in 2018 and very good as a follow-up. Then he blew out his knee. Badly. Even acknowledging the dysfunctional mess that was last season's Giants, from coaching to scheme to perhaps especially quarterback, Barkley did not run well, averaging 3.7 YPC, and 32 other running backs averaged more PPR points per game. Barkley lacked speed and elusiveness. Perhaps it all gloriously comes back and he dominates as a receiver from the backfield