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In Chris Ballard’s second draft as the Colts’ GM, he built upon his year one strategy by hitting the offensive and defensive lines hard in the first few rounds, waiting until the fourth round to select offensive skill position players.

Nyheim Hines popped at the combine, coming in as the fastest RB in the entire class by logging a 4.38 40-yard dash time. That kind of breakneck speed manifested itself in four touchdown runs of 50-plus yards in 2017.

Now that the 2018 NFL Rookie Draft is officially over, it is time cue the Bee Gee’s Stayin’ Alive as we look at six running backs who have escaped a potential fantasy hit because their team failed to draft any immediate competition. Jordan Howard and Jay Ajayi may not be considered the sexiest running back picks, but they should get the job done at a discount price.

In the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers showed the world that they meant business. One of the biggest moves was acquiring running back free agent Jerick McKinnon and paying him big money. McKinnon is the most athletic running backs in the history of PlayerProfiler, with his best comparable player being Hall of Famer, LaDainian Tomlison.

Drafting DeShaun Watson in the second round may be tempting after how he played last year, but it’s a mistake. Better to pick up Alex Smith off the waiver wire or simply draft “Mr. Set It and Forget It” Phillip Rivers.

Tyrell Williams is only entering his fourth season. In his 2nd NFL season, he was able to eclipse 1000 receiving yards. Then, in what many would deem as a down year in 2017, he made up for counting stats with efficiency.

D.J. Moore is not only the best WR prospect of his class, he is one of the best of the past decade and a half. His insane combination of final year market share, breakout age, and NFL Draft Scout ranking gives him a fantastic projection in my WR prospect model.

If DJ Moore is off the board, Courtland Sutton is the logical next choice. Sutton is the signature split end/X-receiver prototype of this draft class and is one only a handful of first-round graded prospects in a weak wide receiver class. His college dominance and size-adjusted athleticism suggest his upside is almost uncapped.

Advanced stats and metrics show that Josh Allen should not be considered in the first round of the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, an analytics-based prospect evaluation process pinpoints Harold Landry as a top value on draft day.

Despite Ozzie Newsome’s affinity for Alabama players, the Ravens should pass on Calvin Ridley and select D.J. Moore. Despite playing with eight different quarterbacks in college, Moore still achieved absurd production, finishing his final college season with a 53.3-percent (97th-percentile) College Dominator Rating.

With the 2018 NFL Draft around the corner, it is time to look at a running back that isn’t even on the radar. He is New Mexico State’s Larry Rose III. He’s the sneakiest of all sleepers because he has the pedigree, the production, and the athleticism. At his Pro Day, he ran a 4.47 40-Yard Dash which puts him in the 86th-percentile. His 121.4 Burst Score places him in the 67th-percentile.

For his entire football career, Rose III has taken the road less travelled. He might be the most misunderstood and unappreciated running back coming into this draft. His story needs to be known and his name needs to be recognized. I had the pleasure and privilege to interview Larry Rose III. Not only is he a great running back, but he is also an impressive human being.

Jordy Nelson’s fantasy football collapse after week 6 was one of the most underreported stories of 2017. Nelson was unusable from that point on, with a single top-48 fantasy performance over his final nine games.

There is enough information hidden in the metrics to suggest that Nelson’s poor 2017 was more a product of Brett Hundley’s awful performance under center than it was of Nelson losing a step.

Combining his junior and senior seasons at South Dakota State, Goedert played 27 games, caught 164 passes for 2,404 yards.  His production lapped the field as he averaged 6.1 receptions per game and an incredible 18 total touchdowns.

Dallas Goedert has been flying under-the-radar, because he is part of rather lackluster tight end class. Most fantasy analysts have him going first or second in this year’s draft, along with Mike Gesicki.

The popular consensus is that to get Calvin Ridley, you’ll have to pull the trigger in the first round, but a similar player to Ridley will still be there when rounds three and four come around. His name is DaeSean Hamilton.

Both Ridley and Hamilton have three years of dominant production on their college résumés, and at age-23, have logged the requisite hours playing to position to become the NFL Draft’s signature route-running technicians. 

To put Ito Smith’s production in perspective, consider how much his college resume resembles that of this year’s rookie running back phenom, Saquon Barkley. Both were prolific runners and hungry pass catchers.

As a big fish playing in a little pond, Smith was nothing less than Barkley-esque during his time at Southern Miss. He is worth grabbing in all fantasy formats, as he is ready to make an immediate NFL impact.