{"id":21640,"date":"2020-07-21T10:58:03","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T14:58:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharpfootballanalysis.com\/?p=21640"},"modified":"2020-08-13T00:15:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T04:15:37","slug":"running-back-red-zone-reliance-leonard-fournette-saquon-barkley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharpfootballanalysis.com\/fantasy\/running-back-red-zone-reliance-leonard-fournette-saquon-barkley\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football: Running Back Red Zone Reliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have been spending some time in the red zone lately. First, we covered <\/span>what we can take away from team-level production in the red zone<\/span><\/a>. Following that up, we covered the actual fantasy scoring compared to expected points scored in the red zone for <\/span>quarterbacks<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>running backs<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>wide receivers,<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>tight ends<\/span><\/a>. With one final dive into red zone production, we have started to explore which players rely on the red zone the most and the least to produce their touchdowns. <\/span>Yesterday, we touched on the quarterbacks<\/span><\/a>. Today, we are hitting the running backs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, we can get a good gauge on which players are not solely reliant on their respective teams reaching one section of the field regularly and those who do. The added bonus gained is if you are in a league that rewards fantasy points based on touchdown length.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rushing scores are largely predicated on a team getting close to the goal line. Over the past 10 NFL seasons, 85.9% of all rushing touchdowns have occurred from inside of the red zone, 73.5% from inside of the 10-yard line, 61.9% from five yards and in and 43.6% from just the 1- and 2-yard lines.<\/span><\/p>\n

So with well over half of all rushing touchdowns coming solely from five yards and in and nearly half solely coming from two yards or closer, we are using those as our arbitrary landmarks here even and will touch on a few of the backs that do possess that unique ability to live on longer runs for their scores as well. For our player sample, we are using the top-30 non-rookies in current ADP for fantasy.<\/span><\/p>\n