What to do with the Rams RBs in fantasy football 2021

And just like that, Sony Michel is a Los Angeles Ram, throwing a wrench into our preseason fantasy football plans. Michel enters a depth chart with Darrell Henderson as the de facto RB1 with undrafted free agents Xavier Jones and Otis Anderson and seventh-round pick Jake Funk.

With Jones and Funk failing to stand out in a meaningful manner in the preseason and Henderson’s recent thumb injury, the team felt it was prudent to acquire Michel’s services. So how does he factor into this backfield? Is he a threat to Henderson? Let’s find out. 

Sony Michel is not dust

Sony Michel has garnered the venom of fantasy football gamers and dynasty managers for years. The laundry list of injury ailments and lack of pass-game usage has pushed the narrative that he is a plodding slug to the forefront. This is grossly inaccurate. Per FTN Data above, in 2020, among all running backs with 75 or more rushing attempts, he was ninth in yards after contact per attempt (3.3). 

The first hole that many will poke in his ranking here is the tiny sample of carries (79 rushing attempts) last year. While last year’s sample is smaller, this is not the first time we’ve seen Michel as an elusive back in the NFL. In 2018 he was 21st in evaded tackles, eighth in yards created, and sixth in yards created per touch on 209 carries. Yes, in 2019, with 247 carries, he was 21st in evaded tackles, and his yards created dropped to 16th, and he ranked 30th in yards created per touch. Michel has not been the late-career Todd Gurley level tackle breaker that many make him out to be. The bigger question is not can he be effective, but can he stay healthy. With an injury resume that since 2018 includes a quadriceps strain (missed six games), foot sprain, knee strain (missed two games), and knee sprain (missed one game), that’s a fair question to ask.

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Sony Michel is a well-rounded back

Michel can push Henderson for work from the outset both on the ground and through the air. Henderson has been the more elusive rusher since 2019 with 2.93 yards after contact per attempt (Michel, 2.78), but as we discussed earlier, Michel hasn’t been the sloth that he’s made out to be. He should be a hand-in-glove fit for this rushing scheme. Last year, the Rams utilized zone concepts on 61.6% of their runs. Michel was utilized in a gap-heavy scheme in New England, with 60.9% of his runs on these plays. Looking back to his time at Georgia, some of his most successful seasons were in zone heavy run games. He rushed for 8.0 yards per carry in his final collegiate season with 71.9% of his runs on zone scheme plays. From a scheme standpoint, the Rams could be a better fit for Michel.

Michel was trusted in pass protection at a higher rate in New England than Henderson has been in Los Angeles pass-blocking on 23.5% of his snaps (Henderson, 13.5%). In limited duty since 2019, Henderson (30 pass-blocking snaps) has allowed a pressure on 13.3% of his pass-blocking snaps. Despite being a superb pass blocker in limited action to Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown, this is not a role that Sean McVay has entrusted Henderson with. Last season Henderson pass blocked on 13.7% of his snaps versus 14.3% and 19.6% for Akers and Brown. 

Across 52 pass-blocking snaps over the last two seasons, Michel has allowed a pressure on 17.3% of his pass blocking reps. If Michel earns McVay’s trust on passing down snaps, he can carve out the receiving back role. Since 2019 Michel has edged out Henderson as a receiver out of the backfield with 1.18 yards per route run compared to 1.06 for Henderson. 

These two players have been closer in on the field production from an efficiency standpoint than many would like to acknowledge. While Henderson has played well when called upon, Michel has also been solid in all facets of the game. The Rams clearly remember Michel’s 94 rushing yard performance (18 carries, 5.2 yards per carry) in their Super Bowl matchup and feel his skillset will mesh well with Henderson’s. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, who covers the Rams, also had similar feelings regarding this evolving backfield. 

Sony Michel, zero-RB target in fantasy football

Michel’s fantasy football ADP (RB71, 214.6 overall) is sure to rise, with him likely settling into the RB50 range (172 overall) that Xavier Jones had previously occupied. At that draft cost, he is a fantastic pick, and he’s still worth consideration in drafts even if he continues to climb into the handcuff tier of Alexander Mattison (RB46, 150.0 overall) and Damien Williams (RB47, 161.3 overall). Michel is a good fit for this offense, and your best ball builds. He can be easily snagged to fit any hero or zero running back team construction. Michel could take over as the passing down back in short order while also stealing early down work from Henderson. Unless Henderson’s ADP (RB19, 42.3 overall) starts to fall considerably with this news, I’ll continue to snag wide receivers in that range and snag Michel later.