3 Running Backs That Could Join the 2,000-Yard Club This Season

Three NFL players have rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season since 2000. The most recent was Adrian Peterson in 2012, then Chris Johnson in 2009 and Jamal Lewis in 2003. They join four other backs in the highly exclusive 2,000-yard club.

As pointed out by Reddit user The_Throwback_King, Peterson bucked the trend, but Lewis and Johnson joined Eric Dickerson as the three of the seven backs to join the club at 24 years old.

There could be something to this trend, too. The running back position is a notoriously brutal one, and players quickly start to deteriorate with big workloads.

At 24, most RBs are old enough to have some NFL experience, but still young enough to be fresh. The running back position is loaded with young talent this year, and there are three 24-year-old backs that could join this illustrious group this season.

3. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

Alvin Kamara is the biggest long-shot on this list, getting a huge share of his work in the passing game with only 314 carries over his first two NFL seasons. His elite efficiency gives us reason to be excited though. Since he came into the league he's one of 26 backs with at least 300 carries, and he's averaged 0.32 yards per carry more than anyone else in the group. With Mark Ingram out of town, an increase in volume could lift Kamara to a career-high rushing total.

2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Dalvin Cook will turn 24 on August 10 – just in time to join the club. He hasn't stayed healthy for a full 16-game season yet, but when he has played he's looked great. The Vikings gave him 61 carries across his three full games as a rookie, and last year he hit double-digits in nine of his 10 games. He's in line for a bell cow role in 2019, and if he can remain efficient, we can expect big things from him.

1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

If Ezekiel Elliott ends his holdout, he has a real shot at joining the 2,000-yard club. However, if he signs a fat new contract, Dallas could try to monitor his workload some, but he has led the league in rush attempts in two of his three NFL seasons, so I wouldn't be too concerned. He also has the most rushing yards in the league (4,048) during that span, so we know he's capable of turning that volume into big yardage.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.