Outlook: Taylor has put himself squarely in the middle of the No.1 overall pick discussion in all leagues and all formats. His stellar 2021 campaign dwarfed his already impressive rookie numbers of a year earlier. Last year he led the NFL in rushing with 1811 yards, which came on a league-high 332 carries for a 5.5-yard average and 18 touchdowns. He posted ten 100-yard rushing games, averaging 106.5 ground yards per game, and if that wasn't enough, he added 40 catches for 360 yards and two more scores.

He's a legitimate dual threat back who can break tackles, but still possesses the speed to gain the edge on outside zone runs. While opposing defenses are sure to stack the box against this run-first attack, having Matt Ryan in the backfield with him will be much more of a benefit than Carson Wentz was. Teams will likely make Ryan prove he can still make all the throws early on. But with his accuracy and an improved receiving corps in an offense that fits his skill set, defenses will be forced to honor his passing ability, which will keep things honest for Taylor.

Nyheim Hines may return to a bigger receiving role this year, but Taylor will still be part of the aerial attack, will still be a prime red zone threat, and in my opinion, is poised to obliterate the 2,000-yard rushing mark. If you have the No.1 pick in your draft, run, don't walk, to get the card in.

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Outlook: Fournette has a nose for the end zone, finding pay dirt 10 times last season, and his chemistry with Tom Brady has made him a critical part of the passing attack. He hauled in 69 passes for 454 yards (both the 2nd highest totals of his career) in 2021. But he is not a volume runner, ranking just 21st in attempts (180) and 19th in rushing yards (812) a season ago. Still, he did take on a larger role in the offense last season after his strong playoff run in 2020, and that doesn't figure to change this year, especially with the departure of Ronald Jones in the offseason.

However, fantasy owners should take note of the arrival of 3rd-round pick Rachaad White, who comes to the table with a similar skill set to Fournette, impressive size and athleticism, and a publicly stated itch to start. Fournette will begin the season as the bonafide starter. With OC Byron Leftwich and Brady both back, the system will remain largely the same, and Brady likes him. But if he struggles with conditioning, drops, or injuries, which have all ailed him in the past, he could yield significant touches by the end of the season. He's still a low-end RB1 option, but keep an eye on how things progress early in the season.

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Outlook: A year ago, the backfield tandem of Williams and Gordon logged a perfect 50/50 split on the ground with each player running the ball 203 times. The veteran was nominally more effective, outgaining the then-rookie 918 to 903, though Williams posted a superior receiving line (43-316-3) to finish ahead of Gordon in total yards. Expect things to start skewing in favor of Williams in 2022 as the second-year pro has far less mileage and proved very difficult to bring down last year.

Once again, we return to Hackett's experience in Green Bay where head coach Matt LaFleur used a two-pronged attack with Aaron Jones in the lead role and Jamaal Williams/AJ Dillon as the complementary back. To that end, over the last three seasons Jones tallied 756 touches versus 517 for the combo of Williams (2019-20) and Dillon (2021) -- that gives Jones a roughly 60/40 split, though bear in mind that Jones missed four games during that stretch, so 65/35 is probably more accurate.

Look for Williams to get the Jones share of the touches in 2022 with Gordon, who was re-signed to just a one-year, $2.5 million deal in the offseason, filling that secondary slot. It's probably a little aggressive to project Williams as an RB1, but that could be his ceiling. For now, he's a solid RB2.

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Outlook: Plucked off the scrap heap before last season on a one-year, prove-it deal, Conner went from designated short-yardage/goal-line back to primary ballcarrier when Chase Edmonds got hurt. He handled the role admirably, finishing second to Jonathan Taylor (18) in rushing TDs (15), and was rewarded with a new three-year deal that cements his status as the lead back in Arizona.

For all that, there are still significant questions about Conner's ability to hold up as a bell cow over an entire season -- after five NFL campaigns he's still never appeared in every game in a season and has missed a combined 16 games during that stretch -- as well as a lack of explosiveness. Conner managed just 3.7 yards per carry last year, and he finished below 4.0 in five of his final six games, so his style is more about wearing you down than delivering big plays.

One thing working in Conner's favor is the depth chart, which is light on proven commodities or threats to usurp his touches from week to week. He's a capable receiver as well, which allows him to stay on the field regardless of down and distance. Conner has the whiff of a midrange or low-end RB2, though he carries significant injury risk.

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