Why are pass-catching Running Backs so valuable?

It is constantly talked about. You will hear lots of podcasts and read lots of articles talking about the importance of whether a Running Back can catch passes in their offense. Why does that matter? What does that mean? I am going to explain the reasoning behind why pass-catching Running Backs are so valuable for Fantasy Football.

Pass-catching floor

The first thing to know is what the term “floor” means. A “floor” in fantasy football refers to the consistent number of points that a player can put up for you every week. You are trying to win every week to get you into your leagues fantasy playoffs. Having a consistent “floor” of points is very helpful, as Running Backs can often be very “boom or bust”.

An example of a pass-catching Running Back is 2021 Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson had 548 receiving yards on 52 catches and 618 rushing yards on 153 rushing attempts. He had almost the same amount of receiving yards, as he had rushing yards.

Many fantasy football leagues play in a PPR format, meaning Point-Per-Reception. This is one of the reasons that pass-catching Running Backs can be so valuable. These RBs can be so valuable, as they are less Touchdown reliant than other Running backs. A great example is Christian McCaffrey, as in week one last season he had twenty-one carries, with nine receptions for 187 total yards and zero touchdowns, finishing as RB1. He is an amazing Running Back on a mediocre NFL team who can win fantasy weeks without relying on TDs.

Touchdowns

Touchdowns are a super impactful part of fantasy football, but they also happen to be super unreliable. TDs can take a player that’s performing poorly into fantasy relevance, just by getting one. They can also take a good player and give them a great fantasy week. Occasionally there will be players that can put up large point totals purely on yardage, attempts or catches. However, Touchdowns are important to scoring enough points to win your fantasy week. Touchdowns for Running Backs on bad offenses will be few and far between. Receptions can fill that void and keep some Running Backs at the top of fantasy even without the TDs.

Bonuses

Bonuses are a part of fantasy football scoring designed to reward the top players in their position for having exceptional performances. For Running Backs, bonuses are rare week to week. It is generally set at 100 rushing yards per game. In 2021, I calculated the average to be 5.5 Running Backs hitting that number. You can’t predict who is going to be getting those, even Jonathan Taylor only got the bonus just over 50% of the time.

Hopefully you now know why pass-catching Running Backs are so valuable for Fantasy Football.

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