As we gear up to the start of the NFL season, Football Absurdity is going to bring you a comprehensive breakdown of every notable player that will be available in fantasy football drafts. Sophomore running back Miles Sanders had a torrid finish to 2019, which vaulted him up 2020 draft boards. Is he worth the second-round pick in your 2020 fantasy football drafts?
Miles Sanders ADP and AAV:
Standard Scoring ADP: RB11, 22 overall
PPR Scoring ADP: RB13, 25 overall
Average Auction Value: $35
Miles Sanders Statistics:
| Year | 2019 |
| G | 16 |
| GS | 11 |
| Ru Att | 179 |
| Ru Yds | 818 |
| Ru TD | 3 |
| Tgt | 63 |
| Rec | 50 |
| Yards | 509 |
| TD | 3 |
| Touches | 229 |
| Opp | 242 |
| Total Yards | 1327 |
| Year | 2019 |
| YPC | 4.57 |
| Ru Att/G | 11.2 |
| Ru Yd/G | 51.1 |
| Tgt/G | 3.94 |
| Rec/G | 3.13 |
| Catch% | 79.4% |
| Yds/Tgt | 8.08 |
| Yds/Rec | 10.18 |
| Touches/G | 14.31 |
| Opp/G | 15.13 |
| Yds/G | 82.94 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Std Pts | 168.7 |
| HPPR Pts | 193.7 |
| PPR Pts | 218.7 |
| Pts/G | 10.54 |
| HPPR Pts/G | 12.11 |
| PPR Pts/G | 13.67 |
| Pts/Touch | 0.74 |
| Pts/Touch (HPPR) | 0.85 |
| Pts/Touch (PPR) | 0.96 |
Miles Sanders Overview:
Last year, I basically called Miles Sanders, who was Saquon Barkley’s understudy at Penn State, a baby Saquon Barkley. His biggest problem last year was Doug Pederson’s insistence on using multiple backs. Well, the league has caught up with ol’ Dougie, and basically all the backs who don’t get rotated out on a regular basis go safely tucked inside the first round (with Joe Mixon and Josh Jacobs spilling out the sides into the second round). However, given that Howie Roseman, upon drafting Sanders, said the following, I have a feeling that Pederson unleashes Sanders this year.
The team making no significant addition to the running back room in the draft, and making no significant addition to the running back room in free agency (if they sign Devonta Freeman, this does not require an update, he is not a significant addition), it seems as though the Eagles are ready to turn it over to Sanders. What does turning it over to Miles Sanders look like?
If we take the six games between Jordan Howard’s stinger costing him the season and Sanders leaving the season early due to a week seventeen injury, here’s what “turning it over to Miles Sanders” looks like 16 carries, 6 targets per game for 106 total yards per game and a ten touchdown pace. That’s pretty good! Also, that’s an understatement. Nearly 1,700 yards and double-digit touchdowns is first-round production.
Miles Sanders Draft Strategy:
Miles Sanders Auction Value: $50
Draft Ranking: Find out for your league settings in a Beersheet! (coming late June)
If Miles Sanders is there in the second half of the second-round, go ahead and snag him. Heck, if he’s there in the middle of the second-round, go ahead and take him. I am going to warn you, however: do not take Miles Sanders in the first round. If you’re picking at the swing and want to get cute, sure, but the best-case scenario for Miles Sanders is that he returns that first-round value. Best-case scenario. Of course, I’ve now reverse jinxed Sanders into becoming a massive annual first-round talent. But, I am not in the habit of taking first-round guys on the hope and promise that they might return first-round production for the first time. It’s not how I’m wired. I’m okay being wrong about a player in that regard.
Best Case Scenario:
Miles Sanders joins the Mile From Scrimmage club and hits double-digit touchdowns while the Eagles run through three or four quarterbacks due to injury.
Worst Case Scenario:
The Eagles run through three or four running backs due to injury.
[Statistics are sourced from pro-football-reference.com and airyards.com]
