It just takes one year carrying a running back who busts to realize that it is the worst feeling in fantasy football.

Years ago, I drafted Toby Gerhart as my No. 1 running back. I’m sure he’s a nice person in real life, but he put me through torture that season, with his abysmal performance as Jacksonville’s “workhorse.” Thanks to his lack of production, I spent each week combing the waiver wire for signs of running back life.

And if you’ve ever been in dire need of a running back, you know it’s easier to hit a curveball than locating a consistent high-producing RB1 on the waiver wire.

Drafting a running back who busts is not only detrimental for your team, but it can cause too much stress in your overall life, too. I want you to avoid that stress, so here’s three running backs who can not only ruin your fantasy football team, but also your overall health this fantasy football season.

Saquon Barkley is a bust candidate in the 2018 fantasy football draft. Flickr

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Rookie running backs have been all the rage in recent years. Ezekiel Elliott, David Johnson, Alvin Kamara and Leonard Fournette have all been high-producers in their rookie seasons.

That’s pushing up rookies in the fantasy football draft boards. It’s not surprising to see Barkley with an average draft position of No. 5 overall.

He was a stud in college, so it’s natural to believe he’ll fit in right away with the Giants. However, I’m not as sure as the rest of you in the fantasy football world.

The Giants have been atrocious with running backs in recent years. In four of the last five years, New York has been a bottom-10 rushing team. They’ve been a bottom-10 team in rushing attempts in three of those seasons.

Barkley offers the dynamic of being a three-down running back right away, but his quarterback is not known as being someone who targets running backs out of the backfield. I’m sure the gameplan will include more opportunities to get Barkley involved in the passing game, but it will take time.

And if you’re drafting Barkley that high in the draft, you don’t have the luxury of time. Those previously mentioned running backs all had advantages that we can’t expect Barkley to have entering his rookie season.

Fournette was always going to be a high-volume guy, while Elliott had one of the most dominating offensive lines in the league during his rookie year. Johnson had a plethora of talent around him and Kamara benefitted from a unique offensive scheme that offered him high production, with less volume.

There are too many question marks with Barkley and the overall scheme of the Giants. Barkley is really good, but I’m not sure he’s worth that draft pick just yet.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Hunt was the steal of the 2017 fantasy football draft and I was lucky enough to grab him in the sixth round.

That was an incredible pick, considering he finished among the best fantasy football running backs in 2017.

No one is going to get lucky with Hunt again this year, with an ADP of nine overall, seventh among running backs.

I think Hunt is pretty good in a really good Kansas City scheme. However, I’m concerned a little with a sophomore slump and some of his production issues from a year ago. He started off hot in 2017, rushing for at least 100 yards in four of the first five games, and also contributing in the pass game.

Then, he went dormant for about seven weeks, totaling less than 90 rushing yards in each game — with less than 50 in five of those games — and only contributing once in the passing game during that stretch.

He did turn in three solid performances in the fantasy football playoffs, so naturally, we’re forgetting about that midseason lull. Was it because he was a rookie and he wasn’t used to the weekly grind? Or should we be more concerned?

I fear that Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West will cut into some of Hunt’s carries and maybe that lull explains more of who Hunt is, rather than his hot start and finish. For that price, especially with Fournette, who is going to be a high-volume running back again, at the No. 10 spot, I would fade Hunt.

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

Henry is a good reason why investing in running backs early can help ease possible bust candidates.

Henry currently has an ADP of 17th among running backs and 35th overall, so he’s entrenched as an RB2. It’s probably semantics, but I’d label him more as a low-end RB2/Flex option, but if he’s on your team as your second running back, that’s probably OK. He may not produce on a consistent basis, but he should get decent volume.

However, if he’s your No. 1 running back because you invested in other positions, get ready to be disappointed.

I like the Titans this year, and one of the reasons why I believe so much in Tennessee, is because Marcus Mariota is healthy again. And that should mean he’ll have more opportunities at airing it out and finding running backs out of the backfield in the passing game.

And if he’s passing to running backs out of the backfield, it won’t be Henry. He’s firmly in the two-down running back mode, with Dion Lewis being the primary third-down receiving running back.

That means Henry won’t have as many opportunities and it could cut down on his touchdowns, with Lewis likely to get some action inside the red zone. I’m not really sold on him as an RB2, but if you’re willing to risk your team by not investing in a running back early, then do yourself a favor, and pass on Henry as your team’s top running back.

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