Fantasy Football ADP Battle: Mike Davis, Myles Gaskin and Javonte Williams

The calendar has officially turned to September, which means an old friend is soon to join us once again. Ah yes, welcome back football! Oh, how we missed you! Of course, along with the kickoff to the 2021 NFL season come legions upon legions of fantasy football drafts. My sincerest apologies go out to those of you whose drafts were back in August. Special T’s and P’s to the J.K. Dobbins owners out there, after he became Exhibit A for why you don’t draft until after the preseason.

For the rest of you who are in leagues with competent commissioners, you’re bound to have some ADP conundrums on your plate in the lead-up to and during your fantasy football draft. We at FlurrySports are here to help! Read on for a breakdown of the fantasy football ADP battle between a trio of mid-round running backs: Mike Davis, Myles Gaskin and Javonte Williams.

Mike Davis, Myles Gaskin and Javonte Williams Fantasy Football ADP Battle

Note: All ADPs and ranks reflect a 12-team, PPR draft format

Mike Davis Fantasy ADP: 4.07

ADP Position Rank: 21
Overall Rank: 44

Of the three running backs in this fantasy football ADP battle, Mike Davis is easily the preferred draft target. Volume is everything when it comes to players supplying consistent fantasy production. Neither of the other two backs in this column project to have anywhere near the workload that Davis will have this season. As the RB21 at the time of writing, the 28-year-old veteran ranks just ahead of both Myles Gaskin and Javonte Williams in the ADP. While he is several years the senior of the other two, fantasy owners are reminded that Davis played sparingly for the majority of his early years in the NFL. Needless to say, there is still plenty of tread left on the tires.

After filling in admirably for the injured Christian McCaffrey in Carolina last season, Davis is set to lead the Atlanta Falcons backfield in 2021. One group that clearly believes Davis has plenty left in the tank is the Falcons front office. The team passed up on numerous opportunities to draft and/or bring in another running back after signing Davis in free agency. Behind him on the depth chart are Cordarrelle Patterson and Quadree Ollison, neither of whom figure to threaten Davis’ role in the Atlanta offense.

While the Falcons will likely be a pass-first team again this season, Davis is in line for a workhorse role out of the backfield. There is simply no one else on the depth chart who will see consistent touches. If utilized in the red zone, Davis could wind up being a steal at his current fantasy football ADP.

Javonte Williams Fantasy ADP: 5.05

ADP Position Rank: 24
Overall Rank: 53

Next up in this fantasy football ADP battle between mid-round running backs is Denver Broncos rookie Javonte Williams. There was a lot of intrigue surrounding both Williams and fellow North Carolina draftee Michael Carter in this year’s NFL Draft. While Carter might have landed in a more preferred spot as far as the backfield situation around him, there’s no denying that Williams landed in a highly regarded offense. The 2-1year-old will look to live up to the Second Round pick that the Broncos used on him right away. He ran for over 1100 yards and 19 touchdowns last season as a junior at UNC while averaging a whopping 7.3 yards per carry.

When it comes to this fantasy football ADP battle, Williams nestles right in between Mike Davis and Myles Gaskin in terms of projected reliability this season. While he might have more upside than either of the other two backs in this column, the main cause for concern with Williams is the presence of veteran RB Melvin Gordon in Denver. While many fantasy football analysts expect him to eventually take over as the Broncos lead back, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he will ever see a dominant majority of touches in his rookie season. 

The Broncos invested great draft capital to take Williams back in the spring and a role with the team appears imminent. Whether that role is large enough in his rookie season to meet his current fantasy football ADP is another story. In fact, the veteran Gordon might even have more value in drafts of the two Denver backs. He is currently going as the RB31 in 12-team PPR leagues.

Myles Gaskin Fantasy ADP: 4.10

ADP Position Rank: 23
Overall Rank: 47

We round out this fantasy football ADP battle with a look at third-year Miami Dolphins back Myles Gaskin. The former Washington standout posted a solid stat line last season for a Dolphins team that exceeded expectations. Despite not starting the year as the team’s top back and missing time with injuries down the stretch, Gaskin finished with nearly 600 yards rushing and nearly 400 receiving. With many projecting Miami to take another step forward in Tua Tagovailoa’s second NFL season, can owners expect the same for Gaskin in fantasy football?

As of now, Gaskin is, unfortunately, the odd man out in this fantasy football ADP battle. While he has excellent abilities as a pass-catcher and showed great potential last season, when it comes down to it, the 24-year-old lacks two vital things that Mike Davis and Javonte Williams have. Although he is listed atop the Dolphins’ depth chart at the position, Gaskin does not project to be a bell cow this season. Miami signed veteran Malcolm Brown in free agency and also brings back Salvon Ahmed, who performed well in relief of Gaskin late last season. 

The other factor to consider here is team commitment. While Williams carries a high draft capital as a result of being drafted in the Second Round, fantasy owners should be reminded that the Dolphins only took Gaskin in the Seventh Round back in 2019. The investment simply isn’t there for the team to lean on him regularly. Furthermore, if Tagovailoa struggles this season, all Dolphins players could be facing an uphill battle when it comes to fantasy football production.