The best fantasy football running backs, No. 1: Le'Veon Bell

Don't overthink this one—Le'Veon Bell is the clear no. 1 running back.

I’ve read arguments supporting Gurley, Peterson, Johnson and Elliott as the No. 1 fantasy back this season. But really, the only cogent argument for anyone other than Bell as fantasy’s top back is a medically based guarantee that he re-injures his knee. Bell has played 35 games in his NFL career, averaging 15.65 points per game in standard-scoring leagues. If we take his rookie year out of the equation and start with the season in which he became the player we know today, he has put up 17.03 points in an average contest. Bell has fumbled once—once!—in 799 touches, and that was in his rookie season. If you went into a lab with the goal of engineering the perfect back for the style of offense favored in today’s league, Bell would be the end product. He’s shifty with breakaway speed, and easily a top-three receiver out of the backfield. He protects his quarterback and converts in short-yardage situations. Bell does everything you want from a running back in 2016, and he does so in one of the league’s most potent offenses. Don’t overthink this one. Bell is, without question, the best fantasy back in the league.