Lamar Miller listed as ‘overvalued running back’ in fantasy football

In a recent Pro Football Focus article, Lamar Miller was listed as an overvalued running back due to his draft day cost in fantasy football.

Maybe the folks at Pro Football Focus are correct and maybe they aren’t when it comes to the fantasy football value of Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller. In a recent article they’ve listed Miller as one of four running backs who are overvalued due to their cost on draft day when it comes being compared to their overall production.

Miller hasn’t had the best of overall play when it comes to scoring touchdowns, having 1,000-yard seasons or even be completely versatile as a complete back with his pass catching abilities in recent seasons. Though in Miller’s defense, he has been quoted as saying he’s been working on his route running, which means he knows that part of his game needs improvement.

Back to the list by Pro Football Focus, they posted in the article by Jeff Ratcliffe that Miller has an ADP of 6.03, meaning Miller is a middle of the pack type of running back. That means there could be some positives, but it also means there needs to be improvement from where he was last season.

Ratcliffe wrote the following on Miller in his Pro Football Focus article about his overall fantasy value:

"“If you’re looking for fantasy upside, Miller isn’t your best bet. The veteran back has scored just six combined touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, and he hasn’t topped 1,000 rushing yards since 2016.”"

Though that is true, there is still a belief — at least in my thinking — that as a sixth round pick Miller is still a decent value point, but like the article said, the upside might not be all that it could be compared to others.

When drafting Miller you basically understand what you are getting. If you want guaranteed points each week, but maybe not gain the Top 10 type of scoring on a weekly basis, Miller fits in well in that aspect if you decide to draft other positions early in the draft.

What I like about Miller is if he was able to play a full 16-game schedule last season then he would have been able to get that elusive 1,000-yard season, finishing with 973 yards on 210 carries. Those were better than his overall numbers in 2017 when he rushed for 888 yards on 238 carries.

Miller did finish with five rushing touchdowns in 2018, but there is still more want from his receiving abilities as he totaled 25 receptions for 163 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers were down from the ’17 season when he caught 36 passes for 327 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

It will be interesting to see if Miller is able to improve on his pass catching game, and if he does then his sixth round pick won’t be undervalued at all. If Miller stays at where he was last season,  then there is a strong case the Pro Football Focus article is right on the money.