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Touchdown scoring can be highly variant from year to year. Those who score high touchdowns in one season can struggle to do so the following season, even on a similar volume. Below are five running backs who were highly dependent on touchdowns in 2021, with a look at whether they will bounce back in 2022.
Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders scored no touchdowns in 2021, yet his production was good for RB22 in non-touchdown scoring in only 12 games. Sanders finished third among running backs on his own team in carries inside the five-yard line. Sanders managed six carries inside the five-year line, behind Boston Scott (12) and Jordan Howard (8). Sanders was boxed in by Gainwell on the receiving side of the position and Scott and Howard on the red-zone rushing side of the position and will need to break out at either side to become a difference-maker in 2022.
Tony Pollard
In 2021, only 7.7% of Tony Pollard’s scoring came from touchdowns, the second-lowest of any running back with over 100 rushing attempts. Overall, Pollard had 2 of the 17 running back carries inside the five-yard line by Dallas running backs in 2021. Much of the fantasy community has hoped Pollard would see a boost in usage, but he is still firmly in the role player usage lane of the position, particularly with Ezekiel Elliott dominating the red-zone work.
Chase Edmonds
In 2021, Edmonds was held back by James Conner, who had 18 of the 23 carries inside the five-yard line for Arizona running backs. Edmonds scored the 24th-most non-touchdown points in 2021 with only 8.3% of his scoring coming from touchdowns, the third-lowest for any running back with 100 carries. Edmonds broke free from Conner with his move to Miami but has competition in the form of Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel and faces many of the same competition issues.