De'Veon Smith

Smith was far and away Michigan’s top back a season ago as the only runner with over 100 carries (180/753/6), but his production wasn’t that of an RB1 for fantasy purposes. Part of that could have been helped if fullback and noted touchdown vulture Sione Houma didn’t convert five of his 14 redzone carries for scores, but fortunately, Houma has moved on to the NFL. Smith should still be the bellcow for the Michigan offense, and his redzone carries should go up, but he’ll need to produce more consistently in order to remain atop the depth chart. Former USC running back Ty Isaac and redshirt senior Drake Johnson will be looking to make the most of their final seasons in Maize and Blue as well, so Smith can’t afford to go weeks at time averaging under 3.0 yards per carry like he did several times in 2015. Furthermore, the class of 2016’s top back, Kareem Walker, is on campus and could push for carries, but it’s unlikely that a true freshman truly pushes a senior like Smith for carries. In the end, Smith should carry the load for a Michigan team that will likely be running the ball a lot this season behind a strong offensive line, but the talent behind him will leave a slim margin for error.