The NFL has become a passing league and for fantasy owners, that means selecting your running backs carefully is that much more important. That being said, lurking among the consensus top 24 running backs are potential busts and our experts are here to advise you on who to watch out for.

15 of our top experts in running back accuracy have given their thoughts, so have a look below to make sure you’re aware of who may be a big disappointment by the end of the 2014-15 fantasy football season.

MARSHAWN LYNCH (RB) SEAHAWKS

Consensus RB Rank: #6

“The odds of me owning Marshawn Lynch this season fall somewhere between Michael Bay winning an Oscar for Best Picture and ESPN banning all coverage of Johnny Manziel. We all know about the age, heavy workload and the hot young model waiting in the wings in regards to Lynch, so I don’t need to harp on those things. Battling back issues, Lynch was incredibly pedestrian down the stretch of 2013, rushing for fewer than 75 yards in six of his final seven weeks on his way to his lowest yards per carry and rushing per game output during his tenure in Seattle. He also had a career season receiving the football, something I’m not banking repeating itself. Factor in a tougher slate this season that could lead to more off script offense and his mercurial personality going into a season with swirling rumors of his demise within the organization, and there’s enough red on his ledger that could lead to him finally failing to return on your high end investment.”

“Marshawn Lynch is ripe for disappointment. Troubled by back spasms since 2011, Lynch is a regular on the injury report. In addition to his spinal dysfunction, he’s dealt with shoulder, knee, hip, foot, and wrist injuries while averaging 300 carries a season since moving to Seattle. While I wouldn’t be surprised if Lynch harnessed the spirit of Frank Gore and continued to defy the odds on the playing field, there are several other factors that aren’t working in his favor. Firstly, his contract is on the verge of exploding and Seattle needs to see just how valuable he is to them. Enter Turbin/Michael. You can bet Seattle will see just how special their stable of backs are by increasing their involvement in the offense. Secondly, Percy Harvin is back and healthy (at the time of writing). A big part of Harvin’s game is behind the line, and that will most certainly cut into Lynch’s action to the tune of 20-40 carries and 10-20 receptions. Thirdly, the development of Wilson. While I think Wilson will be given the opportunity to use his arm more, it’s not a nail in the coffin for Lynch. But all four issues working in synergy equal bust.”

“Marshawn Lynch’s current ADP is somewhere in the middle of the first round, but I’d avoid him unless he fell to the end of the second. There are way too many red flags around Lynch this season. The primary issue is his recent workload. Lynch has amassed around 1,000 carries over the past three seasons, and he had more carries than any running back last year (if the playoffs are included). Running backs who log the most carries in a season have a dubious history in the following year, as Arian Foster learned in 2013, and Maurice Jones-Drew before him. Lynch also has other hurdles, including a post-Super Bowl malaise. All of the other teams will be gunning for the Seahawks this year as well, so they’ll give their best effort against Seattle, which involves shutting down Lynch. Also, Lynch’s contract issues could be a distraction. Lynch missed some workouts this offseason, and contrary to popular belief, players in contract years usually disappoint, perhaps because they’re too focused on staying healthy enough to earn a big signing bonus the following spring.”

FRANK GORE (RB) 49ERS Consensus RB Rank: #22 “The 31-year-old Frank Gore has defied reduced preseason expectations in recent years, finishing in the top 13 in three straight seasons. Including the playoffs, he posted just 8.5 fantasy points per game after the 49ers’ Week 9 bye in 2013, so the writing is on the wall. The team has a capable backup in Kendall Hunter and also drafted the talented Carlos Hyde in the second round. Along with the return of redshirt rookie Marcus Lattimore, Gore’s touches are very much under pressure in 2014.” John Paulsen (4for4.com) ZAC STACY (RB) RAMS Consensus RB Rank: #12 “Zac Stacy was very impressive and helped deliver titles for many teams last year, but that was at the price of a waiver pickup. At a 2nd or 3rd round cost, Stacy adds too much risk for a limited reward. He isn’t going to be involved in the passing game very much, and Stacy was only a top notch fantasy play when he got 25+ carries last year. That is much less likely to happen this year with third-round pick Tre Mason in the mix – a rookie who said the team has told him that he’ll compete to start. Mason has to come a long way in pass protection to seriously push Stacy, but the pick itself tells you that the team was not satisfied just turning the running game completely over to Stacy. He doesn’t offer enough in the way of big plays or receptions to merit his current ADP.” – Sigmund Bloom (FootballGuys) RASHAD JENNINGS (RB) GIANTS Consensus RB Rank: #20 “There is one fantasy back I am avoiding this season. He is a player I have targeted in the past when drafted as a complementary ball carrier having upside. Now, as a fantasy starter, there is no way I can get behind the Rashad Jennings buzz. Here are a few reasons I would not want to depend on Jennings as a starter. The Giants struggled to run the ball last year and should have similar offensive line issues once again. New York ranked 29th in rushing yards and 30th in yards per carry (according to Pro-Football-Reference.com). I do not expect drastic improvement in 2014. Alone, the offensive line should limit upside enough for Jennings to disappoint. The team also selected Andre Williams in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. While Coach Coughlin does not like to rely on rookies, Williams is the superior ball carrier to Jennings. Plus, there is a chance injured David Wilson is healthy and can return from the nasty neck injury. At 29 years of age, Jennings had his career highs last season in Oakland. The 163 rush attempts are almost equal to the rest of Jennings’ career in total. It is difficult to predict he will be able to gain 4.5 yards per carry again. He is a complementary back disguised as a bell cow. One last thing to consider. Jennings fumbled three times out of 101 rushing attempts in 2012. If this happens under Coughlin, he will be on the sideline.” – Jeff Tefertiller (FootballGuys) The Jennings love mystifies me. Yes, he played reasonably well last year in Oakland but it’s not as though he was a world beater. Let’s remember Jennings is a 29-year old journeyman who had battled injuries and never earned more than a part-time role. He’s never played 16 games, never had more than last year’s 163 carries, and ranks outside of the top 100 in yards per carry on 1st down over the last five seasons. In other words, he’s nothing special. Now consider the Giants ranked 28th in points scored and yards gained last year, and 30th in rushing offense. As if that weren’t enough to keep you from reaching for Jennings, let’s also remember that rookie Andre Williams is a threat for major playing time after finishing his last season at Boston College with 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns on his way to being named a Heisman finalist. Bottom line, Jennings has the look of a committee back on a bad offense, not the kind of RB that wins you fantasy championships. – Jason Wood (FootballGuys) ARIAN FOSTER (RB) TEXANS Consensus RB Rank: #8 Arian Foster at RB8 is beyond an acceptable risk for any fantasy owner to take. Foster is coming off an offseason back surgery, has suffered a torn ACL, heart arrhythmia, hamstring problems and has only one fully healthy season as a lead back. Add on the fact that the Texans are a good bet to be one of the worst offenses in football and consistently trailing in games, which will take the game script away from Foster’s favor and you have very little smile upon. I would honestly be shocked if he finished in the top 20 at the position. – Davis Mattek (Sports Wunderkind) RYAN MATHEWS (RB) CHARGERS Consensus RB Rank: #17 “Ryan Mathews had a fine 2013 season, but there are some red flags surrounding his fantasy value for 2014. Most notably, the San Diego Chargers signed Donald Brown, who had a pretty good season in Indianapolis himself. The former Colts running back isn’t likely going to start, but 10-12 touches per game isn’t out of the question. Combined with Danny Woodhead’s snaps as a pass-catching option and Mathews’ market share in that backfield becomes alarming. Mathews was also benched during the playoffs, though that was reportedly due to an ankle sprain.” Alessandro Miglio (FootballGuys)

REGGIE BUSH (RB) LIONS Consensus RB Rank: #18 “Reggie Bush is going to disappoint those who draft him in standard leagues this year. First of all, much has been made of Marshawn Lynch’s age (28), but very little has been said about Adrian Peterson (29), Matt Forte (28), or Bush (29). All four backs – not just Lynch – are decline candidates. Additionally, Bush is no longer working out of the Scott Linehan offense. Instead, Joe Lombardi will institute a running back rotation similar to what we’ve seen from New Orleans. Bush is extremely unlikely to get anywhere near the 223 carries he saw over 14 games in 2013. Instead, Joique Bell will take on a larger role between the tackles, with Bush focusing most of his snaps on pass-catching. Offseason reports on Theo Riddick and Mikel Leshoure have been good as well, which suggests an increased role for one of the two talented backs. Bush is a poor investment at his current third-round ADP.” Mike Clay (Pro Football Focus)

DOUG MARTIN (RB) BUCCANEERS Consensus RB Rank: #13 “Doug Martin is the easy answer in my opinion. I currently have Martin as my RB18, and I’ve considered moving him lower. Martin didn’t even look great prior to his injury with 3.6 YPC and 5.5 per catch marks… And it wasn’t the offense’s fault, as Mike James did quite well as Martin’s replacement. Don’t forget that Martin scored 40 percent of his fantasy points in just three games during his rookie season. So where is the love coming from? There are as many doubts with Martin as with C.J. Spiller, yet so many are ready to rank Martin close to RB1 status, while Spiller is down at 16. Charles Sims, who has drawn Matt Forte comparisons, is more of a threat to Martin than Fred Jackson is to Spiller at this point. If Martin struggles, Lovie Smith could easily turn to Sims. Oh! And as for Lovie, remember he hurts the value of running backs more often than not, so even if Martin keeps the lead role, don’t expect a rookie-like performance.” Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be an improved squad under new head coach Lovie Smith, but that won’t necessarily translate to a big season for Doug Martin. Both Smith and offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford have admitted that Martin’s workload will decrease, which is not surprising since Tedford is a proponent of the RBBC approach. Martin, who averaged 3.6 yards per carry in an injury-shortened 2013 campaign, will face competition from Mike James and Bobby Rainey, who both offered some fantasy usefulness in Martin’s absence, as well as third-rounder Charles Sims. Both James and Rainey had better per-carry averages than Martin last season, while Sims excels at pass catching and has all but assured himself the third-down role after being hand-picked by the new regime. Barring another injury, Martin should produce RB2 numbers for those who draft him, but after being a consensus top-5 pick a year ago, his ceiling and floor appear to be much lower going into his third season.” Justin Boone (The Score)

BISHOP SANKEY (RB) TITANS Consensus RB Rank: #21 “I don’t think Bishop Sankey falling out of the top 24 would be a shock, but I still want to advise some fantasy players to be careful. I still think his skills translate best as a rotational type of back — if he shows more, it’ll be something he hasn’t yet shown in his skill set. He’s an attractive fantasy asset because of his opportunity, but if the cost becomes prohibitive, I’d rather take a chance on other rookie backs later.” Joseph Dolan (Fantasy Guru)

BEN TATE (RB) BROWNS Consensus RB Rank: #24 “Saying Ben Tate is perhaps too easy or too obvious, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t right. As a secondary option in Houston, Tate has struggled with durability, averaging just 10 games per season through four years. Signed this offseason to be the Browns primary ball carrier, Tate will also have to fend off talented rookie running back Terrance West (and even Isaiah Crowell) from stealing touches as well as the injury bug. Tate is unlikely to make his way onto any of my 2014 fantasy rosters.” Kevin Hanson (EDSFootball)

TOBY GERHART (RB) JAGUARS Consensus RB Rank: #19 “I understand the in-a-vacuum appeal of Toby Gerhart, but football isn’t played in a vacuum. The Jags’ new #1 was rarely able to stay healthy in a back-up role on the Vikings, so I’m skeptical he can hold up over a full season as the featured back in his new swampy locale. His 7.9 YPC in 2013 jumps off the page, but that average only spanned 36 rushing attempts. Those touting Gerhart as a 3rd- and even 2nd-rounder are not properly weighing the risks.” Greg Smith (The Fake Football)