Since the dawn of fantasy time, the rookie RB has had the potential to bring a championship your way, or run your team into the rocks, making these players volatile, but extremely desirable. The class of 2014 has seen its supposed stalwarts (Hyde, Sankey) sink like stones, and its unknowns (McKinnon, Oliver) shoot to the top of the pack. There’s still plenty of time for things to change, so without further ado, here are the midseason rookie rankings!

Head Of The Class

Jerick McKinnon (Vikings)

Played QB, DB, and RB during his college years at Georgia Southern, and probably would’ve filled up the Gatorade cooler if they asked him to. McKinnon had a legendary pre draft combine, which propelled him into the 3rd round of the NFL draft, but he wasn’t expected to contribute much in 2014, leaving him undrafted in all but the deepest fantasy formats. Due to the Vikings coaching staff’s strange belief in glorified guard Matt Asiata, McKinnon percolated under the eye of the mainstream for weeks, and then erupted for 152 total yards against Atlanta in Week 4. McKinnon has gone on to snare the lions share of the Minnesota backfield touches, and has proven that despite his limited experience as a running back, he’s got a feel for the position.

2nd Half Outlook: Drunk In Love. This is a back averaging 5 yards per carry, and hasn’t posted a sub 8-point game in PPR formats for the last four weeks. Did I mention he’s still learning the position, and has yet to make his first foray into the end zone? He also has a schedule that isn’t going to be incredibly taxing, and is playing in a developing offense. Of course, there is also the very real possibility that Adrian Peterson could return this season (he reached a plea deal to avoid jail time today). Without Peterson, the floor with McKinnon is RB2 in all formats, even if his touches are limited to the 15 to 20 range going forward. A disclaimer; McKinnon has an extremely nasty Week 15 (@Detroit) and 16 (@Miami), so he may not be there when you’ll need him most. If your league plays Week 17, the schedule softens with a home game against Chicago. McKinnon has the potential to be the waiver add of the year.

The Future Is: Complicated. Adrian Peterson isn’t out of the picture with Chris Mortensen reporting a possible return this season. Aside from Peterson’s possible return, McKinnon looks to take the NFL pocket Hercules mantle and run with it. McKinnon compares physically to Ray Rice, and despite being small, McKinnon is hardly undersized, having the strength needed to handle the workload needed to produce RB1 numbers. McKinnon has nearly generational-level athleticism at the RB position, and if the Vikings think McKinnon is their franchise back, you’ll need to beg, borrow, deal, and throw in “cash considerations” if needed, to land McKinnon.

Over Achievers

Branden Oliver (Chargers)

After making the Chargers roster as an undrafted free agent over 6th round pick Marion Grice, Oliver was the last man standing after a particularly vicious spate of injuries felled the 3 RBs ahead of him on the depth chart. Oliver stepped up in a huge way, posting monster numbers in Weeks 5 and 6. He’s fallen back to earth in standard formats, but has an extremely high floor in PPR leagues. A powerful back with great receiving ability, Oliver has carved out a fantasy relevant niche in the first half of 2014, and has beaten the odds to be the highest scoring rookie RB of 2014 thus far.

2nd Half Outlook: Curbed enthusiasm. With Ryan Matthews and Donald Brown returning to action, Oliver will not see the workload needed to produce standard league RB1 numbers, but figures to take the passing-back role that Danny Woodhead left vacant. Oliver profiles as a low-end flex in standard formats, and could have a couple RB2 caliber weeks in PPR formats.

The Future Is: PPRiffic! Antonio Gates called Oliver “Sproles with more power”, which is an apt description of what Oliver is. RBs with some power and the ability to catch are quite rare, and Oliver could have a career arc similar to that of Pierre Thomas. He’s got sneaky RB2 in PRR league upside, and is a great RB to have on the bench in standard formats going forward.

Lorenzo Taliaferro (Ravens)

The 4th round Coastal Carolina Chanticleer rookie has seen his fantasy stock fluctuate from irrelevance, to possible feature back, to the current part of a 3-headed committee. Taliaferro has a nifty combination of power and speed, and is currently a TD vulture with the potential for more.

2nd Half Outlook: Inconsistent TD driven production ahead. The Ravens backfield situation is murky at the moment, but there is the potential for a few weeks in which Taliaferro is going to have the opportunity for fantasy production. Week 10 against Tennessee and Week 15 against Jacksonville have the potential to be games in which the Ravens will have an abundance of red zone opportunities.

The Future Is: A high-end ham and egg runner. Nothing about Taliaferro screams future RB1, but he’s shown enough thus far to be in the standard league RB2 discussion in the future. Taliaferro has the shot to be the big-back that Baltimore thought it had after Bernard Pierce’s promising rookie season.

Isaiah Crowell (Browns)

While Crowell went undrafted in 2014, his play this season has put him on fantasy draft boards for 2015. The mercurial Crowell put up surprisingly useful numbers in weeks 1, 3 and 6, despite being the clear backup to Ben Tate. He’s had his usage limited due to concerns over ball security, but he’s produced to the tune of 4.9 yards per carry when he’s had the ball in his hands.

2nd Half Outlook: A savvy stash. Crowell is going to be far too inconsistent to trust as anything other than a bye week Armageddon play. But if Ben Tate were to miss time, all bets are off, as he’s shown glimpses of a future RB1. He would split carries with fellow rookie Terrance West, but he would be a high-end RB2 if Tate were to miss time.

The Future Is: Crowded. Crowell should be splitting touches with Tate and West going forward, but it looks as if he’s the breakout star of the Dawg Pound Trio. As we’ve learned from Carolina in the past, three fantasy relevant RBs can easily become zero fantasy relevant RBs in short order if the touches get stretched too thin. While he is talented, the knucklehead factor looms large over Crowell, and could derail his promising start. Crowell should be an RB2/3 going forward due to a looming committee.

Jeremy Hill (Bengals)

Those who drafted the former LSU Tiger, and now Cincinnati Bengal, have to be pleased as punch. He’s on pace for 700 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns, and could string together two RB1 type weeks in a row with the injury to Giovani Bernard. Hill did not test particularly well at the combine, but finished his stay at LSU with a 6+ YPC average in the SEC, and has the ability to catch the ball as well.

2nd Half Outlook: So flexy. Giovani Bernard has been battling a myriad of aliments, and could possibly miss Week 10, and be limited going forward. Hill is an RB1 until Bernard returns, and then falls back into a flex role afterwards.

The Future Is: Turbo-charged Benjarvus Green-Ellisesque. Hill’s running style is boring, but shockingly effective, and he has shown the ability to turn 4 yards and a cloud of dust, into 54 yards and a cloud of dust. Hill looks to be Cincinatti’s back inside the 20’s when Bernard is healthy, which gives him weekly flex potential. When Bernard is out, he can put together spectacular weeks. His ability to catch passes, and also to stay on the field in pass protection, makes him worth drafting no matter the format.

Tre Mason (Rams)

Mason would’ve been leading the list of 1st quarter disappointing rookies, as a tepid pre-season and inability to contribute on special teams left him as a healthy scratch for the first 5 weeks of the season. Mason was finally unleashed Week 6 and has been slowly taking over the lead role, posting a tremendous effort against Seattle in Week 7, but also putting up two below-par (but visually impressive) games in Weeks 8 and 9.

2nd Half Outlook: A lawn full of potholes. The schedule cannot be described as easy, as Mason only faces one defense (Week 16, New York), that is ranked in the bottom 10 in yard per attempt allowed. While he has been getting some passing down work, Mason is primarily going to be on the field for 1st and 2nd down, as Benny Cunningham will most likely remain the passing back. Even with a tough schedule ahead, Mason has the ability to break a long-gainer at any time. In summation, he looks to put up inconsistent performances from here on out.

The Future Is: All Good. Mason has a compact, hard to bring down build, and possesses speed, agility, and a impressive college highlight tape. The son of Plug Three of the acclaimed hip-hop mega-group De La Soul could end up a RB1 if he can acclimate himself to the nuances of the professional game.

Andre Williams (Giants)

Its hard to call any player with a 3.1 yards per carry average an “overachiever”, but Williams went into the season with zero expectations other than as a low-end handcuff to Rashad Jennings. He’s produced two extremely useful weeks, and two less useful, but not terrible weeks. Williams has shown himself to be exactly what we thought he was pre-draft, a powerful, but limited player.

2nd Half Outlook: Surprisingly useful. Although he has a brutal Week 11 matchup against Seattle, should Jennings encounter a setback, the schedule plays out in Williams’ favor. Even if Jennings can make it back, Williams should vulture a TD here and there.

The Future Is: Strange. A metrics darling, Williams seems to like a player who would’ve thrived in a bygone age where 3 yards and a cloud of dust was en vogue. You get an interesting contradiction, an old-school player, projected to succeed by new-age analysis. Williams’ limited receiving ability will dampen his potential PPR impact.

Terrance West (Browns)

West escaped the dreaded “needs improvement” list by turning in a strong showing in Week 9. Starting the season to the solid tune of three 10+ point performances, West went silent after Ben Tate came back, and Isaiah Crowell emerged. Tate stunk up the joint in Week 9, and West was there to pick up the slack, gaining 50 total yards on 16 touches including a touchdown catch.

2nd Half Outlook: Completely unpredictable. Mike Pettine has stated that West earned the lead role due to his practice habits and steady pass-blocking, but that could completely change next week. Start at your own risk.

The Future Is: Split. Ben Tate and Isaiah Crowell are both talented backs, as is West, but all 3 have flaws that could take them out of the picture. Ben Tate has been chronically nicked up, Crowell could knucklehead his way out of the league, and West was overworked during his final year at Towson State. West is built like a bowling ball, and can handle a three down role, he just needs to opportunity, and it might not be in Cleveland.

Needs Improvement

Bishop Sankey (Titans)

It’s not that Sankey has been terrible, he’s averaging 4 yards per carry, and contributes in the passing game out of the backfield. It’s just not what you’d expect from a player who was picked most likely as your RB2. Its been an extremely frustrating saga of being stuck behind Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster for one reason or another, and failing to seize the job when he did get a chance in Week 6.

2nd Half Outlook: Hold on and hope. Tennessee has a mediocre schedule going forward, and sets up very nicely for the fantasy playoffs (NYG, NYJ, @JAX). With little left to play for, Sankey hopefully will make up for lost time and contribute some flex-worthy weeks. It’s not what you drafted him for, but you have to manage expectations for the rest of the way.

The Future Looks: Intriguing, if you squint. Sankey has tremendous (70 on a 20-80 scale) agility, an offensive line stocked with multiple 1st round draft choices, and could be in line for an upgrade at QB in 2015. For the enterprising redraft manager, hope for a tank in Tennessee, as he could become a potential bargain in 2015. For those who didn’t draft him too highly in keeper formats, hang on, next year should be better, but you can’t discount his disappointing rookie season so far.

Carlos Hyde (49ers)

When you look at Hyde, you see a back right out of central casting. He’s absolutely terrifying with a full head of steam, and looks very impressive at times. Combine this with his high draft slot and the fact that only the aging Frank Gore is ahead of him, Hyde’s preseason draft position soared to right around the top 100 picks, and so far he’s disappointed. After 3 consecutive weeks of 10+ carries, Hyde’s usage has dipped dramatically, and his production frankly, just isn’t there. He’s averaging only 3.6 yards per carry, and is on pace for a measly 390 total yards on the year.

2nd Half Outlook: Not great. Even if Hyde ascends to the featured back role, the 49ers schedule isn’t exactly easy coming down the stretch, and while he may improve some, he doesn’t fit a playoff caliber roster other than as a handcuff to Frank Gore.

The Future Is: Foggy. Hyde may not be the runner we thought he was, but he has shown surprising chops catching the ball. While everyone keeps waiting on Frank Gore to fall off a cliff, it isn’t going to happen in 2014. Gore’s contract is up after this year, and he isn’t likely to be brought back. My worry, however, is that Hyde has many qualities of former Big-10 bust Mikel Leshoure, and could end up putting up a season similar to Leshoure’s 2012, but at a much higher price tag in 2015.

Devonta Freeman (Falcons)

Freeman went into the season touted as the player needed to spice up the flavorless Atlanta backfield, but thus far, he’s been pretty bland himself. Outside of a promising Week 6 performance, Freeman hasn’t done anything of note.

2nd Half Outlook: Not good. It seems that the Atlanta backfield has devolved into a four way quagmire, which has robbed every one of the Atlanta backs of any value. If injuries were to strike multiple members of the backfield, he could have flex value.

The Future Is: Jacquizzical. Much like the highly touted Oregon State product, Freeman was thought to be able to handle a featured role, despite size and speed deficiencies, and has been exposed for what he is, a passing down/change of pace back. Ronnie Hillman has proved that these types of backs can change for the better and learn to adapt to the professional game, but until he proves otherwise, Freeman shouldn’t be anywhere close to your redraft roster.

Quick Outs

James White (Patriots)

The subject of wild speculation during the offseason, White was a trendy pick in the hazy rounds of drafts. He’s been a healthy scratch more often than not, and has only been active for 2 games, picking up 38 yards on 9 carries, and catching 3 balls for 15 yards. While he was productive at Wisconsin, he doesn’t have the combination of size and speed that you look for on the next level. He’s a longshot to become fantasy relevant, but Belichick could get a wild hair and insert him into the offense down the stretch.

Jonas Gray (Patriots)

Not a traditional rookie, he’s bounced from Miami to Baltimore and finally landed in New England, where he has taken over the Stevan Ridley “big back” role. Start at your own risk, as Gray’s carries are going to be completely unpredictable going forward. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and has the potential to stick on a roster for quite some time, but has extremely limited fantasy potential.

Alfred Blue (Texans)

Blue passed free agent Andre Brown and touted small school runner Jonathan Grimes, and is now firmly entrenched as Arian Foster’s backup. He hasn’t been incredibly impressive with the carries he’s been given, but if Foster were to break down due to his heavy workload (and he might have already), Blue’s name would be thrust into the RB2 mix.

Juwan Thompson (Broncos)

The undrafted free agent out of Duke offers an interesting size/speed combo and has vultured a few touchdowns from Ronnie Hillman. Thompson is a speculative add at best, but could impress if given a bigger role.

Ka’Deem Carey (Bears)

A relatively un-athletic, but productive Pac-12 runner, Carey sits behind the heavy workload of Matt Forte, and offers a similar, but watered-down skillset. Carey could come into some serious fantasy value going down the stretch if Forte were to miss time, and is not a bad speculative pickup.

Marion Grice (Cardinals)

A plodding runner that was jettisoned for Branden Oliver in San Diego, molasses Marion has caught on with Arizona and is poised to get some carries with the injury to Stepfan Taylor. Grice would be a flex candidate should anything happen to Ellington, and could vulture a TD or two going forward.

Dri Archer (Steelers)

A nifty scatback that has showed some talent on offense, but his main value comes from special teams. He will have to bulk up while retaining speed and agility to matter in fantasy.

De’Anthony Thomas (Chiefs)

See above.

Damien Williams (Dolphins)

An interesting undrafted free agent who slipped due to character, not talent concerns. He has been passed by Daniel Thomas, which is never a good sign.

Storm Johnson (Jaguars)

Much more of a drizzle than a storm in his rookie year, Johnson failed to capture his opportunity after injuries and ineffectiveness shelved Toby Gerhart. He is now stuck behind Denard Robinson for the foreseeable future and was a healthy inactive in Week 9.

Darrin Reaves (Panthers)

Much like Storm Johnson, Reaves did not seize his opportunity and is buried for the the foreseeable future. Unlike Johnson, Reaves is athletic enough to matter.

Orleans Darkwa (Dolphins)

Darkwa has a long track-record of collegiate production which signals he could have instincts. He has intriguing size and a tremendous name, but ultimately is buried on the Dolphins practice-squad. His name is worth remember though…

Brian Tesch is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Brian, check out his archive and follow him @TheRealTesch.