Miles Sanders Fantasy football ranking: 2020 outlook, projections, ADP, value, predictions, stats

The Philadelphia Eagles are notorious for using a multiple-back rotation, but we saw them give Miles Sanders the backfield to himself when Jordan Howard went down with injury last season. Many are skeptical that Sanders' usage from the latter half of 2019 is sustainable given Philly's historical offensive philosophy, but what if Sanders is just the exception to the rule? The Eagles also were notorious for not investing heavily in the RB position, but that changed when they selected Sanders with a second-round pick in 2019. The last time the Eagles invested more than a fourth-round selection into the position was to secure LeSean McCoy in 2009.

With all of that considered, where should he be in your 2020 Fantasy football rankings, and what Miles Sanders Fantasy football outlook can you expect? He is being selected as high as the first-round in some drafts, which could end up being a massive reach if Sanders' usage doesn't resemble what we saw from him late last season.

The 2020 Miles Sanders Fantasy football value remains strong, as he's set for another 50-catch campaign. He's an early-round candidate in most formats, but how high should he be in your 2020 Fantasy football rankings? Here's what you need to know:

So which players are poised for breakouts, which sleepers do you need to jump on, and which busts should you avoid at all costs in your Fantasy football league? Join SportsLine now to get early 2020 Fantasy football rankings, plus see which WR is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.

Miles Sanders Fantasy ADP & ranking (via SportsLine's projection model)

No. 12.8 ADP
No. 11 RB (non-PPR)
No. 10 RB (PPR)

Miles Sanders Fantasy projections (via SportsLine's projection model) 

207 carries, 934 rushing yards, 4.14 rushing TDs; 
52.6 targets, 42.1 receptions, 428 receiving yards, 2.55 receiving TDS
172.6 Fantasy points (non-PPR); 214.7 (PPR)

Miles Sanders 2020 Fantasy outlook 

The Eagles have a reputation for using multiple backs, so most expected them to select a running back to replace Jordan Howard at some point in the 2020 draft. Apparently, Philadelphia had no such plans. They seem content with their RB group as-is, which includes Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Corey Clement.

As such, Sanders is shaping up to have one of the most Fantasy-friendly roles of any back in the NFL for 2020. Over the past five seasons, the Eagles' RB group has ranked 7th, 15th, 13th, 10th, and 2nd in total Fantasy points. Sanders finished as the RB13 last year, despite ranking just 28th out of 29 qualified backs in PFF's rushing grade and 20th in elusive rating. Sanders ranked as Fantasy's RB3 from Weeks 11-16 with Jordan Howard out, despite not having a single game with a PFF rushing grade above 70 during that span.

As a rusher, Sanders was not good in 2019. Given his ability to make tacklers miss in college, there's still hope that he will improve on what we saw from him as a rusher in his rookie season. If Sanders can improve his efficiency as a rusher, he has top-five Fantasy RB potential in his second season. And if not, his contributions as a receiver are enough to keep him Fantasy-relevant.

Sanders was targeted 63 times as a rookie, and he is one of just seven rookies in NFL history to finish with 800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Some other names on that list include Gale Sayers, Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and Saquon Barkley. Sanders' 16-game pace as a receiver from the sample with Jordan Howard out comes out to 67 catches on 83 targets for 547 yards and 5 touchdowns. Only six running backs saw 80 targets in 2019.

That type of target potential and the allure of a three-down role in one of the NFL's most RB-friendly offenses give Sanders RB1-type of upside. The uncertainty surrounding his role in year two is enough for me to rank Sanders behind backs I feel more secure about like Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon, but I could see taking him over the likes of Kenyan Drake, Austin Ekeler, Nick Chubb, or Josh Jacobs if you're bought into his role. Sanders has higher upside than any of those four and similar levels of uncertainty surrounding his role. He's a risky pick at the back end of the first-round, but the upside is there for a Christian McCaffrey-like breakout if Sanders' retains the every-down role we saw him occupy late in the 2019 season.