One of the most popular metrics in the NFL combine, the 40 time, has become a must-see event for football fans and fantasy mangers as well as the players the coaches. Do 40 times matter for dynasty fantasy football?

Right or wrong, whether the player runs fast or slow during their 40 yards can impact the player’s draft stock and change the opinions of organizations and fantasy managers. 

We all love a fast 40, and it appears that the game is getting faster and faster every season.  Should we be impressed with Jonathan Taylor’s 4.39, or Henry Ruggs III 4.27? In a word, yes, we should. Will that 40 time translate to on field success? How do 40 times impact fantasy results?  To answer these questions, I reviewed the 10 fastest times and the careers of the players that posted them.

Do 40 times matter? Check out these players, that had a strong showing at their combines.

11. Darrius Heyward-Bey 2009 4.30

Do 40 times matter? Derius Heyward-Bey
FOXBORO, MA – JANUARY 22: Darrius Heyward-Bey #88 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts prior to the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey posted a 4.30 40 time and was selected 7th overall in the 2009 draft by the Oakland Raiders.

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DHB appeared in 10 seasons with three different organizations.  He finished inside the top 100 at the wide receiver position 4 times with his best season coming in 2011.  Heyward-Bey finished that campaign WR28 with 183.5 PPR fantasy points. 

10. Zedrick Woods 2019 4.29

OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 01: Zedrick Woods #36 of the Mississippi Rebels returns an interception for a touchdown during the first half of a game against the Memphis Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The fastest man at the 2019 NFL Combine retired unexpectedly before ever hitting an NFL field. Woods watched all seven rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft without hearing his name called and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after a 4-year college career at Ole Miss.

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Woods had been suffering from a foot injury, speculated by some to be a chronic case of what is commonly referred to as turf toe.

9. Jacoby Ford 2010 4.28

OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 16: Jacoby Ford #12 of the Oakland Raiders returns a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown against the Cleveland Brown in the second quarter of an NFL football game at O.co Coliseum on October 16, 2011 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Jacoby Ford was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Entry Draft. Ford was once regarded as one of the fastest players in the league. His rookie season was his best as he evolved into mainly a kick returner the remainder of his time in Oakland.

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Ford was let go by Oakland at the conclusion of the 2014 season and was signed and released that season by both the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans.  His playing career concluded with three seasons in the CFL.  Ford answers our question, of ‘do 40 times matter’?

8. Jaylen Myrick 2017 4.28

SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 27: Minnesota (5) Jalen Myrick (DB) celebrates after a making a tackle for a stop during the National Funding Holiday Bowl game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Washington State Cougars on December 27, 2016, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jaylen Myrick posted the fasted 40 time out of all the Defensive Backs at the 2017 Scouting Combine.  A few months later the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Myrick in the seventh round.  Myrick was released on September 1, 2018. 

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He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings to their practice squad and was waived and resigned numerous times as a Viking.  He ended his NFL career after being waived by the Atlanta Falcons prior to the 2019 season.  Myrick currently plays in the XFL as a member of the DC Defenders.

7. J.J. Nelson 2015 4.28

GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 25: Wide receiver J.J. Nelson #14 of the Arizona Cardinals hauls in a catch over cornerback Anthony Brown #30 of the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

Nelson, the owner of the fasted 40 time at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, was selected in the 5th round of the NFL Entry draft by the Arizona Cardinals.  He finished his rookie year with 11 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns (WR107). 

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His best season was his second season, posting 34 receptions for 568 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Nelson put himself on the radar as a potential third year breakout receiver.  After 5 NFL seasons we still await this burners breakout season–a season that is unlikely to materialize.

6. Marquise Goodwin 2013 4.27

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 15: Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers runs for a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)

Goodwin was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 2013 NFL Entry Draft in the third round.  The former 2012 Olympian struggled in his Bills tenure due numerous injuries that kept him off the field.

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Prior to the 2017 season, Goodwin signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and a year later he inked a 3-year extension worth 20.3 million. 2017 was the highlight year thus far in Goodwin’s career.  During his first season in San Francisco, Goodwin set career-highs across the board with 56 receptions for 962 receiving yards in 16 starts.  He was limited to 395 receiving yards in 2018 before getting phased out of the offense in 2019. He finished last season with 12 receptions for 186 yards and one score in nine games before landing on the injured reserve.

5. Henry Ruggs III 2020 4.27

Henry Ruggs
College Football: Alabama Henry Ruggs III (11) in action vs Arkansas State at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Tuscaloosa, AL 9/8/2018 CREDIT: Kevin Liles (Photo by Kevin Liles /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X162133 TK1 )

Ruggs, the fasted man at the 2020 NFL Combine, recently concluded his three-year career at Alabama.

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Ruggs is currently one of the top ranked 2020 wide receivers and he should hear his name called in the first round in Las Vegas later this year. 

4. Dri Archer 2014 4.26

JACKSONVILLE, FL – AUGUST 14: Dri Archer #13 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs for yards during a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on August 14, 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Dri Archer was a track athlete first and foremost. Coming out of high school, he was offered track scholarships from Clemson and Arkansas. Kent State was the only school to offer him a football scholarship, and as a result he elected to attend Kent State.

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Archer was a third round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers in in the 2014 NFL Entry Draft. Archer was used mainly as a kick returner and Special Teams member as a Steeler. In 2015 he was waived, and in 2016 he signed and waived by the New York Jets. Archer was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills by decided not to report. The Bills placed him on the reserve/did not report list as a result.

3. Chris Johnson 2008 4.24

ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 04: Chris Johnson #28 of the Tennessee Titans scores his second touchdown of the game in the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 4, 2011 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Chris Johnson is by far the most successful member of this top 10. Johnson emerged as a senior for East Carolina University where he broke out for 2,960 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2008 NFL Entry Draft after running a then-record breaking 4.24 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

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He won the NFL rushing title with 2,006 yards in 2009. In the process he became one of only seven players ever to gain over 2,000 in a season. Adding to that he also broke Marshall Faulk’s record of total yards from scrimmage. Johnson earned the nickname CJ2K as a result of that record breaking season.

CJ2K went on to post four more 1000+ yard rushing seasons in Tennessee. As a member of the Titans, Johnson finished as top 12 fantasy running back in every season with the exception of 2020 when he finished 13th. He was the top player in fantasy football in 2009, finishing 50 points clear of #2 Aaron Rodgers. Johnson also played for the New York Jets and the Arizona Cardinals.

2. John Ross 2017 4.22

CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 13: John Ross #15 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs with the ball during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

John Ross is the fastest to ever run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was selected later that spring by the Cincinnati Bengals 9th overall out of the University of Washington.

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Despite being a first round selection, Ross broke training camp as WR6 on the Bengals depth chart. Ross had an injury plagued rookie season, a season that totaled 1 touch a 12 yard rush that ended in a lost fumble. He concluded his rookie season as WR215 with -0.8 PPR fantasy points

He bounced back somewhat in 2018 making the most of his 21 receptions by scoring 7 touchdowns. Ross got off to a blazing start in 2019, he was WR11 (58.2 points) through the first three weeks of the season. Injuries caught up to him again and he only played five more games to conclude his season. He finished his best season to date as WR76 with 89 PPR points. It remains to be seen what John Ross will become at the NFL level. Staying healthy remains his biggest obstacle.

1. Conclusion

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 25: A graphic displaying the Scouting Combine logo during the NFL Scouting Combine on February 25, 2020 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

We all love speed. Speed is sexy and as they say, sex sells. Of all the events at the annual NFL Scouting Combine, the 40-yard dash tops the ratings by a wide margin.

In terms of on field application, it’s pretty common knowledge at this point that 40 times don’t directly translate to game speed or success. Wide receivers rarely if ever run 40 yards downfield unimpeded. It’s even less applicable for running backs and the other skilled positions.

The 40-yard dash is a skills completion–not a football event. There is a reason that the most successful almost always have a track background. It’s a track event. It is possible that Jonathan Taylor has a Chris Johnson type career, or that Henry Ruggs III is the next Randy Moss. It’s also possible (and more likely), that they don’t.

The 40-yard dash is fun, but it shouldn’t be the reason one of these prospects jumps up in your rankings. What they have done on the football field should.

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