This is where the running back rankings get a little wild. But Jaleel McLaughlin finished 46th out of all the running backs in the league and he only touched the ball 107 times. So wild stuff happens when you get this far from the top.
Still, Too Early Fantasy Running Back Rankings – Part 4
37. Rico Dowdle
If Dowdle is the Cowboys starting running back when the season begins then this ranking is far too low. But in his three years in the NFL, he has never started a game. It appears the Cowboys would rather use him to spell whoever is the starter. Presumably, they will draft a running back, although they could re-sign Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott is still available in free agency and Jerry Jones did once say “I know he’s one of the best teammates that I’ve had the privilege of seeing on the Cowboys”. If that does happen the Cowboys will have to come up with a creative way of using both backs. They are both very physical and have both had their fair share of injuries.
Dowdle only scored 91.5 fantasy points in 2023, but he only played 22% of the Cowboys’ snaps on offense. Even if Elliott returns Dowdle should see more game time in 2024.
38. Nick Chubb
Talking of injuries, Chubb has had at least two operations after suffering a knee injury back in September. But he averaged 6 yards per touch before the injury. Not even the Browns GM seems to know when Chubb will be back, they’ve signed D’Onta Foreman in case he’s not ready for the start of the season. But given that this was his first knee injury since 2015 there’s good reason to be optimistic. He should be back stronger than ever. And he was squatting 675 lbs. during his 2022 preseason workouts remember?
39. Zamir White
White was Josh Jacobs’ backup in 2023, but he looked terrific doing it. The former Georgia running back started four games and he racked up 457 yards from scrimmage in those games. If he starts 17 games that would put him on pace to amass 1,942 total yards. That’s probably not going to happen. But if he winds up with 75% of those yards, he’ll be close to 1,500 on the season.
White only scored one touchdown in 2023 on a pretty low-scoring offense (they only scored 31 touchdowns all season). He’ll be splitting carries with Alexander Mattison this year. But Mattison didn’t score any rushing touchdowns in 2023! White will definitely be the lead back in the desert.
40. Najee Harris
The Steelers have gone all-in this offseason to build an offense that could be as good as their defense. But it will only work if they manage Harris’ workload. And with Jaylen Warren on the roster, they have the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Harris scored 195.5 fantasy points in 2023. But with either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields under center and three new wideouts arriving (so far), it seems unlikely Arthur Smith will lean on the run game as much as Matt Canada did. Harris caught 76.3% of his targets in 2023, but Warren caught 82.4% of his. And with all that newly acquired talent the running backs might not see many targets this season. He’ll still be a valuable asset in fantasy leagues though.
41. Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson made the best of Bill O’Brien’s insane Patriots offensive system in 2023. But he succumbed to a high ankle sprain in Week 12 (because all the Patriots’ best players got injured at some stage in 2023). He averaged 4.4 yards per touch before the injury though. And that’s not really headline-grabbing (he averaged 5.2 yards in 2022). But with an offensive line that wasn’t really helping, not to mention a coaching team that spent more time arguing than coaching it was quite the achievement.
Former Oklahoma running back Stevenson scored 145.7 fantasy points in 2023 and he could improve on that in 2024. Importantly Alex Van Pelt isn’t Bill O’Brien, but the Patriots haven’t really upgraded the line yet. They don’t really seem to have a clear plan to improve the offense and right now nobody seems to know who the quarterback will be. Until that’s cleared up it’s difficult to boost him up the rankings.
42. AJ Dillon
25-year-old running back Dillon must have been quietly happy to see The Packers release Aaron Jones, nobody wants to see their friends leave but it made him numero uno in Green Bay. And then Josh Jacobs arrived three days later. Now Dillon isn’t even the number one power back on the roster.
He scored 117.6 fantasy points in 2023 in what was a bit of a down year. His 3.4 yards per carry was a career low and his two touchdowns were the fewest since his rookie year. Jacobs averaged 4.1 yards per touch and scored six touchdowns in 2024. The Packers run game might not be as good as they hope in 2024.
43. Zach Charbonnet
Former Michigan and UCLA running back Charbonnet is always exciting to watch. That’s partly because you never know if he’s going to lose the ball or absolutely body the nearest tackler. But he’s definitely behind Kenneth Walker III on the depth chart. Last season Charbonnet averaged 4.8 yards per touch in his backup role, but he only scored one touchdown. Seattle has bolstered their offensive line in free agency, so their running game should be better than the 2023 version.
Charbonnet scored 106.1 fantasy points in 2023 and it’s easy to see him improving on that this time out. He’ll score more than a solitary touchdown.
44. D’Onta Foreman
Foreman had a pretty quiet 2023, he only managed seven touches in the first five games of the season. And he was pretty much the eight ball from there. He started eight games in all and averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. He did score five touchdowns though. And now he’s in Cleveland as part of a pretty hectic backfield.
Unsurprisingly the former Texans running back only scored 91.2 fantasy points. He’ll surely improve on that in 2024. When Nick Chubb is back healthy Foreman could find himself being traded. But if he starts the season more effectively than he did in 2023 he’ll be an attractive trade target.
45. Dameon Pierce
24-year-old running back Pierce had a bit of the sophomore syndrome in his second year in the league. His average yards per touch fell from 4.4 yards as a rookie to 3.3 as he shared time with Devin Singletary. This year he’ll be behind Joe Mixon on the depth chart, but that should help him. Singletary’s mediocrity (his 4.2 yards per rush was ok, but only 22nd in the league) combined with CJ Stroud’s general air of calm and excellence meant the Texans only ran the ball 41% of the time in 2023.
Pierce only scored 82.7 fantasy points in 2023, but he only played 32% of the offense’s snaps. He’ll be a nice foil for Mixon and if the Texans do run the ball more Pierce will get a lot more touches than he did in 2023.
46. Ty Chandler
Chandler had an odd 2023. The 25-year-old running back showed what he can do when he turned a fake punt into a 31-yard run. But across the season his usage was spotty at best. He had 11 touches in the first three weeks of the season, but he started for the first time in week 14. In that game, he touched the ball 26 times! By the end of the season, he was averaging 5.0 yards per touch with the offense and 24.25 yards per kick return. In 2023 he’ll be Aaron Jones’ backup, so he shouldn’t be seeing 26 touches in any game this year. But if he continues to average 5 yards a touch that’s not a problem.
Chandler scored 101 fantasy points in 2023, but with a rookie QB, the Vikings should be leaning on the run game in 2024. The double-headed monster of Jones and Chandler should tire out a lot of defenses.
47. Cam Akers
Former FSU running back Akers might be the most fun running back to watch unless you’re on the opposing sideline. He breaks tackles for fun, he’s not particularly big but he has such a strong core that he rarely goes down from initial contact. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in November though. And he’s currently without a team. But his rehabilitation is progressing well and it’s inconceivable that he won’t find a team preseason begins. The Broncos and Jaguars should be interested.
Even though he only had 71 touches in 2023 he still scored four touchdowns. And he ended the 2023 season with 46.7 fantasy points.
48. Kenneth Gainwell
Gainwell will be firmly entrenched behind Saquon Barkley this year. But with a new offensive coordinator and no Jason Kelce (at the moment) the “tush push” could be in endanger of extinction. It also makes sense to spread the ball around more than the Eagles did last year. Barkley isn’t traditionally the healthiest back (he hasn’t completed a full season since his rookie year), so it makes sense to share the load.
Former Memphis running back Gainwell scored 97.38 fantasy points in 2023 and that was despite only playing 415 of the offensive snaps. He only scored two touchdowns and he fumbled three times, if he can clean that up, he’ll score more points this season.
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