The deeper you peer into the running back rankings the more impending free agents and rookies feature. And that’s where the unknown becomes an even bigger consideration. But that’s what makes it fun.<\/p>\n
In his rookie season, Brown<\/a> only averaged 4.5 fantasy points per game. But he averaged 5.8 yards per touch, the Bengals only let him touch the ball 58 times though. Zac Taylor needs to find a way to involve him more than that. It\u2019s pretty unconscionable that someone who averaged 11.14 yards per reception didn\u2019t even play for the Bengals in 5 games last season.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Edwards-Helaire is a free agent in March so where he is paying next season will obviously be important. The 2-time Super Bowl champion might be happy to stay in KC as a backup, but he should consider leaving. CEH hasn\u2019t won 2 rings because he\u2019s been lucky enough to be on the same team as Patrick Mahomes, he was a\u00a0winner before he arrived in the NFL. He won the CFP Championship in 2019 with LSU too. During his college championship season, he racked up 1,868 yards in 15 games at an average of 6.9 yards per touch!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He\u2019ll be 25 in April, and he\u2019s only touched the ball 175 times in the last 2 seasons so there\u2019s plenty of tread left on his tires.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He backed up Josh Jacobs so well in 2023 that he\u2019s bound to have a bigger role in the offense in 2024, even if Jacobs is healthy all season. White averaged 4.9 yards per touch but only averaged 4.3 points per game in 2023. His 104 rushing attempts were 25% of the Raiders’ total carries and he only had 20 rushing attempts in the first 13 weeks of the season!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dowdle looked like the back who was best suited to the Cowboys offense that Mike McCarthy was calling in 2023. He averaged 4.8 yards per touch compared to Tony Pollard\u2019s 4.3. But he still only touched the ball 106 times, 201 times fewer than Pollard. If the Cowboys decide to share out the carries out more evenly Dowdle could significantly improve on his 5.7 fantasy points per game.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s a logjam of talent in the Bears backfield. And if Caleb Williams arrives in the draft and is allowed to run the ball it\u2019ll be even more congested. But Johnson is probably the most <\/span>direct<\/span><\/a> back in Chicago. And with D\u2019Onta Foreman hitting free agency he will probably become the second running back in Chicago. He\u2019ll be the thunder to Khalil Herbert\u2019s lightning.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson averaged 6.8 fantasy points per game in 2023. And that was despite only having 15% of the Bears carries. The Bears\u2019 new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will want to increase Johnson\u2019s usage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He\u2019s a rookie running back, so he could end up being drafted somewhere terrible. But talent-wise he\u2019s a very exciting prospect. In his last 2 seasons in college, Irving racked up 2,950 yards on a whopping 429 touches of the ball.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Irving isn\u2019t the human highlight reel Jahmyr Gibbs is, but he could fit into a similar role to the Lions superstar. He shouldn\u2019t have any problem finding the endzone, so wherever he lands he will consistently score fantasy points.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Vikings running back position was volatile, to say the least (or a disaster to say a bit more). But Johnson emerged as an explosive carrier in Week 10 when he had 15 carries and scored his first touchdown. It took the Vikings until Week 14 to make him the starting back though (told you it was a disaster). <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He scored 101 fantasy points in 2023 at 5.9 points per game. And by the end of the season, he averaged 5 yards per touch. The Vikings just have to use him from the start of the 2024 season.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Davis is another rookie back, but he\u2019s 22 lbs. Heavier than Irving. But that\u2019s not his USP, he has an extraordinary vision. He seems to know where defenders are going before the defenders know where they\u2019re going. And he has a step off his left foot that sends potential tacklers in completely the wrong direction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2023 he scored 14 touchdowns and averaged 5.7 yards per carry! He\u2019s projected to be a 3<\/span>rd<\/span> round pick, so it\u2019s unlikely he will end up in a great situation. But wherever he plays he\u2019ll be impressive.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If the Vikings running back situation was volatile in 2023 the Jets’ situation was a straight-up dumpster fire. They signed Dalvin Cook for no apparent reason and after that nothing made sense. Breece Hall is a top 3 back in the league, but Carter averages 5 yards per touch throughout his career. Thankfully he managed to extricate himself from the Jets horror show and now he\u2019s in Arizona.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He\u2019ll obviously be behind James Conner. But with Kyler Murray, Keaontay Ingram, and Emari Demercado the Cardinals are perfectly poised to have the most ridiculous rushing offense in the league. And someone who averages 5 yards per touch is going to be a key piece of that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Breida\u2019s a free agent (so is Saquon, the Giants are in a right old mess) and normally you\u2019d say a 29-year-old running back would be past their best. But Breida\u2019s been a backup for the last 4 seasons, so he\u2019s only averaged 62 touches a season. He hasn\u2019t exactly taken a lot of punishment. But he has averaged 4.5 yards per touch over those seasons. Provided he can get away from the Giants in free agency (or the Giants can build an offensive line) Breida will be a valuable player next season. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Akers is a free agent in the offseason and he\u2019s coming back from a ruptured Achilles tendon. So, he may not be fit for the start of the season. But he should feature somewhere during the season, there will always be interest in a Super Bowl-winning running back after all. He only managed to play 6 games for the Vikings last season before his awful injury. But he did catch 91.7% of the passes they threw in his direction. He averaged 8.4 yards per catch throughout his 5-year NFL career.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another part of Drew Petzing\u2019s mad scientist run attack in the desert. Demercado<\/a> averaged 5.1 yards per touch in 2023. He only scored 2 touchdowns in 2023, but they came against the Bengals and <\/span>49ers<\/span><\/a> defenses! He might not get as many touches as Conners and Carter, but he\u2019ll be a great foil to them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n More Fantasy Football<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n38. Clyde Edwards-Helaire<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
39. Zamir White<\/span><\/h3>\n
40. Rico Dowdle<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
41. Roschon Johnson<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
42. Bucky Irving<\/span><\/h3>\n
43. Ty Chandler<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
44. Ray Davis<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
45. Michael Carter<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
46. Matt Breida<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
47. Cam Akers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
48. Emari Demercado<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n