2024 RB Preview Special

Hello everyone! Sorry for getting things out late this week, it’s been a crazy last week getting back from a wedding and the family simultaneously falling sick. I’m still recovering from the effects myself.

I’ve got a “2024 Running Back Preview” of sorts for you today. I list off the top 12 at the position in my rankings, then give some of my favorite sleepers and a couple of players I could see busting this season.

But first, I must mention the injuries to Jahmyr Gibbs and Tyrone Tracy. Tracy looks like he will be fine despite suffering what appeared to be a scary injury where he was put into an air cast and carted off the practice field:

In a cruel bit of humor, I stumbled across one creator who wrote out a very well-thought-out pro-Tracy thread only to have reports come out as soon as he hit send. The timing wasn’t lost on him:

It looks like Gibbs will miss the rest of the summer but be ready for week 1 with a hamstring injury. Hamstrings do have the annoying ability to flare up again in season, so this is something we will need to monitor throughout 2024.

2024 Top-12 Running Backs

1. ⛏️ Christian McCaffrey: Even though he’s dealing with an injury, assuming he plays a full season’s worth of games, there is no one I’d rather have on my team.

2. 🟢 Breece Hall: Hall led running backs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in 2023. Plus, let’s be honest: who is removing him from being the No.2 target in New York? A rookie? Kickoff returner? An aging Mike Williams?

3. 🔴 Bijan Robinson: Robinson is primed for a big year with a coaching staff that has said multiple times they plan to feature him (despite the coaching staff saying Tyler Allgeier will be “heavily” involved).

4. 🦅 Saquon Barkley: Honestly, this was a bump up from 5 because of Gibbs's injury concerns. I still think Saquon is among the most talented backs in the NFL, and in a much better offense, could thrive.

5. 🦁 Jahmyr Gibbs: Fell one spot to fifth behind Saquon, because of injury. It’s not that he’s a bad pick…he’s top 5 in my rankings. It’s just the slight hesitation to pull the trigger now. He’s electric on the field and could make me regret this.

6. 🐬 De’Von Achane: Speaking of electric, Achane is one of my favorite targets in redraft this year. It took me some time to get here, but I’m all in on the second year back in Miami.

7. 🐴 Jonathan Taylor: Taylor is still a very, very, very, good back, and has overall RB1 potential. He’s done it before, and if the Colts take off, could do it again. I think their offense could limit him slightly, but he’s in a good place to produce.

8. 🐏 Kyren Williams: Despite the Blake Corum worries, I still think Kyren is a great pick, albeit not as enticing as he was before the 2024 NFL Draft. Corum will likely spell him and could eat into his workload, hence why he is down here on the list. Still a great back for your team.

9. 🟣 Derrick Henry: I can’t fade him but so much. I’ve tried and failed and I’ve resolved to ride the wave till it’s over. He’s in a much better situation in Baltimore in 2024 and should see a lot of scoring opportunities. Plus, I think 1,300 rushing yards could be in the cards.

10. 🐆 Travis Etienne: He saw his shine wear off a little towards the end of 2023, but I think he will still be a decent volume play. He has pass-catching chops and if Jacksonville can stay productive offensively or even increase their output, he should be just fine.

11. 🏹 Isiah Pacheco: My man Pacheco just keeps chugging. He’s not been the typical workhorse and can’t be ranked as such, but he’s a safe pick and has upside if Kansas City bounces back offensively like many believe they will. Touchdowns could be coming his way. A lot of them.

12. 🏴‍☠️ Rachaad White: White was inefficient last year but got it done thanks to volume and receiving work. I think the same will be the case this year, but I don’t think he will finish quite as high as his 2023 season.

RB Sleepers

• 🇺🇸 I really like Rhamondre Stevenson this season. That’s not a popular pick and I understand why. New England doesn’t look like they will have a good offense in 2024, and some people worry about Antonio Gibson. I’m not incredibly worried about Gibson though I do think he will be involved. With the Patriots lacking depth in their receiving corps, the running backs should have plenty of targets for them to both do well. Stevenson also profiles, to me, as the primary runner.

• 🐬 Raheem Mostert also feels undervalued as well. His touchdowns will come down for sure, but I have a hard time seeing him finish as an RB3 if he plays most of the year in that Miami offense. Despite his injury-riddled past, he’s played in 16 and 15 games in the previous two years.

RB Busts

• 🐅 It’s really hard to find a “bust” given the injuries we’ve seen crop up in recent weeks to say, Marshawn Lloyd and Jahmyr Gibbs. That helps the case for Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery. You could argue Aaron Jones, but I like him at his ADP. But I’ll go with Zack Moss. Zac Taylor had Moss at the top of his first depth chart but a lot can change. As far as ADP goes, Chase Brown presents the better value. Brown is the younger player, exhibits more upside, and has the college profile to show he can handle a workload if needed. His teammates love Brown, and I’ll make the gut call that Moss isn’t who we want him to be in 2024.

• 🔵 Take this bust with a grain of salt. Again, I don’t have hard stances on “busts” among the top-20ish guys, though I do have guys I like more or less than others. But Devin Singletary screams to me “bust” despite his projected workload. Singletary’s stock could rise to high-end RB3/low-end RB2 territory even if Tyrone Tracy has avoided a major injury. If it does go up, I am out. Saquon Barkley had a tough time doing anything on the Giants last year. This team is better right now as it stands, but that’s not factoring in any future injuries to the QB, WRs, or OL. Singletary is a serviceable back, but he doesn’t have a “carry-the-offense” capability should he have to. He’s had two seasons as a top-24 RB in fantasy in half-PPR formats, and that was with Buffalo at the height of their powers. Other than that, he’s been RB31 or worse.

Some Miscellaneous Mentions

I wanted to list off a few guys I’m high on this year, rapid-fire style, just to make sure I got them in this newsletter: Alvin Kamara (so many receptions), Brian Robinson (my forever man), James Conner, and Jonathon Brooks. 🐈‍⬛ 

That will do it! Hope you enjoyed it and one last thing before I go…