It’s a new year. Relying on 2023 alone when creating your fantasy football rankings for 2024 is dangerous, as much has changed across the landscape. Here is my early look at the top running backs and how I see them stacking up for the upcoming season.
Ranking the Top Fantasy RBs
FIND MORE POSITIONAL RANKINGS: QB | WR | TE | K | DEF
1) Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers
2) Bijan Robinson | Atlanta Falcons
3) Breece Hall | New York Jets
4) Saquon Barkley | Philadelphia Eagles
5) Derrick Henry | Baltimore Ravens
6) Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts
7) Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit Lions
8) Kyren Williams | Los Angeles Rams
9) Travis Etienne Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars
10) Isiah Pacheco | Kansas City Chiefs
11) De’Von Achane | Miami Dolphins
12) James Cook | Buffalo Bills
13) Joe Mixon | Houston Texans
14) Josh Jacobs | Green Bay Packers
15) Rachaad White | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16) Kenneth Walker III | Seattle Seahawks
17) James Conner | Arizona Cardinals
18) Alvin Kamara | New Orleans Saints
19) David Montgomery | Detroit Lions
20) Zamir White | Las Vegas Raiders
21) D’Andre Swift | Chicago Bears
22) Aaron Jones | Minnesota Vikings
23) Najee Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers
24) Brian Robinson Jr. | Washington Commanders
25) Nick Chubb | Cleveland Browns
26) Javonte Williams | Denver Broncos
27) Ezekiel Elliott | Dallas Cowboys
28) Rhamondre Stevenson | New England Patriots
29) Zack Moss | Cincinnati Bengals
30) Raheem Mostert | Miami Dolphins
31) Gus Edwards | Los Angeles Chargers
32) Jonathon Brooks | Carolina Panthers
33) Jaylen Warren | Pittsburgh Steelers
34) Tony Pollard | Tennessee Titans
35) Devin Singletary | New York Giants
36) Tyjae Spears | Tennessee Titans
37) Chase Brown | Cincinnati Bengals
38) Ty Chandler | Minnesota Vikings
39) Tyler Allgeier | Atlanta Falcons
40) Zach Charbonnet | Seattle Seahawks
41) Chuba Hubbard | Carolina Panthers
42) Jerome Ford | Cleveland Browns
43) Rico Dowdle | Dallas Cowboys
44) MarShawn Lloyd | Green Bay Packers
45) Khalil Herbert | Chicago Bears
46) Blake Corum | Los Angeles Rams
47) Austin Ekeler | Washington Commanders
48) Jaleel McLaughlin | Denver Broncos
49) Trey Benson | Arizona Cardinals
50) Tyrone Tracy Jr. | New York Giants
51) J.K. Dobbins | Los Angeles Chargers
52) Kendre Miller | New Orleans Saints
53) Dameon Pierce | Houston Texans
54) Antonio Gibson | New England Patriots
55) Jaylen Wright | Miami Dolphins
56) Ray Davis | Buffalo Bills
57) Kimani Vidal | Los Angeles Chargers
58) Braelon Allen | New York Jets
59) Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Kansas City Chiefs
60) Justice Hill | Baltimore Ravens
61) D’Onta Foreman | Cleveland Browns
62) Roschon Johnson | Chicago Bears
63) Bucky Irving | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
64) Keaton Mitchell | Baltimore Ravens
65) Tank Bigsby | Jacksonville Jaguars
Who Are the Best Running Backs To Draft in Fantasy?
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Despite his own ailments and a quarterback plan that was made up on the fly after Anthony Richardson went down, Taylor ranked ninth at the position in fantasy points scored over expectation a year ago (+11%, right on par with his lofty career average).
Y’all seem to be forgetting the last time Jonathan Taylor played a full season he was the RB1.
🔵 1,811 Rushing Yards
⚪️ 360 Receiving Yards
🔵 20 Touchdowns
pic.twitter.com/ijEANI7hdI— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) July 29, 2024
I understand the concerns that Richardson could eat into Taylor’s scoring equity, but I’d argue that the impact of stability and upside under center increases the size of the overall scoring pie in a way that their star RB should still be labeled a threat to score 10+ times.
Over the past three seasons, Taylor averages 15.1% more red-zone touches per game than second-place Christian McCaffrey despite playing in an offense that ranks 11th in trips inside the 20-yard line over that stretch.
Maybe his percentage of those touches declines a bit, but if the overall number of opportunities increases, I’m happy to take my chances on Taylor at the end of the first round.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
One team that doesn’t need help finding the red zone is the Bills, the league leader in such trips per game over the past three seasons. In theory, I’d understand why you would assume that means nothing for Cook, given his limited usage in those situations a season ago.
Percentage of touches coming in the red zone
- James Cook: 12.5%
- Latavius Murray: 24%
That’s a fair concern I have, but what if that changes?
Rookie Ray Davis has replaced Murray and is more than capable of handling such a role. However, Cook is being drafted as if that is to be assumed.
After Joe Brady took over Buffalo’s offense in Week 11 last season, Cook was on the field for 48.1% of the Bills’ red-zone plays, a nice step forward from the 39.8% rate he had through the first 2.5 months of the season.
Cook’s versatility and role really aren’t a question, and that makes him a safe fantasy starter in any format. The fact that he was less than 2.0 PPR points per game last season away from finishing as an RB1 (top 12) gives me hope that with a slight tweak in his usage, he could get there.
It’s certainly possible now that Brady has had time to implement his scheme as opposed to being thrown into the fire midseason and being asked to do whatever it takes to save a 5-5 team.
I don’t see role growth for the next handful of names on this list the way I do for Cook, which gives me confidence in ranking him just ahead of those names — something that isn’t the norm in fantasy drafts right now.
