We are still a long way away from traditional managed redraft leagues. For the next few months, Best Ball will dominate the redraft fantasy football discussion. To prepare fantasy managers for months of drafting, here are our top 80 Best Ball RB rankings for the 2024 season.
Best Ball RB Rankings for the 2024 Season
Other Positional Best Ball Rankings: QB | WR | TE
1) Christian McCaffrey | SF
2) Bijan Robinson | ATL
3) Breece Hall | NYJ
4) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
5) Kyren Williams | LAR
6) Josh Jacobs | GB
7) Derrick Henry | BAL
8) De’Von Achane | MIA
9) Saquon Barkley | PHI
10) Jonathan Taylor | IND
11) Rachaad White | TB
12) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX
13) Isiah Pacheco | KC
14) James Cook | BUF
15) Alvin Kamara | NO
16) James Conner | ARI
17) David Montgomery | DET
18) Joe Mixon | HOU
19) Kenneth Walker III | SEA
20) Aaron Jones | MIN
21) Tony Pollard | TEN
22) D’Andre Swift | CHI
23) Zamir White | LV
24) Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
25) Javonte Williams | DEN
26) Najee Harris | PIT
27) Jaylen Warren | PIT
28) Austin Ekeler | WAS
29) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS
30) Devin Singletary | NYG
31) Zack Moss | CIN
32) Tyjae Spears | TEN
33) Gus Edwards | LAC
34) Chuba Hubbard | CAR
35) Raheem Mostert | MIA
36) Jerome Ford | CLE
37) Nick Chubb | CLE
38) Jonathon Brooks | FA
39) Ty Chandler | MIN
40) Chase Brown | CIN
41) Zach Charbonnet | SEA
42) Blake Corum | FA
43) Tyler Allgeier | ATL
44) Antonio Gibson | NE
45) Roschon Johnson | CHI
46) Kendre Miller | NO
47) Khalil Herbert | CHI
48) Ezekiel Elliott | FA
49) Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN
50) AJ Dillon | GB
51) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI
52) Alexander Mattison | FA
53) Jaylen Wright | FA
54) Braelon Allen | FA
55) MarShawn Lloyd | FA
56) Keaton Mitchell | BAL
57) Clyde Edwards-Helaire | FA
58) Miles Sanders | CAR
59) Elijah Mitchell | SF
60) J.K. Dobbins | FA
61) Jamaal Williams | NO
62) Rico Dowdle | FA
63) Dameon Pierce | HOU
64) D’Onta Foreman | FA
65) Jeff Wilson Jr. | MIA
66) Evan Hull | IND
67) Justice Hill | BAL
68) Israel Abanikanda | NYJ
69) Jerick McKinnon | FA
70) Pierre Strong Jr. | CLE
71) Emari Demercado | ARI
72) Jordan Mason | SF
73) Kareem Hunt | FA
74) Michael Carter | ARI
75) Samaje Perine | DEN
76) Ronnie Rivers | LAR
77) Joshua Kelley | FA
78) D’Ernest Johnson | JAX
79) Will Shipley | FA
80) Damien Harris | FA
Top RBs To Draft in Best Ball Leagues
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Over the past several years, we’ve seen more and more smaller players come into the NFL and have immediate success. Jahmyr Gibbs is only 199 pounds.
Typically, feature backs are at least 209 pounds. But perhaps that threshold, similar to the notion that wide receivers under 180 pounds can’t thrive, is becoming a thing of the past.
We’re probably never going to see Gibbs as a 350-touch back. However, we have already seen him handle a full workload. In Week 8, Gibbs carried the ball 26 times for 152 yards while adding five receptions for 37 yards. He played 70% of the snaps.
With David Montgomery returning, the Detroit Lions backfield will likely look similar to how it did in 2023. Well, Gibbs averaged 16.1 fantasy points per game and finished as the overall RB8 on just 235 touches. He should at least see a small increase in usage as a sophomore, which should be enough to propel him into the ranks of the elite.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
For years, I was not a believer in Josh Jacobs. He just didn’t appear to be all that talented. I’m sorry, Josh. I was wrong. And this isn’t a situation where a player got better, it was just a misevaluation. It happens. The key is making sure it doesn’t keep happening in the face of clear evidence to the contrary.
Jacobs had the worst season of his career last year, averaging just 13.9 fantasy points per game. He finished as the overall RB18.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
While Jacobs did see his season cut short due to injury, he also wasn’t as effective when healthy. His 3.5 yards per carry were, by far, a career worst. He also struggled to rip off any big runs with just five carries of 15+ yards all season. Jacobs’ 2.89 yards created per touch ranked 49th in the league.
As a quick reminder, though, Jacobs was the overall RB3 in 2022. Of course, no one expected him to repeat that. However, he averaged between 14.7 and 15.4 fantasy points per game in each of his first three seasons. That’s more in line with what we can expect.
Jacobs now gets an offensive upgrade heading to the Green Bay Packers. He is set to be the RB1 for the Packers, with Aaron Jones now in Minnesota. Frustratingly, they did bring back AJ Dillon, which could limit his upside, but Jacobs is the superior back and should be able to take the majority of the workload.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
A guy like Tyjae Spears is the prime example of the risks of early best ball drafting. Derrick Henry said his goodbyes to Tennessee. We knew he was going to be playing elsewhere. What we didn’t know is what the Tennessee Titans will do to supplement Spears in their backfield.
It was fully expected that Spears would be the lead back, but the arrival of Tony Pollard made this confusing. Pollard has a similar style to Spears, making it tough to work out which of them will be getting the ball in key situations.
MORE: Overall Best Ball Rankings 2024
Spears averaged a respectable 9.1 fantasy points per game as a rookie despite scoring just three touchdowns all season. What excited us most about Spears is that, for years, the Titans would have Henry as the early-down and goal-line back, with someone else catching passes. Spears commanded a 14.7% target share as a rookie. He also averaged 4.5 yards per carry and was used as the power back during his one chance to be the lead back.
If Spears does end up in a Jahmyr Gibbs lite-type role, he could still be worth his cost in drafts. But what if Pollard struggles again, and Spears legitimately has a three-down role? The Titans are probably not going to be the best offense. However, Spears could benefit if the team is facing more negative game scripts.
Despite the arrival of Pollard, there is still plenty of upside with Spears. He’s a guy I think could see his ADP rise throughout the year. Early best ball drafters can take advantage of the heap of uncertainty that has come with this free agency news.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!