Players who have changed positions from WR to RB either late in their college careers or when they move to the pros have seen mixed fantasy results. Names like Cordarrelle Patterson and Antonio Gibson come to mind of those who have had big fantasy football seasons who fit this criteria.
Can rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. make an instant impact in a New York Giants backfield that just parted ways with Saquon Barkley this offseason?
Update (August 13): Tracy has been taken off the field at Giants practice on a cart with an air cast. He was injured on kickoff drills recovering a muffed kickoff. Here is everything we know about Tracy’s injury.
Should You Select Tyrone Tracy Jr. at His Current ADP?
PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 196th Overall (RB54)
- Unique Collegiate Journey: Tracy spent six years in college, starting as a wide receiver at Iowa before transitioning to running back at Purdue. His early impact as a receiver in 2019, with 36 receptions for 589 yards and three touchdowns, hinted at his versatility and playmaking ability.
- Transition to Running Back: After struggling to replicate his early success as a receiver, Tracy added 15 pounds of muscle and transitioned to running back ahead of the 2023 season. He thrived in his new role, rushing for 716 yards and eight touchdowns on just 113 carries, while also adding 19 receptions for 132 yards.
- Creative Runner with Explosive Athleticism: Tracy’s creativity, burst, and strength as a runner, combined with his lateral agility and acceleration, make him a dynamic option out of the backfield. His ability to pass protect, create mismatches in the passing game, and contribute on special teams further boosts his value.
- Potential Role in New York: While Devin Singletary is likely to start the season as the lead back for the Giants, Tracy’s versatility and playmaking ability could earn him a complementary role. If he impresses during the preseason, Tracy could eventually challenge Singletary for the starting job.
- Fantasy Outlook in 2024: The Giants’ backfield is not a particularly appealing fantasy situation, especially given Daniel Jones’ struggles under center. However, Tracy’s potential to emerge as a playmaker gives him upside as a late-round lottery ticket in fantasy drafts.
- ADP Analysis: Tracy’s ADP in the 17th round (RB54) makes him a low-risk, high-reward option at the end of fantasy drafts. His explosive playmaking ability and three-down skill set make him a worthy dart throw with the potential to carve out a significant role as the season progresses.
- Final Verdict: Tracy is an intriguing late-round pick with the upside to become a valuable fantasy asset in an unestablished backfield. Given his versatility and playmaking potential, he’s a great target with your final pick in fantasy drafts.
PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis. Since Tracy is ranked outside the top 75 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, we’ve listed the consensus RB rankings instead.
54) Jaylen Wright, RB | Miami Dolphins
55) Khalil Herbert, RB | Chicago Bears
56) Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB | Kansas City Chiefs
57) Justice Hill, RB | Baltimore Ravens
58) Dameon Pierce, RB | Houston Texans
59) Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB | New York Giants
60) Elijah Mitchell, RB | San Francisco 49ers
61) D’Onta Foreman, RB | Cleveland Browns
62) Keaton Mitchell, RB | Baltimore Ravens
63) AJ Dillon, RB | Green Bay Packers
64) Miles Sanders, RB | Carolina Panthers
Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Tracy had one of the most unique collegiate journeys of the 2024 NFL Draft class. He spent six years in college, most of which were spent playing another position.
Tracy started his career at Iowa as a receiver and made an early impact during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2019, with 36 receptions for 589 yards and three receiving scores. Sure, those weren’t gaudy receiving totals, but the context of this production coming from the Hawkeyes’ uninspiring offense should be taken into consideration.
Perhaps Iowa’s offense discovered something correctly that season, though, when Tracy foreshadowed his transition to the RB position with six carries for 39 yards and a score. Unfortunately, Tracy’s next three seasons (two at Iowa and one at Purdue) saw him fail to top those receiving totals, which helped him finally take the risk and transition to running back ahead of the 2023 season.
After adding 15 pounds of muscle, Tracy looked the part of a difference-making RB, with 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on just 113 carries in his final 11 games. This production came with an additional 19 receptions for 132 yards, which suggests he can be a potential hybrid weapon in the right offensive system.
Tracy is an exceptionally creative runner with a plus-level burst and plenty of strength to elude and dismiss undisciplined tacklers through contact. His lateral agility and acceleration are still very present despite adding over 10 pounds of muscle to become a full-time running back at Purdue.
Tracy’s ability to pass protect, create mismatches in the passing game as a receiver, and contribute in the return game all make him a strong candidate to make the Giants’ 53-man roster. Yet, combining that with his explosive athletic profile and impressive creativity as a runner could lead to a starter-level ceiling at the next level.
So, does Tracy have that starting level upside in New York in 2024? My answer is yes, but he won’t enter the year as the starting back. Devin Singletary — who played for Brian Daboll during his days with the Buffalo Bills — will have the inside track to the leading role in 2024.
Singletary isn’t washed, in my opinion, which means Tracy is going to have to make the most of every snap he gets this preseason to present his case for an actual role in New York’s backfield.
Ultimately, the Giants’ backfield doesn’t feel like a great fantasy situation, seeing that Daniel Jones’ production under center has been underwhelming, to put it very gently.
This offense was so bad last year that it actually made a player like Barkley tough to trust in your fantasy lineup. No offense to Tracy or Singletary, but I don’t expect either to be a better fantasy option than what we saw from Barkley last season. For some context, Barkley finished the year as the RB13 in full-PPR formats.
I believe Tracy will make a positive impression during the preseason and flash some of his playmaking ability to earn a complementary role to start his rookie year. He could eventually see enough work — and potentially even steal the leading gig away from Singletary — to be a worthy Flex option for your fantasy team over the back half of the 2024 NFL season.
Is Tracy a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?
Tracy’s ADP is in the 17th round at No. 196 overall (RB54). This makes him essentially an afterthought in the final round of your fantasy drafts.
I believe Tracy is a great lottery ticket in an unestablished fantasy backfield with explosive playmaking ability and a three-down skill set entering the NFL. If that’s not worth throwing a dart at with the last pick of your fantasy draft, then I don’t know what is.