Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White barely played as a rookie behind Josh Jacobs. Is there any hope for an increased role as a sophomore? What is his fantasy football projection for 2023?
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Zamir White’s 2023 Fantasy Projection
Sometimes, it feels like fantasy analysts just want to let you know they know who a player is. That’s what the White hype felt like last year, particularly last August.
After Josh Jacobs played in the Hall of Fame Game, speculation ran rampant over whether he was going to be part of a committee or outright lose his job. Instead, Jacobs saw the heaviest workload of his career, relegating everyone else to bit roles.
But before that happened, White’s ADP jumped as he was the perceived primary beneficiary should Jacobs lose his job.
White was a fourth-round rookie last season. He’s a two-down grinder with no pass-catching acumen whatsoever. On a team with Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden, White’s only path to seeing the field is a Jacobs injury.
Last season, White primarily played special teams. He got on the field offensively for 12 games. In total, he carried the ball 17 times for 70 yards. He did not see a single target.
Should You Draft Zamir White This Year?
Assuming Jacobs’ holdout doesn’t extend into the season, we know Jacobs is going to be the lead back. His role should look a lot like it did last season. White will not have standalone value. The only appeal with White is if he is actually Jacobs’ primary handcuff. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case.
Although the Raiders did not sign or draft any running backs of consequence, I believe Abdullah and Bolden would mostly split this backfield if Jacobs were to go down.
Abdullah is locked into the passing-down role. And last season, Bolden had as many carries as White.
Most Day 3 picks aren’t NFL-caliber players. While it’s only been one season, the Raiders’ usage of White suggests he’s nothing more than a rotational depth option.
Depending on what depth charts you use, White may be listed anywhere from the RB2 to the RB4. I believe him to be the RB4, and I’m not entirely sure he will even be active every week.
Fantasy managers seem to be wise to the fact that there’s nothing here with White. He has an ADP of RB64, No. 208 overall. I did not even rank White, as I believe there to be no set of events that could even potentially lead to him having fantasy value, which includes Jacobs sitting out regular season games.