Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings, 2024

As we roll along this offseason, we are laying the groundwork for early best ball drafts, new dynasty startups, and everything else under the fantasy sun as we gear up for the next NFL season.

My full 2024 fantasy football rankings are already available as part of the Sharp Fantasy Football Draft Kit, but we also wanted to add some notes to those rankings for each position.

These rankings will move and be updated throughout the offseason as the landscape changes.

While these rankings will only have a short blurb for each player, there will be more in-detail player writeups coming with the full tiers later in June after our 2024 NFL Preview book drops.

This list will be based on full-PPR settings, but check out the full rankings to see how the deck gets shuffled under other scoring settings that do not weigh receptions as heavily.

Fantasy Football Rankings:

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Fantasy RB Rankings 2024:

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
Bijan Robinson, Falcons
Breece Hall, Jets
Saquon Barkley, Eagles
Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions

2024 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings:

1. Christian McCaffrey: In the past four full seasons, has finished as the RB2, RB1, RB2, and RB1 in overall scoring. Was the RB1 and RB5 in points scored per game in the two seasons he was limited by injury. Has now played 33 games with the 49ers, scoring 39 touchdowns (with a passing touchdown) in those games.

2. Bijan Robinson: Only five other running backs had more total yards a year ago. Did that on just 50.6% of his backfield touches. Others ahead of him had 69.5%, 72.1%, 62.2%, 76.0%, and 76.1%. Offensive climate is much more appealing in year two. Both are neck and neck, but a slight lean to Robinson versus Breece Hall based on offensive line, team projected points scored, playing indoors in a worse division, and strength of schedule.

3. Breece Hall: Second among all running backs in total yards despite a slow start to the season in terms of playing time and operating in one of the league’s worst offensive climates. Entering 2024 fully removed from his ACL injury with Aaron Rodgers returning and significant pieces added to the offensive line. Set up to compete for RB1 overall.

4. Saquon Barkley: Playing in the best offensive climate of his career can unlock early-career upside, but also could have his scoring opportunities and receiving ceiling compromised Jalen Hurts.

5. Jahmyr Gibbs: Turned 234 touches into 1,261 total yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie. Room to increase his role as a pass catcher, but our first back who can be limited by overall touches.
Over the final nine games playing with David Montgomery, had four weeks as the RB24 or lower.

6. Jonathan Taylor: Looking to bounce back from back-to-back down years after his mammoth 2021 season. Showed his immense ceiling in the season finale, but could have touchdowns and receptions impacted by Anthony Richardson.

7. Travis Etienne: Over 1,400 total yards in each of his two full seasons. Made a true jump as a workhorse in year two. Now looking to merge his 2023 usage with his 2022 efficiency.

8. De’Von Achane: Will never project for a large workload, but the electricity per touch showed as a rookie has him keeping the company of players such as early-career Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Charles. In the eight games with double-digit touches, averaged 22.9 fantasy points.

9. Alvin Kamara: Rushing efficiency and scoring opportunities on the ground trending down for multiple seasons, but still was a top-five scorer per game in both full-PPR and 0.5-PPR settings due to receiving work.

10. Isiah Pacheco: Turned 249 touches into 1,179 yards and nine touchdowns over 14 games in second season. Has been a mixed bag in terms of efficiency and consistency through two seasons but was a big winner this offseason with no major competition added to a backfield that will garner a plethora of scoring opportunities.

11. Joe Mixon: Has struggled to reach elite fantasy output, but is a reliable workhorse in an ascending offense. Was in a good offensive environment in Cincinnati, but this rushing scheme paired with getting out of the AFC North are improvements for his overall outlook.

12. Kyren Williams: Hard not to have one foot in and one out. We have seen late-round running backs pop for career seasons and then fizzle out when it is time to pay the iron price for fantasy. Undersized and has dealt with multiple injuries, and this running game has been fluid since Todd Gurley left. On the other hand, was second in points per game behind McCaffrey, and any time the Rams have leaned a back under Sean McVay, that player has been a true RB1 for fantasy football.

13. James Cook: Third among all running backs in total yards despite 11th in backfield opportunity share. Showed spike-week potential but also a lower weekly floor with just four rushing touchdowns through two NFL seasons. Was the average RB29 weekly in 12 games without a touchdown in 2023, posting just two RB1 scoring weeks in those games.

14. Rachaad White: Accumulated counting stats through receiving efficiency and a lack of competition in the backfield. Anchored by the third-highest backfield share in the league (76.0%). Bucs do not have a ton of talent to threaten his workload with the path to increased efficiency.

15. Derrick Henry: Not an RB1 in points per game last season for the first time since 2018. Past the age apex and showing signs of reduced efficiency. Landed in the perfect spot to stack rushes and touchdowns on the ground but also will be playing in a tougher division.

16. Josh Jacobs: One great season surrounding four years as a volume-based RB2 for fantasy. Getting an offensive upgrade but should share more work in Green Bay than with the Raiders.

17. Kenneth Walker: Had a dip across the board in nearly every efficiency metric as a rusher in year two while giving up more touches. Explosive week potential but also may never run into enough three-down usage to be a consistent RB1. Averaging 19.8 points per game in weeks with a touchdown as opposed to just 8.6 points per game in his weeks without a score through two seasons.

18. Aaron Jones: Will turn 30 during the upcoming season and is coming off a season with six missed games due to injury. Was still hyper-efficient when healthy, can catch passes, and does not have a ton of backfield competition. Over the final five games of the season, went over 100 yards rushing in all five of those games.

19. James Conner: Still reliable when able to play. Has been the RB9, RB10, and RB13 in points per game over three seasons with Arizona. Also has now missed multiple games in all seven seasons in the league.

20. David Montgomery: Has now gone over 1,100 total yards in all five NFL seasons. Ceiling was not as high as Gibbs’ when both played together since he is more tethered to touchdowns. Was a fantasy RB1 in just one of the final nine games of the season. Early season injury to Gibbs opens the door for a hot start, but contingency upside was already priced in here, don’t double count it.

21. Najee Harris: Has gone over 1,200 total yards with eight touchdowns in each of first three seasons in the NFL. But touches have also decreased in all three seasons. I do like him at cost since the new offense is a pro for producing counting stats for backfields, but still has to contend with Jaylen Warren chipping away enough to make him volatile.

22. D’Andre Swift: Set career-highs with 268 touches and 1,263 yards with the Eagles last season. Also averaged a career-low 2.4 receptions per game, something that could be impacted by Caleb Williams extending plays while joining another loaded passing game.

23. Jaylen Warren: Doubled his touches in his second season while catching 61 passes. Has early career Tony Pollard-esque vibes playing in a change-of-pace role. The new offense in Pittsburgh should make this a productive backfield. Just needs to get more touchdown opportunities.

24. Rhamondre Stevenson: Enters this season in the final year of rookie contract with one good fantasy season that was impacted by New England being forced to give him a high workload due to injuries to the roster. Never an efficient receiver, receiving role is threatened by the addition of Antonio Gibson while New England has one of the toughest schedules in the NFL.

25. Jonathon Brooks: Room to climb this summer if on track to open the season in the lineup after an ACL injury in November. But we also should expect a ramp-up period where he is not garnering a high workload in what could be one of the worst offenses in the league.

26. Raheem Mostert: At age 31, set career highs with 234 touches, 1,187 total yards, and 21 touchdowns. I believe the plan was for less work, but Miami dealt with players in and out of the lineup in their backfield all season long. Has some 2023 Jamaal Williams vibes for fantasy based on how dependent he was on reaching the end zone but is a far more electric player per touch.

27. Tony Pollard: Scheme fit under Brian Callahan. Should regain some of his early-career efficiency, but could end up being interchangeable with Tyjae Spears in this offense and have a tighter split than assumed based solely on contract in free agency.

28. Tyjae Spears: As a rookie, averaged 5.5 yards per touch, turning 152 touches into 838 total yards and three touchdowns. The Titans only ran the ball 28.8% of the time when he was on the field, something that can significantly change moving forward.

29. Devin Singletary: Has gone over 1,000 total yards in each of the past three seasons. Handled a career-high 246 touches for 1,091 yards and four touchdowns in 2023, but heading to a worse offensive situation on the surface than the one he is leaving.

30. Brian Robinson: We have a very clear potential usage tree. Does the grunt work with Ekeler going back to more of a change-of-pace rusher and pass-catching role. That compromises the upside for both backs when they are playing together.

31. Zamir White: Closed final four weeks as the RB12, RB16, RB16, and RB19 in scoring. Over their games under Antonio Pierce, the Raiders posted a 47.9% dropback rate when leading on the scoreboard, which was 29th in the league. But when trailing, that rate spiked up to 64.6%, which was 18th in the league. Playing a tougher schedule of opposing quarterbacks, value will be driven by how consistently he can get into the end zone since he does not offer much receiving upside.

32. Zack Moss: Top-down rushing metrics were similar to that of Joe Mixon. Was already second in the NFL in rushing attempts out of shotgun last season. Needs to fight off Chase Brown, but scoring opportunities should be present. No running back had more carries inside of the five-yard line over the past two seasons than Mixon did.

33. Chase Brown: Only played 93 offensive snaps as a rookie, but received a touch or target on 63.4% of snaps played, the highest rate of any running back in the league. Only had a 25.0% success rate as a runner (81st out of 88 running backs with 25 or more runs), but also had an explosive run on 11.4% of those rushes (25th).

34. Nick Chubb: Arguably the most talented back in the league but is in the final season of contract and is coming off a significant injury. Had surgery in mid-November to repair ACL. Gamers have to at least price in an outcome that he is not the same player again in his career, even if playing for a bounce back in regaining his elite production to this stage of his career.

35. Austin Ekeler: Reuniting with Anthony Lynn after the worst season of career that was limited by ankle issues. Expected to share a backfield with a back that could steal goal-line touches and will be playing with a mobile quarterback to threaten receiving upside.

36. Gus Edwards: Reuniting with Greg Roman with the Chargers. Set career highs in touches (210), total yards (990), and touchdowns (13) in 2023. More touchdown-driven, has never played 70% of the offensive snaps in any career game. Has hit 60% of the snaps in just five of 76 career games played.

37. Javonte Williams: Returning from a torn ACL, LCL, and PCL in 2022, was not the same player last season that he was to open his career. Will only be 24 years old and will be a full year-plus removed from his injury, but also enters this season in the final year of rookie contract for a regime that did not draft him and wants to play multiple backs.

38. Trey Benson: More of a contingency bet and handcuff for 2024, but James Conner has missed multiple games every season in the NFL.

39. Blake Corum: Initial role is intriguing to see if he is more than a handcuff bet or a player who is going to cause a true split with Kyren Williams. This is one of the few spots where he could have landed for opportunity paired with having a physical profile that is not much worse than the incumbent.

40. Ray Davis: Has a path to work into the role that Latavius Murray had in short-yardage and near the goal line as a rookie while carrying more versatility than Murray should something happen to James Cook.

41. Zach Charbonnet: As a rookie, turned 141 touches into 671 yards and a score. Already carved out a third-down role in the offense as a rookie, playing 122 third downs compared to 35 for Kenneth Walker, but Walker remains a roadblock for standalone value.

42. Rico Dowdle: Worked his way into 505 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. Only obstacle right now is the ghost of Ezekiel Elliott if Dallas does not add another back this offseason.

43. Antonio Gibson: Coming off a career-low 113 touches last season in Washington, but did average a career-high 5.8 yards per opportunity on those touches. Has increased his receptions from the year prior in all four of his seasons in the league, catching 36, 42, 46, and 48 passes out of the backfield.

44. Tyler Allgeier: Posted 876 yards and five touchdowns of his own on 204 touches in 2023, but Bijan Robinson should continue to expand his workload moving into his second NFL season.

45. Jaleel McLaughlin: Averaged 5.3 yards per touch, turning 107 touches into 570 yards and three touchdowns. He led the team with a 40.8% success rate as a runner, which also ranked 17th among all running backs with 50 or more rushes. Looks a lot like “Denver Jaylen Warren” on the surface.

46. Ty Chandler: Ended his second season in the NFL with 123 touches for 620 total yards (5.0 yards per touch) after having just six touches as a rookie. Contingency bet behind a 30-year-old running back who has missed time in five of his seven seasons.

47. Jerome Ford: Has some runway to roll over his end-of-the-year role in the offense with Nick Chubb expected to come along slowly. But that role could be short-lived while the Browns have added D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines as veteran threats.

48. Ezekiel Elliott: Has rushed for more than 4.0 yards per carry just once over the past three years. We should anticipate that Rico Dowdle will play a larger role in the offense in 2024, but the Dallas depth chart is thin. Should be the best bet to receive goal-line looks for one of the highest-scoring teams in the league which now has a worse defense.