Fantasy Football 2024: RBs Who Should Be on Your Late-Flier Draft List
There's a reason that running backs are at the crux of most fantasy football draft strategies. FInding hidden gems late in fantasy drafts isn't always easy and the rock-solid options can dry up quickly.
That's why finding a breakout running back later in the draft can give fantasy manager a huge advantage and even win leagues.
Whether you're a zero-running back drafter who is looking to stockpile high-upside options or a less adventurous drafter looking for a good dart throw at the end of your draft, it's good to go in with a few late-round targets in mind.
Ideally we are looking for running backs with pass-catching upside or a path to taking on a bigger role than expected.
To set some guidelines we'll only be looking at players with a current ADP of 136th or later in FantasyPros' consensus average draft position. That would be the last quarter of the draft for a standart 12-team league with 15 rounds.
Players are listed in order of their current ADP.
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys
1 of 7
ADP: RB45
Someone is going to emerge out of this Dallas Cowboys backfield to become a fantasy-relevant option in 2024. The question is who you are most comfortable with.
Ezekiel Elliott is behind Door No. 1. The 29-year-old has averaged under four yards per carry in each of the last two seasons, including 3.5 with the New England Patriots last season before coming back to Dallas. He's being drafted as RB38 right now.
Dalvin Cook is now behind Door No. 2. The Cowboys signed him to the practice squad after forming their initial 53-man roster and he's already being drafted as RB62. He's also 29 and averaged 3.2 yards per carry in stops with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets last season.
That leaves Rico Dowdle behind Door No. 3 as the most logical to outperform his draft slot. The 26-year-old led all Cowboys running backs in yards per carry and was ninth in the league in yards created per touch, per Player Profiler.
Dowdle isn't an overly exciting prospect. He's a former undrafted free agent who hasn't really had a major role in the offense for most of his three seasons with the Cowboys.
But this is a good offense that is bound to create some value for a running back and Dowdle is the best option by process of elimination. That's worth a late-round flier.
Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos
2 of 7
ADP: RB48
One way to find late-round flier running backs is to identify which starters might be at risk of losing their job at some point during the season. For the Denver Broncos, that means taking a look at Javonte Williams.
There's no denying that Williams was electric as a rookie in 2021. He turned 246 touches into 1,219 yards and seven touchdowns while sharing the backfield with Melvin Gordon.
Unfortunately a torn ACL in 2022 limited him to just four games and he didn't look the same in 2023. He dominated the market share of running back touches in Denver, but he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry and 3.8 yards per target in the pass game.
Those are the kind of numbers that could see Williams lose his grip on the RB1 job in Denver if he isn't better.
Samaje Perine was released when the Broncos cut their roster to 53 players so that leaves Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime as the backup options.
McLaughlin is the one to target, especially in PPR leagues. The former Youngstown State back had 31 recetpions on 36 targets and averaged 5.4 yards per carry.
The 5'8", 187-pound back proved to be dangerous with the ball in his hands and was sixth in juke rate, 13th in breakaway run rate and sixth in yards created per touch, per Player Profiler.
Estime might steal some touchdowns, but McLaughlin has the high floor of a pass-catching back with the ceiling to eat into the main running back role.
MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers
3 of 7
ADP: RB51
Josh Jacobs is going to scare off a lot of people from targeting MarShawn Lloyd. The Packers made a serious investment in the running back with a four-year, $48 million contract.
But that leaves out the fact that Matt LaFleur's offense has supported two fantasy-relevant running backs in the past. AJ Dillon finished as RB21 and RB26 while playing second fiddle to Aaron Jones in 2021 and 2022.
The Packers brought back Dillon on a one-year deal, but he was placed on season-ending injured reserve, leaving MarShawn Lloyd as the primary backup in Green Bay.
Drafters will have to practice some patience with Lloyd. He suffered a hamstring injury in the first preseason game and missed most of training camp with a hip ailment. It might take a few weeks for Lloyd to get going.
But this is a backfield that has always operated by committee and Lloyd will have a role when he returns. The Packers are going to want to protect the investment they made in Jacobs and also utilize a player they used a third-round pick on.
Lloyd didn't get a lot of pass-catching work at USC, but Derrik Klassen noted that he showed natural hands and the ability to work in space in his limited reps in college.
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Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
4 of 7
ADP: RB51
We already know how good the Miami Dolphins offense can be for fantasy purposes. Anytime Raheem Mostert or De'Von Achane were healthy and featured in Mike McDaniel's offense they were must-start material.
Jaylen Wright could enter that territory as well this season.
The Dolphins used a committee approach to the running back position and will continue to do so. However, the other members of the Dolphins committee are a 32-year-old Mostert coming off a career-high 234 touches and De'Von Achane.
Achane is a touchdown threat every time he touches the ball, but he's 5'9", 188 pounds and isn't build to be an every-down back.
Wright has the speed that McDaniel loves (4.38 40) and showed he can use it with multiple runs of 50 or more yards for the Tennessee Volunteers last season.
Mostert and Achane are talented, but the Dolphins gave up a 2025 third-round pick to acquire the pick they used to pick Wright.
They wouldn't have given up that kind of draft capital to take a player with the 120th pick if they didn't have plans to use him.
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5 of 7
ADP: RB53
Bucky Irving is being taken really late in drafts while running backs with less clear paths to playing time are going ahead of him.
Irving is set to start the season as the No. 2 back behind Rachaad White on team's depth chart.
White finished the season as RB4 in PPR leagues last season. It's important to note that his finishing that high had almost everything to do with volume and health than his efficiency with the ball.
He was one of the few backs that played in all 17 games, was second in the league in carries and ninth in targets. Yet he was 23rd in yards created per touch and 23rd in juke rater, per Player Profiler.
White's domination of the backfield came from the Buccaneers' lack of options. Now they have a real secondary option in Bucky Irving. The Oregon Duck was praised for his pass-catching ability and was one of the top receiving backs in draft class.
The rookie could bring some juice to the Buccaneers offense that it was sorely missing last season. At minimum, he's a threat to take the third-down role.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
6 of 7
ADP: RB59
The New York Giants allowed Saquon Barkley to walk in free agency. It was a smart move on their part given how far they are away from contending, it also leaves the backfield in a little bit of uncertainty moving into 2024.
They signed Devin Singletary. He's the obvious heir to the RB1 role. But they also drafted Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round. Second year back Eric Gray is currently listed as the backup behind Singletary, but it's the rookie that has more upside and fantasy potential.
Gray was on the team last season and had just 48 rushing yards on 17 carries. If the Giants really liked Gray they wouldn't have signed a free agent and used a draft pick on the position.
Tracy is intriguing because of his background as a converted wide receiver and a tough running style that makes him hard to tackle. In his preseason debut he forced four missed tackles on just five attempts, per PFF.
Tracy's upside is a little bit limited because the Giants offense does not project to be very good and Singletary has been relatively durable in his career. He's played 16 or more games in each of the last four seasons.
Then again, he's never had more than 216 total touches in a season and is used to sharing backfield responsibilities. It wouldn't be surprising to see him cede touches to the rookie by the end of the season.
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
7 of 7
ADP: RB61
Kimani Vidal is admittedly a boom-or-bust late-round flier, but the boom could be league-winning.
Jim Harbaugh is going to do everything he can to establish the run. That's just one of the hallmarks of a Harbaugh-coached team and the Chargers moves this offseason point to his preference for the ground game.
Two of those moves were to add veteran running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Both were formerly on John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens roster. But both carry significant injury risk.
Dobbins has played in just 24 games since being drafted in 2020. He has looked explosive when healthy, but he only had eight carries in 2023 before a torn Achilles ended his season.
Edwards is coming off his most productive season, but he averaged a career-low 4.1 yards per carry, is 29 years old and has a torn ACL in his injury history as well.
That brings us to Vidal. At 5'8", 213 pounds, he has a sturdy build and knows how to pick up hard yards while bringing 4.46 speed to the table. Vidal was one of the most productive backs in college football last season with 1,661 rushing yards and another 201 receiving.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Harbaugh are going to find a way to successfully run the football. If neither of their veterans with injury and age concerns can do it, they won't hesitate to turn things over to the rookie.
Looking for more insight to prep for your draft or make some tough roster decisions? Check out all the latest B/R Fantasy Football essentials here.
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