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Ryan's 2024 fantasy football committee backfields to target -- undervalued timeshare running backs that will have more opportunity than expected and outperform ADP.
The Zero RB strategy is all the rage these days, and to effectively pull this off, targeting backs on high-powered offenses usually has a good chance of success. It's not always that simple, though. Other factors such as offensive line strength, scheme, fit, coaching, luck, etc. also play a factor and are important considerations when drafting a running back for your fantasy football squad.
That decision becomes even more difficult if the player is in a committee. Navigating the running back position can be one of the more frustrating aspects in all of fantasy, with the constant injuries and uncertainty of filling vacated touches. Many fantasy managers choose to stay away from committee situations because it's almost always higher risk.
The reality is that RBBCs (Running Back By Committee) can still present tremendous fantasy value. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler, Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill. These are just some of the original committee backs who have helped managers take home championships when they weren't afraid to roll the dice. Here are a few backs that may find themselves in a timeshare, but have a path to sustained fantasy success in 2024.
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Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers
(RB41, ADP 125)
"Gus the Bus" has quietly been one of the more consistent and reliable running back starts in all of fantasy the past few seasons. He won't dazzle with highlight plays or catch 4+ passes a game like Christian McCaffrey or Bijan Robinson, but what he will do is grind out 50-60 tough yards and likely fall into the end zone.
Gus Edwards' 13th rushing TD puts the @Ravens ahead!
📺: #MIAvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/sFjqko01pD pic.twitter.com/Rw9Jb6rEHQ— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2023
Edwards is the walking embodiment of the phrase "earned not given" -- grinding out a roster spot as an undrafted free agent and putting up 3,395 rushing yards since 2018, which ranks 25th league-wide. That might not sound super impressive, but when you factor in that he was only one of two undrafted players in that top 25 and also ranks fourth in yards per carry (4.9), you realize how well he's played as the Ravens' lead back.
The former Rutgers standout now finds himself on the Los Angeles Chargers, whose new head coach loves nothing more than to shorten the game by pounding the rock as much as possible. Yes, Justin Herbert is still the quarterback and will throw the ball plenty of times, but Jim Harbaugh has been on record touting how important the offensive line and run game are to his team.
The Chargers backfield is a bit of a mystery in terms of the roles for a recovering J.K. Dobbins and sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal, but one thing is clear: Edwards will get the first crack at being the guy in Los Angeles and his rugged, punishing running style is a match made in heaven with Harbaugh.
Pair this with a projected fringe top-10 offensive line, and you have the perfect recipe for a draft steal. It's absurd that Edwards is currently going in the 12th round of 10-team drafts. His inability to demand targets and haul in passes hurts his full-PPR value, but this a guy who could legitimately compete for the league lead in rushing touchdowns this upcoming season. He did it last year with a much worse offensive line, pounding in a career-high 13 scores -- good for fifth in the NFL.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
(RB29, ADP 102)
2023 was a tough year for the Pollard truthers. With the backfield finally to himself after Ezekiel Elliott bounced for the Pats, Pollard struggled mightily with efficiency last season, seeing his YPC drop from 5.4 in 2021-22 all the way down to 4.0 in 2023. Is there reason to be optimistic for this year? I'll give you a few reasons why the answer is yes.
Pollard was coming off a devastating broken leg and high-ankle sprain combo injury sustained in January 2023. He was back for the start of last season, but was on record saying he didn't feel like his old self until Week 11. We saw a fairly significant increase in fantasy production after this (RB23-> RB15). While he wasn't much more efficient in terms of his raw stats, Pollard was PFF's highest-graded rusher from Weeks 11-18.
His time in Dallas earned him a lucrative three-year, $21.75M deal with Tennessee, a team that has a new, offensive-minded head coach who is ecstatic about the potential for Pollard in his system. I'm calling my shot here. This Titans offense is also going to surprise some people. They have an older but underrated receiving corps and a spry, second-year quarterback who is primed for a big leap in his sophomore campaign after flashing heavily as a rookie. The Titans will be able to move the ball, and with Pollard's chops in the passing game, he'll get more than enough touches to outperform his RB29 ADP.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
(RB33, ADP 103)
I like Spears for similar reasons stated directly above, but he's also the younger and more explosive (albeit slightly undersized) version of Pollard. Spears was a bit of a surprise pick by the Titans last season, who used third-round draft capital on him, but he was immediately thrust into action as the primary third-down back with future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry handling the bulk of the carries.
Spears was actually targeted on 23.1% of his routes, according to TruMedia, which is the eighth-highest rate in the league among RBs that ran 100 or more routes. He took that high target share and turned it into 52 catches, tied for ninth at his position while only playing 52.9% of snaps (27th in the league). Translation: Spears needs to see the field more, which he will with King Henry now in Baltimore.
Tyjae Spears' second TD gives the Titans a 21-10 lead!
The AFC South is still open 👀
📺: #JAXvsTEN on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/MGyYv0aeCI— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
The Tulane product isn't just a great pass-catcher, though. He was also very effective toting the rock, averaging a healthy 4.5 yards per carry and placing top five in juke rate and breakaway run rate. The Pollard-Spears duo is going to be more dangerous than people think, and while it may be hard to predict who is the right play on a week-t0-week basis, I would bet large sums of money that Spears exceeds his current draft rank of RB33 if he can stay healthy. Both will be more than viable flex plays.
Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals
(RB26, ADP 92)
After struggling with Buffalo in limited action over the past few seasons, it was looking like Moss was headed toward running back irrelevancy on a fast track out of the league. Running back is one of the hardest and most physically demanding positions in sports -- the average career is less than three years -- but that wasn't going to deter Moss. A shocking resurgence in Indianapolis helped him ink a two-year, $8M deal with the Bengals to lead the backfield in 2024.
We know that Moss will share duties with second-year speedster Chase Brown, though what we don't know is exactly what that split will look like. However, given their physical makeups -- Moss is much more equipped to handle a big workload -- and the Bengals pledging $8M, it's likely that he will be the leader of this backfield with Brown taking more of the passing-down work. With a healthy Burrow to keep opposing defenses on their heels and an offensive line that should be improved from a season ago, Moss could be an extremely valuable fantasy asset if he gets the bulk of the touches.
Moss is not the most efficient player, but over the past two seasons in Indianapolis, he's done significant damage when given ample opportunity. With Jonathan Taylor holding out into the season, Moss was handed the keys and finished as the RB10 or better in over half of his starts, averaging about 16 points per game in PPR scoring.
His price tag isn't dirt cheap -- he's going in the ninth round in 10-team leagues -- but it's also not going to cost you much, either. Given the potential opportunity in front of him, it's worth snagging the Utah product a round or so early. In fact, the aforementioned Brown should also be a heavy draft target, currently going as the RB37.
Honorable Mention: Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
(RB35, ADP 117)
This is not a committee by any means, but Corum immediately becomes one of the most valuable handcuffs in all of fantasy sitting behind 2023 breakout star Kyren Williams on the Rams' depth chart. Williams was the unsung hero of 2023, taking an RB71 ADP all the way to fantasy's No. 6 overall back in half-PPR scoring, all while missing FIVE whole games.
Because I could post this Blake Corum touchdown in the Rose Bowl every single day. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/jRi15gtTPU
— Don Thomas (@REALDonThomas) March 4, 2024
Williams was an unquestioned superstar fantasy asset last year, but in making the case to target Corum, the key here is missed time. Williams dealt with a myriad of injuries last season, which raised some concerns about his durability. Hence why the Rams used a high draft pick to select Corum, a collegiate workhorse who has a no-nonsense, downhill running style akin to his backfield mate. If Williams were to miss more time, Corum's value will skyrocket higher than GameStop's stock after a Roaring Kitty meme.
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