Five Running Backs To Buy In Dynasty Fantasy Football Leagues

It's not always a player's fault when their efficiency falls off from one year to the next, they deal with injury issues, or they get put into a situation that affords them fewer opportunities to carry the ball. But regardless, they can often get devalued due to short-term trends or problems that will be corrected.

And that makes some players excellent buy targets in Dynasty fantasy football leagues. Over time, the market continues to get smarter, but that won't ever preclude at least certain fantasy managers from wanting to move on from players that "leave a bad taste in their mouth".

Whatever the reason, there are a handful of targets you should be pursuing this offseason.

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Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams

There's no doubt he had a disappointing rookie season. The team's lead back, Kyren Williams, took the lion's share of the backfield touches and was the undisputed workhorse for the team. Still, Corum has massive upside in an offense that gives a lot of work to RBs and is generally very productive.

Back-to-back big runs from Rams RB Blake Corum.

Really nice footwork to avoid two defenders. Immediately notice his "shiftiness" with the ball in his hands. pic.twitter.com/ITvUsbt1rC

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) December 4, 2024

Like Corum, Williams didn't do much his rookie year. KW rushed just 35 times for 139 yards and caught nine of 12 targets for 76 yards in his first year in the league. Those numbers aren't far off from Corum's, who ran 58 times for 207 yards and logged seven catches on eight targets for 58 receiving yards.

It's important to remember that Corum had a ridiculous college career and was selected with higher draft capital than Williams. In addition, the current lead back averaged just 4.1 yards per carry after having a 5.0 clip in 2023. Williams has also been injury-prone, giving Corum more upside. And the fumble issues could become costly.

5. EAGLES RECOVER ANOTHER KYREN WILLIAMS FUMBLE! -> Jake Elliott IS GOOD AGAIN IN THE SNOW! pic.twitter.com/JBZEU8nvIS

— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) January 20, 2025

This can't happen in the league. Next season, teams will likely be punching at the ball as much as they can, as Williams fumbled four times across the Rams' two playoff games. Corum is extremely cheap in Dynasty right now, and there's very little risk in acquiring him, even if he never gains the full-time role in absence of injuries.

Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

There are times where players see their Dynasty stock absolutely stumble after a terrible season. Etienne is one of those players -- after finishing as the RB3 in full-PPR scoring in 2023, he failed to eclipse 15.0 PPR fantasy points a single time in 2024, and was one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

ETN never gets mentioned with “Break Away” Speed. Well, In Liam Coen Offense Travis Etienne will be hitting his head on the goal post with those schemed up runs. All he needs is a little daylight and he’s gone #DUUUVAL
pic.twitter.com/tpThmYLX7u

— Duh🤡 (@DuhCL0WN) January 30, 2025

He dealt with a few injury issues, though, and the offense as a whole was putrid. Former Jags offensive coordinator Press Taylor has been let go, so the bad man is gone, and in his place new head coach Liam Coen will assume control of the offensive attack.

This is some FILTH from Liam Coen

Blast Motion to Kickout the Edge + Influence Wham on the Nose 🥵 pic.twitter.com/gTRLV8dYM5

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) December 2, 2024

Coen led a beautiful offensive attack for the Buccaneers in 2024, leading to dominance in the run game punctuated by the over 1,500 scrimmage yard season put together by RB Bucky Irving. ETN is a prime player to buy, considering that it really wasn't his fault he had such a bad season. Or at least not entirely.

The Jaguars had one of the worst offensive lines in the league, but the new HC's schemes should help compensate for that at least somewhat. Tampa Bay's OL significantly outplayed how good it was supposed to be on paper, and we'll likely see that happen in Jacksonville in 2025.

Backup running back Tank Bigsby is a solid player to buy as well, as they're both pretty cheap!

MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers

Lloyd might be one of the cheapest players in all of Dynasty due to his injury issues. He lost essentially his entire rookie season to ankle and hamstring injuries and a weird bout of appendicitis that spoiled his potential return toward the end of the season.

Marshawn Lloyd has some serious open field juice… Whew. Loose and explosive is a dangerous 1-2

Can’t wait to see LaFleur design some of those old Aaron Jones touches for Lloyd pic.twitter.com/39xanzb0Uu

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) April 29, 2024

The good news is that he's on a team with great run-blocking schemes that typically has success during the regular season. Head coach Matt LaFleur has managed a great running game through his tenure with Green Bay, and that's unlikely to change.

And after such a productive season from RB Josh Jacobs, many fantasy managers have likely given up entirely on Lloyd. But he's a very talented back, and his college production was impressive. His elusiveness particularly stands out. And he was given seven touches in just 14% of snaps in Week 2.

MarShawn Lloyd - PFF Grades/Stats - P5 RBs

⚔️ #1 in Rushing
⚔️ #2 in Run Block
⚔️ #7 in Yards After Contact per Attempt
⚔️ #7 in 10+ yard runs
⚔️ #2 in Designed Run Plays of 15+ yards #FightOn✌🏻 pic.twitter.com/FwntAgA0ty

— Arrogant Nation✌🏻 (@FightOnRusty) September 27, 2023

It's disappointing that he wasn't able to do much in his rookie year, but it's important to note that LaFleur ran a committee system every year except this one in Green Bay. Many attribute that to Jacobs' success, but in previous years, MLF insisted on giving the ball to backup RB A.J. Dillon even though the starter, Aaron Jones, was clearly far more talented.

With Lloyd injured, Jacobs' backups were two undrafted backs. It's not hard to believe that they simply weren't talented enough for the head coach to be comfortable giving them any significant workloads. Lloyd was likely drafted to be in a committee with Jacobs, and that alone makes him worth buying in Dynasty for his ridiculously cheap going rate.

Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The main problem with Guerendo this season has been his injury issues. But it's unlikely that now matter how much the team struggles, head coach Kyle Shanahan will have a very long leash to ride out the storm. The team dealt with a litany of injuries at many positions, though that's been largely emblematic of Shanny's tenure there.

Isaac Guerendo with the catch and roll!

📺: #CHIvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/QZmwtvob0l

— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024

The rookie was simply dominant when he was healthy and on the field, and importantly, his pass-catching prowess makes him an ideal starter in fantasy football contests when he's the lead back. While RB Christian McCaffrey is still on the team, Guerendo is a great player to pick up as a spot starter.

Brutal turn of events for the 49ers and their fans as CMC and Jordan Mason both head to the IR.

That means we'll see 4th round rookie Isaac Guerendo as the next man up in the 49ers backfield. He's available in 98.7% of @ESPNFantasy leagues. pic.twitter.com/UrDOwr9NLr

— Daniel Dopp (@DanielDopp) December 2, 2024

If he gets any starts next season, it's likely that matchups will be won and lost based on whether he continues sliding, which is interesting. And CMC will be 29 years old during the 2025 season, so it's not like his career is over. But trading for Guerendo now could pay off in a big way down the road.

The explosive upside the freshman back showed in 2024 shouldn't be ignored. Make a move for him.

Tyrone Tracy, RB, New York Giants

Tracy had a solid rookie season that was unfortunately marred by the team playing poorly overall. The loss of offensive tackle Andrew Thomas demolished the offense's ability to produce, causing plenty of turmoil and eventually leading to the release of quarterback Daniel Jones.

However, the future looks a little brighter now that the team drafted Tracy and wide receiver Malik Nabers, both of whom were excellent producers in fantasy football at times. And eventually something has to give -- if head coach Brian Daboll can't figure it out this year, the Giants will have a chance to hire a better head coach.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. breaks off a 40-yard run 💨

📺: #INDvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/0VCfCcaq3n

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024

There are issues along the offensive line and at the QB position, but those are partially priced in right now. And while he may not be the best deal, he hasn't played the RB position for long and used to play WR, so he's a fantastic all-around weapon out of the backfield. That gives him extra upside in PPR leagues, and the potential for development is huge.

It's important to look into the future here and see that it could be very bright for Tracy. It seems unlikely that the team would draft a high-quality RB to serve in a committee with him as they have much more important needs, and his backup, Devin Singletary, didn't play well this season. Tracy should return value, even if it takes a season or two longer, making him worth trading for right now.

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