X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Boom or Bust: Three Fantasy Football Player Predictions for Running Backs

Jahmyr Gibbs - Fantasy Football, Rankings, Draft, Sleeper, DFS, Running Back

Mike Barner details three boom or bust running backs for the 2024 fantasy football season. Which running backs won't be worth their current ADP?

The start of the NFL season is rapidly approaching. That means that we are in the heart of fantasy football draft season. We already have some preseason games in the books, which gives us some insight as to how teams might want to use certain players.

The running back position can be tricky in fantasy. With injuries often piling up at the position, some teams try to limit the workload of their feature backs to try and keep them healthy. That can create some messy situations for fantasy managers.

Let’s highlight three running backs who are boom or bust options heading into the season. All ADP data is from our ADP tool that averages data across multiple platforms.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions – Consensus ADP: 10, Overall: RB 5

Talent is not the question with Gibbs. The 12th overall pick in the 2023 Draft can impact a game both running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield. In his rookie campaign, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 6.1 yards per reception. He also racked up 10 rushing touchdowns and one receiving score.

Going into his second season, Gibbs is flying off the board early in fantasy drafts. In most leagues, he is being taken in the first round. However, there is an obstacle to him being worth that kind of a selection. The Lions also still have David Montgomery in the fold.

Last season, Montgomery received 219 carries over 14 games. Gibbs had 182 carries across 15 games. Montgomery also had 13 rushing touchdowns. An important stat is that Montgomery was given 53 rushing attempts inside the red zone, compared to 38 red zone carries for Gibbs. Unless Gibbs gets more work when the Lions get in close, it will be difficult for him to live up to being selected in the first round of drafts.

 

De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins – Consensus ADP: 21, Overall: RB 10

Achane averaged a whopping 7.8 yards per carry during his rookie campaign. He finished with four games of at least 100 rushing yards, despite never receiving more than 18 carries in a game. While Achane isn’t a big running back, his lightening-speed isn’t matched by many others at the position.

There are some concerns with Achane. First is the presence of Raheem Mostert, who posted 209 carries for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Mostert was given 47 rushing attempts inside the red zone last year, compared to just 23 red zone rushing attempts for Achane.

Another concern with Achane is injuries. He missed six games last season and might never be able to record 200 carries in a season because of his frame. With Mostert on the roster, there is no reason for the Dolphins to push Achane to be a workhorse running back.

There are going to be weeks in which Achane puts up massive stat lines. Mostert hasn’t exactly been a pillar of health during his career, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him miss some time this year. If Mostert wasn’t in the fold, Achane would likely be a first-round pick.

Going toward the end of the second round in many drafts, Achane still has the potential to post over 1,200 total yards and double-digit touchdowns. He’s someone to target in drafts.

 

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans – Consensus ADP: 80, Overall: RB 26

With Ezekiel Elliott gone, last year was supposed to be a breakout campaign for Pollard. The overall numbers of 1,316 total yards and six touchdowns weren’t bad. However, after averaging at least 5.2 yards per carry in three of his first four seasons in the league, he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry last year. His 4.6 yards per reception also checked in as the second-lowest mark of his career.

Elliott is back with the Cowboys and Pollard now finds himself on the Titans. Derrick Henry is gone, but Pollard isn’t going to step into his hefty workload. He will likely find himself in a timeshare with Tyjae Spears, who showed upside while spelling for Henry last season. Not only did Spears average 4.5 yards per carry, but he also caught 52 of 70 targets for 385 yards and one touchdown.

There is a path to Pollard getting over 200 carries again and returning to the efficiency numbers that he recorded earlier in his career. There is also a path to Spears assuming the majority of the workload, which could leave Pollard in a struggle to even post 1,000 total yards.

Spears has a consensus ADP of 96, so he might actually be the more appealing option between the two. In 12-team leagues, Pollard shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than an RB 3.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Joe Mack16 mins ago

Promoted To Triple-A
NFL56 mins ago

Browns, Giants Receiving Calls For No. 2, No. 3 Picks
Nikola Jokić2 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Posts 19th Postseason Triple-Double
Anthony Santander2 hours ago

Suffering Through Slow Start To The Season
Kawhi Leonard2 hours ago

Leads Clippers To Game 2 Victory
Wilmer Flores2 hours ago

Crushes Key Homer Monday Night
Jalen Brunson2 hours ago

Leads All Scorers With 37 Points In Monday's Loss
Robbie Ray2 hours ago

Works Five Innings In No-Decision
Tobias Harris2 hours ago

Notches Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Cade Cunningham3 hours ago

Leads Pistons To Victory With 33 Points
Rob Dillingham3 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Anthony Volpe3 hours ago

Still Hovering Around .200
Maxi Kleber3 hours ago

Remains Out For Game 2
Matt Olson3 hours ago

Extends Hitting Streak To Six Games
GG Jackson II3 hours ago

Available For Tuesday
Evan Bouchard3 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Assists In Postseason Opener
Connor McDavid3 hours ago

Racks Up Four Points In Losing Effort
Nick Taylor3 hours ago

Can Surprise Again In The Big Easy
Phillip Danault3 hours ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Adam Hadwin3 hours ago

Expects To Contend At Zurich Classic
Mark Scheifele3 hours ago

Bags Two Points In Monday's Win
Alejandro Tosti3 hours ago

Could Get Hot Again In New Orleans
Lane Hutson4 hours ago

Posts Two Assists In Playoff Debut
Joe Highsmith4 hours ago

Struggling As New Orleans Approaches
Dylan Strome4 hours ago

Registers Three Assists In Overtime Win
Karl Vilips4 hours ago

Steps Up To Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Alex Ovechkin4 hours ago

Scores First Playoff Overtime Goal
Michael Thorbjornsen4 hours ago

Ready To Make Waves In New Orleans
Braden Schneider4 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Tom Hoge4 hours ago

Ready To Make Some Birdies In New Orleans
Billy Horschel4 hours ago

Has Game To Win Third Zurich Classic
Texas Rangers5 hours ago

Kohl Drake Sharp In Latest Outing
José Castillo5 hours ago

Jose Castillo Makes Season Debut
Jordan Wicks5 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Termarr Johnson5 hours ago

Tallies Two Hits In Return
Zach Dezenzo5 hours ago

Busy In Monday's Victory
Craig Yoho5 hours ago

Allows One Run In MLB Debut
Jackson Chourio6 hours ago

Singles In Loss To Giants
Caleb Durbin6 hours ago

Homers In Loss Monday
Edwin Díaz6 hours ago

Edwin Diaz Earns Save On Monday
Will Vest6 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Justin Slaten6 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Otto Lopez6 hours ago

Steals Two Bases Monday
Austin Riley6 hours ago

Drives In Two On Monday
Bryson Stott7 hours ago

Hits Three-Run Home Run On Monday
José Ramírez7 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Homers, Drives In Four On Monday
Tennessee Titans12 hours ago

Titans Have Turned Down Offers For No. 1 Overall Pick
12 hours ago

Saints Targeting Jaxson Dart?
Kirk Cousins12 hours ago

Falcons Have Had Trade Discussions Regarding Kirk Cousins
Atlanta Falcons13 hours ago

Falcons Could Take A Tight End On Day 2 Of The Draft
13 hours ago

Steelers Very Interested In Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders
Sam Howell13 hours ago

Seahawks Open To Trading Sam Howell
Las Vegas Raiders13 hours ago

Raiders Not Afraid To Take A Running Back Early In The Draft
NFL13 hours ago

Shavon Revel Expected Back Around The Start Of Training Camp
Aaron Gordon14 hours ago

Cleared For Action
NFL16 hours ago

Josh Simmons May Not Be Cleared Until August
NFL16 hours ago

Jihaad Campbell A Candidate To Start On PUP List
NFL16 hours ago

Mykel Williams Still Hampered By Ankle Injury
NFL16 hours ago

Will Johnson Could Fall In Draft Due To Knee Injury
16 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Could Fall Out Of First Round
16 hours ago

Cam Skattebo Visiting With Lions, Titans
Dallas Cowboys16 hours ago

Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith's Fifth-Year Option
Philadelphia Eagles17 hours ago

Cam Jurgens, Eagles Agree On Four-Year Extension
C.J. Stroud17 hours ago

Expects To Be "Running The Show" In New Offense
J.J. McCarthy17 hours ago

"No Limitations" For J.J. McCarthy
San Francisco 49ers17 hours ago

Fred Warner Could Stay Away From Offseason Program
Ousmane Dieng17 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
George Kittle17 hours ago

May Not Take Part In Offseason Workouts
Kevin Love17 hours ago

Remains Away From Team
Terry Rozier17 hours ago

Hurts Ankle Monday
Damian Lillard18 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable For Game 2
Isaiah Stewart18 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Trent Frederic18 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Monday
Leon Draisaitl18 hours ago

Returns To Oilers Lineup For Postseason Opener
Jake Walman18 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Brett Kulak18 hours ago

Ready To Play Monday
Aliaksei Protas19 hours ago

Expected To Return During First-Round Series
Miro Heiskanen19 hours ago

Out On Monday
Ross Colton19 hours ago

Uncertain For Game 2
Gabriel Landeskog19 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Auston Matthews1 day ago

Finishes Game 1 With Two Assists
Mitchell Marner1 day ago

Totals Three Points In Postseason Opener
Matt Boldy1 day ago

Bags Two Goals In Losing Effort
Brett Howden1 day ago

Scores Twice In Sunday's Win
Logan Stankoven1 day ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Isaiah Stewart2 days ago

Iffy For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon2 days ago

Listed As Probable For Game 2
Jaylen Brown3 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Ja Morant4 days ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams4 days ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis4 days ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.4 days ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Lucas Glover6 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger6 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka6 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas6 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF