Fake Workhorses? Fantasy Football RBs Who Will Become Committee Backs

Andrew Ball looks at fantasy football running back that appear to be primed for a workhorse role in 2024, but will end up in a committee sometime this season.

Remember the old days of fantasy football when the workhorse running backs were bonafide No. 1 picks and league winners? Apologies if you're new to the game and don't recall, but trust me, it's more fun now.

Despite the abundance of wide receivers that now make fantastic early-round selections, fantasy managers still love the running backs that command 80% or more of their team's touches. That's what makes Christian McCaffrey an easy selection at the beginning of drafts.

Volume at running back is king. Some may appear to be in line for 15-20 touches per game, but it could be fool's gold. Below are three running backs who could be a part of a committee at some point in 2024.

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James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

James Conner just recorded his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign. That may come as a surprise to those who watched his RB6 and RB5 finishes in 2018 and 2021, respectively. Those explosive seasons were built on double-digit touchdowns and a steady dosage of receptions.

Injuries are the primary reason it took the 29-year-old this long to pass the four-digit mark. Conner has played seven professional seasons. He’s played more than 13 games twice and has never been active for a full season. In the one season Conner played 15 games, he split duties with Chase Edmonds. Edmonds tallied 116 carries and 43 receptions to keep Conner fresh, and it appeared to work.

James Conner has averaged 4 missed games per year in his career.

And now he's enter his age 29 season.

Rookie RB Trey Benson has a level of hidden upside in Round 10 of drafts.

Do you agree?

— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) August 1, 2024

Conner reached 1,000 yards by averaging more carries (16) and yards per carry (5.0) than any season prior despite only 13 starts. Keaontay Ingram, Emari Demercado, and Damien Williams did little of note in Conner’s absence. Michael Carter didn’t leave an impact as a change-of-pace for Conner once he was acquired midseason.

To solve the ongoing issue in the desert, the Cardinals invested a third-round pick on Florida State’s Trey Benson. Some analysts viewed the 22-year-old as the best running back prospect in the draft.

Arizona may open the year relying heavily on Conner once again. With his advanced age, he will be missing time with an ailment at some point during the season. Benson will become the temporary starter and show that he can be relied upon. When Conner recovers and returns, they’ll continue to deploy the tandem to keep their aging running back fresh. That’s if they don’t enact that plan before the season even begins.

Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Eye Test? Check. Fantasy production? Check. Size and athletic abilities? Well…

Kyren Williams was fantasy football’s league-winning player in 2023, averaging 21.3 PPR fantasy points per game. The expectations remain high in the new year, although they were tempered with the selection of Blake Corum in the NFL Draft.

Williams averaged 19 carries per game in his first season as the leader of the backfield. It’s doubtful that was by design. Cam Akers got one chance (Week 1) to be the bellcow. He took 22 carries for 29 yards against a putrid Seattle run defense and was subsequently deactivated and traded. Ronnie Rivers didn’t do anything impressive as the backup. When both Williams and Rivers were injured, the Rams didn’t turn to then-rookie Zach Evans. They signed Darrell Henderson to be a three-week flex candidate with Royce Freeman contributing.

Let’s recap that list: An undrafted free agent, a rookie who wasn’t trusted, a veteran signed off the street, and Freeman, who is no longer with the team. By necessity, Williams touched the ball 20+ times a game. He thrived with the outside threats of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, plus one of the better run-blocking offensive lines in the league. But at 5’9” and 194 pounds, Williams’ body may not be able to handle a solo workload. An ankle injury cost him four games in 2023. A broken foot and high-ankle sprain prevented him from getting much traction in his rookie season. Plus, he broke his hand in the Wild Card loss to Detroit.

Kyren Williams injury timeline:

✅ Placed on IR Weeks 7-11 (ankle)
✅ Exited Wild Card Round (broken bone in hand)
✅ Missing entirety of OTAs (foot) pic.twitter.com/JCiWJVqojy

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) May 21, 2024

The Rams completed the necessary step of adding another capable running back to the roster. Corum arrives in Los Angeles with better draft capital (3rd round) than the incumbent Williams (5th round). The rookie led college football with 27 rushing touchdowns in his senior season. That's at least one score in all 15 of Michigan's games in 2023.

Sean McVay has a history of quickly moving on from running backs after the Todd Gurley era. Akers usurped Sony Michel. Williams was rewarded the job after Akers flamed out. Williams won’t get the amount of work he saw last year. Be prepared for Corum to take his fair share, especially in the red zone.

D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears

D’Andre Swift landed in the perfect situation in 2023 (once a Kenneth Gainwell injury allowed him to become the starter). The Eagles field an elite offensive line and two bonafide receivers to take the attention away from the running game. That led to the first 1,000-yard season of his career.

And still, it wasn’t that good for fantasy football. Low reception numbers and the infamous Tush Push keeping him out of the endzone led to the RB24 per game average.

The Chicago Bears liked what they saw and offered the Philadelphia native a three-year, $24M contract to be their starter. The trio of Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and D'Onta Foreman all had their moments but little consistency. Foreman has moved on to Cleveland. Herbert and Johnson profile as nothing more than a backup running back. All three trailed Justin Fields for the team lead in rushing yards. So, we should follow the money, right?

Here’s the thing though: Swift has never been a workhorse. Dating back to his days as a Georgia Bulldog, there’s almost always been another runner in the same backfield with over 100 carries. Last season was the lone exception (although Jalen Hurst tallied 157 carries).

Swift is now on his third team in five seasons. He’s not the bell cow that the contract he got would lead you to believe. Unless he gets cut or traded at the end of training camp, Herbert should have a role in this backfield. It wouldn’t surprise me if Johnson had one as well. And don’t expect Swift to make up the loss of carries with receptions. First-overall pick Caleb Williams has a knack for looking downfield while extending plays with his feet, not dumping the ball off to his running back. MarShawn Lloyd had 13 catches as Williams’ backfield mate at USC last season.

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