RADIO
Everyone loves to rank things, right? Yes! Then let's rank things. Specifically, let's rank the backup running backs around the NFL.
One note on the methodology here: things change fast in the NFL. As of right now, these players all look to be second on their team's depth chart, but training camp and the preseason could change that quickly. So if you read this right before Week 1 and think wow, how could you include X player when he's the starter, it's because he didn't seem to be the starter on July 29 when I started working on this.
Let's look at the 10 best backup running backs in the NFL.
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Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings -- Nos. 10-6
No. 10 – Chase Brown (CIN)
Here's the Chase Brown run I mentioned reading from the Almanac on today's show.
Blink and you'll miss the move!
(Almanac comes out Friday!)
(Pre-order here: https://t.co/fFVogOM5pn) pic.twitter.com/NjCmSKMU0Z— Christopher Harris (@HarrisFootball) July 30, 2024
Of all these players, Bengals running back Chase Brown was the toughest to place. As a rookie, Brown had just 58 touches, but he produced 5.8 yards per touch. With Joe Mixon gone, the Bengals brought in Zack Moss, who is coming off a strong year with the Colts. Moss is the lead back, but his lead doesn't feel as safe as Mixon's did in 2023. Brown's explosiveness should earn him plenty of opportunities and would make him an intriguing upside play if anything happens to Moss.
No. 9 – Trey Benson (ARI)
29-year-old James Conner is the starting running back in Arizona. That wall that running backs hit is coming, and rookie Trey Benson is poised to pounce when it does. The rookie out of Florida State has plenty of speed and will be involved in this offense no matter what, but if Conner struggles, then he has the toughness to play on early downs as well as on passing downs. There's an RB2 upside if anything happens to Conner.
No. 8 –Ty Chandler (MIN)
The Vikings added Aaron Jones this offseason, shoring up the starting running back spot after Alexander Mattison struggled there in 2023. Ty Chandler finished 2023 with 123 touches for 620 total yards and three touchdowns while splitting time with Mattison. With a healthy Jones, that's probably his ceiling for 2024, though we could see Chandler siphon off some goal-line work. However, the age concerns with Jones make Chandler an incredibly important backup.
No. 7 – Zach Charbonnet (SEA)
As a rookie, Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet finished his rookie season with 671 scrimmage yards, but he trailed Kenneth Walker III by over 100 carries and has just three more targets than Walker. It's clear the Seahawks view Walker as the clear No. 1 with a gap back to Charbonnet, but what isn't clear is if the team should view it that way. Charbonnet might not be elite at any particular thing, but he does all the stuff a running back needs to do at a high level and can handle the workload if he needs to.
No. 6 – Jaylen Warren (PIT)
I'm not convinced that Steelers starting running back Najee Harris is better than Jaylen Warren. Warren averaged 5.3 yards per carry last season while Harris was at 4.1, and Warren was significantly more impactful in the passing game. He has RB3 value while splitting the backfield with Harris and jumps to the RB2 area if Harris misses time.
Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings -- Nos. 5-1
No. 5 –Tyjae Spears (TEN)
A lot of people thought the Titans would hand the backfield to Tyjae Spears once Derrick Henry left, but instead, the team went out and signed Tony Pollard. That leaves Spears right where he was last year, as a valuable backup running back.
The good news is that the gap between Henry and Pollard is fairly large, which should give Spears more chances to hit the field. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season and should have ample opportunities to showcase that he's more than just a reserve player.
No. 4 – Jerome Ford (CLE)
#Browns Jerome Ford back at practice in individual drills. pic.twitter.com/NxFf3KXzXO
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) July 29, 2024
With Nick Chubb's injury history, the Browns need a good backup running back. Luckily, they have one in Jerome Ford. After barely playing as a rookie, Ford had 204 carries for 813 yards and four touchdowns last season with Chubb sidelined most of the year. He also added five receiving scores.
Ford's not an elite back, but he's a really strong insurance policy for the possibility of another Chubb injury. He can make plays in both the run and pass games and is a low-end RB3 option on his own and an RB2 for any games that Chubb misses.
No. 3 – Austin Ekeler (WAS)
Maybe I'm too high on Austin Ekeler? His receptions were cut in more than half in 2023, and he produced just 44.9 yards per game on the ground, his lowest since 2019. Still, he surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards for the fourth time in five years. Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns from scrimmage in both 2021 and 2022. I get that he didn't look like classic Austin Ekeler in 2023, but having Ekeler as your No. 2 behind Brian Robinson Jr. is a huge luxury for the Commanders.
No. 2 – Raheem Mostert (MIA)
These final two almost feel like cheating considering how much they'll be on the field. There's a chance both of them end up as starters because of their early down skill sets, though both have a more talented, young teammate who should be viewed as the team's top back.
We start with Raheem Mostert, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season, finding the end zone 18 times, 10 better than his previous best season. 2023 could have been an anomaly, but even if it was, Mostert will get the bulk of the team's goal-line touches again. There will be chances for touchdowns, even if it isn't 18 of them.
No. 1 – David Montgomery (DET)
The Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery backfield complements itself so well. Both are talented backs, with Gibbs providing the lightning to Montgomery's thunder. While Montgomery recorded a career-low 16 receptions last year, he maintained fantasy value by dominating near the goal line, scoring 13 touchdowns.
Montgomery can still be a really solid lead back if Gibbs misses time. Maybe not a fantasy RB1, but at least a strong RB2 play. He had 54 receptions back in 2020, so if the Lions had to use him in the passing game, he would be able to hold up there.
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