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The Las Vegas Raiders backfield will have a different look in 2024. Longtime starter Josh Jacobs departed in free agency and signed with the Green Bay Packers.
The only additions Las Vegas made to the backfield were signing Alexander Mattison and drafting rookie Dylan Laube in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. These moves leave third-year back Zamir White atop the depth chart. But what do these changes mean for fantasy football purposes?
Make sure you keep up to date with all your fantasy football needs by following RotoBaller on X and checking out RotoBaller.com. Let’s take a look and analyze what fantasy gamers can expect from this backfield moving forward.
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2023 Season Review
The Las Vegas running game could have been more effective in 2023. It averaged only 90.7 rushing yards per game. This output ranked 30th in the league.
Most of these struggles were because Josh Jacobs was not particularly effective. He ranked just 45th in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expectation (RYOE) and 41st in Rush Yards Over Expectation Per Attempt (RYOE/ATT). Among backs with at least 100 carries, Fantasy Points Data Suite had Jacobs finishing 44th out of 49 eligible backs in Yards After Contact Per Attempt (YAC/ATT). As a result, Las Vegas’ running game as a whole was not efficient, either. It only ranked 24th in Offensive Rush DVOA, per FTN Fantasy.
Jacobs' struggles stand out even more when considering the play of the Raiders offensive line. Despite finishing with Pro Football Focus’s (PFF) 14th-ranked run-blocking offensive line, Las Vegas only finished as PFF’s 27th-ranked rushing offense. This suggests the Raiders’ run game left quite a bit of meat on the bone last year.
Offseason Changes
After flaming out as the Minnesota Vikings starter, Mattison signed a contract to join the Raiders backfield. He has never been a difference-maker at the position. Laube is an intriguing prospect out of the University of New Hampshire. He was arguably the best pass-catching back in the 2024 class. He’s an underrated rusher but doesn’t profile as a lead back at this time.
That leaves the incumbent Zamir White as the team’s RB1. While Jacobs missed time due to injury last year, White flashed some ability that could help improve the team’s rushing attack.
Zamir White's vision was on point vs. the Chiefs, and you see it on the last two runs that ended the game.
On the 1st run, he presses the line, holding the LB with his eyes before hitting the C gap behind Johnson for 43.
2nd run, White shows patience and finds the hole backside… pic.twitter.com/CvstOJURxb
— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) December 27, 2023
White ranked higher than Jacobs in RYOE, RYOE/ATT, and YAC/ATT. It’s not wild to suggest White is an upgrade over the 2022 version of Jacobs.
The Raiders also made a point to beef up their offensive line this offseason. The team signed guard Cody Whitehair in free agency. Las Vegas then drafted center Jackson Powers-Johnson and tackle Delmar Glaze on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
This block by #Raiders C Jackson Powers-Johnson has to be the nastiest thing I've ever seen pic.twitter.com/GqGpT3282m
— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) April 28, 2024
Delmar Glaze (RT,#74) does a great job baiting the edge defender’s hands, then lands his own hands perfectly. Controls and works the edge wide of the pocket effectively. pic.twitter.com/j7o6PbxekA
— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) February 24, 2023
This was already a good run-blocking team last year. These additions should only further improve this unit in 2024.
2024 Fantasy Football Expectations
Head coach Antonio Pierce prefers a strong running game on offense. The Raiders are going to need it if they plan to compete with Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell as their starting quarterback. Neither player is strong enough to carry this offense by themselves and will need a strong running game to thrive.
Las Vegas already boasted a solid run-blocking line. The team brought back mostly the same unit and added a few upgrades as well. In a limited sample, White showed he could be a more efficient back last year. There’s room for this ground attack to grow. It’s also a safe bet this offense is going to lean on the ground game in 2024. This all bodes well for the Raiders' rushing attack. We should expect to see improvements in this area.
For fantasy football purposes, White is the player to target in this backfield. The team has shown its belief in him from its offseason moves. He’s going to have volume on his side, and there’s no real competition to speak of at the moment. His underlying stats are good enough to suggest he can maintain a grip on the backfield moving forward. White is a rock-solid RB2 option that brings fantasy football players weekly RB1 upside. Draft him as such.
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