Fantasy Football RB 2024: NFL Running Back Room Team-By-Team Breakdowns

Believe it or not, NFL teams don’t care about fantasy points. They care about three things: first downs, touchdowns and wins. That’s pretty much it. Sure, there are lots of nuances to the game. But offense is about first downs and touchdowns. Defense is about preventing those (or at least forcing you to kick a field goal). That’s how you win the game – not by racking up PPR points in fantasy football.

And that’s why we approach our process the way we do. When it comes to winning games, there are different roles a running back plays. And there are different moments in which they play them. 

Fantasy Football RB 2024 Bell Cows & RBBC

For fantasy football purposes, not every moment is created equally either. Obviously, a goal-line carry is a much more high-leverage situation than a first down run to eat up clock in the fourth quarter. So, we do our best to identify those different roles and situations, to help figure out who will get those high-leverage touches for fantasy football.

Which is why we created this Running Back Questionnaire. We look at the five different roles a back might have in an NFL game. That helps us figure out who is dependable or not from week-to-week in fantasy. It also helps us know who the backup is – which is crucial information for the most injury-prone position in football. Here are the different roles.

2024 Fantasy RB Roles: First Down

This is your “starting running back”. That doesn’t mean they are the running back that gets all the high-leverage touches. But they are at the top of the depth chart and the most likely candidates to be sent out to start the drive on first and 10.

It’s an important distinction for this fact alone: the running back who “started” the most games led their team in carries for 30 of the 32 games. The two exceptions were Aaron Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson, both of whom got hurt. There are a limited number of plays in any given game, so getting first crack is always going to give you an advantage in that department.

2024 Fantasy RB Roles: Pass Down

The typical “pass down” is third down, but you’ve also got second and long or fourth down situations as well. This back usually specializes in pass blocking, route running or both. A guy like Christian McCaffrey is the best player in all phases, especially pass downs, so that’s an easy one to sort. With other teams, like the Lions, they bring in a specialist in Jahmyr Gibbs for those downs (including playoffs, Gibbs played 434 pass plays to 283 for David Montgomery).

We’ve known for years thanks to work done by analyst Scott Barrett that a target is more valuable than a carry in fantasy football. Not a reception – a target. And that goes for standard leagues as well. But obviously, it carries the most weight in full PPR. The hope is that these backs can take over the full role at some point like Austin Ekeler and Alvin Kamara did. But you can utilize these guys in PPR in a pinch.

2024 Fantasy RB Roles: Short Yardage/Goal Line

This is where the big money can be made. We’ve seen guys like Raheem Mostert, LeGarrette Blount and Jamaal Williams score 17+ touchdowns even in a limited role – in the right offenses. You have to ask yourself this question: if there is a pass interference in the end zone and the offense can send any player down to punch it in, who is that going to be?

In the era of the mobile quarterback and the “Tush Push”, that question isn’t as simple as it once was. Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts both scored 15 rushing touchdowns last season. The starting running back for the Bills, James Cook, scored 2. So, you have to be wary about who is going to get those looks down in the red area.

2024 Fantasy RB Roles: Two Minute Drill

We separate this from “pass downs” because it’s a different beast entirely. In the two-minute drill, there is no time for substitutions. You need to know all the audibles. And you especially need to know all the pass-blocking schemes as a sack, in many cases, ends the game. Having this role can mean free receptions at the end of the first half or the end of the game.

Due to the nature of the job, it’s often given to a veteran player (or simply the best back on the team). But some crafty rookies have been able to prove their worth and weasel their way into this role. If you expect a team to be playing from behind often, this can be a valuable spot.

2024 Fantasy RB Roles: Late Lead

Eating clock and running the ball when everyone knows you are going to run it is crucial to winning games (ask the 2022 Chargers when they gave up a 16-point lead to the Jaguars in the playoffs). And at times, it really depends how close of a game it is as to whether a team uses their starting back or a backup. But some teams don’t differentiate.

For instance, the Cleveland Browns last year used Jerome Ford as their starting running back. Oddly, they had a tendency to switch over to “fresh legs” and use Kareem Hunt to close out games. This type of decision can mean the difference in upside for a guy like Ford (or relevancy for a guy like Hunt). It’s also interesting to keep in mind for NFL DFS – if you think the game will be a blowout, a backup running back could be well worth the price. 

Fantasy Football RB 2024 Role Chart

Without further ado, here is the chart. We’ll do our best to update this with training camp news and additional notes as the summer rolls on. But alas, here’s the first look at our Running Back Questionnaire!

*LAST UPDATED: 10/30/24

2024 Fantasy Football: Related Draft Guide Articles

Dive deeper into your fantasy football journey with our other exclusive draft guide articles, packed with additional insights and guidance for the upcoming 2024 season:

• Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• NFL Offensive Line Rankings
• Dynasty Fantasy Football
• Fantasy Football Cheat Sheat