Fantasy RB Rankings - 2024's Top Fantasy Football Running Backs
We are so used to the “new normal” at running back that it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone when I say that the golden age of the fantasy RB is over.
In 2010, the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement expanded the gameday roster from 46 players to 53. And, with that, we saw new niche jobs open up which included breaking the running back position up into smaller roles at times.
That has ushered in a new era for fantasy football. It has made the position harder to draft – and, in turn, made it that much harder to create our fantasy RB rankings each year and identify who will be 2024's top fantasy running back.
Despite this change shaking up the position, fantasy football RB rankings have remained fairly constant year-over-year. We are still ranking guys one after another with no regards to range of outcomes or role or any of that. Isn’t it about time that changed?
With the dynamic tier fantasy RB rankings, we are hoping to help you think OUTSIDE of the box.
Think about your own fantasy football league format. Is it PPR? Standard? How many RB spots? How many flex spots? How many teams? How many bench spots? Is there an IR?
There are so many questions that go into how you should build your RB room that we created a new set of rankings to guide you on your journey. They ENHANCE our linear rankings and don't just tell you the top fantasy RBs in 2024, but when and how to draft them to create the best team possible and win your league.
Let's go tier-by-tier, top-to-bottom to look at our 2024 Fantasy Football RB Rankings and who the top fantasy running backs will be that can put your team over the top.
2024 Fantasy Football RB Rankings: Bell Cow
These backs are the closest to having that “every down” role that is ideal for fantasy football without needing an injury to another player. Now, not all of them will have it for sure and there will be a split to some degree with almost all of them. But if your goal is every down upside that we saw from guys like Christian McCaffrey and Kyren Williams last year, then this is your list.
Keep in mind, that doesn’t mean these guys should all be drafted before the next group. We’re absolutely drafting someone like Jahmyr Gibbs ahead of, say, Zamir White. The goal here is to help understand the roles of these players better and the formats they are best in. And, once we have a more reliable source of fantasy ADP over the next month or so, we’ll update these with the color-coding of who we like at ADP or not just like we did last year.
Fantasy RB Rankings: Specified Roles In 2024
This is pretty simple in this section. These are all likely viable fantasy contributors. In fact, some of them we might want to pay up for in certain formats. But they also have fairly clearly defined roles within their offense. This helps us target guys based on our format.
The two down specialists, for the most part, operate on early downs and in short yardage situations. We’ve seen guys like Jamaal Williams and LeGarette Blount score 17 TDs in this role. But Blount also did it with only seven receptions. These guys will be a little more valuable in standard or half PPR.
On the third down side, you have the “pass-catching” backs. They are still incredibly valuable in all formats but are especially valuable in PPR, naturally. A player like Breece Hall for instance finished as the RB2 in PPR but the RB7 in standard last year because of how important receptions were to his production. A player like Jahmyr Gibbs is valuable in every format but, in PPR, he can be drafted as high as the first round at times.
Fantasy RB Rankings: “Handcuff Plus” Tier
By “handcuff plus” we mean a player that could have standalone value on their own but would benefit drastically from an injury to the starter in terms of upside. Some of the specified role players certainly fit this description as well, but this section includes the backups that we like best for upside with an injury, but could also provide value in if we are in a pinch for a bye week.
Fantasy RB Rankings: Pure Handcuff For 2024
These guys likely need an injury (or possibly two) to be startable in fantasy football. But for some of them, they could have huge upside if that happens. Bijan Robinson does everything great but, if he were to go down, Tyler Allgeier would step into a big role. Same for rookie Jaylen Wright if one of Raheem Mostert or De'Von Achane were to go down.
Fantasy RB Rankings: Running Back Stashes
These are the guys that are either hurt or suspended where you likely can’t utilize them right away. We hope for those drafting early that this list does not grow any bigger. But it often does.
2024 Fantasy RB Rankings: Run To A Title With These Running Back Tiers
The top fantasy football running backs in 2024 will be….who? How about the very best fantasy RB in 2024?
We don't have a crystal ball, but we do have confidence in our 2024 Fantasy Football RB Rankings - even moreso with this Dynamic Tier format. We obviously can't draft all of the top fantasy RBs, but that won't stop us from drafting the best running backs and building the best, league-winning team possible.
These dynamic rankings are factored into our Fantasy Football Draft Cheat Sheet, which all Draft Guide and All-Pro customers have access to. Check out the most updated version, as well as the other, related strategy content that can carry you to the top of your leagues in the 2024 fantasy football season.
2024 Fantasy Football: Related Draft Guide Articles
Get additional insights and guidance as you prepare to win your league in the upcoming 2024 fantasy football season:
- 2024 Rookie RB Rankings
- Fantasy Football QB Rankings
- Fantasy Football WR Rankings
- Fantasy Football TE Rankings
- Fantasy Mock Draft