2024 Week #2 Market Preview - The Running Backs

by Michael Nazarek (RELEASED - 9/10/2024)

Editor's Note: Below you will find a portion of our 2024 Fantasy Football Weekly Newsletter Market feature for Week #2. If you'd like to read about all positions including our Free Agent Player Rankings, please click HERE to order our 2024 Weekly In-Season Fantasy Newsletters.

Let's see if you've heard this before... The first week of the 2024 NFL season was inconsistent. It's always that way. What have we learned? It's only ONE WEEK. Patience is the key to winning. Of course, if someone in your league wants to dump under-performing QB Dak Prescott or RB Derrick Henry in your lap at a bargain price, snatch him up now! Those owners are panicking for nothing and are well on their way to a losing season. Obviously, they are not reading this newsletter, so don't hesitate to take advantage! Now, let's get into this week's fantasy "Market"...

 

THE QUARTERBACKS

 

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THE RUNNING BACKS

 

-- Jordan Mason Blows Up! --

 

Obviously, the big news of the week at RB was the inactive status of San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles). CMC just didn't feel right, so he took the game off, while backup RB Jordan Mason got his first career start. As a result, Mason generated his first 100-yard performance, helping the 49ers easily bat the New York Jets. Mason played the clear majority of snaps, leaving the field for only a handful of times to give WR Deebo Samuel a shot at running back. Rookie RB Isaac Guerendo also briefly played in the game. Overall, Mason averaged more than five yards per carry in the game. It's very obvious that Mason should be the top waiver wire target at running back this week. CMC owners know that there is a chance McCaffrey won't play this week. If that happens, Mason would be a must-start for fantasy. Best of all, when CMC returns, Mason will also be one of the top handcuffs in the league for the rest of the season! Grab him now if he's available!

 

-- J.K. Dobbins Blows Up! --

 

Los Angeles Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins let it be known that he's far from done with the NFL. After a very pedestrian first half, Dobbins broke out in a big way in the second half against the Raiders, totaling 135 yards on just 10 carries, including a sweet 61-yard run and a 12-yarder for a score. Dobbins also caught three passes, while RB Gus Edwards only rushed for 26 yards on 11 carries and had just one short catch. Bottom Line: Dobbins is the guy to own here, so pick him up if he's on the waiver wire! As for Edwards, he should be benched for now, since he is running behind a worse OL line than he did in Baltimore and not getting the chances he needs to produce. That said, I feel it's only a matter of time before an injury hits Dobbins. But until that time, Dobbins is a solid RB2 with RB1 upside, while Edwards becomes a bench player for fantasy. BTW, rookie RB Kimani Vidal was a healthy inactive for this game.

 

-- The Ravens Use Strict RB Rotation --

 

The Baltimore Ravens use their RBs in strict roles in 2024. RB Derrick Henry is the early down, short yardage, and goal line back, while RB Justice Hill is the third down, passing down, and two minute RB for the team. Last Thursday in a game where the Ravens did a lot of passing, Hill ended up playing roughly just as much as Henry in the contest. It should be no surprise that Hill played in the clear passing situations, while Henry is the clear leader in rushing situations. This was a game where Baltimore was behind late in the first quarter and spent the rest of the game playing from behind. While it's fine to be concerned about Henry's efficiency, this utilization shouldn't surprise anyone. The Ravens should be winning in most of their games this season, which will certainly give Henry more opportunities to flourish as the lead back. In other words, now is not the time to panic if you own Henry!

 

-- Bijan Robinson Dominates Playing Time --

 

The RB Bijan Robinson workhorse train has arrived! B-Rob dominated snaps and touches for the Atlanta Falcon on Sunday. He played a higher percentage of snaps in this game compared to any other game last season. Robinson was one clear winner in the playcaller change, playing 89% of Atlanta's offensive snaps. Last season, his median game was 74%, with a high of 81%. With this extra playing time, he tied his career high in touches of 23. Best of all, this was a game where the Falcons only ran 56 offensive plays, so it's likely once the team is running more plays, Robinson will set a new career high in offensive touches. As for RB Tyler Allgeier, hr should remain on fantasy rosters because if anything happens to Robinson, Allgeier will become an instant fantasy starter, making him a top handcuff for fantasy in the NFL.

 

-- Joe Mixon Dominates in His Debut as a Texan --

 

On Sunday, RB Joe Mixon made his Texans' debut, and dominated on every front. He not only filled the early down back role, but he also saw some action on third downs. RB Dare Ogunbowale also played on third downs, along with the two-minute offense. Now, that might not matter if the Texans remain more run-heavy, as Mixon ran 30 times in a one-score game on Sunday, which ties his career high. A s long as Mixon stays healthy and the Texans aren't blown out of games, Mixon should continue receiving 20+ carries in each and every game. That makes him a low-end RB1 with solid RB1 upside! What about the other backs? RB Dameon Pierce was active and played 9 snaps in the game (3 touches), but his value will only come into play if Mixon goes down with an injury. As for RB Cam Akers, he was inactive, so his value won't be known until Mixon (if) he gets injured, but it's more than likely that he would share the early down work with Pierce in that situation.

 

-- De'Von Achane Sees Goal Line Work --

 

The Miami Dolphins running game saw a big change from 2023 on Sunday. Last season, RB Raheem Mostert saw the overwhelming carries near the goal, but that wasn't the case on Sunday, as RB De'Von Achane played both snaps at the goal line, and scored. If Achane consistently takes those snaps at the goal line, then he would have the most value at the RB position for the Dolphins, as Mostert could no longer be a considered a solid fantasy starter. If that is the case, then Achane would be a solid RB2 with RB1 upside, while Mostert would slide to a risky RB3 for fantasy.

 

-- The Titans RBBC Evolves --

 

The Tennessee Titans backfield has evolved without RB Derrick Henry, but it appears that RB Tyjae Spears didn't quite get the upgrade in touches that he may have expected. New Titans RB Tony Pollard was the primary early-down back on Sunday, while Spears was the primary passing down back. Spears' role is very similar to last season, while Pollard is taking Henry's role. This is fewer passing plays than Pollard saw as a Cowboy, but the Titans are more focused on running the ball than Pollard's Cowboys were last season. Pollard can safely be started for fantasy for any game where the Titans are expected to be competitive and keep the game close. In games where the Titans are expected to trail significantly, then you should expect to see more of Spears than Pollard. This makes Pollard a solid RB3 for fantasy at worst, while Spears is more of a risky flex play for fantasy, especially when the Titans play weaker opponents.

 

-- The Steelers RB Rotation With Jaylen Warren Not 100% --

 

It is not surprising that Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren (hamstring) didn't play as much on Sunday as he did last season. Against the Falcons, Warren only rushed twice for seven yards and caught both of his targets for 13 yards. Last season, he ran at least three times in every game with an average of nine carries and was targeted at least three times in all but one game. This season, there is a third wheel to worry about, though... RB Cordarrelle Patterson, who cut specifically into Warren's playing time. Now, you can expect to see Warren play more snaps and get more touches once he's closer to 100%, but that might not mean that he will play as much as he did last season simply because of Patterson's presence. On the other hand, this was great news for starting RB Najee Harris, who rushed 20 times, which is a mark he only topped twice last season despite the fact that QB Justin Fields ran 14 times. Bottom Line: Harris is a solid RB3 with RB2 upside right now, while Warren should be benched until he plays in a game and touches the football at least eight or more times. As for Patterson, he is like Warren right now, unstartable, just more of a nuisance than anything else.

 

-- Vikings Almost a RBBC --

 

Despite a good game from Minnesota Vikings RB Aaron Jones in his first start, RB Ty Chandler played a higher percentage of snaps than first expected. The Vikings mostly rotated their running backs by drive. Jones played the clear majority of snaps on six drives while Chandler played the majority on the other four. The Vikings were more likely to get the ball to Jones when he was on the field compared to Chandler when he was on the field. Jones was also the much more effective runner, averaging 6.7 yards per carry compared to only 2.1 for Chandler. Typically, in important situations like short yardage and the two-minute offense, Jones is on the field. This should still be enough playing time for Jones to consistently be a fantasy starter, but there could be a game or two this season where Chandler gets a hot hand and sees a higher percentage of touches. In other words, Jones is a solid RB2, while Chandler is more of a risky RB3/flex option.

 

-- Zack Moss Leads Bengals Backfield --

 

Many fantasy players thought RB Chase Brown would lead the Cincinnati Bengals backfield in week #1, but I knew that was not the case. Why? The team always listed RB Zack Moss as the starter on their depth chart. Hence, I was not surprised at all when Moss was the clear leader in the Bengals backfield on Sunday. That said, it was a bit surprising to see Moss as the primary running back in every situation. On early downs in Sunday's game, it was close to a 50/50 split, but Moss played in clear passing situations as well as short-yardage situations. The Bengals offense didn't play very well in this game, leading to a "meh" game from Moss. Assuming the Bengals will get better, Moss will be a solid RB3 for fantasy. As for Brown, he appears to be a risky flex option at best. If things don't change, then he becomes a player you can replace on your fantasy roster.

 

-- The Raiders Use a 2-Man RBBC --

 

Believe it or not, even though RB Zamir White started the game on Sunday, backup RB Alexander Mattison led the Las Vegas Raiders backfield in snaps and got he score. Let's examine. White was used on the first two drives, while Mattison was used on the third. Unfortunately, the Raiders do not trust White in the passing game, so Mattison played a lot of the third downs and two-minute offense as well. As a result, when the Raiders are winning, White is more likely to have a solid fantasy game, but when the team falls behind, Mattison will see most of the playing time. That makes White only a decent RB3 at best, while Mattison can also be considered a RB3, at least when the Raiders are playing good teams.

 

-- Bucky Irving Makes His Mark --

 

It's really not all that surprising that Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie RB Bucky Irving cut into starting RB Rachaad White's playing time on Sunday. In fact, Irving led the Buccaneers in rushing yards with 62. White typically played around 80% of the offensive snaps (last season), and played at least 70% of the team's offensive snaps in all but one game last season. In Sunday's game, White played just under 70% of the snaps, while Irving saw significant playing time. Irving was the most effective rusher, averaging 6.9 yards per carry compared to only 2.1 yards per carry for White. White's fantasy value was solid in this game thanks to his six catches for 75 yards. Given Irving's snap share in this game and good play, don't be surprised if Irving plays a higher percentage of the early-down snaps sooner rather than later. White's fantasy value could take a serious hit if Irving also takes the goal-line snaps. In other words, this situation should be watched closely.

 

-- Cowboys Use a Strict Alternating 2-Man RBBC --

 

Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott and RB Rico Dowdle split the backfield on Sunday right down the middle. Dallas followed a very simple rotation by drive between the two running backs. The only exception to the rotation by drive was Dowdle took the 9^th and 10^th drives because the 9^th drive was only two plays to end the first half. Elliott played 32 of a possible 35 snaps on his drives, while Dowdle played in 25 of a possible 27 snaps on his. Elliott may be the better fantasy option of the two simply because he started the game, but he played the goal-line snap because it happened to occur on his drive. Bottom Line: Both of these backs are nothing more than RB3s at best with a lot of downside, especially with Elliott due to his age. As for RB Dalvin Cook, he was inactive for the game, so he's a non-factor right now.

 

-- Jaguars Now a RBBC? --

 

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have a full-blown RBBC on their hands. On Sunday, RB Tank Bigsby led the team in rushing yards. He rushed 12 times for a career-high 73 yards. In comparison, RB Travis Etienne also rushed 12 times, but for only 44 yards and a score. Etienne also caught two passes for 15 yards. But looks can be deceiving, as Etienne was the primary running back in every situation with Bigsby cutting into his playing time on first down. Even with this arrangement, Etienne remains a must-start for fantasy because he still played the goal-line snaps and got some of the short-yardage work. As for Bigsby, he a waiver wire target because he is both a handcuff and could have stand-alone fantasy value this season if he continues to run this well.

 

-- RB Potpourri --

 

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... Green Bay Packers RB Emmanuel Wilson saw 6 touches last Friday and totaled 48 yards against the Eagles. Buffalo Bills rookie RB Ray Davis saw 4 touches on Sunday against the Cardinals. New England Patriots RB Antonio Gibson saw 7 carries on Sunday against the Bengals. Miami Dolphins RB Jeff Wilson saw 5 carries on Sunday against the Jaguars. Carolina Panthers RB Miles Sanders saw 5 carries on Sunday against the Saints. New Orleans Saints RB Jamaal Williams scored on 12 garbage time touches on Sunday against the Panthers. Cleveland Browns RB Pierre Strong saw 4 touches on Sunday against the Cowboys.

 

THE WIDE RECEIVERS

 

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THE TIGHT ENDS

 

To view this section, click HERE to order our 2024 Weekly In-Season Fantasy Newsletters.

 

The following is the initial in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2024 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

 

FREE AGENT PLAYER RANKINGS

 

BLUE - Priority Waiver Wire Target

RED - Secondary Waiver Wire Target

 

Rank	Quarterbacks	Rank	Tight Ends
1	Order Now to View List	1	Order Now to View List
2		2
3		3
4		4
5		5
6		6
7		7
8		8
9		9
10		10
11		11
12		12
13		13
		14
	* - Starting Due to Injury	15
		16
			* - Starting Due to Injury
Rank	Running Backs	Rank	Wide Recievers
1	J.K. Dobbins, LAC	1	Order Now to View List
2	Jordan Mason, SF	2
3	Bucky Irving, TB	3
4	Ty Chandler, MIN	4
5	Tank Bigsby, JAX	5
6	Justice Hill, BAL	6
7	Alexander Mattison, LV	7
8	Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN	8
9	Ray Davis, BUF	9
10	Marshawn Lloyd, GB (INJ)	10
11	Emmanuel Wilson, GB	11
12	Tyrone Tracy, NYG	12
13	Jamaal Williams, NO	13
14	Antonio Gibson, NE	14
15	Jeff Wilson, MIA	15
16	Pierre Strong, CLE	16
17	Cordarrelle Patterson, PIT	17
18	Miles Sanders, CAR	18
		19
	* - Could Start Due to Injury	20
		21
		22
		23
		24
			* - Could Start Due to Injury
Rank	Place Kickers	Rank	Team Defenses
1	Order Now to View List	1	Order Now to View List
2		2
3		3
4		4
5		5
6
7
8
9
10

 

End.

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