Fantasy Football Position Battles: Javonte Williams & Jaleel McLaughlin (2024)

For fantasy football managers, the running back position has been increasingly difficult to gauge over the years. With the workhorse RB role being nearly extinct, NFL backfields are more ambiguous than ever.

Long gone are the days when most teams would head into offseason with a predetermined starter. Nowadays, teams are insistent on having these players earn their respective roles through training camp performance.

2024 Position Battles to Monitor: Running Backs

It has never been more important for fantasy managers to keep a close eye on offseason speculation, especially regarding the RB position. Those that accurately predict the touch distribution of NFL backfields will have a distinct edge over their league mates.

Kyren Williams‘ stellar 2023 season is a great example of this. Towards the tail end of training camp last year, rumors emerged that Williams had earned a sizeable workload in the Rams backfield. Many Cam Akers truthers, who held on to earlier reports about the latter being this team’s RB1, chose to ignore the speculation.

Those who payed close attention to the training camp buzz likely benefitted from Williams’ elite RB production on a weekly basis. Those who dismissed them likely dropped Akers mere weeks after investing mid-round draft capital on him.

Below is an NFL backfield with major uncertainties regarding volume distribution. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on beat reporters’ comments about these situations.

Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin (DEN)

Heading into the second year of his tenure in Denver, Sean Payton will have firmly implemented his offensive philosophy. The Broncos offense will closely mimic the former Saints units that experienced great success over the years.

A key pillar of any Payton-led offense is the heavy utility of the RB position. The likes of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram had career years in these schemes. With a rookie QB and a very limited group of pass-catchers, this offense is even more likely to rely on their backs to keep the chains moving.

Javonte Williams has been employed as this team’s RB1 in the past but has failed to deliver on the opportunity. He’s yet to reach 1,000 rushing yards or eclipse four rushing touchdowns in any given season. What’s more, 2023 was a particularly disappointing season for Williams. According to PFF, he ranked 45th in run grade and 38th in elusive rating among RBs with at least 100 carries.

On the other hand, Jaleel McLaughlin was extremely efficient in a secondary role. Per PFF, he earned a rushing grade of 82.8 and an elusive rating of 113.8. Additionally, he averaged 3.38 yards after contact per carry.

McLaughlin also showed his value as a receiver out of the backfield. PFF graded him highest amongst all Broncos pass-catchers in 2023. Given his ability in space and his prowess through the air, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Alvin Kamara. Payton has already expressed his affinity for the second-year RB.

#Broncos HC Sean Payton on Jaleel McLaughlin:

“He’s here at 5:15, even in the offseason. First one here, running in the weight room, and by the time he’s at breakfast and most people are arriving, he’s put in a good hour and a half’s worth of work. It’s just the way he’s wired,… pic.twitter.com/qMk17cfd6h

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) June 5, 2024

All signs point toward McLaughlin winning the training camp battle and taking over as this team’s RB1. Considering he is currently being drafted many rounds after Williams, McLaughlin is screaming value in drafts. Expect beat reporters to speak very highly of him during training camp.