Dennis Sosic | Wed, Jul 24th 2024, 7:05am EDT

5 Must-Have Running Backs (2024 Fantasy Football)

Looking at the running back landscape as we enter the 2024 NFL season, a handful of running backs could challenge Christian McCaffrey for the overall RB1 position.

Does Breece Hall build upon his impressive success last season? Will Bijan Robinson get the volume his talents deserve? Will Jonathan Taylor stay healthy and achieve overall RB1 status like he did in 2021? Does Jahmyr Gibbs earn enough volume to explode into the RB1 spot?

Every fantasy manager knows those running backs are must-have RBs to roster and will launch your team to the championship.

Here is also a group of five must-have running backs you should queue up during your drafts or auctions that will propel you to championship glory and bragging rights.

Must-Have Running Backs (2024 Fantasy Football)

Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)

Jonathon Brooks was among the best running back prospects in a weak 2024 NFL Draft class. His stock took a massive hit when he suffered a torn ACL in November. However, Brooks is on track to be ready for the Week 1 kickoff of the NFL 2024 season. The Carolina Panthers were satisfied enough with the health of his knee to trade up six spots in the second round to select the Texas Longhorns running back No. 46 overall.

Brooks forewent his final two years of eligibility to enter the 2024 NFL Draft after backing up Bijan Robinson for his first two seasons. The 6-foot-0, 216-pound running back has low mileage and fresh legs, having only totaled 238 carries in three seasons at Texas. In his lone season as the starter last season, he rushed for 1,139 yards on 187 carriers and 10 scores, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Brooks also impacted the passing game, catching 25 passes for 11.4 yards per catch (YAC) in just 11 games.

New Carolina Panthers head coach David Canales is a massive fan of Brooks. Canales hopes the former Longhorn will upgrade the Panthers’ running game, which was 20th in yards and 30th in touchdowns last season with the unimpressive backfield of Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders. Canales on Brooks:

“[Brooks is] a bigger back. He’s got range,” Canales said. “There is so much that he brings from a versatility standpoint. Then just vision, patience, contact balance, acceleration, like he’s got it all. Best back in this class.”

Hubbard and Sanders will provide minimal competition for touches in the Panthers’ backfield, allowing Brooks to contribute in his rookie season. However, the knee injury risk is a source of trepidation for some fantasy managers. Brooks perfectly fits the zone running scheme Canales loves to run with his size, vision and no-nonsense running style.

The caveat with Brooks is that the Panthers might initially ease Brooks in. His inclusion here does not look at his September production but what Brooks will produce in December for your fantasy playoffs, allowing Brooks to be a high-end RB2 this season.

James Conner (RB – ARI)

This selection might shock some fantasy managers, but James Conner just turned in the most efficient season of his career. Conner finished with career-highs in rushing yards (1,040) and yards per carry (5.0). The former Pitt Panther reached those marks in just 13 games after an MCL sprain, which cost him four games following Week 5.

Conner accomplished his career year on a 24th-ranked Cardinals offense, where defenses stacked the box to take away Conner and dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray. After returning from his injured reserved stay, Conner produced RB7 numbers. More impressively, Conner won plenty of championships for fantasy managers during the fantasy playoffs when he finished as the RB2 during Weeks 15-18.

Entering the 2024 season, the Cardinals made significant investments in their offense. The draft selections of first-round wideout Marvin Harrison, Jr., third-round running back Trey Benson and the offensive line improvements display their commitment to the ascending offense surrounding Kyler Murray. The offensive upgrades should make Conner an exciting value pick for fantasy managers.

The knock on Conner has always been his injury history. Yes, Conner has missed multiple games in each of his seven NFL seasons, though never more than six in any one NFL season. Adding Benson pushes the narrative that Conner will lose valuable touches. However, Conner has a firm grasp as the lead back in this Cardinals offense and is expected to be the workhorse RB for the Cardinals in 2024.

Conner will continue to impact the offense on the ground and via the passing game in 2024. Conner is entering the 2024 season as an RB2 option. With an improved Cardinals offense, look for a jump into borderline-RB1 territory.

Joe Mixon (RB – HOU)

The Houston Texans offense was thrilling to watch last season as rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud finished with 4,108 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns. However, their running game was underwhelming. They finished by averaging fewer than 100 rushing yards per game last season. Devin Singletary took over the RB1 duties from Dameon Pierce last season but took his talents to the New York Giants, which opened the door for the Texans to pursue veteran running back Joe Mixon in a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mixon waltzes into the RB1 role for the Texans with no real competition. The four-time 1,000-yard rusher with the Bengals enters another potent offense in a high-volume role. Mixon has plenty of tread on his tires but is a consistent short-yardage back whose pass-catching ability will add tremendous value to the Texans and fantasy teams. The former Oklahoma Sooner has produced the fifth-most receptions by a running back since 2012.

Mixon finished as the RB5 last season, producing 1,034 rushing yards and 52 receptions with 376 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. Last season marked the third consecutive season Mixon finished as a RB1 PPR running back.

A heavy workload will certainly push Mixon into the RB2 territory. However, his involvement in the passing game will be critical to catapult into the RB1 tier in fantasy. The Texans’ passing game is loaded with weapons, especially with the return of wide receiver Tank Dell. Currently being drafted as the RB15, it will not be a surprise to see Mixon achieve another RB1 season, which will make him a must-have running back on the roster in 2024.

Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC)

Since taking over the starting job in 2022, Isiah Pacheco has been the top rushing option out of the Kansas City Chiefs backfield. However, some fantasy managers have recently hesitated to trust Pacheco in their fantasy backfield due to the penchant for the Chiefs’ passing volume and Pachecho’s lack of involvement in the passing game. The target volume took a giant leap this past season with an increase in targets of 49 compared to only 14 in 2022. We could see another uptick in targets with the personnel changes in the Chiefs’ offense entering the 2024 season.

Last season, Pacheco played in 14 games and produced 935 rushing yards and seven rushing scores, with 44 receptions for 244 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Pacheco finished as the RB16 in fantasy points scored. In the postseason, his angry running style produced 4.32 yards per carry, four rushing touchdowns and continued involvement in the passing game. Pacheco had 18 receptions on 19 targets for 125 receiving yards across four postseason games. He rendered Jerick McKinnon, who was typically the passing down back, utterly useless in the postseason and has not been re-signed for the 2024 season.

The departure of McKinnon and no other running back to challenge Pacheco means a high projectable volume in what will be an improved Chiefs offense. Patrick Mahomes got new weapons in the offseason with the signing of Hollywood Brown and the draft day trade to move up and select wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Both wideouts bring a missing component of game-breaking speed that the Chiefs offense missed when they moved Tyreek Hill. Their additions will open up the offense and running lanes for Pacheco.

Pacheco’s upside in a revitalized offense gives him a path to finish as an RB1 this season. He will be in an ideal position for more scoring opportunities. Combined with an improved receiving upside, fantasy managers must have Pacheco in their weekly fantasy lineups.

Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)

Fantasy managers have been arguing about why the Pittsburgh Steelers will not get the ball in Jaylen Warren’s hands more often. His dynamic running style and play-making ability scream splash plays and fantasy success. However, the Steelers feel required to get the ball to Najee Harris more often, even though his efficiency and production fail compared to the undrafted Warren from Oklahoma State.

Last season, Warren saw a volume increase from his 2022 season, and he played nearly half of the Steelers’ offensive snaps. With the uptick in touches from 105 to 2022 to 210 last season, Warren set career-highs with 784 rushing yards, 61 receptions and 1,154 scrimmage yards. The 5-foot-8, 215-pound Warren rushed for an impressive 5.3 yards per carry on his way to ranking first in missed tackles forced per touch, fifth in yards after contact per touch and seventh in explosive play rate. Warren proves himself to be super productive when he receives opportunities. Fantasy managers might get their wish as we head into the 2024 season, with the Steelers hiring Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator.

Arthur Smith’s offensive system thrives on a run-heavy, zone-blocking offense in which the running backs must possess vision, patience and the ability to change direction on a dime. That skill set perfectly matches Warren, who finished first among all running backs with a 31.9% juke rate and third with 4.65 yards created per touch. Combine those skills with his elite pass-catching versatility and fantasy managers should be salivating at this potential for a breakout 2024 season.

Warren will secure a significant role in the Steelers’ offense, but typically, Smith’s offensive schemes are run-first teams that support multiple productive running backs. This will allow Harris, who has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in his three NFL seasons, to grab a chunk of carries. Still, Warren is more explosive and efficient than Harris. His running style will primarily handle receiving duties and money touches, which translates into fantasy points.

The Steelers already decided to deny Harris his fifth-year option, making him a free agent after this upcoming season. Ironically, Warren is set to become a free agent in 2025, so an increase in production this season could lead to a financial reward in a multi-year deal.

With Arthur Smith’s love of rotating backs, we should witness a more evenly distributed approach in volume. Last season, Harris saw 67.9% of the rushing attempts, including a 78% share in the red zone. In contrast, Warren saw only 32.1% of the rushing attempts, including a 21% share of red-zone touches. It would be a crime not to have Warren involved in a more significant role in the Steelers’ offense.

Warren is no longer a sleeper selection for fantasy managers but a massive fantasy value to secure in the later rounds. In his newly secured role, Warren should see nearly 900+ rushing yards and 50+ catches for 500 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns. Warren is a must-have running back for fantasy managers for the 2024 season.

Dennis Sosic is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Dennis, check out his archive and follow him @CALL_ME_SOS.

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