Fantasy Football Busts: D’Andre Swift, Aaron Jones, Jahmyr Gibbs

With the draft season upon us, we humans constantly search for the positive qualities in our players. However, we must know who to avoid to ensure an optimal draft, allowing us to create the strongest team possible to compete.

Today, we will share five running backs you should actively avoid in your drafts if you want to win your fantasy football championship this season. We start with a second-year running back who everyone seems to love this season.

Fantasy Football Busts: Running Backs

Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)

I can hear you yelling at me through your screen, but hear me out on my case to avoid Jahmyr Gibbs in 2024. My case is built on the straightforward platform that David Montgomery is still in that backfield. Montgomery will still limit Gibbs regarding high-quality touches and will continue to hamper him within his fantasy production.

Now, please don’t hear what we didn’t say. Gibbs will continue to have a good season, but we should be cautious at his average draft position (ADP) of 12th overall.

How often do we have a 12th overall selection with a wide receiver on the same team drafted in the first seven picks, and both players dominate the way their ADP suggests? To double down on said case, when have we had a tight end drafted in the second round, with a top-10 overall drafted wide receiver, and we still expect our 12th overall running back to dominate while still dealing with a shared backfield?

It’s not an easy path for Gibbs. The path is shaky, at best, for such a high-drafted player. We suggest you fade him for someone in a better situation to become the workhorse in the backfield. Remember, you can’t win your league at the draft, but you can surely lose it.

Aaron Jones (RB – MIN)

An aging running back is always a concern when considering utilizing a draft selection on them. It’s especially concerning when the player deals with injuries yearly. Aaron Jones is very skillful, but he is getting older and deals with many injuries. We also have Ty Chandler in the backfield, who held his own and will not be forgotten by the Vikings organization in 2024.

Whenever running backs change teams we tend to see a regression in their production. Jones will enter the season with Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy under center, which can severely handcuff the overall offense. There are other players at his ADP of 54 overall that we would rather roster. You can draft David Montgomery, James Conner or even Rhamondre Stevenson with later picks within this draft range and receive the same quality of fantasy production in 2024.

D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI)

This is another year when people convince themselves to draft D’Andre Swift due to his skill set. We agree he can be remarkable. However, he has shown us time and time again we won’t receive 17 games of that unique skill set. Take an underwhelming player and place him on an offense loaded with pass-catchers. You have to ask yourself how high Swift’s ceiling is. He may be able to be an RB2, but every year, he pinballs all over the fantasy points per game (PPG) scale.

You would be better off finding someone with fewer weapons around him who can steal from his shine and will allow your mid-round running back to propel your team up the league’s standing.