Who are the Top Five Running Backs in 2024 Fantasy Football?

Who are the top five running backs in 2024 fantasy football? Dave Ventresca breaks down the best five running back options for the 2024 fantasy football season.

With the NFL Draft finally within our sights, we are not far away from the start of the NFL season. More importantly, we are one step closer to our fantasy football drafts. Now is a good time to get an early look at each position.

We all know how important an elite running back is in fantasy football. Countless times has a rusher gotten hot and carried fantasy gamers everywhere to a championship. Who are the top running backs entering the 2024 season? Today, we are going to analyze some of the top players at the position.

Make sure you keep up to date with all your NFL Draft and fantasy football needs by following RotoBaller on X and checking out RotoBaller.com. Let’s take a look and examine the top-five runnings in 2024.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) rankings
• Quarterback (QB) rankings
• Tight end (TE) rankings
• Defense (D/ST) rankings
• Kicker (K) rankings
• FLEX rankings
• Dynasty rankings

1.) Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)

No surprises here. McCaffrey remains the top running back option. He brings Marshall Faulk-type upside and is still one of the best backs in the league.

CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY HAS THREE TOUCHDOWNS.

IT IS ONLY THE SECOND QUARTER. pic.twitter.com/YlsgupqCMG

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) October 1, 2023

Averaging over 24 PPR points per game and scoring 21 total touchdowns last year, he is once again in the conversation for the first-overall pick.

2.) Breece Hall (New York Jets)

Just a year removed from ACL surgery, Hall finished as the overall PPR RB2 last season. He again displayed the familiar game-breaking speed we saw from his 2021 rookie season.

BREECE HALL TURNS ON THE JETS FOR THE 72-YARD TOUCHDOWN 😱pic.twitter.com/1apEQ7y73y

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 8, 2023

Hall’s situation has improved heading into 2024. Aaron Rodgers is set to return, the team added Tyron Smith to bolster the offensive line, and signed Mike Williams to improve the receiving game. Rodgers' mobility has likely diminished after his Achilles injury and Hall should continue to see many targets as a result. His big-play ability paired with his pass-catching chops make him the next-best choice after McCaffrey. Should the Jets offense reach a new level with Rodgers, don’t be surprised if Hall can overtake McCaffrey as the RB1.

3.) Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons)

The fantasy football world rejoiced when the Falcons finally moved on from Arthur Smith. A head-scratching split with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson left many fantasy players befuddled.

Robinson was fine as a rookie, but finishing as the overall RB9 and RB16 in fantasy points per game was not what fantasy gamers had in mind when selecting him in round one. Even still, the rookie showed his potential.

.@Bijan5Robinson goes all the way!!!

📺 CBS | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/YenonZsFtD

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 7, 2024

2024 is a new season and brings new life for Robinson. Raheem Morris was hired as the new head coach, and he tasked former Rams pass game coordinator Zac Robinson with turning around the offense. This is great news for Bijan Robinson’s fantasy football prospects as Zac Robinson comes from a system that is very fantasy-friendly for backs and traditionally utilizes one bell cow back (See Todd Gurley and Kyren Williams).

Expect to see Robinson and that 8th overall draft pedigree on full display this year.

4.) Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions)

Gibbs is a home run hitter and has the type of big-play ability that fantasy gamers love.

.@Bijan5Robinson goes all the way!!!

📺 CBS | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/YenonZsFtD

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 7, 2024

He finished as the PPR RB10 despite being in a timeshare with David Montgomery. It’s exciting to think about the possibilities for Gibbs if he can wrestle away more touches from Montgomery in 2024. Based on Gibbs’ draft capital and his play last year, it’s only a matter of time before he takes over this backfield completely.

5.) Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams)

Had it not been for teammate Puka Nacua, Williams most certainly would have been the 2023 fantasy football MVP.

KYREN WILLIAMS TOUCHDOWN!!

Rams are up by 2 scores against the Cardinals pic.twitter.com/4GMbZwUaOy

— Sideline Daily (@sideline_daily) October 15, 2023

Williams was fantastic last year. He finished 6th in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expectation (RYOE) and was one of only two backs to average over 21 PPR fantasy points per game. The other? Christian McCaffrey.

This puts Williams in elite company for 2024. As things currently stand, he is once again sitting atop the Rams depth chart. Unless Los Angeles makes a surprise running back selection in this week’s NFL Draft, nothing stands in Williams’ way of another great season.

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