Biggest Fantasy Football RB Busts From The 2024 Season

Which running backs were fantasy football busts during the 2024-25 NFL season? Joey Pollizze looks at six RBs who didn't have the best fantasy season and didn't live up to their preseason ADP.

With the fantasy football season in the rearview mirror, now is the perfect time to see where fantasy managers went wrong in 2024. There were plenty of players who went early in drafts last summer but winded up being major busts, especially at the running back position. 

In this article, we will look at the six biggest busts at the running back position from the 2024 season. These running backs did not live up to their preseason ADP and weren't strong fantasy options for various reasons. 

So, which six running backs were fantasy busts during the 2024-25 season? Let's dive in and find out what this might mean for them next year. 

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

RB Christian McCaffrey 

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was arguably the biggest bust in fantasy in 2024. He was the consensus 1.01 in most one-quarterback leagues and was deserving of that fantasy title. After all, McCaffrey just finished as the RB1 in 2023 behind 391.3 PPR fantasy points. 

However, McCaffrey didn't contribute much to fantasy teams this past year. He injured his calf during training camp, which then turned into Achilles tendonitis for the veteran running back. Although the 28-year-old would eventually make his season debut in Week 10, he would land back on the injured list only four games later after suffering a PCL sprain against the Bills in Week 13. 

#49ers Christian McCaffrey is expected to be fully healthy by next week, according to @87ed

(via @FOS / ht @nineralex) pic.twitter.com/MMktJmobNY

— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) February 5, 2025

It was truly a year to forget for McCaffrey and for those fantasy managers who drafted him with the first overall pick. The 49ers running back only appeared in four games and winded up finishing as the RB68 in PPR formats.

Given that McCaffrey will turn 29 years old this summer, he will be a riskier pick at the top of fantasy drafts in 2025. He won't be selected as the 1.01 next season and will fall in drafts due to his injury-riddled 2024 season. The 49ers running back, though, could turn out to be a steal at his ADP if he manages to stay healthy. 

RB Breece Hall 

Everyone believed that New York Jets running back Breece Hall was going to take that next step during the 2024-25 season. He was almost two years removed from the ACL injury he suffered in 2022, and Hall was the best fantasy running back to end the regular season in 2023. During the final three weeks of that year, the young running back averaged 33.2 PPR fantasy points per game. 

As a result, Hall found himself going early in the first round of 2024 fantasy drafts. He was selected as a top-5 fantasy player and was often the second running back off the board in drafts, only behind McCaffrey. But Hall just looked like a completely different player during this past season. 

He averaged a career-low 4.19 yards per game and only scored above 20 PPR fantasy points in four of 16 games. Hall was also tough to trust in the second half of the season, as he totaled under 14 PPR fantasy points in seven of his final nine contests. That led to the Jets running back finishing as the RB17 in half PPR formats. 

Breece Hall in 2023 (~10 months removed from an ACL tear):

+ 0.31 MTF/touch (~RB5)
+ 3.24 YACO/touch (~RB6)

In 2024 (with no reported pre- or early-season injuries):

+ 0.16 MTF/touch (~RB30)
+ 2.56 YACO/touch (~RB23)

What happened to that explosiveness?

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) February 3, 2025

After that poor fantasy season, Hall's ADP will surely drop from last year. He will likely be a second- or third-round pick in drafts, but that could change if the Jets figure out their quarterback situation. Still, the 23-year-old running back will probably stay as an RB1 option for fantasy managers in 2025. 

RB Travis Etienne Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was a popular draft target at the back end of the second round this past summer. He just finished as the RB3 in PPR formats in 2023 and rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his two NFL seasons. Therefore, his RB8 preseason ADP made a lot of sense. 

However, Etienne was not startable in fantasy for most of the 2024 season. He scored under 13 PPR fantasy points in 14 of his 15 games and did not finish as a top-18 fantasy running back in any contest this past year. The 26-year-old also lost a lot of work in the running game to his backup, Tank Bigsby. 

As a result, Etienne had the worst season of his young career. He finished as the RB35 in PPR formats and totaled career lows in rush attempts (150), rush yards (558), rush touchdowns (two), and receiving yards (254).

That poor campaign surely makes Etienne hard to trust in fantasy heading into 2025. He will see his ADP drop drastically next season, and we could even see the Jaguars running back go in the double-digit rounds. With Bigsby also having a role on offense, the former Clemson star will likely be more of an RB3 option next year. 

RB Isiah Pacheco 

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is another player on this list because of injuries. Pacheco was going pretty high in fantasy drafts this past summer and was selected as the RB11 in most leagues. That put his preseason ADP around the second or third round of drafts. 

Unfortunately, Pacheco did not live up to that ADP due to a leg injury he suffered in Week 2. The 25-year-old running back was diagnosed with a broken fibula and did not return to play until Week 13 of the NFL season. However, he was not the same player he was before his injury. Pacheco scored under 10 PPR fantasy points in all of his five games once he returned from injury.

In those contests, the Chiefs running back averaged five PPR fantasy points per game and didn't play above 46 percent of the team's offensive snaps in any of those weeks. Therefore, Pacheco was one of the bigger fantasy busts at the running back position this year. After going as the RB11 in drafts, he winded up finishing as the RB64 in PPR formats. 

Chiefs HC Andy Reid revealed today that the team paid homage to the most iconic play in franchise history on Sunday vs. the Bills. They ran an iteration of 65 Toss Power trap on this direct snap to RB Isiah Pacheco. Didn't work out, but have to love the respect this team has for… pic.twitter.com/AZlACTlzXe

— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) January 30, 2025

Even though Pacheco busted in fantasy this past year, it will be interesting to see where he lands in 2025 fantasy drafts. He will likely be close to 100 percent healthy next season, and that is great news for his fantasy value. Assuming the Chiefs don't bring back Kareem Hunt or sign a notable running back in free agency, the third-year running back should be a solid RB2 option for fantasy managers. 

RB Raheem Mostert 

Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert was a big regression candidate this past year following his career campaign in 2023. Mostert finished as the RB5 in PPR formats and scored 21 total touchdowns (18 rushing and three receiving) that year. That potential regression, though, was already baked into his RB25 preseason ADP. 

So, Mostert was a popular target for some fantasy managers in the middle rounds. Even though he just turned 32 years old in April, he had the potential to be a solid flex play in some weeks due to his upside in this Miami offense. Nonetheless, that was never the case during the 2024-25 season. 

Mostert scored in double figures in PPR formats in only two of 13 games and was a drop candidate in fantasy by Week 9. With De'Von Achane taking a major leap in his second season, the 32-year-old veteran took a backseat on offense for most of the year. That led to him finishing as the RB58 in half PPR formats. 

Now, Mostert will play out the final year of his contract with the Dolphins this upcoming season. But fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be a major part of this Miami offense. Achane will lead this backfield again, and Jaylen Wright should see more opportunities in the running game in his second year. Therefore, the veteran won't be fantasy-relevant in 2025. 

RB Zamir White 

The last fantasy bust on this list is Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White. White was a potential breakout candidate this past year after looking solid in that starter role to end the 2023 season. In the last four games of that campaign, the Georgia product averaged 15.2 PPR fantasy points and 99.3 rush yards per game. 

Given that White was set to open the 2024 campaign as the Raiders starting running back, he was a target for some fantasy managers in the middle rounds. He had an 82.2 ADP and was roughly the 23rd running back off the board in drafts. Unfortunately, though, the 25-year-old was not a viable fantasy option for the entire season. 

White only appeared in eight games in 2024 and totaled just 29.3 PPR fantasy points in those eight contests. That averages out to just 3.66 PPR fantasy points per game. After being drafted as a low-end RB2 in drafts, the 25-year-old running back finished as the RB86 in PPR formats, which was lower than players like Patrick Taylor Jr., Kimani Vidal, and Hassan Haskins. 

White will certainly not be a fantasy target in drafts next season and will likely go undrafted in most leagues. While it remains to be seen which running back will lead this Las Vegas backfield in 2025, new head coach Pete Carroll will probably want to bring in his own guys to lead this group. 

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