The running back position has been hard to navigate in fantasy football over the past few years. Very few have a workhorse role anymore, and injuries remain a problem for the position. As a result, fewer and fewer backs are going early in drafts. That makes the middle to later rounds very important.
If you need a running back in the later rounds, Chase Brown, Gus Edwards, and Austin Ekeler could all be great targets. All three of those backs could be in store for solid seasons.
So, let's take a look at fantasy football outlooks for Brown, Edwards, and Ekeler in 2024.
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Chase Brown 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
The Bengals selected Brown in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he took a backseat on offense for most of the year. He saw just eight offensive snaps in the first 12 weeks of the season. However, that changed over the final six weeks, as the former Illinois product saw double-digit snaps in each of those games. He totaled at least 50 yards from scrimmage in four of those six contests.
Bengals RB Chase Brown “continues to take the majority of reps at RB” with the first-team offense in camp, per @char_cliff pic.twitter.com/9CSxZgzSK5
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) July 27, 2024
Now, he's competing for the Bengals' RB1 job in 2024. He has seen the majority of the RB1 reps in training camp so far while impressing on the ground and through the air. If Brown winds up winning that job ahead of Week 1, he could be in for a breakout campaign this season. That makes him a value pick at his 123.7 ADP on Sleeper.
Gus Edwards 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
The Los Angeles Chargers signed Edwards this offseason after a career year with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. The 29-year-old rushed for a career-high 810 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He now has the chance to lead Los Angeles' backfield this upcoming year. J.K. Dobbins is coming off a torn Achilles, and Kimani Vidal is a rookie entering his first year.
J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and the rest of the #Chargers RBs running through: pic.twitter.com/zsFo4GxFWr
— Omar Navarro (@OmarNavarro____) July 29, 2024
For a Chargers team that wants to run the ball at a high level, Edwards could be in for another double-digit-touchdown season. However, it might be tough to rely on the veteran back in fantasy every week. Dobbins should be involved on offense when healthy, and Vidal has been a surprise in training camp so far. As a result, the 29-year-old is not necessarily a strong target at his 113.3 ADP.
Austin Ekeler 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Ekeler is an interesting case in fantasy heading into the season. He is coming off a rough year where he rushed for a career-low 3.51 yards per carry. On top of that, it seemed like the veteran lost a step toward the end of last year. Nonetheless, the 29-year-old veteran is worth a shot in fantasy in 2024.
Several reports on Austin Ekeler looking very explosive, quick in his first Washington camp.
Decent chance his 2023 season was hindered by his high ankle sprain and he returns as a PPR threat in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.Currently RB41 in ADP
pic.twitter.com/MrURLLTJUk— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) July 29, 2024
According to reports, he has looked explosive in training camp in the early going. That is a great sign of his fantasy potential this year. Ekeler's receiving upside will also give him a nice floor every week. He has seen at least 70 targets in four of the past five seasons. Having a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels could help him reach that mark again. So, take a chance on the Commanders running back in 2024 due to his potential in the receiving game.
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