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Craig looks at three fantasy football rookie running back sleepers with potential workhorse roles in 2024. Target these NFL rookie RB values in fantasy drafts.
It is as difficult to find a workhorse running back for fantasy football as it is to find a winning slot machine in Atlantic City.
The league-wide "running-back-by-committees" have ruined the fantasy values of a plethora of players in recent seasons. NFL teams have decided that backs should split the snaps and touches instead of handing the ball to one guy 25-30 times. Gone are the days of the running back who rushes 300 times in a season. No running back had 300 rushing attempts in 2023 and that might happen again in 2024.
Rookie running backs have a harder time being a workhorse in this day and age, but there are a couple of first-year players who could be in line for 20 touches per game if everything breaks right for them. Which rookie runners have the potential to be the workhorse back for their teams in 2024? Let's take a look! It's worth noting that all three selections in this article likely need an injury to take place to reach workhorse status.
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Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Benson was drafted in the third round by Arizona to fill the role of backup running back to touchdown machine James Conner. The rookie brings some attributes that Conner does not possess, such as a 4.39 40-yard dash, which equates to sprinter speed despite being labeled as a "big back" by scouts due to his size. Benson also has the hands and pass-protection prowess to play on passing downs, so he can stay on the field for an entire series as an every-down back if needed.
Here is what works in Benson’s favor: Conner has been banged up countless times during his NFL career. He has missed 19 games over the past five seasons thanks to his bruising, take-no-prisoners running style. At age 29, Conner will only become more brittle. Benson is one Conner broken bone away from being Kyler Murray’s backfield workhorse, just as long as he can fend off former Jets understudy Michael Carter and be the true RB2 in the land of desert and cactus.
Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
Wright is not only joining one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, but he is joining one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL. All Raheem Mostert did last year was run for a career-high 1,012 yards and lead the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns. All De'Von Achane did was average an ungodly 7.8 yards per carry and score 11 touchdowns in 11 games. Meanwhile, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards. So, this does not sound like the ideal situation for Wright to end up being a workhorse, right?
Jaylen Wright had 9 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown against Georgia. pic.twitter.com/ufezKgjml3
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) June 6, 2024
Don't give up on the notion that Wright could be the centerpiece of Miami’s rushing attack at some point, as Mostert and Achane are not durable backs. While Mostert has stayed relatively healthy the past two years, he was only able to suit for 45 games during five years with the San Francisco 49ers between 2017 and 2021 due to injuries. Achane missed six games during his rookie campaign because of knee injuries as well. Wright might have been brought in as depth at the position, but he could end up at the top of the depth chart by season’s end if Mostert and Achane’s bodies break down again.
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
Corum was a monster if you were in college fantasy football leagues last year as he had 27 rushing touchdowns, scoring a touchdown in every game he played in throughout the season. He has a Cris Carter-like nose for the end zone and can contribute on every down thanks to his pass-catching and pass-protecting skills. That is why Sean McVay and the Rams organization drafted him in the third round and slotted him in as top tailback Kyren Williams’ primary backup.
Fantasy managers know how amazing Williams was in 2023. The former fifth-rounder racked up 1,350 combined yards and 15 total touchdowns in just 12 contests. But just like other Rams runners before him like Todd Gurley, Cam Akers, and Darrell Henderson, the injury bug bit Williams last season, making him miss five weeks. One Williams injury or prolonged slump could vault Corum ahead of Williams on the totem pole. Williams was a Pro Bowl player last season, but who can say if he will not end up as another Dameon Pierce? We know Corum was a workhorse in college and he could be one in the NFL, too.
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