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Five fantasy football running back values and sleepers to target in the middle rounds of 2024 drafts. Can these running backs surpass their ADP expectations?
The middle rounds of fantasy drafts are vital, and fantasy managers want to select players with upside who can provide tremendous value in return. Managers can afford to take some risks on a variety of different players, including forgotten veterans, players returning from injuries, or even skilled players with potential playing time concerns.
In this article, we examine some mid-round running backs for you to consider drafting this season. Our editors have hand-picked these specific NFL players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit.
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Editor's Note: Discover RotoBaller’s top Fantasy Football Sleepers to gain an edge in your drafts. Our free who to draft tool and expert picks spotlight undervalued players, breakout candidates, and late-round gems for all league formats.
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots, Fantasy Football Outlook
Following a strong 2022 season that saw him break into top-12 fantasy conversations at his position, New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson plodded his way to 4.0 yards per carry in 2023. Stevenson saw plenty of volume in New England's anemic offense, handling 16.3 touches per game over his 12 contests. Still, his 4.4 yards per touch demonstrated a lack of explosiveness that he showed in the year prior and removed much of his spiked-week potential.
Rhamondre Stevenson is still not being talked about enough.
- Antonio Gibson is the only back behind him that could take any real touches, meaning Stevenson is likely set up for a massive role
- Patriots offense is still lacking receiving options, meaning that Stevenson’s… pic.twitter.com/PkSGtd9RCx
— Hutchinson Brown (@hutchinsonb_ff) August 8, 2024
The 26-year-old former fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma registered a weekly finish as a top-eight fantasy back in full-PPR settings just three times out of his 12 appearances. He totaled only 857 yards with four touchdowns on 196 touches and settled into weekly volume-driven RB2 territory while splitting work with incumbent veteran Ezekiel Elliott. Stevenson's ADP has come down on the heels of a disappointing campaign despite Elliott's departure, considering the Patriots brought in pass-catching specialist Antonio Gibson to likely serve as their primary third-down back in 2024.
Much of Stevenson's production over the past two years has stemmed from his activity in the passing game, leaving the fourth-year player as once again a volume-based RB2 option in the dead-zone range of the middle rounds of drafts.
David Montgomery, Lions, Fantasy Football Outlook
David Montgomery's first season with Detroit was an unquestioned success, as Jahmyr Gibbs' integration into the Lions' backfield did not prevent Montgomery from assembling a collection of career highs. Montgomery finished 15th overall in rushing attempts (219/15.6 per game) and rose to ninth in rushing yards (1,015). He also established new career bests in yards per game (72.5) and yards per attempt (4.6), established a career-high in yards before contact (511), and vaulted to fifth in yards after contact per attempt (2.3).
Montgomery also tied for fourth with a career-best 50 attempts inside the red zone and was fourth with 17 carries inside the 5 yard-line. He easily surpassed his previous career high by generating 13 touchdowns and was fifth with a TD rate of 5.9%, according to Fantasy Points Data. Montgomery also finished 15th in points per game (14.8), which was the second-highest average of his career. He will also benefit from functioning behind an exceptional offensive line that contains three players who earned selection to the 2023 Pro Bowl (Frank Ragnow/Penei Sewell/Kevin Zeitler).
Montgomery should provide fantasy managers with RB2 production despite Gibbs's presence. That makes him an enticing option in rounds 6-7 (ADP of 66) of best-ball drafts and a target in Round 8 of dynasty startup drafts.
Zamir White, Raiders, Fantasy Football Outlook
Las Vegas Raiders third-year running back Zamir White was arguably the biggest fantasy football winner of the offseason. After former starter Josh Jacobs departed for the Green Bay Packers, the team chose not to make a significant investment in the position during the NFL Draft or free agency. White played well in limited action last year. He finished 14th in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expectation Per Attempt (RYOE/ATT). He averaged over 114 scrimmage yards and 23 touches per game during four starts in place of Jacobs. That kind of volume would put White on the RB1 radar.
Zamir White is due to breakout in 2024 🏴☠️
pic.twitter.com/iyi32fVA3N— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 4, 2024
The Raiders did sign Alexander Mattison and used a sixth-round pick on rookie Dylan Laube. Mattison has never proven to be effective, while Laube profiles more as a pass-catching back. The latter could limit White's overall fantasy ceiling. However, neither poses a significant threat and White's status as the team's RB1 is secure. Poised to lead the Raiders backfield, White is a rock-solid RB2 option in all formats with RB1 upside any given week.
D'Andre Swift, Bears, Fantasy Football Outlook
D'Andre Swift will resurface in a new environment for a second consecutive season after reaching an agreement on a three-year, $24 million contract with Chicago. Swift had operated as Philadelphia's primary back during 2023, while finishing 11th in snaps (610/58.2% share), and 12th with a career-best 229 attempts (14.3 per game). He also exceeded 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career (1,049/65.6 per game) while rising to fourth in yards before contact per attempt (2.8). Swift also finished 12th in explosive yards (274), according to Fantasy Points Data - which is yardage that is generated on runs of 15+ yards.
Swift did register career-lows in targets (3.1), receptions (2.4), and receiving yards per game (13.4) last season after averaging (5.1 targets/3.9 receptions/30.0 yards per game from 2020-2022 with the Lions. Swift's involvement as a receiving weapon could expand during Shane Waldron's first season as the Bears' offensive coordinator. Swift' arrival launched the immediate descent of Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson down Chicago's depth chart. This provides a level of clarity that did not exist for fantasy managers during 2023 when the Bears allocated erratic workloads to Herbert, Johnson, and D'Onta Foreman.
Swift has been infused into a vastly improved offense that also contains Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze. However, that should not prevent Swift from delivering low-end RB2 production, elevating him among your most viable targets in Round 6 of dynasty startup and best-ball drafts.
Devin Singletary, Giants, Fantasy Football Outlook
New York Giants running back Devin Singletary spent the first half of last season with the Houston Texans playing second fiddle to lead back Dameon Pierce, but that change-of-pace role all changed in the second half. After failing to crack double digits in fantasy points in each of his first eight games, Singletary took over as Houston's featured runner and ran away with the job, while Pierce missed three contests due to an ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 8.
Over his final nine outings (all starts), Singletary ranked as a top-10 fantasy back and averaged 17.1 carries for 76.6 yards plus 2.3 receptions for 16.8 yards with eight total touchdowns from Weeks 10 through 18. The 26-year-old veteran's second-half surge helped net him a three-year contract in East Rutherford, as the Giants likely envision him playing a three-down role after losing perennial Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley's services this offseason.
Devin Singletary averaged 16.7 touches and 12.6 fantasy points per game in his last 9 games in 2023.
Singletary is now reunited with Brian Daboll in New York.
Singletary is firmly on the RB3 radar in fantasy drafts. pic.twitter.com/jJyLFkdj7V
— Moody (@EricNMoody) August 4, 2024
Singletary is coming in very cheap with an ADP in the 100s in 2024 drafts despite high volume projections, as he's likely to inherit the bulk of Barkley's vacated touches and handle a similar workload that he took with the Texans down the stretch last year. In 2023, Barkley took 83.9% of the backfield's combined carries plus targets and played 79.9% of New York's offensive snaps over his 14 appearances. The Giants sport what figures to be a bottom-10 offense once again, however, likely limiting Singletary's fantasy upside on a weekly basis. Still, he should make up for a lack of high-scoring performances with heavy workloads as the epitome of a volume-driven RB2/3 play.
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