My Dynasty Off-Season: Rookie Dynasty Running Back Rankings 6-10

Ken Kelly Posted On February 26, 2024

Well, that was fun. Another year is in the books and hopefully you hoisted a dynasty league championship. While the games are great and results are obviously important, this is actually my favorite time of year. Yes, I actually enjoy the off-season more than actual fantasy football. I love breaking down the NFL Draft, evaluating rookies, re-establishing the veteran dynasty fantasy landscape and giving you all as much information as I can in order to be prepared for the beginning of the upcoming year.

This year, I’m posting a regular series – My Dynasty Off-Season (yes, I changed it because I think this is better and because I tend to change my mind a lot). This series is intended for me to pull back the curtain a bit and share what I’m doing in terms of team building, roster evaluation, player assessments, trade possibilities, value changes or anything else I’m thinking of. My hope is this series helps guide you through your off-season and helps you be in position to win again next year.

In this installment, let’s continue to take a look at my initial running back rankings for the 2024 version of our rookie drafts. I’ll state the obvious before we get going – this isn’t exactly the greatest crop of running backs we’ve ever seen. While we’re going to inevitably get some starters out of this group, there really isn’t a can’t-miss prospect like Bijan Robinson. The landing spots for these players is going to be critical this year and the NFL Draft Combine may actually be even more important to them this season as there’s no clear-cut top prospect on the board. Sounds like fun for the next few months. If you missed the first installment with my top five, make sure you check here. In short, here were my top five:

1.) Trey Benson, Florida State
2.) Jonathon Brooks, Texas
3.) Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
4) Blake Corum, Michigan
5.) Bucky Irving, Oregon

Let’s continue on with my top ten.

6.) Audric Estime, Notre Dame

Estime has the build to be an absolute powerhouse of a runner at 5’11” and 227 pounds. He also improved each year at Notre Dame, culminating in a 2023 season that featured 1,341 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He also showed elite-level ball protection, losing just one fumble despite handling the ball 227 times on the season. Estime also has shown great patience, agility and elusiveness for a running back of his size – all traits that should translate to the next level. The challenge with Estime is the fact he seems pretty one dimensional as he had only 26 catches the past two seasons. Estime looks like a “thunder” complement to a “lightning” component on an NFL team and that could severely limit his dynasty value in the end. If he can prove he has some surprise pass catching chops, he could also be a bit of a bargain in dynasty rookie drafts.

7.) Dillon Johnson, Washington

The former Mississippi State Bulldog transferred to the University of Washington last year and was supposed to spend a year as a backup, Instead, injuries hit and Johnson quickly found himself with the opportunity of a lifetime – one he quickly took advantage of. Johnson rushed for 1,195 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on the season, leading the Huskies all the way to the National Championship game. He has shown adequate power, speed and pass-catching ability throughout his career. He also has the numbers to show he can really produce in a variety of ways. He needs to improve his pass protection and vision but most believe that’s correctable. Johnson could be a workhorse back and many remember his 256-yard, four-touchdown game against USC this year and wonder if he really is a diamond in the rough. While he may not have the ceiling of some other backs in this class, Johnson looks the part and could be a steal in rookie drafts.

8.) Will Shipley, Clemson

Shipley is clearly different than many other running backs on this list because he’s not really a between the tackles yardage grinder and much more of a player who has relied on sweeps and misdirection plays to find success. Still, that success has its merits as he scored 31 touchdowns and routinely posted more than five yards per carry at Clemson. The challenge with Shipley is simple – much like other running backs, he’s just not suited for a full-time job. Unlike someone like Estime, he would likely thrive as a third down back or specialist more than someone who needs to grind out the tough yards. Still, there’s a lot to like here and it seems he has the talent to carve out a decent career in the NFL. His landing spot is going to be very important as he would be best served as a “Robin” instead of a “Batman” on a good team, preferably.

9.) Daijun Edwards, Georgia

Show me a running back who has found success in the SEC and I’ll show you a running back I’d like to have on my dynasty roster. While Edwards is not a prospect looked upon in the same mold of former Bulldogs like Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, D’Andre Swift or Todd Gurley, you don’t have to be to find success in the NFL. Edwards has been very productive in his own right, averaging over five yards per carry and scoring 20 touchdowns over the past two years in Athens (that’s in Georgia, not Greece). As I always say, SEC production is different than production anywhere else and it really does mean something. If Edwards can work on his pass blocking and become more patient as a runner (a big issue of his), he could carve out a solid career in the NFL and make for a nice roster addition in dynasty leagues.

10.) Jaylen Wright, Tennessee

Wright is a player who could move up significantly after the NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Days as he’s a freak of an athlete. He was also extremely productive at Tennessee this past season, rushing for just over 1,000 yards on more than seven yards per carry. The only real knock on him is his lean frame as he comes in at 5’11” and 210 pounds – that’s a significant issue NFL teams are going to need to wrap their heads around as durability could be an issue. Still, this a player to watch closely over the coming weeks as he could easily pass others on this list as people start to marvel at his elite-level athleticism. Hmm. Sounds like a bit of a sleeper to me at the moment.

I hope you enjoy my ramblings. I’ll be back next week to cover the next set of running backs. Again, this is going to be my off-season space to share what my plans entail all off-season long. Hope it helps!

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Ken Kelly

Co-Founder at DynastyLeagueFootball

Ken is a corporate trainer by day an a tireless editor of dynasty content by night. His passion for the World Champion Seattle Seahawks is second only to his love of fantasy football and the dynasty format.

Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK