Fantasy Football Off-Season Movement: 2024 Running Back Landscape, Part Two

Saquon Barkley | Credit: USA Today

Ryan McDowell Posted On February 8, 2024

Each off-season, I track team needs and the players most likely to fill those needs in a chart like this. In the coming weeks and months, NFL teams will have multiple opportunities to fill those holes, namely the March free agency period and April’s NFL Draft.

In this series, I’ll go position-by-position looking at teams in need, along with the veterans and rookies who could eventually fill the blanks on the chart below.

Unlike the other fantasy-relevant positions, the free agent running back crop is loaded. That could change pending teams’ Franchise Tag decisions but so many big-name backs hitting the open market also leaves many teams searching for a new starter. This all makes for a fun off-season.

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In the first part of our look at the off-season running back landscape, we examined teams that have, or may have, a need at the running back position this off-season. Now it’s time to find some players to fill those gaps.

FREE AGENTS

Saquon Barkley

The top free agent running back available is the same as last season. Barkley was a free agent a year ago before he and the Giants agreed to a one-year deal, avoiding the Franchise Tag. While Barkley has expressed interest in staying with the Giants, they have already shown hesitation to commit a long-term, big-money deal to their star back. Barkley struggled early in the season, missing three weeks with an ankle injury, before finishing the season with three RB1 games in the final five weeks.

Josh Jacobs

Like Barkley, Jacobs also had a chance to test free agency a year ago before being slapped with the Franchise Tag. Also like Barkley, Jacobs eventually worked out a one-year deal with his team. Jacobs was coming off a career-year in 2022 and didn’t come close to matching that production. He missed four games and finished as the RB27 for the year. Considering the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal last offseason, it is difficult to foresee that working out this year. Jacobs may have played his last snap for the Raiders.

Tony Pollard

You get it by now. Each of the top three backs from last year eventually signed one-year deals to remain with their teams, including Dallas back Pollard. In his first season without former starter Ezekiel Elliott, Pollard was inconsistent and disappointing. He did log seven RB1 games and finish as the RB14 but for a player that was garnering first-round status in redraft leagues last year, this was a letdown. There has been little buzz about Pollard’s future or a potential return to Dallas.

Derrick Henry

Veteran running back Henry essentially bid farewell to the Titans and the city of Nashville in the team’s final home game as he is set to hit the open market. While Henry has left the door open for a possible return to Tennessee, there is little doubt he will be playing for a new team next season. Multiple contenders have backfield questions and would seemingly be a perfect fit, including the Cowboys and Ravens. Henry finished as an RB1 for the fourth time in the past five years, notching nine RB1 games.

Austin Ekeler

There was a lot of smoke last off-season about a potential Ekeler departure from the Chargers. The team even granted their star back permission to seek a trade, but there were seemingly no takers. Instead, the team gave Ekeler a small pay raise and he finished out the final season of his deal. He’s yet another back that looks likely to be suiting up for a new team in 2024. Ekeler miss multiple games and looked a step or two slower than previous years. He averaged a five-year low 13.8 fantasy points per game, finishing as a low-end RB2.

D’Andre Swift

The Lions gave up on Swift last year during NFL Draft weekend, shipping him to the Eagles for little return. After he claimed the lead job in week two, Swift looked like his old self, one of the most talented and dangerous backs in the league. He reeled off four RB1 games in a five-week span and his dynasty value was soaring. As the Eagles offense hit the wall, so too did Swift, who managed just two games with double-digit fantasy points after week eight.

Other Free Agents to Follow: Kareem Hunt, Antonio Gibson, JK Dobbins, Cam Akers, AJ Dillon, Zack Moss, Devin Singletary, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Gus Edwards, D’Onta Foreman

CAP CASUALTIES and TRADE RUMORS

Joe Mixon

The Bengals got a great year out of the veteran Mixon, who played all 17 games and finished as the RB6 on the season. Mixon totaled seven RB1 games, all coming since week eight. The team also got a late-season spark from rookie Chase Brown and Mixon is entering the final year of his contract. The Bengals have an easy out of Mixon’s deal and are facing some impending cap issues as they attempt to keep their core in place.

Aaron Jones

Packers back Jones is also entering the final year of his deal, though the team does not have the easy out in this case. Jones missed six games due to injury but was effective when on the field for the young Packers offense. His backup AJ Dillon struggled and is also entering free agency, leaving the team with no real in-house option to replace Jones if he’s dumped.

ROOKIES

Braelon Allen

A powerful back who flourished early in his college career, Allen’s dynasty stock has been steadily dropping over the past two years. Coaching changes hurt Allen’s production but he has traits of an NFL back, though he is limited as a receiver out of the backfield, which could limit his role. Allen is projected to be a day two pick.

Jonathon Brooks

We are less than a month away from the NFL Combine and there is no clarity at the running back position and no standout RB1. Part of the reason for that is the injury for Texas running back Brooks, who suffered a torn ACL late in the season. That injury left his draft status in doubt but he still chose to make the leap to the league. While Brooks will be recovering during the Combine and Pro Days, he still will be in the Day Two range.

Trey Benson

The current favorite to be the first back drafted, per NFL Mock Draft Database, is Florida State’s Benson, a shifty and versatile runner. Benson can do it all and showed steady improvement throughout his college career.

Other Rookies to Follow: Bucky Irving, Blake Corum, Will Shipley, Audric Estime, MarShawn Lloyd, Ray Davis

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.