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As the NFL continues to lean pass-heavy and teams cycle through running backs yearly, finding consistent fantasy football production at the running back has become increasingly difficult. In PPR leagues, Christian McCaffrey was the only running back to finish in the top 10 among the position in points for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons and one of just three RBs to be among the top 10 in touches each year.
Knowing which running backs to select is crucial, but determining with rushers to avoid is equally as important. These five fantasy football running backs who will lose the most touches in 2024.
Derrick Henry (Ravens)
Derrick Henry led the NFL in carries in four of the last five seasons, and the only year he did not was the season he missed nine games. His workload helped Henry remain among the elite fantasy football running backs despite a did in efficiency over the last few years.
Henry has averaged 361 carries per 17 games over the last five years — a total that will decline with the Baltimore Ravens. The powerful rusher will compete for carries with Lamar Jackson, who averages 145 rushing attempts per year. No RB has outgained Jackson since he became the team's full-time starter in 2019.
The Ravens also run a running back by committee. Baltimore's lead back (an ever-changing role) has averaged 157.2 carries per year in the Lamar Era, with only one back (Mark Ingram in 2019) exceeding 200 carries. 2023 lead back Gus Edwards finished 24th in the NFL with 198 carries.
Henry will not have competition from Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins — both now with the Los Angeles Chargers — but will still share the workload with veteran Justice Hill, youngster Keaton Mitchell (on the PUP list to begin the year), and rookie fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali.
Josh Jacobs (Packers)
Josh Jacobs led the NFL with 393 touches and 2,053 yards from scrimmage in 2022. This extreme workload took a toll on the Las Vegas Raiders runner in 2023, as Jacobs missed four games while his yards per carry dropped from 4.9 to 3.5.
The Green Bay Packers have run a running back by committee over the last few years, with Aaron Jones never exceeding 62% of offensive snaps in his seven-year career with Green Bay — including just 48% of snaps when active last year. Jacobs, by contrast, played 76% of snaps in 2023 and 75% in his All-Pro 2022 campaign.
While Jacobs' efficiency should return in 2024, it is difficult to see him as an elite fantasy football asset while seeing the field only half the time.
Saquon Barkley (Eagles)
Aside from Derrick Henry, few NFL running backs have built up a more significant workload in recent years than Saquon Barkley. Barkley is fifth in touches per game since coming into the league in 2018, averaging better than 20 per contest. He also finished eighth in rushing attempts in 2023 despite missing three games.
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The former New York Giants back opted for a change in scenery this year, signing with division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley received a three-year contract — a sign that the Eagles believe he still has fuel left in the tank. The former number-two overall pick is just 27 years old but will enter his seventh NFL season.
Given the length of that deal, the Eagles will want to protect Barkley during his tenure in Philly and ensure he lasts the entirety of his contract. That outlook does not bode well for fantasy managers expecting Barkley to carry the ball 20 times a game.
Joe Mixon (Texans)
Though he is not considered a bell-cow back like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley, Joe Mixon is third in the NFL in touches since the start of the 2018 campaign. And like Barkley, he will be jumping to a new franchise for the first time in his career. Mixon is now a Houston Texans member, replacing Devin Singletary as the de facto number-one back. Singletary and Dameon Pierce experienced a 60-40 split in carries — which came as a surprise after Pierce's strong rookie season.
Even if Pierce does not rebound and rediscover his 2022 form, he will still be a major factor in the Houston backfield, which limits Joe Mixon's fantasy football upside in his eighth NFL season.
Raheem Mostert (Dolphins)
After years as a backup, Raheem Mostert finally received his chance as a starter last season and took full advantage of his opportunity. Mostert led the NFL with 21 touchdowns from scrimmage and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground for the first time in his career.
Will he still garner the lion's share of carries for the Dolphins in 2024? Mostert averaged 12.6 carries per game in the seven contests where rookie sensation De'Von Achane garnered at least 30% of the snaps. When Achane was injured, Mostert's workload jumped to 15.1 carries.
Miami added Jaylen Wilson in the fourth round — a speedster who offers big-time playmaking ability as a rusher and receiver. The Dolphins' backfield also includes former San Francisco 49ers ball carrier Jeff Wilson. With so many weapons at running back alone, Raheem Mostert could experience a load-based regression this year.
