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Fantasy football season is getting underway with drafts beginning to take place, and having your strategy for the draft is crucial when it comes to drafting the best team possible. Finding undervalued players is a great way to draft a great team, and it's safe to say there are quite a few running backs who aren't getting valued properly in drafts right now.
The running back spot is becoming an increasingly difficult position to draft in the fantasy football world, but there are still a lot of players who are being overlooked. So with that being said, let's take a look at five running backs who fit that description, and see why they could end up being fantastic selections for you in your fantasy drafts.
5. Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders (RB22)
The lack of hype surrounding Zamir White heading into the 2024 campaign doesn't make much sense. In an audition for the Las Vegas Raiders starting running back job late last season, White dominated, rushing for over 100 yards in two of his four starts. With Josh Jacobs leaving in free agency for the Green Bay Packers, the starting job is all White's, and he could put up some huge numbers as a result.
There are a couple reasons for that. For starters, the Raiders passing game should be at least competent with Gardner Minshew III under center, as he has a pair of established wide receivers in Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers at his disposal, and promising rookie right end Brock Bowers. Alexander Mattison lurks behind White on the depth chart, but he does not appear to be a real threat to take touches away from him.
Despite all that, White is getting drafted as a late RB2/FLEX option in most drafts, which is pretty eye-opening. He may not be widely known in the fantasy football world yet, but that's about to change. White can usually be scooped up in the middle rounds, and if you can snag him in that area of your drafts, chances are you will have a steal on your hands.
4. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals (RB19)
Even in some adverse circumstances, James Conner has powered through to become one of the most reliable fantasy running backs during his time with the Arizona Cardinals. Conner has scored at least eight touchdowns in all three of his seasons with the Cardinals, and it doesn't seem like he's going to be losing any volume in 2024.
Even with Arizona's offense being a work in progress last season, Conner rushed for over 1000 yards and scored nine touchdowns, making him a tremendous fantasy asset. The Cardinals offense should be even better in 2024 with Kyler Murray back at full health, and playmakers like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride leading the way in the passing game.
Having Murray under center does limit Conner's upside a bit, but he's still a tremendous touchdown threat who has little competition for touches out of the backfield. Conner is simply being drafted too low right now, and if you can land him as your RB2, chances are your team will be in a pretty good spot.
3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (RB17)
Alvin Kamara missed the first three games of the 2023 campaign due to a suspension, but he still managed to return and be one of the most productive fantasy football running backs anyways. Kamara is one of the top dual-threat running backs in the game, and he has shown no signs of slowing down to this point.
Sure, the New Orleans Saints offense is a bit of a mess, and there are threats to take away his touches in guys like Taysom Hill or Jamaal Williams, but Kamara is going to get the ball 20+ times a game. He was averaging nearly six receptions per game last season, which makes him an absolute monster in PPR formats.
The concerns over the Saints offense make sense, but Derek Carr loves hitting Kamara on checkdowns, and he's still the lead running back in their offense until further notice. For a guy who has been an RB1 for most of his career, there's no reason for him to be getting selected this low, and there's a very good shot he's going to outperform his RB17 average draft position this season.
2. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers (RB12)
Josh Jacobs situation has changed quite a bit over the past few days, as he has gone from being a fringe RB1 to a surefire top running back. That's due to the fact that his backup, AJ Dillon, is already out for the season with a neck injury, while his new backup, MarShawn Lloyd, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
As a result, Jacobs has virtually no competition for touches, and in the Packers high-powered offense, he could put up some big numbers. Jacobs is only one year removed from his massive 2022 campaign, and in an actually competent offense, he should be able to put together a nice bounce back campaign after struggling in 2023.
Jacobs' struggles last season will surely leave a bad taste in fantasy owners' mouths, but his situation is almost too good to be true. If Jacobs can stay healthy, there's no reason for him to not be a top-10 running back in 2024, and if you can somehow land him in the third or fourth round, you will have hit the jackpot.
1. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens (RB9)
Perhaps the biggest move at running back this offseason saw Derrick Henry leave the Tennessee Titans to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. Henry goes from one of the most downtrodden units in the league last season to a Ravens offense that features one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the game in Lamar Jackson.
Playing alongside Jackson is a double-edged sword. On one hand, he's a threat to take away touches from Henry, but on the other hand, the threat of him holding onto the ball should open up tons of room for Henry to work with. Henry has played in good offenses before, but he's never worked alongside a quarterback like Jackson, and there's a chance they take the league by storm.
Baltimore's offense as a whole is loaded, and even if Henry doesn't lead the league in rushing attempts for the third straight season, he should still get more than enough volume, while also hopefully seeing his yards per carry and touchdowns skyrocket. Henry could conceivably finish the year as the top running back in all of fantasy football, so if you can land him at this spot, you should be in for a treat.
