Plenty of fantasy football drafters and managers overlook the backup running back landscape. The starting running back gets all the production and attention...until they do not. One injury can change the fantasy football league landscape for two teams - the one that lost the weekly starter and the one who has (or will have) the inherited workload of the backup running back, now thrust into the starting role. Navigating the running back landscape is critical to monopolizing upside on a fantasy roster and saving countless waiver wire dollars (or claim priority) by projecting the "What if?" scenarios ahead at the position. Here is a breakdown of the NFL depth charts by clarity and upside after the NFL Draft.
Big Upside with Clarity
Denver Broncos
Melvin Gordon is back and a likely committee with
Javonte Williams in some form of 60-40 or 55-45 split. The big upside comes if either one is out and a clarified start is present for the other.
Cleveland Browns
Kareem Hunt is the big-upside-with-clarity option behind
Nick Chubb, but Hunt's salary and no dead money could point to the Browns moving on by Week 1. D'Ernest Johnson would also be a clarified high-upside option.
Jerome Ford was a quality talent addition to the depth chart from the 2022 rookie class as well.
Dallas Cowboys
Tony Pollard has been 'in waiting' for years without a clarified start. The upside is huge if he ever gets a string of starts on the Dallas offense.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon are in a committee like the Denver backfield. The same principle applies here - either one would be an elite starting option if the other misses time and both are in the flex or better discussion weekly for lineups even as a committee.
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
The underrated depth chart here is the Saints with Mark Ingram a sturdy veteran in the 1B or RB2 role. Tony Jones got significant attention last offseason and
Abram Smith (UDFA rookie) is getting attention this offseason, but the job and clarity is Ingram's until further notice.
Big Upside with Some Clarity
Already a subscriber?
Login
Continue reading this content with a
100% FREE
Insider account.
Photos provided by Imagn Images
