Fantasy Football: Five Runnings Back Due to Breakout This Season

Fantasy Football drafts have been ramping up over the past week and everyone is trying to find out which players will break out this year. Last year the position that broke out the most was running back. Players like Breece Hall, Kyren Williams, Rachaad White, and many more helped fantasy owners nationwide win their fantasy football championships. In full PPR leagues wide receivers are flying off the board, almost forcing you to waste your early draft capital on them. With the occasional running back going in each round, depending on your pick you may not have many elite options by the time it's your turn to select. If you run into this situation don’t panic and just read this article. I am going to provide you with five running backs that I believe are going to break out this season, and hopefully help you win your league. Before I begin I want to preface something about this list. If a running back finished in the top 10 last year, he will not be on this list. Also, if a running back has an adp of the third round or better he will not be on the list. With that being said, let’s begin!

5. Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks -

In my previous fantasy article, I mentioned how much of a believer I am in the Seahawks. Last season Kenenth Walker finished as the RB 19. This was a down season for Walker but given the playcalling and the abysmal offensive line play, it’s a blessing he finished in the top 20. The Seahawks made big moves this offseason like signing top-ten Center Connor Williams and bringing in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. Ryan Grubb had the number one wide receiver and quarterback production-wise in College football last season. If he can elevate this Seattle offense it will mean more touches/ touchdowns for Walker. Walker is currently coming off the board as the RB 17 but I have him as the RB14 with the potential to finish in the top 10. Do not sleep on Kenneth Walker.

4. Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders -

Zamir White has been one of the most controversial running backs discussed during this offseason. Some believe he will be the next Josh Jacobs for the Raiders and be amongst the top of the league in rushing yards. Others believe that White is going to flop the same way that Alexander Mattison did two seasons ago. I tend to lean towards being a White believer and here's why. Last season he averaged 20+ touches over the final four games. In those four games, he finished as the RB8 in fantasy. During that span, White averaged 114 yards per game. He only scored one touchdown during that stretch but with the new additions on the offensive end and having a full offseason with head coach Antonio Pierce the offense should improve enough to boost White's touchdown numbers.

3. Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals -

Chase Brown is currently the 112-ranked  player in fantasy drafts, and if you ask me that is extremely inaccurate. Similar to Zamir White, Brown hasn’t had multiple games handling the majority of running back carries. However, with his 58 touches last season, Brown averaged 0.80 fantasy points per touch. All talks out of training camp have been about how explosive Brown has looked with the Bengals with offensive tackle Orlando Brown even saying “If I could play fantasy football I’d take him as my first running back… He’s going to have a year I guarantee it. Special talent, special player.” Orlando Brown wouldn’t come out and say that if he didn’t feel like Brown was a great player. The Bengals have quarterback Joe Burrow returning to full health and they have a potential top 15 offensive line group in the NFL. Drafting Chase Brown late in drafts gives you a good chance of landing a top-20 fantasy running back without using early draft capital. Sounds like a win-win to me.

2. Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals -

The second-highest-drafted running back in the 2024 draft, Trey Benson landed in a positive situation with the Arizona Cardinals. Benson is one of the faster-running backs, getting a 4.3 40-yard dash time during the NFL combine. In college Benson showed the ability to be an efficient runner and a good receiving back, making it possible for him to blossom into the team's third-down back. His main competition is with James Conner but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Conner is 29 years old, the age when running backs see a huge decline in production. With Conner more likely than not declining and missing an average of four games per season, Benson has a chance to take over as the RB1 on the Cardinals and never look back. Benson is coming off the board as the 133-ranked player meaning you can get hit late in drafts. When considering a player to stash on your bench for upside, not many players make more sense than Benson.

1. James Cook, Buffalo Bills -

Of all the players that have huge boom potential, there isn’t one I like more than James Cook. Cook is the 45th ranked player in fantasy football and I believe this is extremely off. Last season Cook finished top three amongst running backs in rushing yards. Cook finished the season sixth amongst all players in all-purpose yards. He was only nine yards behind Puka Nacua for the fifth spot yet Puka is projected as a first-round pick and Cook is projected as a late third/early fourth-round pick. What’s really shocking about Cook's numbers is that he didn’t have a huge workload until the Bills promoted Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator. After Brady took over in Week 11, Cook finished as the running back number 11 in PPR formats. The Bills traded superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason and have made it clear they will be a run-first team. Now that Cook is the clear best-skill position player on the roster and doesn’t have much competition behind him I think he will finish in the top eight among running backs in fantasy football.