Acrobatic catches, stiff arms, and tight throws are just some of the aspects of football that make the game so enjoyable to watch. But what everyone hates about the sport is injuries. Players are constantly at risk of getting injured, even in training.
But no group of players gets injured more than running backs. They’re constantly involved in violent collisions and find themselves tangled in swarms of huge bodies. NFL teams, NFL fans and fantasy managers would prefer running backs to stay healthy. But the reality of the situation is that starting running backs across the league will have to hit the training room this season.
Understanding running back depth charts is essential to your success during the season. When a running back is injured, knowing who to select on waivers can give you an advantage over teammates in the league who don’t know the depth charts. The savviest fantasy managers also monitor practice reports and select replacements for running backs who aren’t practicing and are likely to miss games.
PPR FANTASY RANKINGS FOR WEEK 3
QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | Kickers
The next step to getting an edge in your league is understanding how offenses deploy their running backs. There are very few running backs who are true cash cows in 2024. Last season, only four running backs played more than 70% of the snaps: Christian McCaffrey, Rachaad White, Travis Etienne and Tony Pollard. Kyren Williams also played a huge role, but he missed four games due to injury.
The vast majority of teams use multiple backs to share touches. The Tennessee Titans went so far as to include Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears as co-starters on their depth chart. All of this is to say that not all “starter” roles are created equal. For example, Blake Corum replacing an injured Kyren Williams would lead to a much more valuable role than Justice Hill replacing Derrick Henry.
WEEK 3 FANTASY ROSTER MANAGEMENT TIPS
Buy Low, Sell High | Sleepers | Busts | Usage Report | Inventory Watch | Start/Sit
However you choose to use this information, it’s absolutely necessary to keep tabs on how teams view their running backs for fantasy football. Depth charts are constantly changing, so staying on top of new information is essential.
This list will be constantly updated as the season progresses, so check back regularly!
WEEK 3 DFS TIPS
The best values | TNF DFS Lineups | Best DFS Stacks
2024 Fantasy RB depth chart: Handcuffs and reserve running backs on fantasy football roster
| Team | Starter | Backup/Handcuffs | Two depths |
| Arizona Cardinals | James Conner | Trey Benson | Emari Startup |
| Atlanta Falcons | Bijan Robinson | Tyler Allgeier | Avery Williams |
| Baltimore Ravens | Derrick Henry | Judge Hill | Keaton Mitchell/Rasheen Ali |
| Buffalo Bills | James Cook | Ray Davis | Ty Johnson |
| Carolina Panthers | Chuba Hubbard | Jonathan Brooks (PUP) | Miles Sanders |
| The Chicago Bears | By Andre Swift | Khalil Herbert | Travis Homer/Roschon Johnson |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Zack Moss | Chase Brown | Trayveon Williams |
| Cleveland Browns | Nick Chubb (PUP) | Jerome Ford | D’Onta Foreman/Pierre Strong Jr. |
| Dallas Cowboys | Ezekiel Elliott | Rico Dowdle | Deuce Vaughn |
| Denver Broncos | Javonte Williams | Jaleel McLaughlin | Audric Estimé |
| Detroit Lions | D. Montgomery/J. Gibbs | Craig Reynolds | Sione Vaki |
| Green Bay Packers | Josh Jacobs | Emmanuel Wilson | MarShawn Lloyd (IR)/Chris Brooks |
| Houston Texans | Joe Mixon | Dameon Pierce | Cam Akers/Dare Ogunbowale |
| Indianapolis Colts | Jonathan Taylor | Trey’s Sermon | Tyler Goodson |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Travis Etienne Jr. | Bigsby Reservoir | By Ernest Johnson |
| The Kansas City Chiefs | Isiah Pacheco (IR) | Samaje Perine | Carson Steele/Keontay Ingram |
| The Las Vegas Raiders | Zamir White | Alexander Mattison | Ameer Abdullah/Dylan Laube |
| Los Angeles Chargers | JK Dobbins | Gus Edwards | Jaret Patterson/Kimani Vidal |
| The Los Angeles Rams | Kyren Williams | Blake Corum | Ronnie Rivers |
| The Miami Dolphins | R. Mostert/D. Achane | Jeff Wilson Jr. | Jaylen Wright |
| Minnesota Vikings | Aaron Jones | Ty Chandler | CJ Ham |
| New England Patriots | Rhamondre Stevenson | Antonio Gibson | JaMycal Hasty |
| New Orleans Saints | Alvin Kamara | Jamaal Williams | Jordan Mims/Kendre Miller (IR) |
| New York Giants | Devin Singletary | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Eric Gray |
| New York Jets | Breece Room | Braelon Allen | Isaiah Davis/Israel Abanikanda |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Saquon Barkley | Kenneth Gainwell | Will Shipley |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | N. Harris/J. Warren | Cordarrelle Patterson | N / A |
| San Francisco 49ers | Christian McCaffrey (IR) | Jordan Mason | Isaac Guerendo/Patrick Taylor |
| The Seattle Seahawks | Kenneth Walker III | Zach Charbonnet | Kenny McIntosh |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Rachaad White | Bucky Irving | Sean Tucker |
| Tennessee Titans | T. Pollard/T. Spears | Julius Chestnut | N / A |
| Washington Commanders | B. Robinson Jr./A. Ekeler | Jeremy McNichols | N / A |
